REVIEW: Lenny Kravitz, 5 (Virgin)
- Linda Scott
With the release of his fifth album, 5, Lenny Kravitz is back with a mixture of style and sounds ranging from hip-hop to rock. Kravitz has always insisted on recording with just musical instruments (no electronica!) and 5 is no exception. This sound, the retro dress, and song topics always brings out the critics. Kravitz' fans ignore the critics and go for the whole package. So when Kravitz announces at the start of 5 that he's "getting straight in '98", and there are synth credits from dabbling in the studio gadgetry, Kravitz' longtime audience might be getting worried. For them, the good news is that Kravitz may say he has taken the plunge into the world of loops and overdubs, but he never does more here than get his feet wet. And that's not bad at all.
Kravitz is receptive to different styles. After all he comes from a multicultural background, half Bahamian, half Jewish and growing up in Manhattan, L.A. (where he attended school with his friend Slash and Maria McKee), and the Bahamas. Hitting with his rocking debut album, Let Love Rule, Kravitz went on to make the darker Mama Said (Slash and he crafting the title song), But his longest lasting success came with the third album, Are You Gonna Go My Way where the title song with its trademark guitar stutter was blasting from car radios and cover bands for months. Circus was a letdown, and 5 doesn't have the hit singles and strength of Are You Gonna Go My Way, but it's a step up from Circus.
As his life moves on, Kravitz suffers the pains and joys of a family. His beloved mother, actress Roxie Roker, has died, and he has a young daughter by his failed marrieage to actress Lisa Bonet. The songs dedicated to mother and daughter, "Thinking Of You" and "Little Girl's Eyes" are tender and lovely to listen to. Kravitz can sing a ballad like no other rocker - his voice is powerful but mellow. You want to hear every word, and these tracks are mixed so that you can. There are a couple of other singles worthy of mention. "Live" is a brassy song that kicks off the album and has a funky style of its own. Down the tracks is "If You Can't Say No", which might be the masterpiece of 5. Great topic, great lyrics, and Kravitz really gets down to business with this one. Not to be missed.
Bottom line here? Traditional fans, as well as those who wanted to see some changing (but not along the lines of Moby) will definitely like this album. Kravitz is moving along with this album, and maybe 6 will pull the past and present styles together and he'll get another huge one. Want to hear some clips and maybe see a video before you buy? Visit Lenny Kravitz official web site at http://www.lennykravitz.com ; there's a special gift there of a non-album track you can download, and you can even get a coupon to use if you buy 5.
