Welcome to the Cruel World | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | February 8, 1994 | |||
Recorded | The Convent | |||
Genre | Acoustic blues [1] | |||
Length | 50:25 | |||
Label | Virgin | |||
Producer | Ben Harper, Jean-Pierre Plunier | |||
Ben Harper chronology | ||||
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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".
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Chicago Tribune | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Guardian | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Indianapolis Star | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Los Angeles Times | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Q | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
USA Today | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Village Voice |
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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]
All songs written by Ben Harper except as noted.
Musicians
Production
Chart (1998) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums Chart [10] | 94 |
French Albums Chart [11] | 11 |
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. |
Welcome to the Cruel World | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | February 8, 1994 | |||
Recorded | The Convent | |||
Genre | Acoustic blues [1] | |||
Length | 50:25 | |||
Label | Virgin | |||
Producer | Ben Harper, Jean-Pierre Plunier | |||
Ben Harper chronology | ||||
|
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".
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Chicago Tribune | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Guardian | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Indianapolis Star | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Los Angeles Times | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Q | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
USA Today | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Village Voice |
![]() |
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]
All songs written by Ben Harper except as noted.
Musicians
Production
Chart (1998) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums Chart [10] | 94 |
French Albums Chart [11] | 11 |
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. |