Diversity is Ben Harper’s thing. He’s played pretty much every style – acoustic solo, Weissenborn slide guitar, Motown, reggae, rock, gospel, funk, country and pop. He even turned a one-off recording session with gospel legends The Blind Boys of Alabama into a Grammy-winning album. With seven studio albums under his belt, Harper tries for his next accomplishment – the double disc.

Both Sides Of The Gun is the follow up to 2003’s Diamonds On The Inside. The self-produced, double-disc set is a bit deceiving, however, as the album’s 18 tracks only run 64 minutes. Why the double album? Harper says it was the only arrangement that worked. The first disc is an electric and funky rocker. It’s high energy and features The Innocent Criminals, Ben’s backing band. Disc two is the acoustic disc, filled with ballads.

“Better Way” opens disc one by rocking your roots with a message and a sitar. Harper hits you right off the bat with raw emotion, screaming the song’s lyrics near the final chorus. Disc one leaves the listener with one sentiment above all others: Ben Harper is not happy with the government. Where “Better Way” and the soulful title track both take jabs, “Black Rain” and “Gather ‘Round the Stone” go for the jugular. “Black Rain” is pure funk – and pure dissatisfaction with the current administration. On Sept. 15 Ben posted the lyrics to the song, a blatant attack on the handling of Hurricane Katrina, to the journal on his website. A few days earlier the song had “leaked” to various websites, perhaps intentionally.

“Serve Your Soul” closes disc one in classic rock fashion. The eight-minute song blends electric and acoustic guitars, with an infectious acoustic riff that controls the flow of the song as it floats along only to have the distortion kick in and take it up a notch.

That isn’t to say the first disc isn’t without its throwaways. “Please Don’t Talk About Murder While I’m Eating” and “Get It Like You Like It” don’t bring anything new to the table. Both are folksy rock songs lacking in the lyric department. Where the previous songs shine with lyrics about revolution and change, these two tend to feel slightly corny and out of place.

The acoustic disc of ballads is not what one would imagine. It’s not just a collection of simple Ben Harper acoustic songs; instead it also features piano, drums, electric guitar and string arrangements.

“Morning Yearning,” the first song of disc two, is classic Ben Harper. It features subtle finger-picking, softly sung lyrics, strings and perfectly timed drumming. The strings help build the song, and like “Better Way,” the tune instantly inserts itself into Ben’s catalogue.

“Picture In A Frame” and “Cryin’ Won’t Help You Now” show the gospel influence of The Blind Boys of Alabama. The rest of the acoustic disc flows along without much of a hitch. For some, it may come off as overly sappy at times, but for others that’s part of the appeal. “Sweet Nothing Serenade” is a Weissenborn guitar instrumental, Ben’s signature sound, with strategic drum and keyboard. The disc closes with the softly sweet “Happy Everafter In Your Eyes,” a piano- and string-driven ballad.

Ben Harper is at his strongest when he synthesizes all of his talents, and in this case, both sides. Both Sides Of The Gun’s length keeps it from becoming a classic record; trimming to one album may have made more sense. To his credit, however, Harper did create two fine albums that stand on their own as a collection everyone can enjoy.

Contact reporter Rudi Greenberg at diversions@dbk.umd.edu.