By Frank Scheck 26 minutes ago
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) -
It took nearly 40 years,
but the supergroup Blind Faith returned to Madison Square
Garden on Monday night for the first of a three-night stand.
Well, OK, it was really just Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood
(drummer Ginger Baker is AWOL and bassist Rich Grech died in
1990), but these shows marking the duo's first full
performances together since 1982 are plenty historic enough.
Clapton's most recent foray into his past with the Cream
reunion shows seemed a distinctly chilly affair, but he clearly
was having a terrific time onstage with this former bandmate.
Halfway through the show, he commented: "I've been looking
forward to this for a long time. . . . I'm enjoying it, so I
hope you are. So who knows, maybe we'll do this a bit more, I
think."
Performing with a tight three-piece band that included
Willie Weeks (bass), Chris Stainton (keyboards) and Ian Thomas
(drums), the duo traded vocals and instrumentals with
well-practiced ease. Clapton's electrifying solos provided
fresh energy to such numbers as Traffic's "Pearly Queen" and
"Dear Mr. Fantasy," while Winwood's fluid keyboard work and
still-soaring vocals enlivened such songs as Jimi Hendrix's
"Little Wing" and Clapton's "Tell the Truth." Winwood strapped
on a guitar for most of the Blind Faith songs, as well as
numbers including the rollicking "Low Down."
Each star also delivered one solo number, with Clapton
performing an acoustic version of "Ramblin' on My Mind" and
Winwood delivering a nicely moving take on "Georgia on My
Mind."
Of course, the Blind Faith classics including "Had to Cry
Today," "Presence of the Lord" and "Can't Find My Way Home"
garnered the biggest responses, but such Clapton pop hits as
"Forever Man" and "After Midnight" came close.
Reuters/Billboard.
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