Limited Edition, 180-gram Vinyl, audiophile quality pressing of Ben Harper's Both Sides of the Gun. This 2-LP edition comes in gatefold packaging with poster included. With the release of his seventh studio album, the dou... more »ble-disc Both Sides of the Gun, Ben Harper offers his signature mix of rock, soul, and folk music, while also venturing into new territory. "I was hoping I could come back to the root of my earlier records, the sparseness and intimacy," he says, "and also branch out further in a produced sound than ever before." From the blazing Curtis Mayfield/Stevie Wonder-style funk of "Black Rain" to the gentle sway of "Morning Yearning" to the full-on power ballad "Waiting for You," the eighteen songs on Both Sides reveal a master stylist at the peak of his game.« less
Limited Edition, 180-gram Vinyl, audiophile quality pressing of Ben Harper's Both Sides of the Gun. This 2-LP edition comes in gatefold packaging with poster included. With the release of his seventh studio album, the double-disc Both Sides of the Gun, Ben Harper offers his signature mix of rock, soul, and folk music, while also venturing into new territory. "I was hoping I could come back to the root of my earlier records, the sparseness and intimacy," he says, "and also branch out further in a produced sound than ever before." From the blazing Curtis Mayfield/Stevie Wonder-style funk of "Black Rain" to the gentle sway of "Morning Yearning" to the full-on power ballad "Waiting for You," the eighteen songs on Both Sides reveal a master stylist at the peak of his game.
Member CD Reviews
Kenneth W. (Eyesore) from TAUNTON, MA Reviewed on 12/4/2007...
Ben Harper is excellent. This is his seventh studio album since 1994, there have been a bunch of singles, two EPs and three live albums thrown in, as well. He's not as prolific as someone like Ani Difranco -- who had released about thirteen albums in her first twelve years, including one double live CD -- but he's still releasing albums at a good rate, and they've been very good. Like Ani Difranco, one of the things that makes Ben Harper so good is that each album is slightly different from the previous. Styles have varied between funk, soul, rock, reggae, and many other styles, all still retaining an element that is undeniably Ben Harper.
This album features two main albums, one is a softer, more acoustic album and the second is a bit heavier (relatively speaking, of course) and groovier. Both CDs are excellent and offer up a range of different styles within the main sound of the CDs. There is also a bonus disc here that includes six songs, four are alternate mixes and two are live. The day this was released it cost me $13.99 on sale, which is a great price for a 3CD set, and while the bonus disc has some really cool takes on some songs, I wouldn't suggest paying the normal price of like $23.99 just for the added bonus disc. Still, the main two CDs are well worth checking out (if you're not too metal, of course).
"Ben Harper truly is today's most talented artist. He is an excellent guitarist as displayed on this two disc set. Harper's latest album is a perfect display of the both sides of Ben Harper. Each side of Ben is represented on a disc of its own. Disc one is the sensitive singer-songwriter while disc two is the political fireball.
"Morning Yearning" opens up the first disc with some simple romance. In this song Ben seems to celebrating the simple joys of family life. Plus you have to love the poetic imagery of the phrase, "Like a summer rose, I'm a victim of the fall but am soon returning."
"Sweet Nothing Serenade," is quite possibly the best of Ben Harper's instrumentals. The tune is one of those songs that you instantly felt like you've heard before.
Of course a collection of Ben Harper slow songs would not be complete without some tales of heartbreak in the tradition of "Walk Away" or "Another Lonely Day." On this album that song is "More Than Sorry."
"Crying Won't Help You Now," is classic bitter break up tune. The back up vocals on the chorus make the song quite pretty.
The suprising thing about this disc is the string arrangements. Not that Ben has never performed with strings but it has rarely been done this well. Many times the string arrangements on songs such as "When She Believes" or "My Beloved One" actually trivialize the song. On this disc they really enhance the emotion of the tunes.
As good as the first disc is its the second disc that really cooks. Opening with the fantasic Indian music influenced "Better Way" the disc is a perfect portrayal of the tension and suspicion of our times. "Better Way" is a classic tune of optimism and change the world philosophy.
The funk quotient is also quite high on this disc with the Hurricane Katrina inspired "Black Rain" and the title track. "Black Rain" is the kind of string driven funk you would expect from seventies soul greats Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye.
"Gather Round the Stone" is a prime example of blues-gospel fusion. Continuing with the blues theme is "The Way You Found Me." The tune has an excellent guitar solo and some nice jazzy piano work.
Closing the album out is for me the highlight. "Serve Your Soul" is an eight minute guitar driven epic. It is a song about maintaining your individuality in spite of societal pressures. This song rocks harder then any of Ben's previous works. Many times when Ben has played hard rock it has a tendency to sound like a parody, but this time Ben has all the weight of Zeppelin and Hendrix with the lyrical consciousness of Bob Marley.
This is sure to be one of if not the best things to released in 2006. Pick it up today and you won't be disappointed. You might also might want to pick up the newest album from Derek Trucks Band. nuff said
"
The Best Only Gets Better
The Gavs | Illinois | 03/21/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"While I've yet to collect my thoughts enough to write a full review of this wonderful new album, I feel the need to say a few things based on first impressions. I purposely avoided hearing any tracks from" Both Sides of the Gun" until I bought the album because I strongly feel that you cannot judge an album by a song. While I realize that in today's i-pod world this might seem to be an anachronism, it's what I believe. Maybe even more so in the case of Ben Harper. On this album Ben shares with us more sides of his personality and emotions than he ever has on a single album. In his concerts this is what really makes for the wonderful Ben Harper experience, the ability to go from reflective, to sad to balls out anger in the span of a few songs. Ben does that here in many ways. The album is split into two halves, the quiet, almost folk inspired disc and the rocker side. But the conflicting emotions run true on both discs. The quiet side goes from reflection on beauty as in "Morning Yearning" to the wise "Cryin' won't Help You Now". In a similar fashion Ben does the same thing on the more electric rock disc, going from the societal anger of "Black Rain" and "Please Don't Talk About Murder When I'm Eating", to the Stones-like romp of "Engraved Invitation", but even on that song Ben manages to infuse arena rock with his own inestimable soul. Every inch of this album is a glimpse into the man Ben Harper is and the man he wants to be. In other words completely human.
Over my years of enjoying Ben Harper I have tried to put into thought and word what artists he reminds me of, but I often fail because of his unique voice. Yes I've heard people say just the opposite but in my opinion they're not listening. Today after listening to Both Sides Of The Gun I believe that the two artists I can compare him to the most are Bob Marley and Neil Young. The music of these men can span the same emotional spectrum that Ben does and, like Ben, you could never mistake their music for another artist. Beyond that the only artist that you can fairly compare Ben Harper to is Ben Harper himself and who would want it any other way?
"
This is the Ben I know!
Francis F. Kilkenny | Charlottesville, VA USA | 04/09/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Given that Diamonds on the Inside was an inconsistant album at best and There Will be a Light was essentially a gospel album (though a good one) Both Sides of the Gun is in some sense a return to roots for Harper. This album is also, in my opinion, Harper's most mature album to date. The musicianship and song-writing is consistantly excellent throughout, and is a firm declaration of a musician at the top of his game.
The album, of course, is broken into two discs that capture different moods (the third disc is a "bonus," see below). The first disc, "Morning Yearning" is full of slow and melancholy songs about love and lonliness. Although, a few of the songs on this disc drag a bit (especially if played alone) they all add to the mood, have excellent lyrics, and beautiful instrumentation. Harper sings well on all the songs, but in some ways I can't help comparing him to Bob Dylan, who wrote so many good songs that were sung better by others. Nevertheless, there are some real gems on this disc, including "Morning Yearning," with its wonderful atmosphere and "Cryin' Won't Help You Now," which soars with help from some solid backup vocals.
The second disc, "Better Way," to put it simply, ROCKS! The disk is full of hard rocking, funk tinged and blues inspired numbers that are so consistantly energetic that it's hard not to set this disc on constant repeat. The song, "Better Way" is the most original and addictive song that Harper has crafted in a long time. Several others deserve mention as well. "Black Rain" is a Katrina-inspired protest song that is very well done. "Please Don't Talk About Murder While I'm Eating," is catchy and fun all the while talking about some very serious matters. Lastly, "Serve Your Soul" evokes the true rock and roll trips of yore, and has some of the best guitar work on the album.
The third disc is a collection of accoustic versions of songs from the other two discs, plus a live version of Beloved One. These are nice to have, but they don't add a great deal of value to the of the special edition as a whole. The packaging for the three disc special edition is a bit nicer than the two-disc set alone, so it would make a nice gift. However, unless your set on owning every version of every Harper song out there the special edition set may not be worth your money.
Overall, this is a very fine album and well worth purchasing (even if you only get the two-disc set). It should please old fans and possibly bring in some new ones."
He's Back!
Spam | Macon, Ga | 03/22/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have been a fan of ben harper for quite a few years now and was a little dissapointed with his album diamonds on the inside and then i was completely heartbroken when i bought the album that he did with the blind boys of alabama. i was seriously wondering if the hard rocking yet poetic harper of years past had died or sold out somewhere along the way. then yesterday i got up bright and early and rushed out to my local music store and bought this album. i got into my car and put in the first disc, morning yearning starts playing and i hear something, the old familiar voice that i had heard years before and i was elated. well on my drive home i listened to the complete first disc and was very satisfied to believe that ben harper was indeed back to the place where i had heard him before. then i put in the second disc and as soon as better way came on i was blown away. here was the rock and roll type ben that i hadnt heard since the will to live album and i almost had tears in my eyes as i sat down and listened to the whole second disc. i would just like to say that "BEN HARPER IS BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER". every song is different on these two discs like his song the way you found me that sounds kinda like a seedy night club ditty. he also talks about the katrina victims, the price of gas, and our soldiers in iraq. but he does it without preaching or whining about it, its just kinda like a whisper in your ear telling you to realize whats going on. the bottom line is that together these two discs are a perfect 10 and the 3rd (bonus) disc is just icing on the cake."
BEN HARPER's Tour De Force
HUGO | HOUSTON, TEXAS United States | 09/10/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Gifted with an extreme musical and lyrical talent, the ever creative Ben Harper does deserve the Grammy for this entire album, possibly more, in different categories. He triumphs consistently throughout "BOTH SIDES OF THE GUN" on all levels where most other musicians and bands have miserably failed to ignite their creative forces into a memorable full blown album of energized and impressionistic pop-rock-funk'n-country styled tunes. One can't deny the Stones' influence on Harper - no comparisons here though - BEN HARPER IS HIS OWN MAN, and his music sounds much more fertile on this ONE album than their last twenty years' worth of combined offerings. Harper is, as they say, treading deep water here. There are so few recent fairly new artists who are creating compelling diverse and memorable music such as Ben Harper's. His musical influences run all over the map[Whose doesn't these days?], yet, from the very beginning he has accomplished the feat of creating his very own unique identifiable sound within the realm of the current indistiguishable modern musical wasteland. While Ben Harper is uncategorizable as a musician, the originality of his music spans the ever widening and deep scope of the global musical wilderness, with his eclecticsm being his most significant strength. Blending all his influences into his own brand seems to come naturally to him while maintaining the importance of artistic integrety . While he's producing the most impressively compelling and irresistable music, why categorize and pigeonhole a talent such as Harper? Melodically appealing, inspiring, heartfelt, resounding, lyrically penetrating, Ben maintains a most personal and social perspective throughout his expressive vocals on what is his finest collection of recordings to date. The man sings perfectly fine, and one can't imagine anyone else vocalizing on these original compositions - his voice is clearly the proper instrument which creates the utmost profound mood for interpretation of his own wrtings. Those of you who have questioned Harper's insistance for issuing two separate discs here have missed the whole point altogether. If you get the opportunity to see BEN HARPER "live" on PBS' "Austin City Limits" show, don't pass him up - you'll come away from a performance you'll never forget...that is how I discovered this brilliant artist, bought all his Cds and he has never disappointed me. Here in Texas, we natives are very picky about our music, yet, very diverse, and Ben Harper more than satisfies with his gift of music. Overall, "BOTH SIDES OF THE GUN", with its diverse edgy rockers and creamy diamond in the rough ballads, is one hell of a first rate winning album that stands out as Ben Harper's career tour de force."
Track Listings (26) - Disc #1
Kenneth W. (Eyesore) from TAUNTON, MA