Hyde Park '69＜Red Vinyl＞

The story of Blind Faith is fascinating, but for all the wrong reasons. The band became the first "supergroup" in rock & roll when it formed in 1969, and it all fell apart in less than a year despite a lone album that topped the charts and a highly successful tour. Vocalist/keyboardist Steve Winwood stepped out of Traffic, guitarist Eric Clapton and drummer Ginger Baker had already conquered the world as two-thirds of Cream, and bass guitarist Rick Grech was a veteran of Family (more well-known in England than the United States) when they joined forces. Blind Faith's very name arguably proved that their members did not know what to expect from the union. The band made its debut at a free concert in front of more than 100,000 fans at Hyde Park in London on June 7, 1969. This pivotal event in rock history is preserved in its entirety on the excellent 2006 DVD London Hyde Park 1969. Winwood, Clapton, Baker, and Grech are crowded together on a small stage with little room to move. At times they seem hesitant, while at other times their confidence and heroic technical skills shatter any reservations. All six songs that ended up on Blind Faith are performed. Buddy Holly's "Well All Right" and "Sea of Joy" kick off the proceedings. A cover of Sam Myers' "Sleeping in the Ground" followed by the Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb" shows one of the band's biggest problems -- a lack of original, fully realized songs. (Blind Faith is a strong album, but it's padded with jamming.) "Can't Find My Way Home" is fascinating because Clapton plays it on electric guitar instead of acoustic guitar, which he did on Blind Faith. "Do What You Like" and "Presence of the Lord" show off Winwood's organ mastery. Next is Traffic's "Means to an End" and then the finale, "Had to Cry Today." Winwood, Clapton, and Baker's early work is captured on the extras: primitive promotional videos for the Spencer Davis Group's "I'm a Man," Traffic's "Hole in My Shoe," and Cream's "I'm So Glad." Other bonuses include a photo gallery and discographies for all four Blind Faith members pre-1969. Many other bands suffered the same fate as Blind Faith: a promising start that gave way to the disappointment of unfulfilled potential and thoughts of what might have been. Fortunately, London Hyde Park 1969 chronicles the birth of the shooting star that was Blind Faith. ~ Bret Adams