Two Underrated Songwriters (and an album you should own by each of them)

Ben Harper (and the Innocent Criminals) – Fight For Your Mind

Few artists today carry a message as powerful as Ben Harper’s. You can’t go wrong with any Innocent Criminal album, but this one probably takes the cake as far as songwriting is concerned. From the stripped-down roots opener ‘Oppression' to the string-laden ‘Power of the Gospel’, this disc is focused, earthy, and most importantly, truthful. On Fight For Your Mind, Ben writes from the heart and touches the roots of human experience like few can do.

Bill Withers – Live at Carnegie Hall

I’ve been saying for years that Withers is the most underrated songwriter of the 20th century and this album hammers that opinion home.

Live at Carnegie Hall proves two things:

1) the man is a genius
2) his band was outstanding live

Anthems such as ‘Lean on Me’, ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ and ‘Use Me’ mix well with lesser-knowns such as the soulful protest song ‘I Can’t Write Left-Handed’ and the funky urban masterpiece ‘World Keeps Going Around’. Bill’s music speaks candidly and poignantly about life, love, and justice. A must for not only soul/funk/r&b fans, but for any real music fan.