Word: harper
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...made its debut in Milan last September at Gucci's Spring/Summer 2000 show. Within days, Vanity Fair had secured a one-sleeved prototype to (almost) adorn CAMERON DIAZ in its current issue, and Brazilian model GISELLE showcases a version with a daring plunge on the cover of the latest Harper's Bazaar. The dress has been making the party rounds as well. A newly brunette GWYNETH PALTROW wore it to a gala for the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute, and Heather Locklear had one made in pink to wear as host of the VH1 Fashion Awards. Befitting its stature...
What is even more amazing is the diverse following that Harper has garnered in the last years, and this is indeed representative of his personality--a jack of all trades with all the early indications of a potential master in the making. But this is not to say that the road is unwinding. On his fourth and newest album Burn to Shine, Harper seems to have suffered a belated sophomore slump. In his defense, the standard that he is judged by is a difficult one to uphold. Harper unabashedly admits that he is deeply influenced by the holy Trinity...
...Slight criticisms of his new album aside, Harper's live performance evoked maturity beyond even the best of his recordings. The concert began with a tried and true favorite--"Gold to Me." It is hard not to be charmed by Harper's singing. He makes every breath count, every word becomes signified. If we could hear the sound of a diamond in the rough, that would be Harper's voice, so close to perfection that the imperfections hardly seem to matter and conversely add character and integrity. But this is not to say that Harper's voice is reminiscent...
...album is without a doubt "The Woman in You." With sparse riffs suggestive of Hendrix's "Castles Made of Sand," the song is both a musical and lyrical delight. Here the brilliant Hendrix lyrics "and so castles made of sand fall into the sea...eventually" become equally brilliant as Harper sings in perpetual falsetto--"the woman in you is the worry in me." The night ended with consummate tribute: Hendrix's "Manic Depression...
...Owning one Ben Harper album will inevitably cause the ownership of his whole repertoire. It's one of those ethical imperatives. Harper is one artist who truly deserves every ounce of success he has awaiting him. However, at times, this end is wished for so much that we forget to confer patience upon this artist who is diligently working towards finding his own identity. But stumble or fall, I don't doubt that Harper will eventually succeed...