Burn to Shine by Ben Harper

Burn to Shine

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Burn to Shine

Features

Audio CD (September 21, 1999)

Original Release Date: September 21, 1999

Number of Discs: 1

Label: Virgin Records

Catalog Number: 48151

Amazon.com's Best of 1999
Harper's soulful musical mix continues to defy genre categorization and his growth as an artist continues to amaze. Burn to Shine is his most ambitious work to date, tapping a multitude of styles and moods and revolving as usual around his incredibly expressive vocals and searing guitar work. --Marc Greilsamer

Amazon.com essential recording
Ben Harper's musical eclecticism has been well established, but what often goes unnoticed is that few musicians possess such an expansive emotional range. And those complex, unsettled emotions never seem to come one at a time; instead, they are layers to be peeled and reassembled. When the mood is ominous, you still sense an urgent hopefulness around the bend, and even on a jaunty Dixieland number like "Suzie Blue," with its playful trombone and clarinet, you can see the clouds on the horizon. The tension may not always be overt, but it's never lower than just below the surface. Angry, aggressive metal rants; bruising, bombastic, operatic rockers; lighthearted Caribbean grooves; strutting Southern boogie; deep country soul; and delicate acoustic folk play out like scenes within a Byzantine film. Harper's soulful moans, agonized groans, and earth-shaking whispers narrate this battle between shadows and light, and his sonic war zone is as dynamic, detailed, and diverse as it's ever been. As weighty as but more personal than its three predecessors, Burn to Shine has the sensation of grandeur that seems to accompany all of Harper's work, but it's more than a delusion. --Marc Greilsamer

Reader Reviews
Working on a college radio broadcasting team - we continually obsessed with playing the song "Always Have To Steal My Kisses" on a regular basis - as it's upbeat gutair sequence and drum kicks mix perfectly for a sort of southern type sound, with pop written all over it, always put us in a good mood. Thinking it not be the style of my more hard-rocking mates I was suprised to look into their CD case and see a giant collection of Harper CD's. This intreged me to buy "Burn To Shine" As soon as I flipped it into the CD player I was already impressed with the army-like drumming to introduce the first song "Alone" a song that I immediately fell in love with. The song sounding a bit more sinister and darker than the rest of the album, a good kick start. Following this album was the almost Hendrix-type-soul, "The Woman In You" this song is tremendously laced with Harpers voice and strong lyrics. Just a few tracks away stands the best track of the album "Two Hands of A Prayer" 7 minutes and 50 seconds of pure brilliance of a song - this is what a song is all about. Other strong points along the album are "Suzie Blue" which inspires from a jazz-blues type area, and the awesome track "Forgiven" which is probably the easiest song on the ears as far as the lyrics are decent - and the rock of the song will keep you listening. Track 11 and 12 is a strong way to finish too - "Beloved One" is a piano, and violin backed song that I listened to probably eight times continually when I first really got into it - and continually do now - on a regular basis. And "In The Lords Arms" is Harper all over, easy voice and decent lyrics. Apart from some - B Grade songs such as "Less" and perhaps "Please Bleed" (although I wont skip the track) the album is top notch all the way, Ben Harper as a music writer - covering almost every style possible (and making each style seem like it's his front style) and The Innocent Criminals have put together another masterpiece - this probably being his best in my opinion. Get A Hold of it. Don't miss out......

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