Ben Harper And Tom Freund - Pleasure And Pain

Year Released: 1992

Genre: Folk, Blues, Acoustic

Description:

Pleasure And Pain is a unique and now-legendary collaborative album by American musicians Ben Harper and Tom Freund, released in 1992. It is a highly significant work as it was Harper's very first album release, recorded two years before his official debut on Virgin Records, Welcome to the Cruel World. The album's story is as compelling as its stripped-down sound. It was recorded in a single, spontaneous session on March 15, 1992, at the studio of audio engineer George Cardas, using a minimalist, all-analog setup with custom-built microphones and no preamps. The entire session, which took less than an hour, was a "magical musical moment," with the musicians improvising and playing through a mix of covers and original songs.

The album's sound is a raw, intimate, and acoustic blend of folk and blues. It showcases the powerful connection between Harper's soulful vocals and slide guitar work and Freund's complementary guitar and songwriting. The tracklist is a mix of covers of blues classics like Robert Johnson's "Dust My Broom" and "Sweet Home Chicago" and original compositions. It notably features early versions of songs that would later appear on Harper's major label debut, including "Mama's Got a Girlfriend Now" and the title track, "Pleasure and Pain," which served as a poignant tribute to a friend who had passed away.

Originally released as a limited-edition vinyl-only pressing on Cardas Records, the album was a crucial step in Harper's career. Its high-fidelity, one-take recording quality made it a favorite among audiophiles, while its extreme rarity turned it into a sought-after collectible.

The album, which was long out of print, was reissued once on vinyl in 2012, allowing a wider audience to experience the raw talent of these two young musicians on the cusp of their careers.