Ben Harper - The Will To Live

YOURZ

Years ago, in the deep, dim memories of my past, I remember someone describing Ben Harper as a 'blues Bob Marley'. I always thought it to be a huge statement, especially given the Marley legacy.

So really, is Ben Harper the blues Bob Marley?

He certainly is a bit of a stoner, at least, judging by the cover of The Will To Live. (If that man isn’t off his face, then I’ve never done drugs either).

But does this mean he's as good as Bob?

Then there are his obvious skills with the guitar. Of this there's no doubt. He plays a mean slide guitar and can sing a decent tune too. He also comes across as a real nice, down to earth bloke, in a chilled, ‘hey dude’ kind a way.

But does this mean he's as good as Bob?

He even has a reggae styled song, called Jah Work, although it's what I'd call reggae-lite. Not really reggae, not Marley reggae, but alright none the less.

It's nowhere near as good as anything Bob did.

I guess Ben’s claim to fame is he inadvertently started a bit of a trend, one of the troubadour guitarist, with a band of musical mates sitting around a camp fire on a beach, playing tunes to pretty girls after the sun goes down. People like Jack Johnson and Donovan Frankenreiter owe him a bit of a nod.

I really like the first track. In fact, I think I bought the album for the first track. I also really like his playing, although it's fairly predictable. The thing I don't like about this record is too many of the songs just kind of start, cruise through and finish. There's none of the dynamics I really love about contemporary music, the hushed verses shifting to uplifting choruses or spun-out middle eights. Nope, Ben just kind stays on the cruisy level, content to just lowride on by.

From all this, one thing is particularly clear: I can honestly say I haven't listened to The Will To Live once since Mine and Yours, truly, amalgamated our collection, which is something I absolutely cannot say about Marley.

VERDICT: THROW IT OUT (but be gentle, man) Peace


MINE

OK, confession time again. I'm not that fond of the blues. When I hear those guys (and it's mostly guys) I just want to tell them to cheer up, you know? However, it's not a genre I dismiss altogether, as there are some very fine bluesmen and some very fine blues albums.

But this is not one of them. It's an early album for Ben Harper and didn't get him much attention in his home country. I can't fault his musicianship, and he does know how to write a pretty melody. But as I've said before, I'm all about the lyrics, and he falls down on those. To start with, he mixes his voice right down so it's lost amongst the instruments, plus he's a slurrer of words. Even in the very last song, I Shall Not Walk Alone, where he's accompanied by just a quiet guitar/piano combo, I seriously had to Google the lyrics to discover what he was singing. I got the "Only tears/ Speak from my heart" but then "Break the chains/ That hold us down" sounded to me like "Beak na sheen/ That who us dah". So, unintelligible, with lyrics that are, frankly, uninspiring. Oh, apart from the title track which is quite nice. (Note the damning with faint praise there).

That said, the lovely guitar-playing and the pretty tunes make it good background music. So if you own a bookshop or a cafe, where you want the music to please and not alarm, I can highly recommend Ben Harper. What it's doing in our collection, I have no idea.

VERDICT: THROW IT OUT (after maybe iPodding for a dinner-party playlist)

For more information: http://www.benharper.com/

In our collection we also have Diamonds On The Inside, though I'm wondering why...

Lily Allen – It’s Not Me, It’s You

YOURZ

I like Lily Allen. She's a bit of a wild, spunky British babe who doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her potty mouth (especially Elton John). She's the daughter of Keith Allen, who played a very good version of the Sheriff Of Nottingham in a recent television adaptation of Robin Hood. Her mum's famous for some stuff too. If you’re interested, look it up yourselves.

Lily's also known for the occasional wardrobe malfunction in front of British press, not that she particularly cares. She has nice boobies and doesn’t mind flashing them. What’s not to like about that?

I liked her first record, 2006’s Alright, Still. The ska-flavoured pop tunes appealed to the old Mod in me and lyrically, she had her chops. It’s Not Me, It’s You continues where this left off except this time it's a musical mixed bag with roots buried deep in unabashed pop. She accompanies this with another set of acerbic lyrics aimed at people around her: girlfriends, boyfriends, siblings, her Dad, God or whoever. She's a role model for no one but herself and, unlike Amy Whinehouse (sic), has been able to handle all the shit thrown her way.

Mine is a big fan of Lily, particularly of this album. For me, there's not a huge deal of difference between the two. This, in most instances, wouldn’t necessarily be a good thing. In this case, however, it only adds to her charm. That and her boobies, of course.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

I love Lily Allen and I'm not ashamed to say so. But this love did not spring, fully-formed, from her debut Alright, Still in 2006 despite the album being purchased and highly recommended by YourZ.

No, it's her second album which has endeared the Cockney-toned diva to my ears, because it makes me cry. Every time.

It began on a drive home late one night after work, when my local radio station was featuring It's Not Me, It's You as its album of the week, doing a play-through with discussions about the songs. I came in about half way through at Never Gonna Happen and chuckled heartily over Fuck You. But then the tears began.

You see, unlike YourZ, I'm all about the lyrics. The tunes are fine, as long as they don't actually suck, but it's the words that run rings around my heart. And I got a bit teary over Who'd Have Known, because it reminded me of the first time YourZ and I actually hooked up after many years of acquaintanceship (it's a real word, I looked it up). Who'd have known?/ When you flash up on my phone/ I no longer feel alone. Ah, makes me choke up just writing that.

Then on to Chinese, which says - I don't want anything more/ Than to see your face when you open the door/ You'll make me beans on toast and a nice cup of tea/ And we'll get a Chinese and watch TV. Because this just perfectly encapsulates the ordinary moments of our days as a married couple that make for the most perfect and harmonious and... oh-my-god you guys are making me GAG fer gossake. Hum. Well, you ASKED. Or, no you didn't. I'm telling you. So there.

Him (which is about God) I cannot for the life of me sing out loud all the way through because of: Ever since he can remember people have died in his good name/ Long before that September/ Long before hijacking planes/ He's lost the will he can't decide/ He doesn't know who's right or wrong/ But there's one thing that he's sure of/ This has been going on too long Doesn't that make YOU feel sad and weird and teary? No? Just me I guess. Anyhoo, it has the best line ever written about God - I don't imagine he's ever been suicidal/ His favourite band is Creedence Clearwater Revival. Sad and laughing, in one song. Result.

And I can't even write about He Wasn't There. I (mis)quoted it at my dad's funeral recently: He was my hero in disguise/ I know he'll always love me very much/ I'll always be his little girl Brought the house down. And when I go and see Lily soon (solo because Your won't go with me) I bet I'll be howling when she sings this.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP (dance along, you'll laugh, you'll cry!)

Click here for more info: http://www.lilyallenmusic.com/lily/

In our collection, we also have Alright, Still