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Blind Faith - London Hyde Park 1969
Availability:
In Stock
Price:
$19.99
$8.99*
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| Part No: | B000FC2EXY |
| Manufacturer: | Sanctuary Records |
| MFG Part: | 88423 |
| Customer Rating: | 3.5 / 5.0 |
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It was big news when guitarist Eric Clapton and drummer Ginger Baker from the recently-disbanded Cream joined forces with keyboardist-singer Steve Winwood, whose history with Traffic and the Spencer Davis Group had made him one of Britain's most admired young musicians (bass player Rick Grech came from the more obscure Brit group Family), and the buzz must have been palpable when they took the stage before hundreds of thousands of fans on a June afternoon in 1969. They were known as rock's first supergroup, but there's nothing all that super about Blind Faith - London Hyde Park 1969, a record of the quartet's debut performance. In fairness, the group hadn't been together very long, and their one and only album hadn't been released yet; perhaps they were also taken aback by the size of the crowd and the hype that already engulfed them. Still, their 40-minute set (the DVD is padded with a ten-minute introduction) is surprisingly listless, not to mention out of tune. Having cemented his god-like status by way of Cream's endless bravura jamming, Clapton was clearly looking for something mellower and more song-oriented, but despite a few stellar moments, here he appears dour and uninterested. Winwood, meanwhile, seems to be searching for notes a step or two above his range, with the result that he fairly shrieks his way through all six tunes from the Blind Faith album (along with a pointless cover of the Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb" and two others); it's Baker who provides the fire, especially on "Presence of the Lord" and the drum showcase "Do What You Like." The audio and video are surprisingly crisp and clear, which helps make up for the fact that the camera was apparently hand-held by a drunk who couldn't figure out what he wanted to shoot. It's cool to see these guys in action, but overall, interest in this document will primarily be due to the fact that it exists at all. --Sam Graham
| For Clapton/Winwood Completists Only... | 2008-08-09 | 4 / 5 |
| | Blind Faith was a band that sounded great on paper, hence the term "Supergroup": Eric Clapton on guitar, Steve Winwood on vocals and keyboards, Ginger Baker on drums, and Ric Grech on bass (from the band Family, which was a big deal in England). Although their lone album is a fine piece of work, their debut at London's Hyde Park was less than auspicious. Viewing this DVD, it would seem they were a bit under-rehearsed and lacked enough material to fill out a long set (apparently Cream, Spencer Davis, and Traffic songs were off-limits, so instead we got a Stones cover). At times the viewer could be forgiven for thinking they were seeing a Woodstock outtake: semi-grainy footage of a band on a plywood stage, cutting quite often (and sometimes in split screen) to a bunch of mellow hippies watching. But what's with the cameraman's fascination with the nearby pond, where few if any people were even boating? I don't fault the cameraman for not filming enough closeups of Clapton's hands for the guitar fanatics; it would be several years, based on the number of old concerts I've watched, before almost anyone would figure out that when there was a guitar solo, the sound was emanating from the guy playing the guitar and not either the keyboardist's foot or the drummer. Clapton himself looks slightly bored and plays mostly in "mellow" mode on a Telecaster-looking guitar with extremely blackened frets. Even songs that were stellar in the studio, like "Can't Find My Way Home," come across like a bad high school cover band. Winwood's voice is mostly shot. Baker plays well enough but often seems restrained. And poor Ric Grech offers little; it could be anyone on bass. At one point I thought, "This is so bad it's good," and then another voice inside my head said, "No, this is so bad it's gone from bad to good and back to bad again." This DVD is actually a great cure for insomnia; I fell asleep twice while watching it. As far as special features, the Cream video for "I'm So Glad" is edited, the Traffic video is almost "too" psychedelic (too bad they didn't have a live clip from the 1972 Santa Monica show with Rebop Quaku Bah), and the Spencer Davis video is OK. The narration at the beginning of the concert is a bit spotty in places. All in all, for completists only. |
| Blind Faith - 'London Hyde Park, 1969' (Sanctuary Records) 4 1/2 stars | 2007-10-30 | 4 / 5 |
| | From reading this music DVD's other reviews, I seriously doubt that many true music fans realize the 'historical significance' of this concert film being transfered and made available onto DVD. I mean, I've heard about this Blind Faith show ever since a year after it happened and NOW we get to fully experience a less-than-perfect {yet very acceptable} audio as well as visual recording of their famed opening slot for the Rolling Stones. The quality of this live footage is fine, considering the age. The cameras were a bit shaky, but not that much. This DVD brings back several precious memories of days long past. I remember reading in Creem magazine (I believe it was) how both Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker had hooked up for a post-Cream project that met them up with former Spencer Davis Group frontman Steve Winwood and bassist Rick Grech (from Family) to form an as of yet to-be-announced supergroup. Songs here I got the absolute most out of were "Well All Right", their Stones cover "Under My Thumb", their stoner's anthem (?) "Can't Find My Way Home", the awesome "Presence Of The Lord" and "Means To And End". Very, very good. Highly recommended. |
| Enviable glimpse of rock history | 2007-07-31 | 5 / 5 |
| | This gets five stars because it is an amazing view of rock royalty in action. Who cares if Blind Faith played less than stellar that day? And I must dispute the thinking of the author of the Jefferson Airplane book. Blind Faith's Hyde Park performance was June 7th 1969. Brian Jones drowned July 3rd and the Stones played Hyde Park two later the same year. Nobody was mourning Brian Jones because he wasn't dead yet! At any rate we are fortunate to live in a day and technological age where so many great and historical rock moments are available for us to relive over and over. |
| "Well...All Right" lets get this | 2007-07-02 | 4 / 5 |
| As the author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" and a former radio disc-jockey, I am often asked to write and or discuss various recordings from the 60's and 70's.
Do you know how the Blind Faith tune "Had To Cry Today" got its name? Before the reviews from the buyers begin, there is a blurb about the DVD. Look at the line questioning why the band did a Rolling Stones cover! Answer-Along with over 100,000 other good folks they were paying homage to Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones who had passed away. Obviously, I am kidding about where the title of the song came from but it was to make a point that if you talk about a record or DVD it isn't bad to be aware of the group!
If fidelity of a recording wins out over history, there is nothing that will change your mind about owning a legendary day of rock and roll. The remarks about the quality of the recording are not malicious or defamatory but facts.
For those that want to preserve a treasure from the past and are collectors of Blind Faith material it is necessary own. The cover of the Rolling Stones "Under My Thumb" was a one shot deal and a necessity in the archives. "Sleeping In The Ground" did not make it on the one and only studio recording.
If any Clapton fan ever gets tired of listening to "Presence Of The Lord" they are an imposter! The song is a work of beauty.
As for Eric and the guys being uninspired, how would you perform if a friend of yours passed away light years before his time?
Those that took a stab at Mr. Winwood's voice not being in the best form should attempt with two days notice (Permits had to be secured) to come prepared with state of the art equipment to cover the size of a small planet, sing and play forty minutes while thinking of Brian's death and making sure he could properly hear his band mates mix from the monitors.
When it comes time to analyze how King Crimson, Blind Faith, and the Stones played in the park lets remember the circumstances and the results! Thumbs up to them and to Brian for his tenure with the Stones.
Enjoy the music and be well,
Craig Fenton
Author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent"
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| | I agree with Michael Burton. What horrible editing and camera work. When I saw this DVD on the shelf I almost flipped. "Could it Be,!?" I said. Wow a must have! Blind faith in 1969. I bought the disc immediatley and took it home with high expectations. I was tremendously dissappointed. As a guitar player i get very upset when I cant see what is going on. The morons showed eric claptons left hand like 3 times. I got to see more of the idiot stoners in the crowd than the band that I paid to see. Whoever edited this DVD should be sent to a retirement home. BOYCOTT!! |
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