REVIEW: Lenny Kravitz, Circus (Virgin)
- Linda Scott
Lenny Kravitz has always seemed a little out of step with the rock world. Unable to be the Hendrix-rocker he dresses as, his niche is more classic rock and soul. Yet he struggles and sometimes succeeds in his latest album Circus to find a place beyond retro-rock. Childhood exposure to jazz and classical music and later embrace of rhythm & blues, gospel, funk, reggae, Beatles, Hendrix produced a musician of wide ranging interests. 1989's hit debut album Let Love Rule followed by 1991's Mama Said and 1993's Are You Gonna Go My Way and now Circus are all recognizable Kravitz albums - no major changes, no huge sales, just Lenny Kravitz, good albums to toss in the player and listen to over and over.
A continuing presence in Kravitz' albums is his use of vintage recording equipment. A master studio craftsman using pre-digital sound, Kravitz's albums have a distinctive lean sound compared to contemporary albums. Simplicity and coherence in Circus are also achieved by his nearly exclusive instrumental work. Here is an artist that can write the lyrics, sing the songs, play the drums, the bass, and 10 or 12 guitars. Circus is truly a Kravitz production that varies from rock to soul. The star rocking track, "Rock and Roll is Dead", is the first single. This single lacks the power of predecessors "Are You Gonna Go My Way" and "Always On The Run". The album as a whole is a good Lenny Kravitz album but no powerhouse chart buster. Kravitz's detractors can make points with Circus that they have made before - unoriginal, riffs borrowed from Led Zep, the Beatles, Hendrix. Kravitz's new found spirituality ("God", "In My Life Today", "The Resurrection") will bring fresh criticism as the lyrics seem especially naive even with their psychedelic references.
Circus is uneven but Kravitz's albums always seem a bit that way. When you write them, sing them, play them yourself, the public sees you/hears you as you are. Perhaps the booklet with nude photos sprinkled among the lyrics is part of this baring himself to the world or perhaps it's just a clever marketing ploy. Kravitz fans will like Circus because there are no surprises here. Those new to Kravitz should first get his finest album, 1989's Let Love Rule. Circus doesn't replicate the debut album's excitement but is a comfortable Lenny Kravitz continuation.
