Now this was a band that blew me away the first time I heard them. I think I was in my last year of High School and at school when someone brought in their record and wow!… I bought it and still have the old vinyl… This was a supergroup, perhaps the first one in the history of rock.
(Photo: Fans Facebook page)
When you have a band that has Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker and Ric Grech, what do you have? You have it all…. They debuted with the album Blind Faith in 1969, their one and only one and it topped the charts both in the UK and in the US. Of course the band did not last too long. Did you really expect that with such a lineup it would? But they left us music forever in that album. This is the original cover…
(Photo: Radio Futuro)
And of course, with today’s censorship and puritanical standards, the complete photograph cannot be shown. Incredible!
(Photo from Fan page Facebook/this was the way my album looked)
Bob Seidemann, the photographer who did the original (banned) cover said that the image symbolises the achievements of human creativity and its expression through the development of technology, i.e. a spaceship. That innocence would be the bearer of those ideals in the form of a young girl, for example a girl as young as Shakespeare’s Juliette. He thought the spaceship would be the future of the tree of science and the girl the future of the tree of life. In any event, you figure it out. For me that’s too much of an explanation but I am not here to judge. I do stand against censorship.
In any event, I hope you enjoy some of the music of this phenomenal album, a true classic.
(«Pablo» by Francisco Bravo Cabrera/All Rights Reserved)
TALKING ABOUT ART
I know there are many art blogs out there, I read most, at least all those I can find, just like I read anything related to art that I can come across as well, and there are phenomenal YouTube channels dedicated to art and artists.
So, is mine (www.YouTube.com/@FranciscoBravoCabrera one more? I hope it will be just a little more than that and I will strive to always bring a fresh approach to the subject and to the artists that we will discuss there. I promise to bring information, opinion and guests (from time to time) if you promise to hit that like button and to suggest what you would like to hear and see.
I have asked you on several occasions (on VALENCIARTIST) what is art. And I have gotten many very good and interesting replies. Some are highly philosophical, almost esoteric or mystical, others more practical and most seem to state that art is made by humans, and that it is something pleasing to others eyes.
Artists throughout the years have also stated publicly what they thought art was. All spoken like artists. So I thought it would be interesting to survey several famous (well known) artists and see what they had to say about art…
And, naturally, I will start with my favourite, the genius of the XXth Century, Pablo Picasso. Of course, Picasso had a lot to say about art and he always spoke as an artist would and we will see just how real that was. So here are some of the quotes by Pablo Picasso:
“Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth, at least the truth that is given us to understand.”
«Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.»
“Good artists copy; great artists steal”
Of these my favourite is the last one, and I think when he said that he was being totally honest. I mean this is something all creative artists do in every artistic pursuit. But to steal, one has to know how to do it. It takes a very good thief to pull it off without being ridiculed or accused of plagiarism.
And Picasso was great (brilliant) at it. In his later periods he cannibalised the great masters…including himself…and produced something even better (sometimes). But whatever he stole, he made into something uniquely his and it was usually phenomenal.
(Original artwork by Francisco Bravo Cabrera/All Rights Reserved)
“The Government”
When he started talking I realised he made a very good point…
Jesus said, as recorded by St. Matthew 22:21, to give Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give to God what belongs to God. He did not say to cheat Caesar as it would be implied that then you will also cheat God. But the days of Caesar are long gone. We do not live under emperors who are absolute rulers, tyrannical and totalitarian. Or do we? Some countries still do and that must change. We, as people, free people, owing out existence to the will of God, cannot be submitted to autocratic «leaders» who rule with the strength of ideologies or religious dogmas.
And what is government? Do we really need governments? Do we need to be controlled, taxed, supervised, surveilled, or spied upon? Do we have to be limited in thought and movement by supposed laws? Do we need to give up our rights for supposed security? Is the State above us? Do we need to fear the State or should the State fear us? If you know the answer to these questions please tell me.
John Locke, famous philosopher from the 17th Century, was the founder of British Empiricism. Locke thought government should be very small and limited. Natural rights, he said, demand that governments serve the people. In other words, that governments have obligations to their citizens and only limited powers. And most importantly that the people have the right to overthrow the government under certain circumstances.
But we all agree that governments are necessary and that we should respect our governments and as well comply with all laws. After all we are civilised human beings and we do not live by the law of the jungle. However, we must be wise and prudent when electing our representatives, our civil servants. And that is what government employees are, public servants, not «officials» like they now like to be called. The president of the country is not the people’s leader and he should not aspire to be such a thing either. He or she is there to administrate and to govern in accordance with the magna carta that rules civilised countries. And although regarded as the «executive» power, that branch of government is not above the Congress, which is the house of the people.
We must bear in mind that when Jesus replied that one should give to Caesar what is Caesar’s he was referring to a specific question regarding taxation. He knew the Pharisees were trying to trick him into saying something subversive against Rome, so he gave them an answer that left them baffled, mumbling, dumb and numb. And I do not think it was a general command, or that we should consider it in that manner. Furthermore, Jesus submitted to Roman rule. He did not voice arguments against the occupiers nor did he ever say that the Jews, or his followers, should fight against the Romans. Although there were times he might have insinuated the complete opposite as when he replied that he had not come to bring peace, but a sword. Here is the quote: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household” (Matthew 10:34-36).
So, in conclusion, although we use that quote many times, it is not a fitting quote when it comes to the question of government in our days. We are right in thinking that we need a form of government, but the question we must struggle with now is which type.
And let us not forget about the second part of the quote from Matthew 22:21. We must give to God what belongs to God. But do we really know what that is? Well, we might not be certain of the entirety of it all but we can at least start with giving God our love, our devotion, and our praise. Loving God is receiving God’s love and we need to share that love with all. If we do not love our fellow man there is no government of Earth that will ever suit or save us.
C.2025, Francisco Bravo Cabrera – 14 MAR 2025 – Valencia, España
(Art Digital «The Politician» by Francisco Bravo Cabrera/All Rights Reserved)
“The Government”
When he started talking I realised he made a very good point…
Jesus said, as recorded by St. Matthew 22:21, to give Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give to God what belongs to God. He did not say to cheat Caesar as it would be implied that then you will also cheat God. But the days of Caesar are long gone. We do not live under emperors who are absolute rulers, tyrannical and totalitarian. Or do we? Some countries still do and that must change. We, as people, free people, owing out existence to the will of God, cannot be submitted to autocratic «leaders» who rule with the strength of ideologies or religious dogmas.
And what is government? Do we really need governments? Do we need to be controlled, taxed, supervised, surveilled, or spied upon? Do we have to be limited in thought and movement by supposed laws? Do we need to give up our rights for supposed security? Is the State above us? Do we need to fear the State or should the State fear us? If you know the answer to these questions please tell me.
John Locke, famous philosopher from the 17th Century, was the founder of British Empiricism. Locke thought government should be very small and limited. Natural rights, he said, demand that governments serve the people. In other words, that governments have obligations to their citizens and only limited powers. And most importantly that the people have the right to overthrow the government under certain circumstances.
But we all agree that governments are necessary and that we should respect our governments and as well comply with all laws. After all we are civilised human beings and we do not live by the law of the jungle. However, we must be wise and prudent when electing our representatives, our civil servants. And that is what government employees are, public servants, not «officials» like they now like to be called. The president of the country is not the people’s leader and he should not aspire to be such a thing either. He or she is there to administrate and to govern in accordance with the magna carta that rules civilised countries. And although regarded as the «executive» power, that branch of government is not above the Congress, which is the house of the people.
We must bear in mind that when Jesus replied that one should give to Caesar what is Caesar’s he was referring to a specific question regarding taxation. He knew the Pharisees were trying to trick him into saying something subversive against Rome, so he gave them an answer that left them baffled, mumbling, dumb and numb. And I do not think it was a general command, or that we should consider it in that manner. Furthermore, Jesus submitted to Roman rule. He did not voice arguments against the occupiers nor did he ever say that the Jews, or his followers, should fight against the Romans. Although there were times he might have insinuated the complete opposite as when he replied that he had not come to bring peace, but a sword. Here is the quote: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household” (Matthew 10:34-36).
So, in conclusion, although we use that quote many times, it is not a fitting quote when it comes to the question of government in our days. We are right in thinking that we need a form of government, but the question we must struggle with now is which type.
And let us not forget about the second part of the quote from Matthew 22:21. We must give to God what belongs to God. But do we really know what that is? Well, we might not be certain of the entirety of it all but we can at least start with giving God our love, our devotion, and our praise. Loving God is receiving God’s love and we need to share that love with all. If we do not love our fellow man there is no government of Earth that will ever suit or save us.
C.2025, Francisco Bravo Cabrera – 14 MAR 2025 – Valencia, España
Steel pots on and rifles ready, eyes wide open, moving steady, panoramic sights in view, no tunnel vision all is new in this land where feet are travelling jungles, trees, and death unravelling in a most peculiar fashion, hand grenades ready for action as we move beneath the branches filled with green and orange fruits we’re filling all the daylight hours by being just intrepid youth, that carved our names on nameless trunks, when we was punks…
Searching through the light of day enemy footsteps near the bay, or was that just a mere lagoon reflecting rays of foreign moons in a forest never ending on a path that’s steady bending towards a clearing where the sun reveals those that before have gone just like us upon this trail that lead those that have won or failed to meet objectives carved in stone or tattooed on their very bones, but on we journeyed like hooded monks, when we was punks.
C.2025 – Francisco Bravo Cabrera – 13 MAR 2025 – Valencia, España
JaZzArt en València 