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Welcome to the Cruel World

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Welcome to the Cruel World
Studio album by
Ben Harper
ReleasedFebruary 8, 1994
RecordedThe Convent
GenreAcoustic blues[1]
Length50:25
LabelVirgin
ProducerBen Harper, Jean-Pierre Plunier
Ben Harper chronology
Welcome to the Cruel World
(1994) 		Fight for Your Mind
(1995)

Welcome to the Cruel World is the debut album by the American musician Ben Harper, released in 1994 through Virgin Records. The album established Harper as a popular folk musician in the California area. After the release, Harper went on to add a permanent backing band, the Innocent Criminals, although they remained unnamed until the Burn to Shine album. The song "I'll Rise" is based on a 1978 Maya Angelou poem "And Still I Rise".

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Chicago Tribune[3]
The Guardian[4]
The Indianapolis Star[1]
Los Angeles Times[5]
Q[6]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[7]
USA Today[8]
The Village Voice(choice cut)[9]

The Indianapolis Star wrote that "Harper impresses with his play of guitar and dobro, but it's his mastery of the Weissenborn ... and his vocal nuances that persuade the listener to heed these vignettes of cold truth, the essence of blues."[1]

Track listing[edit]

All songs written by Ben Harper except as noted.

  1. "The Three of Us" – 2:35
  2. "Whipping Boy" (Chris Darrow) – 5:31
  3. "Breakin' Down" (Harper, music: Jean-Pierre Plunier) – 4:00
  4. "Don't Take That Attitude to Your Grave" – 4:25
  5. "Waiting on an Angel" – 3:53
  6. "Mama's Got a Girlfriend Now" – 2:29
  7. "Forever" – 3:23
  8. "Like a King" – 4:18
  9. "Pleasure and Pain" – 3:44
  10. "Walk Away" – 3:49
  11. "How Many Miles Must We March" – 3:07
  12. "Welcome to the Cruel World" – 5:36
  13. "I'll Rise" (lyrics: Maya Angelou; music: Harper) – 3:35

Personnel[edit]

Musicians

  • Ben Harper – vocals, acoustic guitar, Weissenborn guitar, dobro
  • Richard Cook – Uilleann pipes on "Pleasure and Pain"
  • Rock Deadrick – percussion, drums, backing vocals
  • Tom Freund
  • Suzie Katayama – cello on "Pleasure and Pain"
  • John McKnight – bass guitar, accordion on "Mama's Got a Girlfriend Now"
  • Tommy D. Daugherty – drum programming
  • Gail Deadrick – piano on "I'll Rise"
  • Clabe Hangan, Clarence Butler, John Taylor, Kenneth McDaniel, Clyde Allen, Jelanie Jones, Kevin Williams – backing vocals

Production

  • Producers: Ben Harper, J.P. Plunier
  • Associate producer: Jeff Gottlieb, Mikal Reid
  • Engineer: Mikal Reid
  • Assistant engineer: Bradley Cook
  • Mixing: Mikal Reid
  • Mastering: Eddy Schreyer
  • Advisor: Ben Elder
  • Art direction: Tom Dolan, J.P. Plunier
  • Research: Ben Elder
  • Photography: Jeff Gottlieb

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for Welcome to the Cruel World
Chart (1998) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[10] 94
French Albums Chart[11] 11

Certifications[edit]

Certifications for Welcome to the Cruel World
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[12] Gold 35,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[13] Gold 50,000^
France (SNEP)[14] Platinum 300,000*
United States (RIAA)[15] Gold 500,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Konz, Joe (Mar 14, 1994). "Ben Harper 'Welcome to the Cruel World". The Indianapolis Star. p. C5.
  2. ^ Goble, Ryan Randall. "Welcome to the Cruel World – Ben Harper". AllMusic. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  3. ^ Kot, Greg (February 24, 1994). "Ben Harper: Welcome to the Cruel World (Virgin)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  4. ^ Denselow, Robin (September 23, 1994). "Ben Harper: Welcome to the Cruel World (Virgin)". The Guardian.
  5. ^ Hochman, Steve (March 13, 1994). "Ben Harper 'Welcome to the Cruel World' Virgin". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  6. ^ "Ben Harper: Welcome to the Cruel World". Q. No. 97. October 1994. p. 116.
  7. ^ Randall, Mac (2004). "Ben Harper". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 363–64. ISBN 9780743201698.
  8. ^ Gundersen, Edna (April 20, 1994). "Triple Play". USA Today.
  9. ^ Christgau, Robert (February 21, 1995). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  10. ^ "Chartifacts". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  11. ^ "Classements - Ben Harper - Welcome to the Cruel World (album)" (in French). Lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
  12. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1999 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  13. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Ben Harper – Welcome to the Cruel World". Music Canada. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  14. ^ "French album certifications – Ben Harper – Welcome to the Cruel World" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  15. ^ "American album certifications – Ben Harper – Welcome to the Cruel World". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
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