Give Till It's Gone
Ben Harper turns up the rock ‘n’ roll for 2011’s *Give Till It’s Gone*. Harper’s always offered a varied approach where he stars as the laid-back leader that can roll with the punches, but here he sounds like he’s lit a fire under his band, Relentless7. There’s an honest, quick energy to “Don’t Give Up On Me Now,” “Clearly Severely” and “Rock N’ Roll Is Free,” where the band doesn’t overthink the situation. “Feel Love” is a sweet ballad that allows Harper to reach the top of his range. Ringo Starr guests on two tracks, the Beatles-influenced psychedelia of “Spilling Faith” and the instrumental, “Get There from Here” that sounds like it was recorded during the *Magical Mystery Tour* sessions. Harper’s more expected compatriot Jackson Browne joins him for the touching ballad, “Pray That Our Love Sees the Dawn.” “Waiting On a Sign” has the laidback rock groove that most people associate with Harper. “Do It for You, Do It for Us” sounds like a classic-rock staple from the ‘70s.
Is Ben Harper the poor man’s Lenny Kravitz, or the smarter, more credible Lenny Kravitz? On Give Till It’s Gone, Harper makes another convincing case for deserving the latter, slightly less dubious distinction. Proof that you can have all the right influences and still not grasp what made them great, Harper has been…
The last time we saw Ben Harper, it was in 2009 with his raucous, blues-driven Relentless7 putting out White Lies for Dark Times.
AllMusic provides comprehensive music info including reviews and biographies. Get recommendations for new music to listen to, stream or own.