Album features 'both sides' of Ben

With the attraction of purchasing or pirating music online, the album as a work of art has begun to fade away, and the double album is becoming almost as rare as vinyl. Maybe that's what makes Both Sides of the Gun, Ben Harper's follow up to 2003's Diamonds on the Inside, so refreshing. \nLike most double albums, it could fit on one disc. However, the album works best as two halves. Gun showcases the Harper that his fans have grown to love as well as a new Harper. "Morning Yearning" fills the role of opening track beautifully. It croons along with slow guitar, mellow lyrics from Harper and even the help of some orchestral strings, making it truly one of the album's best tracks. \nThe first disc is full of the more balladic tunes, showcasing the singer/songwriter aspect of Harper's repertoire. He showcases his talents as a guitarist on the instrumental track "Sweet Nothing Serenade." Disc one serves as a delightful collection of music to fall asleep to, while disc two is more of the "wake-up" disc. \nHarper's music has always been about getting the listener to look on the bright side and not dwell on sadness. "Crying Won't Help You Now" definitely follows this pattern. Disc two opens with one of the most lyrically powerful tracks on Gun, "Better Way," which features, "What good is a man who won't take a stand? What good is a cynic with no better plan?" \nIt is impossible to deny that Harper is one of today's best songwriters. With Gun jam packed with 18 tracks, one may expect a dud or two, but Harper delivers in full force throughout the double LP. On the title track he makes his message clear: "Politics, it's a drag, they put one foot on the grave and the other on the flag." On the most interesting track of the album, "Gather 'Round the Stone," Harper sings what sounds similar to a Civil War era song, including a traditional marching drumbeat. \nMusically, the album may not truly shock diehard Harper fans. There are few moments that leave the listener with the refreshing feeling that they've heard new and unique. The album does, however, reinforce the belief that Harper produces extremely good music on a regular basis. He is an artist of gigantic proportions among the jam-band fan base as well as the Hawaiian surfer fan base that continues to embrace Jack Johnson. \nDespite Harper's failure to step out of the shell of his past successes, we shouldn't punish an artist for maintaining a perfected sound. It's not always about trying something new, sometimes it's about creating that masterpiece that all the previous albums have been working towards.