Shane’s Rock Challenge: BEN HARPER – 1997 – The Will To Live

Shane’s Music Challenge: BEN HARPER – 1997 – The Will To Live
6/10

Ben Harper has a tendency to be a bit dour at times – party tunes just aren’t usually his style. The Will To Live continues his folk rock spiritual groove, with his songs mostly about social injustice (Homeless Child, Widow Of A Living Man, Mama’s Trippin’) and trying to be a good person and do the right thing (Jah Work, I Want To Be Ready, etc).

I imagine Harper a little like an overly serious John Butler, always singing about an issue and reluctant to be seen to be enjoying himself too much. I should stress that I know very little about the man, so that is purely supposition on my part!

He can play a mean guitar though, like the love child of Dylan and Hendrix, and the best tracks here are the opener Faded, the mournful Jah Work and The Will To Live, and the boogie of Mama’s Trippin’.

By Shane Pinnegar

Category: Shane's Rock Challenge