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Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. Don't Give Up On Me Now |
| 2. I Will Not Be Broken |
| 3. Rock N' Roll Is Free |
| 4. Feel Love |
| 5. Clearly Severely |
| 6. Spilling Faith |
| 7. Get There From Here |
| 8. Pray That Our Love Sees The Dawn |
| 9. Waiting On A Sign |
| 10. Dirty Little Lover |
| 11. Do It For You, Do It For Us |
Product Description
Rootsy singer/songwriter's 2011 album featuring Ringo Starr at a special 'introductory' price for a limited time
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Ben Harper has been very busy recording music since his debut album "Welcome To The Cruel World" was released back in 1994. 17 years later, "Give Till It's Gone" is his tenth studio album and, although it is a very consistent and solid affair, it does sometimes feel as though I have heard it all before and there are only a few stand out tracks.
The opener "Don't Give Up On Me Now" is a good mid-tempo folk rock song, but is a little sleepy. "Rock N' Roll Is Free" is a punchy rock track, but is a little predictable. "Feel Love" is a pleasant enough rock ballad. "Spilling Faith" and "Get There From Here" are simplistic but very catchy and effective pop rock tunes, although he has done this style of music time and time again. "Waiting On A Sign" is a cool bluesy track and "Dirty Little Lover" is a faster paced stomping blues tune. The final track "Do It For You, Do It For Us" has sleepy verses but a strong rock chorus.
However, there are some surprisingly great tracks on this release. "I Will Not Be Broken" is a really great track with a strong melody and a fantastic guitar solo. "Clearly Severely" is quite different to what he has released previously and is much heavier and more chaotic, resulting in quite an interesting track. "Pray That Our Love Sees The Dawn" is a very beautifully written subtle mid-tempo song with some lovely original arrangements.
If you are an avid Ben Harper fan, then I would purchase this as it is just as solid as his previous releases. But to a new listener, I would recommend some of his earlier work such as "The Will To Live" or "Burn To Shine" which are just a little more varied and exciting. Nevertheless and regardless of my criticism, Ben Harper gets another 4 star rating.
The opener "Don't Give Up On Me Now" is a good mid-tempo folk rock song, but is a little sleepy. "Rock N' Roll Is Free" is a punchy rock track, but is a little predictable. "Feel Love" is a pleasant enough rock ballad. "Spilling Faith" and "Get There From Here" are simplistic but very catchy and effective pop rock tunes, although he has done this style of music time and time again. "Waiting On A Sign" is a cool bluesy track and "Dirty Little Lover" is a faster paced stomping blues tune. The final track "Do It For You, Do It For Us" has sleepy verses but a strong rock chorus.
However, there are some surprisingly great tracks on this release. "I Will Not Be Broken" is a really great track with a strong melody and a fantastic guitar solo. "Clearly Severely" is quite different to what he has released previously and is much heavier and more chaotic, resulting in quite an interesting track. "Pray That Our Love Sees The Dawn" is a very beautifully written subtle mid-tempo song with some lovely original arrangements.
If you are an avid Ben Harper fan, then I would purchase this as it is just as solid as his previous releases. But to a new listener, I would recommend some of his earlier work such as "The Will To Live" or "Burn To Shine" which are just a little more varied and exciting. Nevertheless and regardless of my criticism, Ben Harper gets another 4 star rating.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
13 reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Another Solid Album
5 Jun 2011
Format:Audio CD
It's pathetic that there are only 5 reviews of this album. Ben Harper is such a gifted artist; one of the best of our time. It's unfortunate that he's basically only known for the song Steal My Kisses; his worst track in my opinion. That song is in no way a representation of Ben Harper's immense talent, although the album Burn To Shine as a whole is amazing. Give Till It's Gone is not quite as good as White Lies For Dark Times or Burn To Shine for that matter, but it is still a solid release. If I'm comparing this collection of songs to other Ben Harper works, it gets 4 stars, but if I'm comparing it to other contemporary music, it definitely deserves 5 stars. Obviously I chose the latter criteria. It is truly perplexing to me that Harper does not get more attention. The guy plays a mean slide guitar and his lyrics always come from the heart. I'm glad he has always stayed true to himself rather than going for the hit record. The songs on this album are very personal, and therefore, very powerful; there is nothing phony about Mr. Harper. I'm sure everyone knows by now that this album is about Ben's separation from Laura Dern. Unfortunately, the best art comes from pain, and Ben delivers once again with Give Till It's Gone. It's not his best, but it's definitely not his worst. It's just another solid effort from the master of meloncholy.
9 of 12 people found the following review helpful
My Issue Is Sound Related
27 May 2011
I want to start this off by saying that I would much rather listen to Ben Harper's best work with poor sound than to listen to just about anybody else's best studio gloss and shine. But there is a problem here. The low end on this record is bloated and lacks cohesion. There are parts of the record where the vocals actually get lost. I don't know if it's a mix issue or a mastering issue, but something is very "off" for me with the sound of this album.
Having said that, in a world where all recordings are compressed into oblivion which destroys all dynamics and narrows the stereo field, most people probably won't even notice the sound deficiencies. It's just hard to believe that in a world full of volume knobs, mastering engineers feel compelled to use every last bit of headroom and hype the low end so that everything sounds like it's on the damned radio already.
Oh yeah, I actually like the album. I'd give it my fan-like support of 5 stars if it sounded better.
Having said that, in a world where all recordings are compressed into oblivion which destroys all dynamics and narrows the stereo field, most people probably won't even notice the sound deficiencies. It's just hard to believe that in a world full of volume knobs, mastering engineers feel compelled to use every last bit of headroom and hype the low end so that everything sounds like it's on the damned radio already.
Oh yeah, I actually like the album. I'd give it my fan-like support of 5 stars if it sounded better.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Potential Finally Fulfilled
16 Jun 2011
Amazon Verified Purchase
I saw Harper live at Bumbershoot in Seattle at the time of the release of his first album Welcome to the Cruel World. He and his band produced one of the best performances I have ever seen of any band - they rocked, grooved and the whole crowd danced. I ran out and bought that album only to discover a set of quiet acoustic songs that were quite different from the live experience. I have followed Harper's career since, each time hoping the next new album would match the intensity of his live performances, only to be disappointed. Until now!
This album is amazing. It is like Harper has been set free. There is a power and a joy to these songs, and there is a lot of emotion being spilled here. It is obvious he and his band are having fun spilling it. Certainly there is a retro feel to many of the tracks, with echos of Cream, Phish, Hendrix amongst others, but tracks like Spilling Faith, Do It For You and Get There From Here show Harper's real brilliance. Try to keep your feet still to Rock N'Roll Is Free.
This album is destined for three stars, not because it is mediocre but because it will be polarizing. If you loved Harper's previous albums this is certainly a departure, and likely will result in poor reviews. If you have experienced his live shows, and puzzled why they didn't translate to disc, check this out. Potential finally fulfilled indeed. I can't wait to see this live.
This album is amazing. It is like Harper has been set free. There is a power and a joy to these songs, and there is a lot of emotion being spilled here. It is obvious he and his band are having fun spilling it. Certainly there is a retro feel to many of the tracks, with echos of Cream, Phish, Hendrix amongst others, but tracks like Spilling Faith, Do It For You and Get There From Here show Harper's real brilliance. Try to keep your feet still to Rock N'Roll Is Free.
This album is destined for three stars, not because it is mediocre but because it will be polarizing. If you loved Harper's previous albums this is certainly a departure, and likely will result in poor reviews. If you have experienced his live shows, and puzzled why they didn't translate to disc, check this out. Potential finally fulfilled indeed. I can't wait to see this live.
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