Burn to Shine (album)

Last updated
Burn to Shine
Ben Harper - Burn to Shine.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 21, 1999
Genre Alternative rock, blues rock, soul
Length54:29
Label Virgin Records America
Producer Jean-Pierre Plunier
Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals chronology
The Will to Live
(1997)
Burn to Shine
(1999)
Live from Mars
(2001)
Singles from Burn to Shine
  1. "Please Bleed"
    Released: 1999
  2. "Burn to Shine"
    Released: 1999
  3. "Forgiven"
    Released: 2000
  4. "Steal My Kisses"
    Released: 2000

Burn to Shine is an album by Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, released in 1999 on Virgin Records America. [1] [2] Harper's fourth album, it shows him working within many different genres, including blues, rock, soul, and folk. The songs "Steal My Kisses" and "Suzie Blue" became successful on college radio. Like most other Harper albums, different versions were released in different regions within varying bonus material.

Contents

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Pitchfork 6.0/10 [4]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Spin 7/10 [6]

The Washington Post wrote that "while the songs are seldom as interesting as the album's textured instrumental weave, Harper deserves credit for trying to break free of the cliches that have a stranglehold on the blues." [7] Entertainment Weekly considered the album to be "mostly made up of leaden rootsy excursions." [8] The Hartford Courant wrote that the album tackled "an overload of musical niches." [9] Trouser Press called Harper "a thinking man's Lenny Kravitz". [10]

Track listing

All songs written by Ben Harper.

  1. "Alone" – 3:58
  2. "The Woman in You" – 5:41
  3. "Less" – 4:05
  4. "Two Hands of a Prayer" – 7:50
  5. "Please Bleed" – 4:37
  6. "Suzie Blue" – 4:29
  7. "Steal My Kisses" – 4:05
  8. "Burn to Shine" – 3:34
  9. "Show Me a Little Shame" – 3:44
  10. "Forgiven" – 5:17
  11. "Beloved One" – 4:03
  12. "In the Lord's Arms" – 3:06

Personnel

Musicians

Production

Charts

Chart performance for Burn to Shine
Chart (1999)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [11] 2
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [12] 42
French Albums (SNEP) [13] 2
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [14] 5
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [15] 34
UK Albums (OCC) [16] 82
US Billboard 200 [17] 67

Certifications

Certifications for Burn to Shine
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [18] Platinum70,000^
Canada (Music Canada) [19] Gold50,000^
France (SNEP) [20] Platinum300,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ) [21] Platinum15,000^
United States (RIAA) [22] Gold500,000^

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

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Harper</span> American musician (born 1969)

Benjamin Charles Harper is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae, and rock music, and he is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live performances, and activism. He has released twelve studio albums, mostly through Virgin Records, and has toured internationally.

<i>Fight for Your Mind</i> 1995 studio album by Ben Harper

Fight for Your Mind is the second album by Ben Harper. Released on August 1, 1995, it was his last solo album before adding the Innocent Criminals to his line-up. Reviews were generally very positive, praising Harper's fusion of multiple genres, from folk, folk rock, and politically charged reggae.

<i>Welcome to the Cruel World</i> 1994 studio album by Ben Harper

Welcome to the Cruel World is the debut album by the American musician Ben Harper, released in 1994 through Virgin Records. The album established Harper as a popular folk musician in the California area. After the release, Harper went on to add a permanent backing band, the Innocent Criminals, although they remained unnamed until the Burn to Shine album. The song "I'll Rise" is based on a 1978 Maya Angelou poem "And Still I Rise".

<i>The Will to Live</i> 1997 studio album by Ben Harper

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.

<i>Live from Mars</i> 2001 live album by Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals

Live from Mars is a two disc live concert(s) release from Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, which takes tracks from unnamed venues throughout his 2000 tour and places them on either an electric or acoustic disc. It was released in the year 2001.

<i>Diamonds On the Inside</i> 2003 studio album by Ben Harper

Diamonds On the Inside is the fifth album by American singer-songwriter Ben Harper, released in 2003. Although he did not explicitly credit the Innocent Criminals for the first time in 10 years, all the touring members continue to support him on the album. On this album, Harper brought on several new additions to his band, the first being guitarist Nicky Panicci in 2002 who is the first guitar player to be credited on a Ben Harper record. Panicci toured with Harper on the Diamonds on the Inside Tour for almost a year. After leaving Harper's band on his own accord, Marc Ford, formerly of The Black Crowes replaced Panicci and joined Harper's band.

<i>Why Do Birds Sing?</i> 1991 studio album by Violent Femmes

Why Do Birds Sing? is the fifth studio album by Violent Femmes, released on April 30, 1991. It was the band's last album with original drummer Victor DeLorenzo, who left two years later to devote his time to acting, and was produced by Michael Beinhorn, best-known then for his work with Red Hot Chili Peppers on Mother's Milk and The Uplift Mofo Party Plan.

<i>MTV Unplugged</i> (Alanis Morissette album) 1999 live album by Alanis Morissette

MTV Unplugged is the first live album by Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette, released by Maverick Records in the United States on November 9, 1999. It comprises songs performed by Morissette on the television program MTV Unplugged. Twelve tracks were included on the album, but Morissette also performed "Baba", "Thank U" and "Your House" during the live taping. These were later released as B-sides on the "King of Pain" single release. The first single, "That I Would Be Good", was moderately successful, and two other tracks, "King of Pain" and "You Learn" were released as singles outside North America. As of March 2012, the album has sold 673,000 copies in the U.S.

<i>There Will Be a Light</i> 2004 studio album by Ben Harper and The Blind Boys of Alabama

There Will Be a Light is a gospel album by Ben Harper and The Blind Boys of Alabama, released in 2004. It is Harper's sixth album.

<i>Drag</i> (k.d. lang album) 1997 studio album by k.d. lang

Drag is a cover album by k.d. lang, released in 1997; most of its songs feature a smoking motif, although some address broader issues of dependence and/or addiction. The cover of Dionne Warwick's "(Theme from) Valley of the Dolls" was notably used in key scenes in the pilot episode and series finale of the Showtime comedy-drama series Nurse Jackie. Lang's cover of "Hain't It Funny" was part of the soundtrack for the 2002 film Talk to Her.

<i>Brushfire Fairytales</i> 2001 studio album by Jack Johnson

Brushfire Fairytales is the debut album by singer-songwriter Jack Johnson. It was released in 2001 through Enjoy Records, a label that was later renamed Everloving Recordings.

<i>Jagged Little Pill Acoustic</i> 2005 studio album by Alanis Morissette

Jagged Little Pill Acoustic is a re-recorded studio album by Alanis Morissette. It is a largely acoustic retrospective version of her highly successful third album, Jagged Little Pill (1995); the songs are stripped-down versions of the originals, though producer Glen Ballard has augmented them with studio production effects to create an alternative pop album. The album was released by Maverick Records in the United States on June 13, 2005, available only at North American Starbucks outlets until July 26, 2005, when it was made available in other retail stores. This limited availability led to a dispute between Maverick Records and HMV Canada, who retaliated by removing from sale Morissette's other albums for the duration of Starbucks' exclusive month-long sale. The album's single in the U.S. was "Hand in My Pocket". The cover artwork is a sepia-toned tribute to the cover of the original Jagged Little Pill.

<i>Both Sides of the Gun</i> 2006 studio album by Ben Harper

Both Sides of the Gun is the seventh album by Ben Harper, released in 2006. Split into two discs, the title suggests the two sides of Harper's musical persona. The first disc ("White") is made of mostly acoustic and string-driven songs hinted at on the last track of Harper's previous album Diamonds On the Inside. The second disc ("Black") is made up of the more rock-oriented material and touching on genres such as hard rock, funk and gospel.

<i>Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of Our Time</i> 2006 studio album by Rod Stewart

Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of Our Time is the 24th album by Rod Stewart, released on 10 October 2006. After four years of success singing pop standards from the Great American Songbook, Still the Same was composed of classic rock covers.

<i>99.9F°</i> 1992 studio album by Suzanne Vega

99.9F° is the fourth album by American singer and songwriter Suzanne Vega. Released in 1992, the album marked a departure for Vega, as she embraced a more electronic, experimental sound. It peaked at No. 86 on Billboard magazine's album chart and was Vega's fourth Top 20 album in the UK. The single "Blood Makes Noise" reached number one on the Billboard Modern Rock chart. 99.9F° was the first of two of Vega's albums to be produced by Mitchell Froom, whom she later married.

<i>25 Years – The Chain</i> 1992 box set by Fleetwood Mac

25 Years – The Chain is a box set by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac originally released on 24 November 1992. The set contains four CDs, covering the history of the band from its formation in 1967 to 1992. The set features four new tracks as well as several previously unreleased studio and live tracks from the archives, while some of the classic tracks were included in different and new mixes. The four new songs were "Paper Doll", which was recorded earlier than the others as it was written by and recorded with Stevie Nicks and Rick Vito, both of whom had left the band in 1991, "Love Shines" and "Heart of Stone", both Christine McVie songs, and "Make Me A Mask", contributed by then-former member Lindsey Buckingham. "Love Shines" was released as a single to promote the box set in the UK, whereas "Paper Doll" was the single in the US.

<i>Lifeline</i> (Ben Harper album) 2007 studio album by Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals

Lifeline is an album by Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals. It was recorded in Paris in the fall of 2006 after the lengthy European leg of the Both Sides of the Gun tour. Harper and the Innocent Criminals wrote the tracks while on tour and would rehearse the songs during sound checks while at each venue. Recorded in only seven days on analog, the album was released on August 28, 2007. It is Harper's eighth album.

<i>Sleep Through the Static</i> Album by Jack Johnson

Sleep Through the Static is the fourth studio album by singer-songwriter Jack Johnson, released in the United States on February 5, 2008. The album was announced on Johnson's website as renovation began for the release of the album. It was recorded at the Los Angeles Solar Powered Plastic Plant, which makes it Johnson's first album made outside of Hawaii. It was produced by JP Plunier.

<i>Be</i> (Beady Eye album) 2013 studio album by Beady Eye

Be is the second and final studio album by English rock band Beady Eye, released on 10 June 2013. It was recorded between November 2012 and March 2013. The album was produced by Dave Sitek who has previously produced records for Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio and Jane's Addiction. Be debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart behind Black Sabbath's 13. Despite receiving mixed reviews from contemporary critics, Be is considered by many fans to be an improvement from their debut album, Different Gear, Still Speeding and is notable for showcasing a rare experimental approach which departs from the sound of previous Beady Eye and Oasis albums.

<i>Call It What It Is</i> 2016 studio album by Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals

Call It What It Is is the thirteenth studio album by American artist Ben Harper released on April 8, 2016.

References

  1. "Ben Harper | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  2. "Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals Burn to Shine (Virgin)". www.austinchronicle.com.
  3. "Burn to Shine - Ben Harper | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic .
  4. "Burn to Shine [with the Innocent Criminals]". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on 2008-07-05. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  5. Berger, Arion (October 1, 2003). "Burn To Shine". Rolling Stone.
  6. "Reviews". Spin . November 12, 1999 via Google Books.
  7. Joyce, Mike (November 5, 1999). "Ben Harper" via www.washingtonpost.com.
  8. "Burn to Shine". EW.com.
  9. McGarity, Neal. "Burn to Shine – Ben Harper". courant.com.
  10. "Ben Harper". Trouser Press. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  11. "Australiancharts.com – Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals – Burn to Shine". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  12. "Ultratop.be – Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals – Burn to Shine" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  13. "Lescharts.com – Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals – Burn to Shine". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  14. "Charts.nz – Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals – Burn to Shine". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  15. "Swisscharts.com – Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals – Burn to Shine". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  16. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  17. "Ben Harper Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  18. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2000 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  19. "Canadian album certifications – Ben Harper – Burn to shine". Music Canada . Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  20. "French album certifications – Ben Harper – Burn to shine" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique . Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  21. "New Zealand album certifications – Ben Harper – Burn to shine". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  22. "American album certifications – Ben Harper – Burn to shine". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved 19 January 2019.