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Ben Harper Higher Ground- PreSale


Northern Wish

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That is some wild timing. I got an email first thing this morning that read:

Maybe you can answer this for me: Does anyone you know give a damn about Ben Harper and his tour?

He’s fallen sooo far in just a few years. He was selling out the Amphitheatre just four years ago. Now he’ll have trouble selling out Massey Hall for his upcoming concert. What do you expect when you take a backseat to another guitarist and change your music style from great to suck?

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I was at the Ben Harper show when Galactic were the "surprise guests" on the bill at the ACC a few tours ago...it was a fantastic show...the IC are a great supporting band and Ben's bass player has so much groove...

Missed the tour that had Jack Johnson opening at the MA and am still kicking myself in the ass for that one...heard it was a ton o'fun...go figure... ;)

Ben's still an excellent musician and I'm sure he'll deliver a solid show wherever he sets up camp...

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I used to love Ben, but the focus of his music has been less on his innovative guitar playing and more on the band and I find this distasteful as a fan and worst of all, it makes for a disappointing time in concert. I've heard from a few people that his new album is supposed to be great. I hope it is.

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I used to love Ben, but the focus of his music has been less on his innovative guitar playing and more on the band and I find this distasteful as a fan and worst of all, it makes for a disappointing time in concert. I've heard from a few people that his new album is supposed to be great. I hope it is.

I know that I lost interest with Burn To Shine. Haven't picked up another of his albums since then. I thought the first three albums were quite good, but then the material started to get a little repetitive.

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Anyone remember when he was a guest on CBC's The Hour? It was a discussion on current events with Dr Ben Harper and I have rarely heard a man more in love with the sound of his own voice than Eggs Benny that day.

I too lost interest in him long ago. Talented guy - he just seemed to buy into his own hype. That Zooma tour was excellent though.

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The thing is, I still have a few friends that are huge Harper fans and they find any complaints leveled at Harper's musical choices of the last 5 years unfounded. His last few albums aren't exciting and did not usher any career breakthroughs, and I remember being disappointed at his massively successful Amphitheatre show in Toronto back in 2003.

I had floors at that show and from my close viewpoint I could sense that he believed he could do no wrong, but he indeed did wrong that night. He allowed his backing band, in particular guitarist Nicky P., far too much time up front. You don't go to a B.B. King concert to hear him play rhythmn, but you got exactly that with Ben for at least half the set. Who wants to hear him twiddle away on simple chords on a Telecaster instead of jam like a motherfucker on his trademark Weissenbourn lap guitar?

I hope his upcoming album and tour sees him go back to the basics of his early work, but I'm not holding my breath.

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chick rock (not that there's anything wrong with that)

sprawled across his bed vocals through every song... his music makes me go on a Black Sabbath/Sex Pistols/random German industrial band binge directly afterwards

in a positive light, have heard he's a very nice guy

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I've heard he's a super nice guy as well. I thought he seemed to go downhill with "Diamonds on the Inside", but I did like his collab. with The Blind Boys. That album does, however, show his change in direction from guitar hero to introspective sap.

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