Ben Harper

Album reviews

Burn To Shine
Virgin (1999)
Burn To Shine, Ben Harper's fourth album and first since 1997's eclectic-to-a-fault The Will To Live, sees a sharp turn away from the gritty urban rock of his previous work toward a wide open expanse of impossible-to-classify, serious songcraft.

Fight For Your Mind (Recommended)
Virgin (1995)
Fight For Your Mind combines influences from a broad range of enticing influences -- Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Marvin Gaye, Bob Dylan -- and effectively bridges the narrowing gap between hip hop and pop rock.

Welcome To The Cruel World
Virgin (1992)
More than anything, Welcome To The Cruel World illustrates Ben Harper's willingness to delve into a broad range of styles. The somewhat unbalanced debut perseveres despite the California native's iffy attempts to mesh folk with blues guitar, gospel-laden tributes with political funk, and LA streetwise attitude with a preachy sage image.