Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals - Burn To Shine (1999/2016) [HDtracks]

Ben Harper's 1999 release Burn To Shine is his fourth album and third with the Innocent Criminals. The songs cover a lot of musical ground, from acoustic to electric and from folk to rock, all cloaked in Harper's characteristic retro sound. In addition to his own musicians, the lineup of guests includes the Real Time Jazz Band, David Lindley on banjo, fiddle and mandolin, keyboardist Tyrone Downie from the Wailers and several string and horn players. Burn To Shine features the adult radio hit and longtime concert staple Steal My Kisses.
Burn to Shine presents proof positive that you can always distill the essence of rock & roll down to a solitary man alone with his guitar and conscience. It sounds inventive yet firmly rooted in the blues-rock singer/songwriter/guitarist tradition of Taj Mahal and of Neil Young and Cat Stevens at their most confessional. Harper's guitar with falsetto vocal in "The Woman in You" even suggests a Curtis Mayfield tune in the hands of Prince. "Steal My Kisses" is one of those uncluttered, radio-friendly rock shuffles that simply makes you bob your head and feel better. Even Harper's detours – like the wobbling New Orleans shuffle with the Real Time Jazz Band, "Suzie Blue," and charred Black Sabbath metal in "Less" – prove worth exploring. Other cameos include guitarists David Lindley and former Bob Marley sideman Tyrone Downey. Burn to Shine is a minor masterpiece that may prove to be not so minor.