This piece by Blind Faith has always touched me in a way I’ve never been able to explain. Well, clinic it’s time I took a listen to learn at least mechanically what’s going on here. Download it so you can listen along.

The piece begins with two acoustic guitars and percussion played on a drum kit using brushes, health while the bass is gentle down the middle. The lead is panned pretty much hard left with only a bit of it in the right channel. The very stable finger style rhythm guitar is focusing on octaves but still hitting enough of the chord to make you know where you are. The lead sounds like it’s played with fingers instead of a pick which gives it a very dynamic timbre.

The vocal kicks in falsetto above it all, more dry in the left channel with the right channel mainly reverb that has a nice pre-delay which sort of blossoms up on the longer notes. Not something you’d ordinarily pick out as reverb but to me feels like a warm hug. When the vocal comes in the lead guitar steps out completely. The lead gently comes back sort of filling out the low notes of the chord gently. Also with the vocal part comes a lone splash cymbal at the top of the progression each time through.

Here I love how the hihat pulses throughout the entire track. To me the percussion in this track is mindful of the whole song, playing its part and making the whole great without calling attention to itself as itself. It’s not a classic rock and roll “look at me” thing, it’s purposeful and almost meditative.

When the vocal leaves again the lead guitar comes in with more color, not really repeating anything that’s before thematically, more like a tour guide that’s like “and over here in this chord we have these notes, and in this chord you’ll enjoy this little flourish…”

This dynamic interplay between the lead vocal and the lead guitar I think really helps the listener. There is a lot of different color each share and highlight. If they were going too much at the same time I think you’d miss what each has to offer. As the guitar leaves again the voice comes back with “oohs” nice!

Interestingly there is some vocal distortion at different parts in the track. Still it’s almost tasteful.

As the end crescendos each instrument builds up to support each other and it gets rely aggressive without turning into another song and breaking the vibe.

A masterpiece!