Relentlessly pursuing this disk

McDeeshai brings up a great point.  Ben's moving in a totally new direction.  On the one hand, it's like that time when you may have been screaming at Damien Rice, after having run "O" into the ground, that he just needs to rock the fuck out!  In a moment of myopic appreciation of my own telepathic capacities, he did.  The Jambase article makes note of the move for Ben.

To some, this news may shock. It may also disappoint young lovers out there to know that "Steal Your Kisses" will not be on the setlist. And a big "boo-hoo" to the midnight tokers; you will NOT hear "Burn One Down" coming from the stage.

I'm celebrating the move, don't get me wrong.  But does anybody else kinda wish that he could have done so without changing bands?  I mean, it's kinda like throwing the baby out with the bath water.  What's great about MMJ's shift is that they can still reach back into Tennessee Fire whenever they want to.  I'm going to miss "Burn One Down."  "Steal Your Kisses" can rot in the ground, for all I care.  Thankfully (or maybe not), Ben's fans didn't lose everything.  The article later continues.

Though the band is currently writing ("we are writing like crazy, pen to paper" says Harper) and working out new material at sound checks, one or two of Harper's old songs may make it into the rotation, though it may take awhile to recognize them. At Webster Hall they re-worked the funky marching band drumbeats of "Better Way" into a crushing dirge that would have made Uncle Neil and his Crazy Horse cohorts beam in approval.

I loved "Better Way."  When I first heard it on one of those great Relix samplers from the days of yore, I played it over and over (little did I know that the song may have foreshadowed Ben's later band choice).  I thought it'd be fun to line the tracks up to see the change from "funky marching drumbeats" to the "crushing dirge."  

Yea...I can't tell which one I like more.  Maybe a cleaner break would have been better.  Or maybe the recording is just ruining the dirge for me.  We'll have to wait and see.

Relentless follow up...

Though I haven't heard the record, this article made me very curious. Notice the tone while describing to a New York crowd that he's decided to move in a new direction... Without even hearing it yet, I think it's a much needed move. Looks like he realized it was time to get back to the roots of rocking things, as opposed to making the same tired old record he put out several times with the Criminals. I'm excited to hear it-- I really hope it rocks. We all know the potential is there-- it's a matter of channeling it.

http://www.jambase.com/Articles/17964/Ben-Harper-and-Relentless7-Fly-One-Time

Does Ben Still Got it?

So Ben Harper's got this new backup band, the Relentless 7.  They've got a new CD.  I don't know if any of you guys have checked it out, but I haven't seen anything on it in The Shanty. I guess I'll be the first one.  To start off, let's look at what's out there in cyberspace. (NOTE: These videos are of varying quality.

"Shimmer and Shine" on Letterman

"Skin Thin" @ Spaceland

"Boots Like These" @ The Mint

"Under Pressure" @ The Mint (not on the new CD, but a pretty popular cover)

So what's the verdict?  First impressions for me, I think he rocks hard on this one.  The music is solid, even if the lyrics are a little weak.