BEN HARPER : WELCOME TO THE CRUEL WORLD

1. The Three of Us
2. Whipping Boy
3. Breakin' Down
4. Don't Take That Attitude to Your Grave
5. Waiting on an Angel Harper
6. Mama's Got a Girlfriend Now
7. Forever Harper
8. Like a King
9. Pleasure and Pain
10. Walk Away
11. How Many Miles Must We March
12. Welcome to the Cruel World
13. I'll Rise
    Hidden Track :
14. By And By I'm Going To See The King

Label : Virgin

Length : 53:21

Released : 1994

Review (AllMusic) : The full range of Ben Harper's influences would not come to bear until later albums, but his debut, Welcome to the Cruel World, lays a strong foundation. "Like a King" and "Take That Attitude to Your Grave" burn with a political conviction rarely heard during the 1990s. "Forever" has a tenderness which demonstrates Harper's emotional range. Lackluster hippie jams that cultivated his early following may have served a purpose but feel fluffy by comparison when compared to the meatier tracks. Ben closes the album with a song that frequently closes his concerts, "I'll Rise." This song, built around Maya Angelou's 1979 poem "And Still I Rise," reminds one of art's ability to pierce through society, self, and the soul.

Review (Wikipedia) : 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.