Welcome To The Cruel World

Ben Harper | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: February 8, 1994
• Release Date: February 12, 1994
• Label: VIRGIN
• Copyright: (C) 1994 Virgin Records America, Inc.
• Total Length: 51:09
• Genres: Alternative Rock/Singer-Songwriters, Pop/Adult Alternative, Pop/Pop Rock, Pop/Singer-Songwriters, Rock/Singer-Songwriters
• ASIN: B000W1MD9I
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,653 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking, February 4, 2000

By 

Music Lover (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Welcome to the Cruel World (Audio CD)

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.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

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

By A Customer

This review is from: Welcome to the Cruel World (Audio CD)

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.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Amazon reviewers obviously have no clue, May 25, 2005

By 

RayRay's Empire (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Welcome to the Cruel World (Audio CD)

This might not be one of Ben's best albums, but it is still a great album. It is quite surprising that Geoff Himes, the amazon reviewer, gives this album such a poor wrap. His opinion is that Ben Harper's singing brings the album down. Unfortunately for Geoff, he probably hasn't picked up on the fact that Ben's voice is one of the things that distinguishes his music and makes it so unique. Himes is so caught up in making comparisons between Harper and other artists that he fails to evaluate the album for what it really is. A music reviewer should listen to an album for the first time with no preconceived ideas - something Himes obviously has not done, and therefore calls into question his credentials as a music reviewer.