Welcome to the Cruel World

Ben Harper & Relentless7, Ben Harper

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 8, 1994)
• Original Release Date: February 8, 1994
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Virgin Records Us
• ASIN: B000000W4U
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #18,458 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > Alternative Rock > Singer-Songwriters

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Ben Harper sounds good on paper. He's a 24-year-old Californian devoted to vintage acoustic guitars, original political songs and the unusual blend of calypso and Mississippi Delta blues--an inspired blend of David Lindley, Tracy Chapman, and Taj Mahal. Unfortunately, Harper's execution of this original conception on his debut album, "Welcome to the Cruel World," is distinctly underwhelming.

Harper's singing is the biggest problem. He mumbles his vocals with so little articulation and within such a narrow range that he makes Bob Dylan sound like Al Green by comparison. Moreover, Harper's overall performance is so low in energy that he makes the laid-back Cowboy Junkies sound like the Sex Pistols. His songwriting and guitar picking reveals hints of a modest talent, but they aren't nearly special enough to compensate for the narcotic effect of his singing. The heavy-handed Rodney King song, the adaptation of a Maya Angelou poem and the broken-hearted love songs are more likely to recall Chapman's disappointing second album rather than her exhilarating first. --Geoffrey Himes

Product Description

Ben Harper Photos

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking, February 4, 2000

By	Music Lover (Australia) - See all my reviews

Let me start by mentioning Geoffrey Himes, the Amazon editorial reviewer: how does one so full of his self-importance get to be a reviewer? I thought a review should be an objective look at what is on the CD, but Himes chooses to use the review as a vehicle for his own ego. Go back and have another listen to this CD, Geoffrey; this time without any preconcieved ideas or biases.

What will be heard then is a CD that is moving, thought provoking, inspirational, and brimming with talent. Himes says that Harper has modest talent. If Ben Harper is posessed with modest talent, then that leaves a great many other musicians in the unskilled bracket! I find that Harper's voice is very unusual and with great range (trying singing along Geoffrey!) and his guitar playing is brilliant without being flashy...kind of heart-felt. And the rest of his band make this CD groove on the accompanied tracks.

You must listen to this album. It is breathtaking.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional Debut From An Underrated Artist, December 19, 2001

By A Customer

I picked up this album after buying the other three by Ben Harper and greatly enjoying what I found on each of them. I can't believe why I didn't make Welcome to the Cruel World my FIRST Ben Harper purchase! If one had all four of his albums and played them in chronological order, the musical progression could clearly be mapped out from the stripped-down acoustic setting found on his debut to the varied styles and textures contained on his current studio release.

Anyway,Welcome to the Cruel World introduces the listener to the honest, soulful songwriting that has since become a trademark of Harper's craft. Some of the songs are uncompromisingly political (Like A King, How Many Miles Must We March), some are deeply introspective and personal (Pleasure and Pain, Walk Away, the title track), some display a tasteful, mature outlook on love (Waiting On An Angel, Forever) and even some songs showcase a lighter, more playful side (Breakin' Down, Mama's Got a Girlfriend Now).

The musicianship on this album is first-rate. Harper's guitar playing, especially his slide work, is truly inspiring. The backing musicians complement him nicely without overwhelming the feel of the songs. Overall, Welcome to the Cruel World should be the album to get for the uninitiated. For those who only know Ben Harper from his "Faded" and "Steal My Kisses" singles that were occaisonally shown on MTV2 will find him to be one of the best kept musical secrets of the 90's.

33 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Geoffrey Himes , August 5, 2004

By	Paul Blurton "crispyfriedballs" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Geoffrey Himes is quite obviously an idiot. There are probably hilarious, idiotic reviews like this one that can be found for almost every great artist/band, whereby a near-sighted, close-minded music hack has decided that the artist/band in question wont make it. Hilarious and idiotic because of how wrong they are.
Great album, man.