There are a lot of guys out there playing rock and roll and there's really not much that separates one from another when it comes to talent and ability. Sure one guy might be able to play a little bit faster than another or have a slightly easier time hitting all the notes when they sing. However the reality is there are probably close to a million people out there doing the same thing; playing gig after gig in bars for beer and money, but never quite making it to the next stage. It takes a certain undefinable extra to turn a talent with guitar and an ability to write music into something that will take you beyond the small town circuit and into the studios of Los Angeles and New York City.
You can listen to band after band until you find that one in a thousand who you'll actually hear. There's an insistence about them that calls out to you and pulls you into their music. You can analyze it for all your worth, trying to figure out what it is about them that catches your attention and holds it, but you'll probably just end up drawing a blank. Those with something really special to offer appeal on a visceral level and grab us because they trigger an instinctual rather than rational reaction.
I was reminded of this listening to the latest release from Ben Harper and Relentless7, White Lies For Dark Times, that came out May 05, '09 on EMI Music Canada. While I've probably heard countless other bands playing similar types of music who didn't make any sort of impression at all, Ben Harper and Relentless7 took hold of me from the first track and didn't let me go until the CD player clicked off eleven tracks later.
The songs on White Lies For Dark Times are the usual mix of hard and medium rock and roll songs with a couple of acoustic numbers thrown in for good measure that one has come to expect over the years. Yet, there's nothing usual about Harper and his band, and that shows through on each song no matter how its performed. Part of that is Ben Harper himself and the presence he exudes even on a studio recording. Whether it's the force of his personality, the amount of himself he sinks into each song, or something even less tangible, you can't ignore him or his music.
Article comments
1 - Mike
You know, I just saw this tour in Chicago. And while Harper is so incredibly talented, it didn't come through. Much of the best guitar playing was left for Mozersky. I don't feel it was the best representation of Harper's true range. Anyway, I put up a review of the Chicago show on if anyone is interested.