Wikipedia

The Will to Live

Not to be confused with The Will to Live (Titus Andronicus album).

The Will to Live is a 1997 album by Ben Harper which showed his continuing folk-centric focus, while at the same time expanding on his rock talents. This was his third album, his second with the Innocent Criminals (uncredited), and was packaged with a special bonus CD in certain countries.

The Will to Live
Studio album by
Ben Harper
ReleasedJune 17, 1997
GenreAlternative rock
Length53:18
LabelVirgin America
ProducerJean-Pierre Plunier
Ben Harper chronology
Fight for Your Mind
(1995) 		The Will to Live
(1997) 		Burn to Shine
(1999)
Singles from The Will to Live
  1. "Faded"
    Released: 1997
  2. "Jah Work"
    Released: 1997
  3. "Glory & Consequence"
    Released: 1997
  4. "Mama's Trippin'"
    Released: 1998
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Chicago Tribune(favorable)[2]
Christgau's Consumer Guide(neither)[3]
Los Angeles Times[4]
Pitchfork Media7.2/10[5]
Rolling Stone(mixed)[6]

The record would yield his first UK Singles Chart single, "Faded". To date it remains his only UK single entry.[7]

Track listing

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All songs written by Ben Harper except as noted.

  1. "Faded" – 4:48
  2. "Homeless Child" – 3:51
  3. "Number Three" – 1:43
  4. "Roses from My Friends" – 6:23
  5. "Jah Work" – 4:54
  6. "I Want to Be Ready" – 4:02
  7. "The Will to Live" – 4:57
  8. "Ashes" – 3:52
  9. "Widow of a Living Man" – 4:10
  10. "Glory & Consequence" – 5:40
  11. "Mama's Trippin'" (Harper, Jean-Pierre Plunier) – 3:45
  12. "I Shall Not Walk Alone" – 5:13

Personnel

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Musicians

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  • Ben Harper – guitar, saz, vocals, weissenborn
  • Louis Allen – bass guitar
  • Alan Anderson – guitar
  • Agnes Baddoo – background vocals
  • Brett Banduci – viola
  • Patrick Brayer – fiddle
  • Dean Butterworth – drums
  • Danielle Charles – violin
  • Juan Nelson – bass, background vocals
  • Eric Person – saxophone
  • Amy Piatt – background vocals
  • Emily Wright – cello

Production

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  • Producer: J.P. Plunier
  • Engineer: Todd Burke
  • Assistant engineers: Peter Doell, Erica Stephenson, Dann Thompson
  • Mixing: Eric Sarafin
  • Mastering: Dave Collins
  • Art direction: J.P. Plunier
  • Design: Flavia Cureteu
  • Photography: Annalisa, J.P. Plunier

Charts

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Chart performance for The Will to Live
Chart (1997) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[8] 17
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[9] 24
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[10] 33
French Albums (SNEP)[11] 4
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[12] 1
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[13] 37
UK Albums (OCC)[14] 87
US Billboard 200[15] 89

Certifications

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Certifications for The Will to Live
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[16] Platinum 70,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[17] Gold 50,000^
France (SNEP)[18] Platinum 300,000*
Italy (FIMI)[19] Gold 50,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ)[20] Platinum 15,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Stanley, Leo. "The Will to Live - Ben Harper". AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-12-28.
  2. ^ Reger, Rick (1997-07-04). "The Maturation Of Ben Harper". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2017-12-28.
  3. ^ Christgau, Robert (2000-10-15). Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan Publishing. p. 128. ISBN 9780312245603.
  4. ^ SCRIBNER, SARA (1997-06-14). "Ben Harper, "The Will to Live," (***)". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2017-12-28.
  5. ^ Whitaker, Lang (2008-04-08). "Ben Harper: The Will To Live: Pitchfork Record Review". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 2008-04-08. Retrieved 2017-12-28.
  6. ^ Diehl, Matt (1997-06-12). "The Will To Live". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2017-12-28.
  7. ^ "Ben Harper songs and albums | full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  8. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Ben Harper – The Will to Live". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  9. ^ "Ultratop.be – Ben Harper – The Will to Live" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  10. ^ "Ultratop.be – Ben Harper – The Will to Live" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  11. ^ "Lescharts.com – Ben Harper – The Will to Live". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  12. ^ "Charts.nz – Ben Harper – The Will to Live". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  13. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Ben Harper – The Will to Live". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  14. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  15. ^ "Ben Harper Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  16. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1999 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  17. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Ben Harper – The WIll to Live". Music Canada. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  18. ^ "French album certifications – Ben Harper – The WIll to Live" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  19. ^ Mirkin, Steven (17 May 1997). "Ben Harper Finds 'Will' To Rock On 3rd Virgin Set". Billboard. p. 15. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  20. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Ben Harper – The WIll to Live". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
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