Celebrating 25 years since its original release, Ben Harper’s debut album Welcome to the Cruel World is reissued on Double 45RPM 180 Gram Vinyl.

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. 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.