| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Chicago Tribune | [2] |
| The Guardian | [3] |
| Los Angeles Times |  [4] |
| Q | [5] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [6] |
| USA Today | [7] |
| The Village Voice |  [8] |
Welcome to the Cruel World is Ben Harper's debut album from Virgin Records. Released in 1994, the album established Harper as a popular folk musician in the California area. After this release, Harper went on to add a permanent backing band, the Innocent Criminals, although they remained unnamed until the Burn to Shine album.
Track listing
All songs written by Ben Harper except as noted.
- "The Three of Us" – 2:35
- "Whipping Boy" (Chris Darrow) – 5:31
- "Breakin' Down" (Harper, music: Jean-Pierre Plunier) – 4:00
- "Don't Take That Attitude to Your Grave" – 4:25
- "Waiting on an Angel" – 3:53
- "Mama's Got a Girlfriend Now" – 2:29
- "Forever" – 3:23
- "Like a King" – 4:18
- "Pleasure and Pain" – 3:44
- "Walk Away" – 3:49
- "How Many Miles Must We March" – 3:07
- "Welcome to the Cruel World" – 5:36
- "I'll Rise" (lyrics: Maya Angelou; music: Harper) – 3:35
- Contains the hidden track "...By and By I'm Going to See the King" (Blind Willie Johnson) – 0:30
- "Remember - unreleased version (bonus track) - 2:49
Personnel
- Music credits
- Ben Harper - vocals, multiple instruments
- Clyde Allen - background vocals
- Clarence Butler - background vocals
- Richard Cook - Uillean pipes
- Rock Deadrick - percussion, drums, background vocals
- Tom Freund
- Clabe Hangan - background vocals
- Jelani Jones - background vocals
- Suzie Katayama - cello
- Ken McDaniel - background vocals
- John McKnight - bass, accordion
- John Taylor - background vocals
- Kevin Williams - background vocals
- Tommy D. Daugherty - drum programming
- Production credits
- 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
| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart[9] | 94 |
| French Albums Chart[10] | 11 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[11] | Gold | 35,000^ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[12] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| France (SNEP)[13] | Platinum | 300,000* |
| United States (RIAA)[14] | Gold | 500,000 |
| * Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ Goble, Ryan Randall. "Welcome to the Cruel World – Ben Harper". AllMusic. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
- ^ Kot, Greg (February 24, 1994). "Ben Harper: Welcome to the Cruel World (Virgin)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
- ^ Denselow, Robin (September 23, 1994). "Ben Harper: Welcome to the Cruel World (Virgin)". The Guardian.
- ^ Hochman, Steve (March 13, 1994). "Ben Harper 'Welcome to the Cruel World' Virgin". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
- ^ "Ben Harper: Welcome to the Cruel World". Q. No. 97. October 1994. p. 116.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Gundersen, Edna (April 20, 1994). "Triple Play". USA Today.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (February 21, 1995). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
- ^ "Chartifacts". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
- ^ "Classements - Ben Harper - Welcome to the Cruel World (album)" (in French). Lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1999 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Ben Harper – Welcome to the Cruel World". Music Canada. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "French album certifications – Ben Harper – Welcome to the Cruel World" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "American album certifications – Ben Harper – Welcome to the Cruel World". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 14, 2020. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.