I want to start out by thanking Eric Clapton for all of the wonderful collaborations he's been a part of this last decade. First he founded the incredible Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2004, which spawned two of the best concert DVDs of the past ten years. Then in 2005 he reunited one of the most renowned power-trios of all time, Cream, for an amazing run of concerts at the famous The Royal Albert Hall.
After the second — and even better — Crossroads Festival in 2007, he joined the legendary Jeff Beck on stage a few months later at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club for the filming of the latter's first-ever concert DVD. And as if that weren't enough for devoted Slowhand disciples, Clapton then joined blues-rock guitarist (and my current favorite) Joe Bonamassa onstage earlier this year at the Royal Albert Hall.
Going back four decades ago, Clapton was part of the short-lived "super-group" called Blind Faith, whose other members included Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker, and Rick Gretch. The band was only together long enough to release one self-titled album in 1969 before quickly dissolving later that same year after a brief tour.
Winwood and Clapton's musical paths would not cross again until the two performed a blistering set of Blind Faith classics at the 2007 Crossroads Festival. It was so well received — and they enjoyed playing together again so much — that they decided to do a run of concerts together last February, at New York's Madison Square Garden. This excellent new concert DVD is the result of that magnificent collaboration.
Live From Madison Square Garden features a nostalgic 20-song set that includes all of the essential Blind Faith material, several classic cover songs, and a few songs each from Clapton and Winwood's vast catalogs. They said that Clapton picked Winwood's songs; and Winwood picked Clapton's tracks, which is why you might be surprised to see such '80s gems as "Forever Man" and "Split Decision" as two of the set's highlights.
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