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Let Love Rule
Lenny Kravitz
1989
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!Lenny Kravitz wants you to know three things: Love is good, Hate is bad, and he listened to a lot of his parent's records while he was going to Beverly Hills High School. Let Love Rule's musical offerings of peace and love are so insipid and empty that it's hard to imagine him having anything but a cushy upbringing—take how Klan lynchings are mentioned in passing on one track, but don't weigh quite as heavily on Kravitz's mind as the racial injustice the entire next song is dedicated to: him being unable to catch a cab. With a complete lack of nuance, it just sounds like a studio version of a dude with an acoustic guitar sitting below a tree on a college campus trying to get laid, which is maybe not the best idea when you're already married to Lisa Bonet. Key Tracks: Blues for Sister Someone
.5 all kravitz albums are ten stars by default due to the ripped pants penis flop video. however every song on this album takes away .5 stars from this rating. so overall .5 stars because zero stars don’t exist. https://66.media.tumblr.com/e8123b078d94d8b0d61bd8a8bc0963dc/tumblr_nskhs7yCrG1qg8i7yo3_r1_500.gif
I was not expecting to rate Lenny Kravitz this high. Was completely unfamiliar with his work, but the versatility and energy is incredibly impressive. He made this album basically ENTIRELY BY HIMSELF. One of those albums where there wasn't a clear winning track, a lot of it flowed effortlessly and did a great job of being unique on its own.
Easily one of the greatest debut albums of all time. The Beatles influence is strong, but not dominating. Sometimes the layers upon layers of vocal tracks gets a tad overwhelming, but otherwise the technique is used to great effect (a la George Martin). Hands down, the title track is an all-time classic and in today's political and pandemic fatigued world, would be a welcome reminder to be good to one another. Also, Karl Denson's saxophone solo on Let Love Rule is one of absolute greatest in recorded history and a joy to the ears everytime I hear it.
Another album whose singles played predominantly in my 90s video phase. Decades later it comes of as maybe a little soft-pedaled? Plenty of good stuff though. Saw Kravitz live at a festival in the mid-90s and he did not disappoint.
Great music for a one-man show. I didn't realize Kravitz was so soft rock when he started. I feel bad only knowing him for his amazing cover. He's a great writer.
Parts of it sounded like Prince. Parts sounded more grungy. Very cool vibe and guitar playing, but at the same time, nothing really WOWed me. Great job Lenny, here's a 3.5!
no co mam powiedzieć no zajebiste, każdy utwór bez wyjatku, najbardziej chyba be, empty hands i blues for sister someone
Aun con un contenido lírico discreto (aunque certero en ocasiones) el álbum es una pasada. Una faceta maravillosa de Kravitz, mezclando soul, pop rock 60 de UKs, blues y pequeños destellos de psicodelia. Un buen 9
Que disco raro! No porque sea malo ni nada... Siempre asocié a Kravitz con algo mas rockero y no lo tenia tan blusero. Me encantó, creo que mas que la musica que hace normalmente. Tiene unas pinceladas de Hendrix que quedan excelentes con lo espaciadas que están. Es una lastima que haya encontrado otra identidad y no haga tanto de esto, aunque probablemente tambien sea que evolucionó en la forma de hacer musica y no sea tan cruda. No se si habría lugar para un Hendrix hoy, tanto como para un Lenny así. Faveado.
I love people like Lenny who sing with such passion. It really gets you into the album and music and lyrics and theme. Phenomenal record.
I had honestly only ever listened to fly away before this but this was a great intro into Lenny kravitz. Excellent album and his yelly voice with the production just works
Fajny, moje klimaty, czasami piosenki były podobne do siebie ale odsłuchiwało mi się bardzo przyjemnie
Hippie, soulful, that can definitely find it's groove and rock. It amazingly keeps interest up even though the tracks clock in at almost an hour.
Reminds me of 6th grade when Mike let me borrow all his Lenny Kravitz CDs for our family trip to Italy. I thought this was so cool... and I still like it. It feels like the very beginning of what would become the early 90s throwback to the 60s/70s. The slower love songs are less my style. I don't like the Jesus shit. And some of the writing is a little elementary... but this album still reminds me of a simpler time. 4.
Went in completely blind with no expectations. I really enjoyed it and plan on looking deeper into his discography.
1989, Funk rock, hard rock, psychedelic soul, hat großteil des Albums selbst produziert, fast alles selbst geschrieben, nice würde wieder hören, starke 4
1) 2* weird way to start a debut album. Very pitchy and squeaky. 2) 4* 3) 3* 4) 2* 5) 4* 6) 4* fear 7) 3* 8) 4* 9) 3* 10) 3* 11) 4* 12) 4* 14) 4*
Let Love Rule is an awesome song. Kind of jammy sometimes, also soulful. Really liked this one.
I'm used to the poppy, un-creative bullshit he put out later in his career. This was refreshing and very good.
I like it. This is the type of music I listen to a lot but I never really listen to Kravitz. I'm going to have to give him more of a listen. OOOO "Rosemary" is sort of a Christian song, that's interesting. "Empty Hands" without doing research, I can see this being about Jesus or MLK Jr.
Pretty solid album, good background music. Enjoyable, but I felt like a lot of the songs sounded the same. 4/5 stars.
Loved the mix of genres in this and the themes. Lots going on in terms of instruments but the production was great. Let Love Rule is a highlight track.
Enjoyed it a lot, Lenny has a great voice when he wants it to be. Real rating 3.5/5 but rounding up since it was an impressive debut
Buen disco! Lo escuche mientras limpiaba la casa jaja Lenny me gusta pero escuche obviamente lo mas contemporaneo 4 efes
Not exactly my usual type of music, but liked it and would listen again. "4 - enjoyed it, will listen again."
Pretty good. Particularly enjoyed "Mr. Cab Driver", but I was definitely watching the tracks towards the end counting down the number remaining.
Great listen. Lenny Kravitz is another that I came to later in his career and never went back to explore his earlier stuff. Clearly very talented, an explosive debut.
Really, really great! So much variety; I was impressed! A bit too much religious imagery for my taste lol
I first heard Kravitz when a friend played for me the entire "Are You Gonna Go My Way?" album shortly after it came out. I followed that up by buying this, Kravitz's first album. I've listened to this album many times, but probably only once in the last 15 years. It was good to come back. "Let Love Rule" got my highest rating for an individual track. Overall the individual tracks don't come to mind as something that I should play again, but I would put on the album as a whole.
Lenny Kravitz is not the artist I thought he was. This album was a lot different than the radio stuff of his I heard.
Loved this album at the time (close to the end of when you listened to a whole album). Mr. Cab driver. Yeah
Unexpectedly cool album. Based on the selections for this generator, I can always appreciate some accessibility and non-boringness.
With nods slinky soul, funk, R & B, glam rock this album is a winner. Freedom Train, Let Love Rule, Be, Mr Cab Driver and more show him as an inspired artist letting his freak flag fly.
This album fucks! So atmospheric, so driven, and so intentional. Love the sound and the lyrics. Groove!
My impression of Lenny Kravitz after hearing “Fly Away,” “American Woman,” and “Are You Gonna Go My Way?” on the radio forever is that he’d be hard to take seriously. Listening to this album though I’m like…what if Lenny Kravitz is good???
Enjoyed the project but definetly need to listen again, too backed up with albums to try and listen to again. Favorite song: I Built This Garden For Us, 6/8.
Lenny Kravitz has always been a weird case of underachievement to me. He’s clearly extremely talented but just went away. Maybe that’s what he wanted. Anyway this album has some good stuff but I don’t think his best.
Lenny's big debut, and no I'm not talking about when his pants ripped on stage. Really cool that he played all the instruments and did everything on here himself! I didn't recognize any tracks on here, but there were a handful that I dug. It's an easy project to listen to, even if it's nothing incredible. I like this. Favorite tracks: My Precious Love, Rosemary, Empty Hands, Let Love Rule. Album art: He's ready for his close up. Color scheme reminds me of Electric Ladyland, another close up. The font is kinda cool. 3.5/5
This seemed like it wanted to be a rock album with all the fuzzy guitar riffs but ended up being just a pop album with a touch more edge to it, nothing new for the late 80s early 90s
It was fine. Some moments better than others Favorite Track(s): I was lazy on this one and didn’t pay that close of attention
I have a bunch of Kravitz in my playlist, especially songs like Fly Away and American Woman but those aren't on this album. While it certainly wasn't bad, I didn't connect with the music on this album. I did enjoy his fusion of a few different genres especially some funkadelic but I don't think I'll listen to this again.
There’s something I don’t like about the whiney ness in Lenny’s voice. But I liked this album. Interesting and spiritual lyrics
Got mad respect for Lenny, was a nice switch up of music to start off the Monday on a groovy note!
It's alright, but Lenny Kravitz should have been amazing. His albums always disappointed me
On paper, I should like this, but it's just ok. Although the work he put into it is impressive.
Actually very cool vibe. Even though the album is a bit too long and stretched out, I really enjoyed the feeling of it. However, I don't think it compares to other albums in the list from the cultural impact perspective.
Um álbum agradável, com uma boa vibe, vale a pena ouvir. Não é muito o meu estilo infelizmente. Nota: 6/10
He's got a great singing voice and his instrumentation and use of organ is great. I'm not too hot on his rather overt religious themes, but he mixes them with rock and gospel really well Fav song: Let Love Rule
The guy sounded derivatively retro when this was released and nothing has really changed. I do think he’s written some cracking tunes though.
took me too long to realize this was some jesus stuff, good music but like fuck seriously
I think with this album, is that felt pretty average. I wasn't super moved or enthralled with it or anything. It's nice to have in the background but I'm not sure it's something I wouldn't normally seek out to be honest. So yeah, middle of the road album gets a middle of the road score.
Impressive that wrote, recorded, played and produced everything single handed. Funkier than I expected. But on a second listen, a lot of the lyrics are super religious, which is kinda lame.
such a groovy one-man show. Didn't realize how much softer he was earlier on. Will admit though, none of these songs really stood out to me
It's a little jangly/acoustic for my taste, but it's still pretty nice. I liked 1 or 2 of the tracks a whole lot.
Un bon album blies rock, on voit lu ca a commence, mais je m’ai jamais ete vraiment fan de l’artiste. 3.5
Let love rule to debiutancki material pana Lenniego Kravitza, jednego z najbardziej popularnych rokowych artystow lat 90, tak popularnych, ze kojarze az dwa traki jego autorstwa, a ta plyta jest dla mnie tajemnica i obietnica blenda soula rocka i funku, a tajemnica jest jak musial sie wstrzelic z takim podejsciem do muzyki zeby zostac popularnym grajkiem, bo o ile popularne muzyki tworzone sa przez sztaby ludzi kryjacym sie za nazwiskiem artysty, to jednak najwieksze popowe materialy, to czesto wystepy jednego czlowieka, tak jak to mialo miejsce w wypadku princa czy jacksona, graja, spiewaja i jeszcze ogarniaja masterowanie plytki, zawsze inaczej slucha sie takiego krazka, gdy masz z tylu glowy, ze wszystkie instrumentale ktore slyszych wyszly spod reki jednej osoby, od tego konceptu odchodza tylko traki be i fear, ktore byly tworzone z tamtoczasowa panna bonet, po trakach ktore znam od pana kravitza sadzilem, ze urodzil sie on z elektrykiem w lapie, a jednak na debiutanckim materiale debiutuje akustyk, co nie jest zle, ale nie jest to taki szok jak na elektryczne popisy jak na are you gonna go my way, sluchajac calego albumu, a nie tylko krazka, a nie pojedynczych kawalkow jak wczesniej meczy troche jak popowy jednak jest to material, do posluchania, ale z kawalkow ktore zapadaja w pamiec mam tylko trzy, nie jest to oczywiscie tytulowy let love rule, ktorego czesc instrumentalna wdaje sie byc zmarnowana na taki kontent liryczny, pod tym wzgledem najbardziej kuleje cala plyta, ciezko na czyms zawiesic ucho i posluchac ciekawej opowiesci, bo ma byc prosto, z takich wyrozniajacych sie kawalkow to o rasistowskich zlotowach jest moim pickiem plejlistowym, razem z otwierajacym sitting on top of the world i freedom trainem w ktorym slysze jakby fly away
3.5 if I could. Never really listened to Lenny Kravitz beyond the singles but this was really good.
Pretty good listen. Loved the energy and the depth of the instruments. Good variety of styles too. Holds up today while still managing to throw back to older psych rock and ahead of his time to some of the 90s funk rock. Pretty basic and repetitive lyrically though. Probably not a repeat listen.
Really? One of the best ever? Kravitz is an incredible frontman seen live, but this is just generic rock right? Conclusion : it's OK.
A pleasant surprise - I thought this would be awful but the man can play and sing and it’s a pleasant album to listen to whilst you’re working - just don’t listen to the lyrics too closely which are mostly just drivel. By no means a classic.
I cant work out my views on this, i guess because it doesnt elocit any strong feelings. Therefore... 3 stars
It's 90s pop. It's fine, it had a time. But, never would listen to it now. Oh wait, it's from 89? He was a bit ahead of his time then. Can hear some Prince influences in here as well. I think this is my fav Lenny Kravitz thing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t-iFr9q1I8 lolol
This reminds me of a much more raw and rock based Prince who is way into The Beatles. After reading Kravitz played most instruments on the album himself, the parallels to Prince increase even more. I had really only heard "Are you gonna go my way" before and I am pretty impressed with the first half of the album. But it wears thin for me after that. Especially when he starts dropping in Christian lyrics and moralizing.
This album was ok. The lyrics were really hit or miss. Lenny Kravitz is a good musician, but I think he tried to do too much on this one. His perspective however is really great. He is unapologetically black and isn’t afraid to infuse that into his music which borrows from funk, R&B, and a lot of Beatles.
This one was very interesting as I have heard a lot of Lenny Kravitz, but none of these songs sounded familiar to me (I mostly hear his later tracks out and about). I was VERY surprised to see that this was his debut album as it felt like someone who was already established was creating these songs. If I had to describe it for anyone to understand, I would say it is Prince mixed with The Beatles; it feels harder to explain the style of music anyway but that. The title track, Let Love Rule, is definitely the standout here, but the whole album was solid and went by really fast for its length unlike other albums I have listened to so far. I was surprised by the Christian themes throughout the album (especially on Rosemary); it is not something I would have expected based on other tracks I have heard from him. Overall, I got a lot of enjoyment out of this one. 3.5/5.
Never been a huge Kravitz fan but giving this album a solid listen I can definitely appreciate it. It doesn't do anything crazy groundbreaking or anything but it's a solid set of funk rock.
It's been a long time since I've listened to this, but it's pretty good. Heck of a debut album. As I recall, Let Love Rule was really fresh and unusual at the time it came out. It was rock, but with somewhat of an alternative slant and also a retro soul vibe. Nobody else was really making music like this in 1989. Lenny Kravitz wears his influences on his sleeve, but he still manages to pull it all together without seeming derivative of any particular artist or style. Kravitz's vocals are passionate, sexy and soulful and his charisma is on full display here. His guitar work is terrific. Just learning today that he played many of the instruments, which is really impressive. It gets a little soft in the middle and would have benefited from dropping several songs, but this is still a great album. Even early on, you could tell Kravitz had the potential for something much bigger and it's been great watching him develop over the years. Fave Songs: My Precious Love, Let Love Rule, I Built This Garden For Us, Freedom Train
This was okay? Just okay for me, really. I think a couple songs were pretty neat, but the rest I'm not sure I'd revisit. The overall vibe was fine but nothing extraordinary here.
So, this album was on regular rotation in my share house c. 1991. it was funky and fun, with a 60s throwback vibe and production that was uncommon at the time, and makes it a fun listen. The lyrics are twee and often cliched, and while Lenny's singing is good at hitting a dramatic peak, the music often does not get there. I always felt his songs needed to hit a dramatic highpoint. Sometimes he achieved this with collaborators (such as Slash's solo in Always On The Run) or kitchen sink production, or by avoiding the issue (70s funk emphasizes the groove, and so big dramatic moments are less required). All that said, I enjoyed revisiting this record, and really like his vocal style. It's a fun pastiche.
I've never heard any Lenny Kravitz from before are u gonna go my way, this is at least kinda interesting. It's like the Beatles but with a reggae influence or something. 3/5.
Kravitz' 80s/90s take on 60s hippie rock. Good but not overwhelming in any way. Very easy listening classic rock.
Very well done for a debut, and kinda seems like it's ahead of its time? Or at least comfortably independent from what was hot at the time. But also nothing really amazing or eye-opening.
Yep. It's a Lenny Kravitz album. Amazing how the sound hasn't really changed and is so unmistakably Kravitz. A unique voice and style that has a groove, and it works.
Solid and rich-feeling all the way around – a throwback-feeling rock record, made by a big talent with a feel for genre-mixing. Feels authentic, if a bit reachy-y at times. Maybe a touch all over the place. “Are You Gonna” is the better LK record. Solid 3.25
It's okay. Not great or a must listen, but good enough to be enjoyable background music. It's a bit too long though and some songs don't have much substance. "Freedom Train" is lyrically on the same level as "Around the World" by Daft Punk. "I Build This Garden for Us" and "Mr. Cab Driver" were my favorites. I'm pretty sure I've heard the latter one before. Learning about the penis flop incident was also great.
In his first album with everything to prove, Lenny Kravitz writes every note, plays every instrument and seals everything in his own production, all the while borrowing heavily from his musical heritage. It’s an admirable achievement, which yields good (if not great) results. Kravitz is an engaging performer, but wears his influences on his sleeve in his stylings and songwriting. The Prince comparisons make a lot of sense: Kravitz’s vocal timbre glides nicely between low seduction, occasional crystal-clear falsetto and a grizzled howl (used to particular effect in slow-crawling bluesy funk tracks like “Fear”). More than just the Prince-alike vocals, Let Love Rule” resembles the Purple One’s “Around the World in a Day” era in particular, with live orchestrations and a generous helping of 60s psychedelia (enter Beatles). There are strings swelling underneath “I Build This Garden”, complemented by melodic McCartney basslines, electric piano, organ and an ultra-fuzzed out lead guitar at the end. “Let Love Rule” is a naive but sweet plea to do just that, over a diluted “Hey Jude” style mantra of a chorus. It has a warm and familiar sound and is never actively bad, but a lot of the time it isn’t particularly exciting either. For example, there’s nothing particularly special about a track like “My Precious Love”- Kravitz’s passionate vocals aside. It’s well-trodden ground and not at all cutting edge by 1989. I did enjoy a lot of this album and would happily listen again, but it’s comfortably middle of the road.
El debut de Kravitz ja prefigurava el so de tota la discografia que hauria de venir. Rock retro, contagiós, amb un so descaradament vell però molt particular i personal. Tot i tenir èxit, els seus propers treballs encara dispararien molt més la seva popularitat, i encara hauria de millorar molt el que aquí es conté, però continua sent molt bon material, disfrutable al 100%
Genre: Rock 3/5 Nearly entirely self-made, Lenny Kravitz's debut album, Let Love Rule, is a solid, albeit rather bland, way to end the decade. No new wave, no post-punk, no studio manipulation, just all rock. Kravitz plays almost every instrument involved in this album, much like his idol, Prince, used to do. For what it's worth, Let Love Rule, the lead single and one of his biggest hits, is pretty damn good considering it's just him playing AND singing. However, it doesn't redeem everything here, as talent doesn't necessarily translate into good songwriting. A lot of what makes this album good is Kravitz's voice. Not a true virtuoso on any of the instruments being played here, he lets his voice rip every now and again into a distorted scream, which adds a lot of emotion and flavor to some of the otherwise fairly dry rock cuts. After the title track, Mr. Cab Driver is a decent track, mostly for its social commentary on the racism faced by everyday black Americans, but it's also a not-so-bad rock song. As for the rest of the album, nothing much in terms of musical or lyrical content jumps out to me, but it's a decent project, and you got to tip your cap to the hard work Lenny put into this one.
'Boring' is the word that keeps coming to mind. I can appreciate that Kravitz is a talented singer and musician, but nothing on this album is standing out for me.
Other than fly away I've not really listened to much Kravitz. First up he sounds a bit like Prince when hes singing. Thats where that comparison ends though as the songs are weak and try to get by on elongated guitar and sax solos. Its basically a more modern version of that Jimi Hendrix album I hated. 2/5
Better than I initially expected. Still not really my thing, but not the worst thing I've ever heard either.
Lenny Kravitz is just fine. I listen to this and think "He sure is making that music and singing". It stirs no strong emotions in me. For reference, Doolittle by Pixies came out the same year, so, yeah. I hope I get to listen to a good album this week.
There were moments where this shone and moments where it stunk. Was Kravitz more of a Bohemian version of Prince at the beginning then Rock fucked up his sound? I can hear the funk still embodied in his fashion sense. But mostly I didn’t like this album, sometimes generic, some songs sounded like they were recorded in a closet. Most of the lyrics were too on the nose and lacked nuance, exemplified in Mr Cab Driver. So Rosemary is just a Christian song? Puke. He’s doing something almost interesting here, spans a few genres, but he doesn’t do it well. Reminds me of Gary Clark Jr.: fashionable bohemian black man, pretty good in the guitar, rock focused, on the nose lyrics, marketed to white people with no taste who want to feel cool—Matt P. Also likes Gary Clark Jr. so it makes sense. 2.
Never have I ever listened to a Lenny Kravitz album, let alone Lenny's debut album from 1989, a time when pop music was having an identity crisis and fracturing in exciting "alt" directions. I get the feeling Lenny thinks he's invented a whole new genre of Sly Stone+Prince+Beatles and here to save us all. Essentially ignoring that the 80s ever existed, Lenny mines the 60s and 70s, extracts a wheelbarrow full of rock and funk influences, and stuffs it all into his shiny leather pants. What a weird time. The Black Crowes tried the same strategy. Both were wildly successful, and also criticized for being derivative and nostalgic. Now anyone can do it with no consequence. We're in end times. History no longer exists. Greta Van Fleet and Robert Plant are homies. C
He thinks he's so cool, and so much is so lame. Doesn't in any way rock out. Lots of God-bothering as well.
je suis content d'écouter ça fav : I build this garden for us, flower child, empty hands oh mon dieu c'est nul Lenny kravitz en fait 3/10 En fait non 5, quelques bonnes chansons quand même
I grew up with Lenny's top 40 hits on the radio, but didn't know much beyond that. I liked the funkier tracks that opened this one. I Build This Garden for Us was recognizable but I have no idea where I've heard it.
What’s my problem with Lenny Kravitz’s voice? Why won’t I give him the time of day? He’s objectively talented. He write soulful, funky music? So what’s my deal? No idea. But I’m definitely the one with the problem. I must be, right? Lenny is beloved. 2 stars, but don’t count it. Read another review. This one is broken.
First song is grating. It doesn’t get better. I misremembered Let love rule as an enjoyable song. I rarely pay attention to lyrics but these sound very primitive.
While I can find arguments to listen to debut albums for different groups, it's a bit harder with certain acts. One of which is Lenny Kravitz. His mainstream success has been paramount to his appeal and this album is lacking any true single. That being said, we are left with a solid album of B-side level tracks for when he hones his songwriting.
L-Krav seems like such a cool dude. What a waste of personality on music that basically has none. Also, considering the album he put out after this is the one with all the hits… does this mean there will be at least 2 Lenny Kravitz albums on this list?? Hoo boy. This thing is in need of a 2nd draft.
The instrumentation is there, but everything else falters big-time. The entire LP is so repetitive that once you've heard the first verse-chorus set you can skip the entire rest of the song.
I should not be this combination of angry and bored two songs into an album. What is the point of this album? Lenny Kravitz seems to have mastered the art of making vacuous music that manages to convince people that it's deep despite all of the intellectual content of the album being spread thinner than a pat of butter on a 6 foot sub. JUST REPEATING THE WORDS "FREEDOM TRAIN" OVER AND OVER AGAIN IS NOT A FUCKING SONG. Wait, nevermind, he said "Uh-huh" a couple times too, so I guess that it technically is a song Every song is just him repeating the name of the song over and over again, which makes me wish that he had named one of these "I'm going to shut the fuck up and stop recording now" 2/5
Got me some prince vibes, with his crazy demeanor and long instrumentals, but with themes and messages that are a bit lighter. One of them is of course racial inequality, which is usually far from light, but it's also just about a cab driver who didn't want to serve him. 2/5
lenny is sexy. idk it was hard to get into cause im not used to this music. voice is hard to hear. mr cab driver was fun though
Best Song: Mr. Cab Driver. Feels like the root of a decent folk song, even if it isn't totally successful here. Worst Song: Freedom Train. Took until nearly the end of the song for me to realize what he was even saying. Why is it mixed like he's singing from inside a suitcase? Overall: Not good. Largely feels like is co-opting a sort of hippie, "free love" aesthetic and presenting it in this smarmy, overly "cool" fashion. The album sounds like Kravitz has cornered some 19-year-old in the corner of a bar and is saying "we should all love each other", but it's pretty clear he doesn't mean all, and he probably doesn't mean love either. Gets weirdly religious towards the end. Combined with Kravitz occasionally pulling this vocal technique where he sounds like he's singing with every ounce of strength he doesn't have, its hard to believe this was a breakout debut.
Terrible. Has nobody noticed that his singing has pitch issues? The lyrics are lame? The music is samey and cliched?
I was confused by some of the negative reviews on this page, and then I passed track four and it became clear that the good ideas were being stretched mighty thin. A lot of the runtime of this record was rough, and I removed the bonus tracks from the queue pretty early. But I found myself liking a few of the choices - organ! - and soft toward even the goofier bits. But overall: Youch.
I was looking forward to this when it popped up, but it's pretty boring. A couple of good songs, but overall is pretty one note. In case you weren't aware, Lenny wants two things from everyone: 1) be good and, 2) not be bad. And he tells us that in approximately 13 different ways on this album. Thanks, Lenny!
Production feels a little too soft and the album sort of bumbles along without leaping out in the way it probably wants to. Lyrics are pretty trite. Buried in the album are some more interesting moments (like the end of Freedom Train). Most tracks feel like watered down rip-offs of much better songs - a classic Christian rock mood.
Must have been a practice album. Not as good as he later material. Even his voice isn’t as good
Cheesy soft soul r&b/funk. It's just so dull. "Best" Tracks: Let Love Rule, Fear, Mr Cab Driver
here's the most interesting sentences about this album on its wiki page - "Let Love Rule reached number 61 on the Billboard 200, while it peaked at number 56 on the UK Albums Chart. The album is also featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. " credit to him for the production, which is very good for 89, and that he played all the instruments but the songs are crap. i didn't get more than a minute out of many tracks.
.5 points for Blues for Sister Someone for sounding like Lenny tried to cover Venus in Furs based on someone describing the song to him, and instead it came out sounding like the worst song Led Zeppelin never wrote
There's not a bit of this that grabbed my attention. The song Let Love Rule is fine, but the rest of it just never got its hooks into me.
initial thoughts: i’m actually bummed bc I literally hated this album. fav from album: literally none - I didn’t vibe with anything
Not so good. Some of it is downright bad. It had the hallmarks of genres I like. But I felt like I was being screamed at for half the album!!
Afternoon drive time radio fare - at times going to be interesting but then falling short to mid-tempo rock / blues. Maybe I’m biased but time hasn’t erased the sound of Lenny Kravitz voice as the sound of fast food music - and the writing is a bit too Christian rock for my linking - struggled to give it a fair listen - but was better on the second round.