Ben Harper - Welcome To The Cruel World

Welcome To The Cruel World, special edition for the 25th anniversary of the album's release.

Ben HARPER is one of those artists whose albums have all received an award. Contaminated very early by the guitar, he tasted blues and reggae from a very young age. Thanks to his grandparents, owners of a musical instrument store. A trauma sufficient to encourage the young artist to write his own songs. He will publish them in 1992 in the form of an LP with Tom Freund. This vinyl "Pleasure and Pain", is today listed at $400. However, it is solo that Ben HARPER arrives in 1994 with Welcome To The Cruel World. Certainly, some of the musicians who would form his "official" backing band (the Innocent Criminals ) are already part of it, but still work in the shadows, it is only later that they will be given the pleasure of seeing their name attached to that of the artist on the visual of the albums. The fact remains that the young singer knows how to surround himself with quality musicians from his first album.

The star, of course, remains Ben HARPER. Plaintive, soft or biting voice, Hawaiian guitar on his knees, the artist lays the foundations of his music with a talent and a know-how already remarkable. Some pieces have also rightly become classics. The acoustic ballad "Waiting on an angel", overwhelming in its sincerity and delicacy, "Mama's got a girlfriend now", a cheerful and danceable country-folk piece, or "I'll rise", a melody with the allure of gospels.

Confirmation will not be long in coming through the following album, which will allow Ben HARPER to establish himself internationally. A first stone in the building, not essential but sufficiently inspired to deserve a good place in your record collection.