Discovered by Taj Mahal, and after a stint in the Chicago blues scene, Harper released Welcome To The Cruel World (Virgin, 1994), a monumental exercise in stylistic excursions. The instrumental The Three Of Us opens the album on a nostalgic note, as if to signal a journey through the past of the American nation. Equally skilled at blues, soul, rock, funk, and country, Harper effortlessly pens warm vignettes of ordinary lives. He cries Whipping Boy in a smooth voice halfway between falsetto and mournful, and plays the guitar in a hiccupping style that leaves some notes floating in the air for surreal seconds. He intones the singalong Like A King in a tone reminiscent of old slave songs, while the drums beat a voodoo-like rhythm. A cello lulls the tender meditation of Pleasure And Pain, while the guitar "sings" a heartbreaking melody in the style of Leonard Cohen.
The album runs the gamut from pensive (the calm soul-blues Don't Take That Attitude, the subdued lullaby Waiting For An Angel) to festive (the Caribbean Breaking Down, the cajun-tinged Mama's Got A Girlfriend Now), compromising between extremes in the uplifting and almost anthemic How Many Miles Must We March.

Compared with that much musical proficiency, Fight For Your Mind (Virgin, 1995) was a disappointment. As far as folsinger fare goes, the sprighty soul of Gold To Me is probably the standout track. But Harper is more than a folksinger. Alas, only the lush Power Of The Gospel, the guitar-organ duet of By My Side and the majestic, Hendrix-ian, 11-minute God Fearing Man show the rest of his skills.

The Will To Live (Virgin, 1997) restored some of the debut's charisma with at least three gems: the mellow grunge ballad Faded (with a fantastic entr'acte of solo blues guitar), the spirited blues shuffle Homeless Child (straight from the Delta, propelled by jumping bottleneck phrases and swinging gospel beat), and the gospel hymn I Want To Be Ready, In these songs that are both full of pathos and carefully arranged, Harper achieved a powerful balance between the poet (venting the blues) and the musician (playing the blues). The Will To Live repeats Faded without the same genius, although with the same nonchalance, loud-then-soft dynamics and guitar gusto. Elsewhere, Harper shows a senile tendency towards pathetic reggae sermons (Jah Work) and solemn ballads (I Shall Not Walk Alone). The tender horn-tinged mexican waltz Ashes and the humble folk song Roses From My Friends capture his adult sensibility in a vein worthy of Cat Stevens (with a tad of Tracy Chapman and Prince), and the thoughtful dirge of Widow Of A Living Man seems to come out of Donovan's Fairy Tales: if senile has to be, these low-key songs do a much better job of painting him as a wise and sorrowful old man. Last but not least, the album showcases Harper's virtuoso guitar style at a mature stage (last but not least, in the instrumental Number Three).

Burn To Shine (Virgin, 1999) is his worst album and the definitive surrender to radio-friendly soul (Suzie Blue, Show Me A Little Shame).

Diamonds on the Inside (Virgin, 2003) displays what Harper does best: Bob Marley imitations (With My Own Two Hands, the album's stand-out), Lenny Kravitz imitations (Temporary Remedy, So High So Low, Touch from Your Lust), Bob Dylan imitations (When It's Good). Unfortunately, what he does best is not particularly relevant in the musical world. The African-ized gospel hymn Picture of Jesus is the one moment when Harper tries to be relevant.

There Will Be A Light (Virgin, 2004) is a collaboration with the gospel group Blind Boys of Alabama.

The double-CD Both Sides Of The Gun (2006), which is as long as a regular CD, is divided into a rock disc and a bluesy disc. The first disc is a hodgepodge of ethnic flavors (Better Way), funny jokes (Please Don't Talk About Murder While I'm Eating) and elegant routine (Serve Your Soul). The second disc is pensive and ponderous, a style that hardly fits with Harper's natural gifts.

Lifeline (2007) offers more of Harper's impeccable routine, occasionally lively and entertaining (Fight Outta You, Needed You Tonight, ay You Will), but virtually no passion.

Ben Harper, cresciuto nei sobborghi di Los Angeles, ossessionato sin dall'infanzia da Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley, e' un eclettico folksinger Afro-Americano che ha cominciato suonando blues vecchia maniera in caffetterie vecchia maniera e facendosi una reputazione per il suo stile alla chitarra bottleneck.

Scoperto da Taj Mahal, e dopo un periodo nella scena blues di Chicago, Harper pubblica Welcome To The Cruel World (Virgin, 1994), un esercizio monumentale di escursioni stilistiche. Ugualmente abile nel blues, soul, rock, funk, e country, Harper senza sforzo traccia vignette e satire (il suo classico Mama's Got A Girlfriend Now, Like A King), tira fuori una ballata (Waiting For An Angel) and scolpisce la strumentale The Three Of Us.

In confronto a tanta competenza musicale, Fight For Your Mind (Virgin, 1995) fu una delusione. Fin dove puo' arrivare la paga di un folksinger, l'anima mistica di Gold To Me e' probabilmete il pezzo emergente. Ma Harper e' piu' di un folksinger. Purtroppo, solo la rigogliosa Power Of The Gospel, un duetto chitarra-organo By My Side ed i masestosi, Hendrixiani, 11 minuti di God Fearing Man rivelano il resto delle sue capacita'.

The Will To Live (Virgin, 1997) riscopre parte del carisma del debutto, con almeno tre gemme: la succosa ballata grunge Faded (con un fantastico intermezzo di chitarra blues solista), lo spiritato blues shuffle Homeless Child (dritto dal Delta, spinto da saltellanti frasi bottleneck e swinging gospel beat), e l'inno gospel I Want To Be Ready. In queste canzoni, piene di pathos ed arrangiate con cura, Harper raggiunge un potente equilibrio tra il poeta (che declama il blues) ed il musicista (che suona il blues). The Will To Live ripete Faded senza lo stesso genio, anche se con la stessa nonchalance, dinamiche forte-poi-piano e gusto della chitarra. Altrove, Harper mostra una tendenza senile verso patetici sermoni reggae (Jah Work) e ballate solenni (I Shall Not Walk Alone). Il tenero valzer messicano spruzzato di ottoni Ashes e la unole canzone folk Roses From My Friends catturano la sua sensibilit' adulta in una vena degna di Cat Stevens (con una punta di Tracy Chapman e Prince), ed il pensoso inno Widow Of A Living Man sembrano uscire da Fairy Tales di Donovan: se deve essere senile, questi pezzi sommessi riescono molto meglio a dipingerlo come un vecchio saggio e triste. Last but not least, l'album esibisce lo stadio maturo raggiunto dal virtuosistico stile chitarristico di Harper (last but not least, nello strumentale Number Three).

Burn To Shine (Virgin, 1999) e' il suo album peggiore ed la definitiva resa al quel soul che strizza l'occhio alle radio (Suzie Blue, Show Me A Little Shame).

Diamonds on the Inside (Virgin, 2003) mostra quello che Harper riesce a fare meglio: imitazioni di Bob Marley (With My Own Two Hands, il pezzo di rilievo dell'album), imitazioni di Lenny Kravitz (Temporary Remedy, So High So Low, Touch from Your Lust), imitazioni di Bob Dylan (When It's Good). Sfortunatamente, quello che gli riesce meglio non e' particolarmente rilevante nel mondo musicale. L'inno gospel africanizzato Picture of Jesus e' l'unico momento nel quale Harper cerca di essere rilevante.