The term Supergroup is used for a band which comprises musicians who have already made a mark in the world of music. Blind Faith was one of the early names in the scene, like CSNY in America and Cream in the UK. In fact, the band happened because Cream broke up leaving Eric Clapton (the blues boy and lead guitarist of the band) looking for newer directions while Steve Winwood (of Traffic) was seeking some freshness in his music. The two of them got jamming together; Ginger Baker (of Cream) joined them on drums along with Ric Grech (of Family) on bass,and out of these sessions a band was born. A band that died within 7 months of its birth, leaving behind just one album – the eponymous Blind Faith.

The opening track on Side 1 of the LP, Hard to Cry Today is a strong guitar based jam with a catchy intro which then moves on to the beautifully haunting Can’t Find My Way Home. It has some lovely finger picking and with lyrics like, ‘But I'm near the end and I just ain't got the time / And I'm wasted and I can't find my way home’ it became one of the most recognized anthem of the hippie era.The third track is an interesting take on Buddy Holly’s Well All Right, with an intro having shades of Allman Bros music. The last track on the side is a melodious Clapton’s first ever composition, Presence of the Lord, showing us the shape of things to come.

Side 2 opens with Sea Of Joy, a very Traffic-like dreamy track with Winwood’s keyboard and Grech’s violin weaving the magic. The last track is a 15 minutes Ginger Baker led jam, Do What You Like, which to me is an indulgence purely because of its length.

The album has several aspects going in its favour like Winwood’s heartfelt vocals and keyboard, Clapton’s controlled yet expansive guitar licks, Baker’s maverick drumming and Grechs sonorous violin solo and bass. But what really goes against the album is the fact that at the core, it remains a ‘jam album’ without a real plan or a vision, and that was precisely the reason for the short life of the band itself.

The cover art got into a huge controversy because of showing a topless pre-pubescent girl holding a model airplane and it was changed into a more civil one for the American release.

This LP has aged well and represents an era of experimentation that sometimes failed and sometimes worked. The band failed to live but the music still works, with tracks like Can’t Find My Way Home and Sea of Joy, at least for me.

Label: Polydor UK/Canada, Atco US Year: 1969 Rating: 3.5/5

Reviewed by Meraj Hasan

Meraj Hasan is a Mumbai based communication professional (and an amateur poet/musician) with a passion for listening to music the vinyl way. His 25 year old Technics turntable along with a humble collection of LPs across genres like Classic rock, Classical, Blues and Jazz (amongst others) are his prized possessions.

He can be reached at +91 9833410791 or email: meraj.hasan@gmail.com .