The tunes review of what’s new
The MC Music Man takes on: Ben Harper

By: Dustin Looney
Features Editor

Many musical artists can easily be identified with what kind of music they create—that is, Bob Marley is a reggae artist, Eminem is a rapper and Elvis Presley is a rock ‘n’ roll artist.

Ben Harper is an exception to the rule, however, as he combines many genres—including folk, rock, blues, reggae and gospel—to create his own unique blend of music.

Harper was born in California in 1969 and began playing the guitar at a young age. He grew fond of the acoustic slide guitar (Weissenborn guitars) and soon became a master at playing it.

After recording an LP, Harper signed a record deal with Virgin Records and released his first album, “Welcome to the Cruel World,” in 1994.

He has since released many albums and achieved much success and airtime on colleges in America. His music has been most successful internationally, as he is immensely respected in countries like France, the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland. He was named Artist of the Year in the French “Rolling Stones” magazine.

Harper has released many albums over the last decade plus, and his most recent was in 2006 under the title “Both Sides of the Gun.” The CD came out last summer and it was a two-disc release. Each disc contains nine songs and they each have a different style of music. Disc one is a lot more emotional and melancholy, whereas disc two offers up-beat tunes and more excitement.

The following songs are some of my favorites on disc one of “Both Sides of the Gun.”

This disc opens with a slow sad song titled “Morning Yearning.” This song has music which features atypical instruments for modern music, such as the violin and piano.

The second track on the disc is my personal favorite tune on disc two, “Waiting For You.” This song is slightly more up-tempo but it still features unique instruments, and Harper sings over the music in his smooth voice: “You can kill a lot of time if you really put your mind to it/Or leave it all behind and never ever go through it.”

Track number seven on this CD also contains some powerful lyrics and is titled “More Than Sorry.” This song displays Harper’s incredible talent as a musician, as he plays the guitar in a masterful way. In this song, Harper sings “What more than sorry can I say/What more than sorry can I be/Before our love fades away/What more than sorry/Do you want from me.”

Immediately following “More Than Sorry” is “Crying Won’t Help You Now.” This song has a folk/gospel sound.

Although disc one contains some meaningful and deep songs, its down-hearted tone slightly repels me. Disc two, however, is the opposite, and many songs are back to Harper at his finest, in my opinion.

The first song on disc two of “Both Sides of the Gun” is a unique-sounding song titled “Better Way.” In this song, Harper sings: “I believe in a better way,” and, as indicated by those lyrics, he is talking about how the world can easily be improved.

The next track shares its title with the CD, and it exposes some corruptness of America’s political state. “Politics, it’s a drag/They put one foot in the grave/And the other on the flag/Systems rotten to the core/Young and old deserve much more/Than struggling every day until you’re done.”

Another catchy tune which exhibits powerful lyrics is the fourth track, “Black Rain.” This song exposes the lack of effort from our government to help those in need during Hurricane Katrina. “You left them swimming for their lives down in New Orleans/Can’t afford a gallon of gasoline/With your useless degrees and contrary statistics/This government business is straight up sadistic.”

The seventh track on disc two is titled “Get It Like You Like It.” This tune is very catchy and has become a fan-favorite. Harper does not sing about deep or emotional topics on this track, but rather just having some fun. “Throw your hands up to the sky/And scream out loud I’m free/’cause wrong is the new right/So we can cut loose tonight/It costs a lot to look this cheap.”

Disc two concludes with a bluesy-type song called “The Way You Found Me” and “Serve Your Soul,” which features some stellar jam-out sessions and is over eight minutes in length.

Like his previous CDs, Harper has some great tracks on “Both Sides of the Gun.” Disc one is not as much my style of music since it is so slow and emotional, but it still has some quality tracks.

The second disc is vintage Harper and contains some real Jim-dandies. I have seen Harper perform live on many occasions, and he puts on one of the best live performances out of any musician I have seen. He has to be doing something right since he obtained so much popularity in Europe, and “Both Sides of the Gun” proves that he is worthy of success in America, too.