Ben Harper - Pleasure & Pain

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful insite on a great artist.
Review: As a huge Ben Harper fan, I had been hoping that Ben would release a DVD of one of his live shows, because Ben Harper is the greatest performer I've ever seen live. I was a bit disappointed when I heard that his DVD was going to be a documentry. I am a big fan, so I knew I would get it eventually, but I am not typicly a fan of documentries. Besides, I thought, this would be just another low production value, behind the scenes interview.

Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong. This Documentry does more to show why so many people love Ben Harper than any strait concert DVD could have. We get behind the scenes footage along side live performances, and together they paint a fuller picture than I could have imagined. Besides the documenty there is extra stand alone concert and studio footage, lot's of it, but there is no question that the documentry is the feature presentation on this DVD.

I have to give it to director Danny Clinch for giving us such great insite into a band that I loved before, and love more now. He catches not just the physical actions of a moment, but also the emotions of the moment as well. His camera work is invintive, and enhances the visual rather than distracts like one might think invitive camera work might in a documentry.

I can not overstate how much this documentry is important to true fans of Ben Harper. Also, if you want to win Ben more fans, next to taking them to one of his live shows, showing them Pleasure and Pain is the way to do it. On all levels this DVD is a success. As Concert footage, as a Documentry, and as another essential item that fans can put on the shelf with all his albums.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful insite on a great artist.
Review: As a huge Ben Harper fan, I had been hoping that Ben would release a DVD of one of his live shows, because Ben Harper is the greatest performer I've ever seen live. I was a bit disappointed when I heard that his DVD was going to be a documentry. I am a big fan, so I knew I would get it eventually, but I am not typicly a fan of documentries. Besides, I thought, this would be just another low production value, behind the scenes interview.

Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong. This Documentry does more to show why so many people love Ben Harper than any strait concert DVD could have. We get behind the scenes footage along side live performances, and together they paint a fuller picture than I could have imagined. Besides the documenty there is extra stand alone concert and studio footage, lot's of it, but there is no question that the documentry is the feature presentation on this DVD.

I have to give it to director Danny Clinch for giving us such great insite into a band that I loved before, and love more now. He catches not just the physical actions of a moment, but also the emotions of the moment as well. His camera work is invintive, and enhances the visual rather than distracts like one might think invitive camera work might in a documentry.

I can not overstate how much this documentry is important to true fans of Ben Harper. Also, if you want to win Ben more fans, next to taking them to one of his live shows, showing them Pleasure and Pain is the way to do it. On all levels this DVD is a success. As Concert footage, as a Documentry, and as another essential item that fans can put on the shelf with all his albums.

Rating:
Summary: A nice introduction to a special talent
Review: Ben Harper has organically grown his career over the last ten years through personal and intimate recordings with often great depth of meaning. Couple that with mesmerizing live performances, whether acoustic or rocking, and it is easy to understand how and why Ben Harper has built a very nice sized audience and music career of substance and quality.

Ben Harper's journey through life and music has touched so many listeners because, like most great musicians, he is sincere and honest in sharing his thoughts and feelings. That sincerity and the continuing striving to uncover, reveal and share the emotional travels one must navigate in seeking those universal truths, plus what has become a crackerjack band in "The Innocent Criminals" - along with Ben's virtuosity, is what makes Ben Harper a special artist. The ultimately hopeful and uplifting message of his music doesn't hurt either.

His music rises from such a rich soup of diverse influences that nourish his soul so that the spice of "variety" is natural and tasty in his music. You won't find this kind of soup from Campbell's, but it is mmmm, mmmm, good. Good for the soul.

In an age of manufactured bands and "hits", with one or two decent songs (maybe) on albums, Ben Harper cd's can be bought with confidence. Every Ben Harper cd returns great value of many good songs, some great and some even profound. Multiple listenings are richly rewarded. Ben Harper has released four cd's of studio recordings along with the "Live From Mars" two-cd live set. Get them all, certainly the four studio recordings, at least. Then, absolutely see Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals when they come to your town. Everything I have said about Ben Harper is elevated exponentially in the context of a performance not just for, but with, an audience. Ben Harper is a great showman not because of tricks or gimmicks but, like all the greats through the years, because Ben and the band communicate. The best performers do this. This is music's highest potential, to communicate. And that ability to communicate is what makes Ben Harper, like all the greats - no matter the genre, such a special artist.

Oh yeah, the movie. Well, context is everything. So too with the film, "Pleasure + Pain". Long time fans will really enjoy getting to know Ben and the band even better. While this is not a concert performance (can't wait for a full blown Ben Harper concert on dvd!!!), there is enough music to allow one to get a sense and feel for the music of Ben Harper. (But you may want to pick up all his cd's, just the same.:-))

There are moments funny (Juan is especially photogenic and fun, while Ben does a mean Dr. Evil impersonation) and lovely (Ben talking about his father and performing a newly composed song with his mother, a musician). We also learn about Ben's childhood and the musical influences from his parents and his kind, sweet and musical grandparents - the owners of a music store where Ben learned about music and life (same thing, right? - it can be!).

I am rambling, but I hope this gives you a sense of what you are going to experience with Ben Harper's "Pleasure + Pain", but most gratifyingly, mostly pleasure. This a touching film. Whether this is your introduction to Ben Harper or a visit with an "old friend", I don't think it is possible for the viewer to come away with any feeling beside gratitude. Thankfulness that they saw this and learned more about music, the making of music and that there are still kind, good and thoughtful people like Ben Harper sharing such music.

Rating:
Summary: Very Disappointing
Review: I bought this DVD after recently seeing Ben Harper live in concert in Byron Bay,Australia. The DVD does not do justice to his live performances which are emotionally uplifting and awe inspiring. It's very bland and monotonous. The footage looks really unproffesional and the editing/direction is poor.
I can't wait to take it back to the store and exchange it for something else.
Rather watch it at a friend if you must just don't buy it.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent documentary, decent live performances
Review: If you are already a fan or on the path of becoming one, then this DVD is a great addition to your collection. The primary piece on the disc is the 90 minute documentary Pleasure + Pain which is a surprising, humorous, and entertaining collection of behind the scenes and biographical footage of Ben Harper and his merry band of Innocent Criminals. Be warned, there is a very limited amount of live concert or studio segments in the documentary. However, there are a handful concert, studio, and bootleg tunes on the DVD that can be accessed separately including Faded, Gold to Me, Fight for Your Mind, Waiting on an Angel, I Shall Not Walk Alone, Strawberry Fields Forever, and an excellent version of Give a Man a Home featuring the Blind Boys of Alabama. I would have given it five stars if there was more footage capturing Mr. Harper's extraordinary live performances.