Ben Harper fans have desperately waited three years for the release of a new album. Well, the wait has paid off with "Diamonds on the Inside," an album that shows that Harper has not lost his touch.
Ben Harper first broke onto the music scene in 1994 with the release of "Welcome to the Cruel World" -- a politically charged album that spoke of urban oppression. The album received criticism for its rawness and unpolished production, although it contained a diamond inside who honed his musicianship skills and eventually disproved his critics. In time, Harper built a reputation as a talented songwriter, original voice and versatile musician.Although he first performed mostly with his signature Weissenborn guitar sitting on his lap, Harper slowly crafted his skills on the standard guitar and now dabbles fluidly in folk, rock and even funk.
By the release of his second album "Fight for Your Mind" (1995), Harper had blossomed into a talented musician who deserved respect. The album showcased such landmark tracks as "Another Lonely Day," which demonstrated his remarkable songwriting skills, in addition to "Gold to Me" and "Burn One Down."
In 1999, Harper unveiled his fourth album, "Burn to Shine." It contained the notable tracks "Burn to Shine," "Suzie Blue" and "Steal My Kisses," which received ample radio attention and made Harper a household name.Clearly his original critics had it all wrong.
For the past year, Harper has spent much of his time performing with crony Jack Johnson. On Johnson's album "Brushfire Fairytales," you'll hear Harper playing his Weissenborn on the track "Flake," in addition to leaving his trademark sound on the entire album.Currently, Johnson and Harper are on touring abroad together.Considering Harper's frequent association with Johnson, you might expect "Diamonds on the Inside" to have some influences from him. One listen to the album will prove this thought to be wrong.
"Diamonds on the Inside" remains distinctly Harper, featuring his trademark sound, executed in a typical fusion of folk, rock and funk. Upon picking up the album, attention is drawn to a picture of Harper wearing a rainbow-colored, raga-style hat that would be more befitting of Bob Marley, not a folk-oriented artist.The photo foreshadows the overall orientation of the album, which deviates from Harper's normal folk music by centering around a reggae-funk mix. That's not to say that the album doesn't have elements of folk and rock -- fans of Harper's folk-rock material will find their fix somewhere in this miscellany of genres.
The album begins with the funk-reggae track "My Own Two Hands."Harper's delivery is reminiscent of Bob Marley along with the track's organ, reggae beat and backup singers. The track has a prominent political message, in which Harper speaks of the humanitarian acts he could do with his own two hands. An example would be the rather germane line, "I can make peace on earth / With my own two hands."
The gem on the inside of the album literally is the track "Diamonds on the Inside." Although its lyrics are rather opaque, it nevertheless might be the best track Harper has recorded to date, showcasing superb vocals, a catchy melody and his trademark Weissenborn.The track also boasts a country-western feel, augmented by sounds from Harper's signature Weissenborn, a twang from a table guitar and his raspy voice.The track easily could support the barroom scene of a trite western film, in which the locals all dance around to the jukebox. Diehard Harper fans should check out the album just to hear this unique track.
Before buying the album, beware of one disappointing factor:The album contains a new security feature that both prevents duplication and prevents the album from working in all media players, including Winamp.Instead, the album contains a mediocre, internal media player, which appears immediately upon inserting the disk. The internal media player is both slow in performance and unclear in sound. If you wish to use Winamp, then you might want to boycott purchasing the album and download the MP3s -- either way, you won't be disappointed with "Diamonds on the Inside."
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