Music DVD Review: Blind Faith London Hyde Park 1969

If ever, in all the anals of rock history, there was an aptly named band, it was Blind Faith. Born from the ashes of Cream and the original incarnation of Traffic, Blind Faith was heralded as the first "supergroup." It seemed a brilliant idea at the time — pairing Eric Clapton's blues-based guitar with Steve Winwood's jazz-infused keyboards, and tying it all together with the power of Ginger Baker's drums and Rick Grech's (Family) steady bass.

They were doomed from the start.

In retrospect, it's hardly surprising that Blind Faith produced only one album in a career that spanned less than seven months. The break-up of Cream had been bitter, due mostly to the animosity between Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. Adding Baker as a drummer to what had begun as jams between Clapton and Winwood was, in part, the reason for Clapton to cynically call the band "Blind Faith," referencing his doubts about the band's future.

Nonetheless, the fans, the press and, most importantly, the label pushed for an album release. Advances - huge advances - were paid, tours were booked and Blind Faith were superstars before even releasing an album.

London Hyde Park 1969 documents Blind Faith's 7 June 1969 live debut. It was a less than auspicious live premiere for such a highly anticipated "super-act." The fledgling band was ill-prepared for a venue of more than 100,000 fans, and their performance, by today's standards, amounted to little more than a soundcheck. The band members themselves, particularly Clapton, would later critique it as mediocre at best. It didn't matter, though — even though their debut was uninspired, the audience ate it up, and Blind Faith was thrust into superstardom.

Despite the performance's shortcomings, London Hyde Park 1969 is a tidy historical document that offers a rare glimpse of a band who would become a seminal influence on the rock that followed them. The live recording (originally planned as part of a documentary) had been shelved ever since the band's dissolution later that same year. This DVD release features the concert in its entireity, and is the only video release available documenting Blind Faith. The intro, replete with mod-style voiceover, harkens back to the dying embers of the swinging sixties and the socially disenfranchised decade poised to replace it. Bonus materials include prehistoric (at least, music video-wise) videos of the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, and Cream.

Article Author: Ray Ellis

Ray Ellis is a freelance writer who has been dissecting pop culture and its effect on how we view ourselves for over twenty years, ruffling feathers and dragging unsuspecting pedestrians along for the ride whenever possible.

Visit Ray Ellis's author page — Ray Ellis's Blog