Asked to explain the inexplicable, Ben Harper playfully winces in mock anguish. "I can't define any of my songs because they have different meanings to me at different times in my life. I know that sounds like a cop out," he bursts out laughing, "but it's true! When a song drops it'll mean one thing, but then I come to understand it better later on. The songs evolve even after they're written -- the meaning can change just by turning up the volume."

His music may defy easy description, but its impact is undeniable, transcending demographics and categories. To put it mildly, 25-year-old Harper connects with a wide audience -- everyone from skateboard punks and young hip hop fans to listeners who grew up on Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix.

His acclaimed 1994 debut, Welcome To The Cruel World, introduced an artist who is equally at home sharing the bill with cutting edge acts such as Spearhead, Luscious Jackson, Rahzel (of The Roots), The Fugees, Guru (of Gangstarr), Neneh Cherry, and MC Solaar, as well as playing with legends like John Lee Hooker, Ray Charles, and Gil Scott-Heron. From all directions, fans and critics have responded with enthusiasm. "Never mind the obvious potential," declared Spin. "Harper's moral fire makes him worth hearing right now."

Fight For Your Mind, the Los Angeles-area native's second album, shows Harper stretching in new directions as a singer, songwriter, and producer. "Music is always growing," he nods; "it's a constant evolution, and I'm just trying to keep up with the change." As a musician, his increasingly bold use of electronic amplification has enabled Harper to wring otherworldly sounds from acoustic instruments.

"Ground On Down," the churning debut track and video from Fight For Your Mind, highlights Harper's inspired vocal delivery and innovative musical textures. It offers a powerful introduction to an album filled with diverse themes, ranging from the hypnotic and sensuous "Please Me Like You Want To, " to the buoyant roots soul of "Gold To Me," to the stark, wistful beauty of "Another Lonely Day."

Key facets from Welcome To The Cruel World shine again on Fight For Your Mind: "Oppression," "Give A Man A Home," "Burn One Down," and "Fight For Your Mind" illustrate Harper's knack for expressing strong personal convictions. Yet evidence of expanding artistry can be found throughout Fight For Your Mind. The telephonic vocal treatment of "Excuse Me Mr., " the string quartet arrangement on "Power Of The Gospel" (marking Harper's scoring debut), and the epic scope of "God Fearing Man" all point toward new creative avenues.

Recorded in Los Angeles between February and May 1995, Harper produced Fight For Your Mind with longtime collaborator J.P. Plunier. The album introduces Harper's two new bandmates: bastion of bass Juan Nelson, and 19-year-old drum phenom Oliver Charles. Guest percussionist Leon Mobley adds his distinctive rhythmic stamp on roughly half of the new songs.

For all its new sonic approaches, the album radiates the familiar passion and honesty that have always nourished Harper's music. "Music is tied to emotions," he says, "to your heart and to your mind." Born October 28, 1969, Harper was raised in the Inland Empire region of California (a semi-desert area 50 miles east of Los Angeles). As his interest in music grew, he delved into acoustic guitar and related instruments, especially dobro and Weissenborn, a hollow neck lap slide guitar build by Herman Weissenborn during the mid- 1920's to early- 1930's. Yet, Harper never fit the stereotypical mold of the reclusive young artist. In fact, much of his youth was spent skateboarding with his pals. (To this day, Harper -- an aficionado of "old school" skateboarding -- is apt to surrender to the impulse, set aside his guitar, slap a plank on the asphalt, and roll out.) After signing with ~lrgin Records in 1993, Harper released his self-produced debut album, Welcome To The Cruel World, in February 1994. Album reviews heralded its arrival. Declaring Harper "young and gifted," Rolling Stone welcomed his "vivid debut." Billboard noted "some of these songs have the ring of classics, lingering in the listener's mind long after they're gone. Alaudable debut." Following the warm praise from impressed fans and journalists, Harper toured throughout the U.S. and Europe -- both as a headliner, and on the bill with an extremely diverse group of artists. During nearly two years of touring, his compelling performances have drawn rapt attention from all types of audiences. "The reaction has been astounding, and let me tell you, a lot of these people had never seen an acoustic slide guitar live, ever. It was so foreign to many of them, and yet it was so well received. Different cultures, different languages, different worlds almost -- yet music provides that common ground. I didn't know how true that is until I went out on the road." Accompanied by Nelson and Charles, Harper looks forward to more intensive touring in support of Fight For Your Mind. Onstage and in the studio, Harper remains committed to exploring the language of music although he shies away from describing it as acoustic music. "Anyone who says they're playing acoustic," he laughs, "but has a pickup in their instrument and is plugged into an amplifier, is not playing acoustic. That instrument has its own sound -- different from acoustic, different from electric." "You know," he smiles, shaking his head in gentle resignation, "talking about music, you run the risk of sounding like a complete idiot. What more can you say about something that has already been stated in the best way you are able to say it?" Ben Harper. Fight For Your Mind. Enough said. If you know of any unwanted old school skateboard gear -- decks, trucks wheels, pads, etc. - please send to: Ben Harper c/o VIrgin Records 338 N. Foothill Rd. Beverly Hills, Ca 90210 Thanks.