Blind Faith

I had been meaning to write about Blind Faith's one and only album, which was released fifty years ago, and the death of Ginger Baker put it on the front burner. He was the drummer for the group, along with Eric Clapton on guitar, Ric Grech on bass, and Steve Winwood on vocals and keyboards. Baker and Jack Bruce of Cream didn't get along, so that group split and Blind Faith formed ever so briefly.

The self-titled album was controversial for its cover, which featured a pubescent, topless girl holding an airplane. It can be easily Googled, but I'm not putting it here because I have no idea if Blogspot would go mental and shut me down if I did. Needless to say they wouldn't do that today.

The record is fantastic, with a bluesy feel. There are only six tracks, since Baker ends the record with a fifteen-minute cut "Do What You Like" which has all the members taking turns doing solos, including his drum solo. Baker was fond of solos, and they were engaging, displaying a virtuosity seldom seen in rock drumming.

Of the other tracks on the album, the most famous is "Can't Find My Way Home," a Winwood composition that is ubiquitous on classic rock radio. Better is is his "Sea of Joy," a more complex tune that is the epitome of the era--psychedelic blues. Also notable on the record is Clapton's composition, "Presence Of The Lord," which is a straight out song about God, not ironic, and was probably sung by many youth church groups back in the day (and maybe even today).

"I have finally found a place to live just like I never could before
And I know I don't have much to give, but soon I'll open any door
Everybody knows the secret, everybody knows the score
I have finally found a place to live, oh, in the presence of the Lord
In the presence of the Lord"

Over the course of this week Baker has been celebrated, and it's been interesting listening to his work. Blind Faith, with only one album, isn't the most representative of his career. He played in jazz bands before Cream, and for the last 25 years of his career he returned to jazz. He also spent a great deal of time in Africa, and brought African style into his drumming, with heavy use of tom-toms. I'm someone who can listen to a rock song and focus on the drumming, and when I do that I realize how great Baker was.