The Californian bluesman has more than enough reason for this release: 20 years, 10 studio albums, and collaborations and contributions galore have come down to a collection of vivid favourites.
It’s a steady pace from the opening track “Forever” (a track taken from his 1994 release, Welcome to the Cruel World), right through to the exclusively added, slow-burning slide guitar ballad “Crazy Amazing”.
Some of Harper’s trademark, and most heart-achingly honest, singles are there including“Not Fire, Not Ice” which spouts the lyrics, “Now the river may grow wider/ The mountain may reach past the sky/ And whether or not you feel the same/ My love shall never die”.
“Morning Yearning”, another of Harper’s standout songs is on this best of record and Harper’s crooning vocals sing “Another day, another chance to get it right/ Must I still be learning/ Baby crying kept us up all night/ With her morning yearning”.
There’s no doubt that some people’s favourites won’t be on the compilation (“Burn One Down”, anybody?) but for an artist with such a vast and colourful musical back log, Harper is one musician who is indeed in his right to release a retrospective album.
