When the members of Cream -- the indelible '60s hard rock trio whose bluesy psychedelics would influence the music industry for decades to come -- parted ways in 1968 due to the irreconcilable egos of bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker, guitarist Eric Clapton joined forces with Traffic frontman Steve Winwood (on sabbatical from his own volatile musicians) to create Blind Faith, a short-lived experimental endeavor born out of jam sessions in Clapton's basement. Sadly, their 1969 collaboration would only produce a single album: a self-titled, six-song record cursed with a risqué cover (depicting a naked preteen) that generated quite a bit of controversy. After a short summer tour, the band dissolved, leaving the two artists with little choice but to go their own separate ways. Winwood returned to Traffic for five years (having failed to keep Blind Faith going, sans Clapton) before tackling a successful solo venture. Clapton carved out a niche for himself as well, dominating the '70s and '80s with numerous hits and a variety of dream projects. While the two remained friends over the years, it wasn't until February of 2008, nearly forty years after Blind Faith's breakup, that Winwood and Clapton would find time to come together again.
Clapton and Winwood play as if they've never spent a day apart...
Clapton and Winwood's reunion consisted of three Madison Square Garden performances, each of which were culled to produce a new 2-disc album, as well as the fantastic Blu-ray release at the heart of this review. From the opening buh-dah-beh-deh-dow of roadhouse favorite "Had to Cry Today" to the forlorn meander of Traffic's "No Face, No Name, No Number;" from the limp-legged swagger of Sam Myers' thick-tongued "Sleeping in the Ground" to the silk-throated homage to Ray Charles' "Georgia on My Mind;" from the rousing answer-call pulse of "After Midnight" to the upbeat, bittersweet closing bars of "Cocaine," Clapton and Winwood are on fire. Organ taps and guitar riffs, instrumental jams and classic hits, the legendary rockers own every inch of the stage, crooning to the rafters and succumbing to the music every chance they get. I haven't heard Clapton commit to such emotionality since "Tears in Heaven," the heartfelt 1992 ballad he wrote after the tragic death of his four-year-old son, put a permanent lump in my throat. It's a different breed of emotion to be sure -- more crawdads and bar stools than grief and loss -- but it reveals the singer/guitarist's innermost soul. And Winwood? Winwood's a force of twelve-bar nature; a blues traveler of a long-forgotten era whose mastery of his God-given instrument is nothing short of amazing.
Perhaps I was swept up by the laid-back groove of the unexpectedly casual stage show or taken aback by the sheer effortlessness of the performances, but I can't recall a recent collaboration I've enjoyed more. Every note seems precisely placed yet spontaneously generated; their every sobering run both a fitting ode to long-gone friends and a joyous exultation to the timelessness of their music. Then there's the interview segments sprinkled between the songs. Rather than simply cramming twenty performances back to back, director Martyn Atkins and editor William Bullen break up the songs with candid reflections from each artist. The segments only last for a moment, but they manage to put each song in concise context, pulling back the curtain on Clapton and Winwood's long-overdue collaboration. The effect is intoxicating: it not only strips the concert of the hubris and vanity that often plagues such reunions, it gives viewers the rare opportunity to hear from renowned musicians who invest the entirety of their talent into the music rather than the marketability of their pairing. It's a welcome change of pace to say the least.
To cut to the chase (itself long overdue), I can't recommend Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood: Live from Madison Square Garden enough. Whether you're a longtime fan or a newborn pup, this is a performance that belongs on every music lover's shelf. Its twenty feature songs (and three bonus performances) include:
1. Had to Cry Today
2. Them Changes
3. Forever Man
4. Sleeping in the Ground
5. Presence of the Lord
6. Glad
7. Well All Right
8. Double Trouble
9. Pearly Queen
10. Tell the Truth
11. No Face, No Name, No Number
12. After Midnight
13. Split Decision
14. Rambling on My Mind
15. Georgia on My Mind
16. Little Wing
17. Voodoo Chile
18. Can't Find My Way Home
19. Dear Mr. Fantasy
20. Cocaine
B1. Low Down
B2. Kind Hearted Woman
B3. Crossroads
If you strip a live performance of glaring, overwhelming flood lights, the over-the-top fire-n-fog shenanigans of decades past, and the sort of elaborate set design that tends to distract from the musicians and their work... what sort of Blu-ray presentation are you left with? Apparently, an absolutely stunning 1080p/AVC-encoded beauty that soars by way of its utter simplicity, sails by with impeccable skintones and absorbing shadows, and satisfies more and more with every passing shot. A fine mist of grain permeates the proceedings, but its presence grants the image an earthy, backstage palpability; an immersive illusion that left me feeling as if I was sitting in a seat at Madison Square Garden instead of the comfy confines of my home theater. The dark expanse that frames Clapton and Winwood for most of the concert is endless, eliminating everything from the arena save the performers and their instruments. As it stands, it's easy to forget the audience is even there until passing spotlights reveal the hundreds of fanatic faces swaying in the crowd. Detail is outstanding as well. Softness be damned: Winwood's polished-mahogany keyboards look slick and smooth, his face dotted with age and weathered with years, the hairs on his fingers have been carefully rendered, and the faint salt-and-pepper fabric of his shirt is bristling with texture. The oft-times shaky, hand-held nature of the shoot may underwhelm the most unforgiving videophiles, but I thought it perfectly enhanced the atmosphere of the performance.
Warner Music's technical efforts are spotless as well. I didn't catch any serious artifacting, banding, crush, edge enhancement or DNR -- aside from some negligible source noise that pops up in long shots of the stage, the image is as clean as they come. So before I succumb to flagrant hyperbole (I feel it brewing), let me just say this: the Blu-ray edition of Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood: Live from Madison Square Garden gives fans everything they could want from a high definition presentation and more. I doubt anyone will be remotely disappointed.
Despite its magnificent video transfer, I do have one gripe with Warner Music's AV presentation: its lack of a lossless 5.1 surround option. Sure, the standard DTS 5.1 mix available on the disc is admittedly strong (1.5 Mbps strong in fact), but it has trouble matching the power, proficiency, and fidelity of its uncompressed PCM stereo counterpart. Since I imagine a proper DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track would have been a best-of-both-worlds masterstroke, I'm not the exuberant Madison Square Gardener I was two paragraphs ago. Ah well, the stereo mix is fantastic for what it is. Vocals are rich, perfectly prioritized (even amidst the at-times thundering instrumentation), and crystal clear: Winwood's throaty cries beam with the same tattered vunerability that's graced the blues since their inception, and Clapton's relaxed ease and undeniable control inhabits his every breath. Likewise, Winwood's keys export their jazzy wares across the stage, joining Clapton's classic-rock guitar in a dexterous dance of skill and soul. Through it all, treble tones remain stable and precise, the low-end support given to the drums and bass guitar (among other things) is generous and weighty, and the occasional roar of the crowd is just audible enough to envelop the listener in the thrill of this striking live performance.
As for the aforementioned DTS 5.1 mix, fans will find it to be a reasonable alternative. The rear speakers effectively grab hold of the accompanying instrumentation, acoustic properties, and crowd noise, all while providing a convincing approximation of sitting on the stage with Clapton and Winwood. Still, due to some occasionally pinched vocals and dull dynamics, I would recommend audiophiles select the livelier PCM stereo mix. All in all, Warner Music missed an opportunity to blow people away with a TrueHD or DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless experience, but they've nevertheless put together a solid audio package that should please fans and newcomers alike.
While Warner Music's BD-50 disc isn't brimming with special features, the material on hand -- a compelling documentary, three bonus performances, and a soundcheck short, all presented in high definition -- actually adds quite a bit of value to the overall release. If nothing else, fans will appreciate the refreshingly modest, low-key nature of it all.
The Road to Madison Square Garden (HD, 37 minutes): Both Clapton and Winwood sit down for individual interviews in which the two icons discuss their first encounters with each other, their formation of Blind Faith, the stylistic evolution of each artist's music over the years, and the events that drew them together for an unofficial reunion at Madison Square Garden. There isn't a hint of ego or pride on display at any point in this outstanding documentary. Instead, Clapton and Winwood candidly plow through their lives with a breezy tell-all attitude that kept me hooked throughout.
Soundcheck: Rambling on My Mind (HD, 6 minutes): A classy, narrationless montage of images and music that documents Winwood and Clapton's acoustic soundchecks, prep-work, and pre-performance activities. It's a short but sweet addition to the package.
Bonus Performances (HD, 16 minutes): Rounding out the supplemental package are three excellent performances that didn't make the final cut -- "Low Down," "Kind Hearted Woman," and "Crossroads."
Easily one of the breeziest, most infectious live performances I've ever had the pleasure to review, Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood: Live from Madison Square Garden is a nostalgic treat from beginning to end. While Warner Music comes up a bit short in the audio department (no lossless surround option?), the studio's uncompressed PCM stereo track nevertheless injects tremendous quality and value into the release. Paired with a stunning video transfer and a small but refined trio of special features, the Blu-ray edition is a must-have concert disc that stands head and shoulders above its live performance brethren.
