Let me start by mentioning Geoffrey Himes, the Amazon editorial reviewer: how does one so full of his self-importance get to be a reviewer? I thought a review should be an objective look at what is on the CD, but Himes chooses to use the review as a vehicle for his own ego. Go back and have another listen to this CD, Geoffrey; this time without any preconcieved ideas or biases.

What will be heard then is a CD that is moving, thought provoking, inspirational, and brimming with talent. Himes says that Harper has modest talent. If Ben Harper is posessed with modest talent, then that leaves a great many other musicians in the unskilled bracket! I find that Harper's voice is very unusual and with great range (trying singing along Geoffrey!) and his guitar playing is brilliant without being flashy...kind of heart-felt. And the rest of his band make this CD groove on the accompanied tracks.

You must listen to this album. It is breathtaking.

This might not be one of Ben's best albums, but it is still a great album. It is quite surprising that Geoff Himes, the amazon reviewer, gives this album such a poor wrap. His opinion is that Ben Harper's singing brings the album down. Unfortunately for Geoff, he probably hasn't picked up on the fact that Ben's voice is one of the things that distinguishes his music and makes it so unique. Himes is so caught up in making comparisons between Harper and other artists that he fails to evaluate the album for what it really is. A music reviewer should listen to an album for the first time with no preconceived ideas - something Himes obviously has not done, and therefore calls into question his credentials as a music reviewer.

From the opening track, we are instantly made aware of the musical capabilities of Ben Harper. A simple Weissenborn solo, at first listen, later, at more focused attention, one can hear Ben's soul pouring forth through the resonance in the hollow bodied instrument. Throughout the album we are witness to the various emotions and beliefs of this man, all through extremely captivating songwriting and masterful guitar skill. In "Breaking Down" Ben lays down an extremely catchy groove while expressing the confusion so prevalent in heartbreak. Though his voice may seem weak at times, it is through such weakness, that his vulnerability, his humanity shines through. Seen in "Waiting on an Angel", and Walk Away", they are simple ballads that pour forth a heartwrenching amount of emotion in mere 3.5 minutes spurts. Also, "Pleasure and Pain" paints such a gorgeous mental picture, that it is almost impossible to describe such a magnificent piece of songwriting in a pathetic internet review.

Ben Harper is vastly different from the majority of contemporary acts. He writes such personal material, with such heart, a craftmanship so rarely found these days. It is difficult to even compare him to anything in the market these days so I won't. I just pray he will not go down in history as that guy who sang "Steal My Kisses" while opening for the ridiculously overrated Dave Matthews Band.

Some people may have heard Ben Harpers song "Burn One Down" and think he is a good artist. Well this is by far the best album he has recorded. I have every one of his albums and recommend this one to someone in search of mellow music. The only drawback to this song seems to be song #6. If your going to "Burn One Down" and looking for the greatest Ben Harper album to listen to, then Welcome to the Cruel World is it! These songs are so mellow and peacful your garunteed to relax or score with date.

Ben Harper combines a wide variety of music styles in order to produce his various albums. Each of his albums combine aspects of jazz, rock, and folk. Harper's 1994 album, "Welcome to the Cruel World", was a major success. This album covers introduces listeners to Harper's aucoustic, Instrument, lite rock, and more heavy rock styles.

As with most of Harper's albums, he begins the album with his Instrumental style. The Three of Us, Harper's first track on the album combines all of the styles expressed within the album. The track begins soft rock and carries out in a more heavy rock tone. Other songs on the album like Walk Away and Forever are very similar in their soft rock nature. While How Many Miles Must We March and Welcome to the Cruel World show Harper's more hard rock style.

Harper is very successful in all of his albums especially "Welcome to the Cruel World" in providing listeners with a very ecletic mix of sound on one album. This album serves as a model for his following albums, "The Will to Live" and "Diamonds on the Inside", in the style and order of the tracks on the album. Overall this ablum is a must for any Harper fan.