I know that if Ben Harper were a violent man, he'd hop on a plane and come up here and kick my sorry ass but man, Ben Harper has always been a mess of contradictions. He's a spiritual man who can cast a spell on an audience with his flowing lyrical guitar-playing, but he's also a man who through his lyrics can sound so insincere. With the introduction of his backing band, The Innocent Criminals, Harper has incorporated the stadium rock preening of the Excessive Eighties, feeling the need to entertain rather than perform. And people continue to eat it up. It seems their motto is, "The more pretentious the better." On his studio albums, he was restrained by the input of outside production elements.
All the reins are off for Harper and the gang in this two-CD live album. The first death knell on this "extensive" catalogue of material was his cover of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." Usually enough said, but Harper has to give a searing whining yelp that would best be suited for the dentist's chair, especially the caterwauling during "Woman In You." He follows up with some "Zep" of his own, coming across more as second rate hack (along the lines of Big Sugar) than the true innovator that his fans worship. Throughout the almost two and a half-hour concert, the audience continues to gobble up this guy's every syllable! He could fart and receive cheers during this concert. He may even have let one rip during the end of his annoying Cat Stevens-like "Steal My Kisses." (A noticable shudder rumbles through this reviewer at this time.) Am I missing the zeitgeist of Harper's lyrical angst? Or maybe I just don't give a flying fado. I guess it's time for me to bend over.
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