Fight For Your Mind
Credits
Ben Harper- Vocals, Guitar
Leon Mobley- Percussion
Juan Nelson-Bass
Oliver Charles - Drums
Ben Harper is one of those artists that are very hard to categorize seeing as he incorporates a lot of different styles. On fight for your mind you can just hear what his influences were pretty easily. Bob Dylan and Bob Marley are the most obvious ones. But there is no denying that he can write one he
lluva song. There is a kind of foreign feel to the album which is added with the influences of reggae and the percussion. Now on with the album
1) Oppression - Starts off with a very nice acoustic rhythym which continues through out the song. the lyrics are wonderful in the song. from the lyrics it seems to be a rather politcal song. towards the end of the song there is a bongo solo which is something that you don't hear in every song. so its a real standout.
5/5
2) Ground On Down - this is for sure a more upbeat track. starts off a bit slower. What really holds this song together is the slide. it goes throughout the entire song and it really is a standout. the track features both drums and percussion which blends together quite nicely.
5/5
3) Another Lonely Day - This is a slower song. a change of pace from the last track. this is a much sadder song just by listening to the lyrics. theres really nobody playing except ben playing his guitar. this is a great chill kind of song. not a standout but a good track nonetheless.
4/5
4) Please Me Like You Want To - I find this song ok its got a nice acoustic rhythym but theres nothing that really stands out that well. the lyrics are of course great.
3.5/5
5) Gold To Me - this song has a nice beat to it. i really enjoy his voice in the song. his guitar work is nothing special. but its nice to hear him switch off between the slide and not using the slide. there is a solo in the end that is done really well and goes really well with the rest of the song. usually ben's solos are short and sweet but this one sticks out because it is a bit longer.
4/5
6) Burn One Down - This track is about marijuana(if you didn't guess from the title of the song). starts off with a wonderful bongo beat once again. then ben comes in with a really nice guitar riff. the song is often called "the herb song" nevertheless it is a fantastic songs. and some of the best lyrics i have ever heard.
5/5 :smoke:
7) Excuse Me Mr. - starts off with a spanish-style guitar riff that is a great way to start off a song. after that it is mainly the drums carrying out the song. but some darn good lyrics to accompany it as well. the song seems to be a quite political song. especially with these lyrics.
Quote:
Excuse me Mr.
Can't you see the children dying?
You say that you can't help them,
Mr. you're not even trying
Excuse me Mr.
Just take a look around.
Oh, Mr. just look up and you will,
You'll see it's coming down.
Oh, excuse me Mr. but I'm, I'm a mister too.
And you're givin' Mr. a bad name,
Mr. like you.
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overall a great song.
5/5
8) People Lead - This is a more upbeat song compared to the past few.it gets a tad repetitive after a while. overall its a pretty good song but not really as good as the other stuff on the album
3/5
9) Fight For Your Mind - This song has a sort of funky rhythym which is really easy to get into to. I really enjoy the vocals on here i think they are some of his best. he combines his slide really great with the funky rhythym which i'm sure is not easy. seems to be another political song. talking about fight for the right think freely...i think. this is a really great song
5/5
10) Give a Man a Home - this is really a kind of slow chill song. Even ben's voice seems to have changed to be a bit more chill and relaxed which is kind of nice. the guitar isn't really that great but i have a feeling it was not meant to be on this song.
4/5
11) By My Side - This song has a different vibe from the rest because it features organs. which gives it a psychadelic vibe to it . but still maintains that chill vibe that most ben harper songs usually have. this song seems to me to be a love song of sorts. pretty good song
4.5/5
12) Power of The Gospel - Again for something different there is a violin in this song :amaze: which blends so well the guitar its almost scary. There is no vocals for the most part of the song. When they do come in they seem kind of eerie and the vioilin only adds to the eerieness.
4/5
13) God Fearing Man - Here it is this is the epic jam of the album. ben harper is often classified in the jam band category although you can't really tell from this album. he's showing off his fantastic slide skills on this song which are great once you hear them. has a pretty dark sounding feel to it. its definitely a one of a kind song which nothing else on the album sounds anything like it.this gives off an idea of what his live concert expierences are like.
5/5
14) One Road to Freedom - this is a pretty good song. its a r eally chilled out song once again ( which isnt bad). what i like about this song is that you can just hear and feel the soulfullness in his voice. his voice and the lyrics are about the best thing about the track.a pretty good way to close out an album.
4.3/5
Overall I LOVE this cd it is definitely one of my favorites of all time.i recommend to all of you to buy this album. or at least check out a song or two. excellent album
5/5
