Ben Harper Fight For Your Mind CD

Available with WELCOME TO THE CRUEL WORLD and THE WILL TO LIVE in THE BEN HARPER BOX SET.

With languorous poetry (think 1970s-era Dylan) delivered in a passionate, earthy voice distinctly redolent of Richie Havens, Ben Harper earned immediate attention for his genuine, and often vigorous, brand of bluesy folk rock. He opens his 1995 debut, FIGHT FOR YOUR MIND, in socially conscious mode with the Odetta-esque "Oppression" and the stirring clarion call of the brilliant first single, "Ground on Down." However, Harper swiftly reveals a talent for the soft, somber, introspective love song (a la Tim Hardin) on tracks like "Another Lonely Day." Harper arcs the record towards a spiritual finale, and a stirring one; the surprisingly lush (orchestral even) one-two punch of "Power of the Gospel" and "God Fearing Man" echoes the revival attitude of the earliest days of blues and folk.

Personnel: Ben Harper (vocals, acoustic & Weissenborn guitars); Danielle Charles (violin); Brett Banduci (viola); Timothy Loo (cello); Ervin Pope (Hammond B-3 organ); Juan Nelson, Carey Christensen (bass); Oliver Charles (drums); Bob "Stiv" Coke (tamboura, sarod, tabla); Leon Lewis Mobley (percussion).

Personnel: Ben Harper (vocals, acoustic guitar); Bob "Stiv" Coke (sarod, tamboura, tabla, tambourine); Danielle Charles (violin); Brett Banduci (viola); Timothy Loo (cello); Ervin Pope (organ); Oliver Charles (drums); Leon Mobley (percussion).

Audio Mixers: Eric Sarafin; The Dub Brothers; Femi Jiya.

Recording information: Esplosive Studio 12; Grandmaster Recording; Mad Dog Studios, Venice, CA.

Photographers: Bob "Stiv" Coke; Jeff Gottlieb.

Unknown Contributor Role: Ben Harper.Entertainment Weekly (8/11/95, p.53) - "...Harper is rootsy and raw on his upbeat material. And when he slows down for a ballad, he displays a gift for subtle rhythms and intimate, whispered vocalizing that speaks volumes."
- Rating: B+
Q (8/95, p.123) - 3 Stars - Good - "...colours all his...themes--love, politics and religion--with unsettling guitar tones which range from suave discords to sheer noise. Harper's vocals being an impatient murmur, it's often as if Nina Simone's band had been joined by Neil Young on ARC-WELD. He's deep, powerful and original..."
Vibe (12/95-1/96, p.142) - "...treks down the highway of social injustice, aiming to cast out the world's problems while ushering in sensitivity and understanding....merge[s] the rage of the '60s with the frustrations of the '90s. A hybrid blessed by tradition, Harper's sound has nothing to do with retroactivity..."
Option (1-2/96, p.97) - "...Harper is a genuinely gifted young singer/songwriter/guitarist with serious ambitions in folk, blues, gospel and rock'n'roll..."