Let Love Rule

Not a groundbreaking album but still a cool listen. Sort of expected to like it a bit more. 7/10 [KEEP]

¿Es neceario escuchar este disco de Lenny Kravitz antes de morir? No lo creo. Es un trabajo repetitivo y aburrido; un refrito de tendencias de la música negra tratadas comercialemente, lo suficiente para apelar a un público blanco masivo a través de la venta de una figura "sensual". Ninguna de las canciones es lo suficientemente buena como para justificar los vápidos mensajes antiguerra y proamor. ¿Cuál era la intención de Kravitz al grabar esto? Ninguna, te aseguro. No entiendo esta lista a veces. ¿Qué harán después, hacerme escuchar un disco de Milli Vanilli? Pistas destacadas: I Build This Garden for Us

Glad to see everyone hating on Lenny lol. Never could stand his persona, his derivativeness and his overproduction. That being said, I can't deny most of the songs here are pretty good. It's a shameless and commercial impression of timeless artists, yes, but that's exactly why it's hard to fuck it up. If not for the lingering feeling that what I was listening to was plagiarizing songs I love (most of which I could actually pinpoint and compare), I might've even given this a 5. That and the pathetic Christian bullshit in the lyrics (granted, some of those were written by his wife).

Very good

Started out so-so, then picked up with the later tracks Does Anybody Out There Even Care, Mr. Cab Driver, and Be. 3.5 and can’t quite round up.

Hmmm, Terrible !

Mr. Cab Driver

Das klingt alles irgendwie weinerlich! Ich möchte, dass mich Musik wach und fröhlich macht. Trübsal blasen kann ich alleine! Nö, wieder eine furchtbare Nullnummer.

Every track is great. What a voice.

meh

(37/100)

Lenny Kravitz likes peace, love, The Beatles & Prince, and dislikes fear and racist cab drivers. Pretty controversial stuff, Lenny. It's somehow less than the sum of its parts, and ultimately pretty forgettable, but I've got to give him credit for doing almost all the songwriting and music himself.

Lenny has exactly two great songs, neither of which are on this record. What we have here is vocal strain (seriously, stay in your range, dude) and 1960's musical cosplay. I give him props for playing most of the instruments I just wish the end result was better.

For an artist who always seems to infuse his music with soul and undoubtedly has passion for what he's doing, Lenny Kravitz's music has always fallen flat for me. He clearly can write a good song, but the sum of the parts feel more important than the whole. Lenny Kravitz has the special gift of making music that so many people know, that some people like and yet there is a feeling they have no interest in hearing too much more of it. After hearing this album a few times, I can't say it does not deserve to be in this book, but I also can't say I would listen to the album again. I'm very NIMBY about Lenny Kravitz. Perhaps his greatest hits are something I would put on and listen to, because his music does have positives and he's doing Prince-lite here. That's fun. But...NIMBY. My favorite tracks: Let Love Rule I Build This Garden for Us Does Anybody Out There Even Care Mr. Cab Driver Rosemary Be

I have never really understood the hype around LK. I always thought he was generally overrated a bit. It seems that most rate him higher based on his persona than the quality of his music. Props for the on man show aspect of it all but I’m just not a big fan. 2.5

I remember this one being played here and there at parties in college, and I was pretty lukewarm to it then. Fast forward to now, and sure enough, same reaction. Is it bad? Not really. But dayum it was a lot longer than I remember. It also seems that Lenny’s solution to writing lyrics entails simply repeating same words n phrases over and over again followed by a series of emphatic “yeah, yeah, yeahs.” I will rate this one up a notch based solely on the fact that he pretty much played every instrument and arranged every part as a result.

Are there people out there that say their favorite artist is Lenny Kravitz? With his success, that has to be the case right? I can’t for the life of me imagine that person.

There’s a video out there of a Lenny kravitz concert. And he’s playing guitar (like he do). And he squats down and his pants split and his dingaling pops out. I’ve seen it and it’s funny. But yeah, he’s music is fine. I don’t know, just really can’t get into it for some reason. Maybe I could get into a greatest hits album but a lot of those songs are overplayed. 2.5 but gotta round down bc I feel like I’ve been giving a lot of 3s.

I have a Lenny Kravitz allergy. Only good thing I can say about this album is thank Jebus it doesn't include some of his later hits like Fly Away, American Women, etc. It's just, like, too much, man... Props on playing a lot of the instruments and rock hard abs, tho. 2/5

A couple of songs were nice. The others are so meh, understandable since this is Kravitz's debut album.

Mid. Can't really say much about it.

A weird hodgepodge of a lot of different styles and influences. It’s all just ok, but it doesn’t do any one thing particularly well.

A solid debut effort by Lenny. A Kool mix of pop blues and rock. I like Lisa a little better though. LOL.

4/7

Fucking sucks bad.

A really fun soundscape the whole way through

not my style but ok

i always forget he’s not just Famous

Kind of like if Prince had his own Kid Rock. Not half bad though. 3.5

Not entirely sure I’ve ever listened to this before. The majority of the album just limps along. It seems to get cooking the last couple of songs. His over reliance on pastiche doesn’t really help it feel fresh either. Its fine, not sure why I would return to it.

I enjoyed some songs, but it is a very long album and at some point it sounds a bit repetitive. I would give it a 3.5

So good. Lenny will always be a vibe. He’s done better work than this though.

If you play it at 1.5x speed it sounds like disco.

yeah i liked that one.

Haven't heard much of his stuff but quite enjoyed this

Actually better than i thought

I like the rock / funk / pop combo on paper, but the execution on this album leaves a bit to be desired. Some of the instrumentals are interesting but I didn't love the vocals and the lyrics were too preachy for me. The grooves that the drums and bass get into were great though, and it's clear he was thinking about how they work together when writing and recording them.

I can hear the Prince/Beatles yearnings, and I mean, that's some good stuff to yearn for. But overall, a weird blend of cringey and tedious.

This one’s a little tough for me. On the one hand, I don’t think Kravitz got as much credit as he deserved because he didn’t fit the late 80s categories, with their racial/racist assumptions. On the other hand, some of these songs are a little blah. On the whole, though, the album is more interesting and more original than I realized, with its Beatlesque song craft and social critique.

Genuinely did not enjoy this even for one second.

Big pile of meh. I feel like Kravitz had better albums, but maybe I'm misremembering as I've never been a huge fan.

Oh yeah I guess i listened to this. Its fine I guess. My probalem is that it feels like a pop guy trying to put on a rocker costume. I could be wrong but thats how it feels to me. Like Lenny is just some hot guy who Weasled his way into this place he doesnt belong. Its just so damn boring. Nothing makes me feel anything. The most I felt the whole record was when he would try and push his voice and it usually sounds bad. Id wince a bit at that. Otherwise it just went in one ear and out the other. I didn't know he made music before or after like 2005. Id like to go back to not knowing anything about the man other than the dragonfly parody and his package pop at his concert. Those are much better than this record

Enjoyed this more than I expected to. The vocals truly could not be cornier. It's like he didn't know what to sing about so he consulted a list of typical themes of song lyrics, noticed that "love" was somewhere near the top and then just decided he would beat the word to death so that he would have something to do with his mouth other than screech generic rock sounds (the christian theme also got pretty grating). I wish he wouldn't do the pushing-out-a-shit voice the whole time, but I'm glad it's there to provide some contrast to the vapid lyrics. Surprisingly though there's a lot of variety here, some fun instrumentals, and it kept me guessing. Still not really my thing though so it gets 3 stars.

Lenny Kravitz has like 2 good songs and neither of them are on this album. No idea why this is even on the list tbh because you really wouldn't be missing out on anything if you never listened to this. There's two OK songs here but a majority of this was impressively boring.

Lenny Kravitz has been called a Throwback but I don't think that's right. Kravitz is a Fauxback. Throwback uniforms in sports or even redesigns often uses elements from the past designs to harken back to when they were good. Good example of a fauxback redesign would be the current uniforms for the New England Patriots & the LA Chargers. They look modern yet have design elements paying homage to their past. Lenny is more like the Astros current uniform set. They have all the elements of their fun uniform past but settled for boring block lettering across their chest. The uniforms are fine, just bland as vanilla. The elements of their past is there, the star H is back & it's got tequila sunrise trim. It's just boring. He sounds like Prince or Hendrix or whatever but it just falls flat or bland. Trying to hard 3 3

Good debut album with pleasing psychedelic rock vibes, but looking for something more exciting.

Gosh, well I wasn't expecting much tbh, but this didn't meet my expectations.

How old are you? I am "I mainly know of Lenny Kravitz from his starring turn in the hit 2012 dysopian film franchise The Hunger Games" years old. Like, I did know he was famous for making music, but I'd be hard pressed to recall every knowingly listening to a second of it. And you know what, this is good fun! I now understand why he is mainly known not for being Lenny Kravitz as Cinna but for being Lenny Kravitz as Lenny Kravitz. And I like it.

Ok when in the right mood for it. 2.7

I love much of this album. The last three not so much. 3.5.

Not really moving

Favourite Songs: Let Love Rule Freedom Train Mr. Cab Driver

Lenny is very cool. I definitely like this! I love his voice and his mix of different musical styles.

I have always liked this record, it’s super derivative - to the point that it almost sounds like a tribute to the 70s, but the songs are good and the performances feel live and energetic

Bluesy soul-rock topped off with Lenny K’s pleasing smoky rasp of a voice. It’s a pleasant enough listen but the lyrics are quite bland (if a line starts with “your eyes burn” you’re in no doubt that the next two words will be “like fire”…) and a bit platitudinous (eg reciting half the Lord’s Prayer in the late-period Beatles soundalike I Build This Garden For Us). The music is quite cool but it never surprises you. In sum, the album’s perfectly OK, but it’s more pedestrian than it is thrilling.

Another new album/artist for me although I have heard of Lenny Kravitz before. The album sounded familiar in places, for example I found similarities between the music and lyrics of "Does Anybody Out There Even Care" and Genesis' "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" from 15 years earlier. I don't know if he was heavily influenced by music of the past though. An OK album. Not one I'll actively seek to listen to again but I won't reject it if it came up on a playlist.

Tykkään

Kuunteli mielellään

T1 already a bit annoying T2 voice is winey, he’s going for a Beatles thing, but it sounds a bit try hard, Inconsistent, Cliche, tacky, cringe “Love can make a little child smile” Going for a st peppers thing But it’s been done, it ain’t working for me, Yet for some reason I’m not skipping, God the sax I’m nearly at my stop (train station) I’ll listen through Maybe jokes on me the Beatles thing might be deliberate In the 3rd is he saying beatle train? 4 skip Ugh more Beatles 5 skip in the underground internet cut Intercept with Alabama Shakes (always alright) Coyote shivers (Sugar high) Have love will travel (the sonics) And back in, oh god, fear, and skip Oh god again, does anybody out there even care, god, hhhmm this one is marginally better with tune, cheesy sentiment, too much, yuck, I just can’t it’s cringe, skip Mr cab driver…eughh again, did some research on Kravitz, he’s a nepo baby, now I get it, his music’s crap Skip Mary -skip Be …god skip Blues for sister someone… kravitz knows junky prostitutes, he’s cool Skip Skip Flower child, god, Kravitz is cringe, or is this just dated? I’m giving it a 2

just down the middle

Number: 78 Date: 03/21/2026 Artist: Lenny Kravitz Album: Let Love Rule Year: 1989 Genre: Pop soul rock Rating: 4 Notes: Before: Yeah, he was very popular back n the day and I was a fan. Not enough to buy the album, he would have been in my 2nd - 3rd tier back then. It will be interesting listening with a little distance between then and now. During: 4 Sittin' On Top Of The World 5 Let Love Rule 4 Freedom Train 4 My Precious Love 5 I Build This Garden For Us 4 Fear 3 Does Anybody Out There Even Care 3 Mr. Cab Driver 3 Rosemary 5 Be 5 Blues For Sister Someone 3 Empty Hands 3 Flower Child ----------------------------------------------------- 3.9 AVERAGE 4.0 WEIGHTED AVERAGE (accounts for song lengths) After: I see a lot of negative reviews but I think this is a fantastic album. Not quite a 5, but close. 4 my personal rating 5 suitability for this list 3 impact ----------------------------------------------- 4 composite rating

All the Lenny Kravitz I know are his most popular songs, which aren't on this album. Let Love Rule is certainly something different, in that it sounds like a bunch of late 60s/early 70s album played by a musician that is somewhere between half-baked musical ideas and songwriting and decent musical ability. It's got some decent highs and some, well I'm just gonna say it, Christian-ass songs. No problem if you're into that, but it caught me off-guard for this album. And of course the name would imply that you wouldn't find those kinds of songs. Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum felt a bit more subtle. Let Love Rule is okay. Feels like it's on the list for brand recognition purposes (IE: his records sold well therefore we all got to know him), Lenny has always been more of a singles guy. I don't think anything new to the table comes with this album's inclusion. It's not bad, but it's chopped liver.

People should like this album more i think. I loved it then and I love it now

Moody. Broody Baby Lenny. Bloody lovely album from this talent. I did not know he was similar to Prince, playing all the things. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Impressive for a debut album he mostly did himself. I could do without all the religious stuff, but the grooves were good.

Lenny Kravitz desperately wants people to think he's cool. He would be, if he could just be himself. He's a very talented musician as evidenced by this album, a mostly one man show. Unfortunately, he wears his influences on his sleeve so much that rather than being influenced by them, he wants to be them instead.

His voice isn't very good, the lyrics are trite and the composition is competent but obviously derivative He puts everything into it, though, so I will give him two stars for effort. Well done for trying

The musicality of this album is off the charts. Grooves and hooks that you cannot deny. Lyrically a bit silly at times but the vocals are on point.

The musicianship is top-notch. Great vocals and guitar and all that. What stops it from getting a fine is Lenny’s hilariously ridiculous lyrics. My buddy quite astutely said Lenny needed himself a Bernie Taupin. I can’t really argue with that.

muy chimba el álbum, tiene vibras re bacanas y cool, hubo par de temas que no van conmigo pero en general bien

Well probably okay, not my bag.

not impressed. too long

Ok - a couple of decent songs, but generally a bit too beige rock for me to really get into

Not a bad album, just not that good either. Feels like an early attempt at grunge and other styles of rock that Lenny didn't quite get right.

Yeah that was not good. Mostly annoying, sometimes boring and sometimes very unpleasant. I don't think it deserves a 1, but it's not far from it. It wasn't offensive to my ears. Just was not good.

I liked a song or two on here, but overall it just was not terribly memorable.

Took me by surprise! I didn't expect to like it as much as I did.

Ok

Giving this the softest of 2s only because the production is so ahead of its time. Otherwise, this really stinks.

Hell ya Lenny I also think Prince is pretty cool

pretty good Prince pastiche. well produced!

i enjoyed this one a lot mostly on virtue of its just being fairly straightforward and listenable, surely not high art but not without its merits

Nowt but attempts at style. Has the energy of forced fun at a work retreat.

Starting out with Sitting On Top Of The World, I was like ok, this is kinda whatever. But then Let Love Rule came in with a wonderful sax solo. Freedom Train was annoying, but at least is was the only real dud on the album. Got much better after that. My Precious Love was nice with some smooth piano work. I Build This Garden For Us had wonderful guitar. Does Anybody Out There Even Care was nice and smooth. As was Rosemary. All in all a decent album, I enjoyed it. Best song: Does Anybody Out There Even Care

Quite a nice listen. Did not love it, but did enjoy it quite a lot, a well made album. 3,5 stars, it was hard to decide to round it down or up.

Was ok

This was not necessary. Not bad, but not necessary

haven’t heard any of these songs before so good

High on style. Very low on substance. Lenny isn't really reinventing the wheel here. You're better off listening to one of the artists that inspired him.

An hour of Lenny Kravitz just Lenny Kravitzing all over the place.

A cool 90s(ish) alt-rock update on a style of rock that reminded me at different times of Prince and Bowie. I hear a bit of both those artists in Lenny Kravitz’s music, but he puts his own stamp on his songs too. Very enjoyable album and a great intro to Kravitz.

Lenny Kravitz is great and at this point a bit underrated I think. His songs these days are predominantly used for big truck commercials or football advertisements but his top songs are really quite nice pieces of rock music. He's got a great voice, great grasp of melodic phrasing, and is a solid multi instrumentalist. The first track is a great opener. I love how rough it starts- the loose acoustic guitar and pitchy vocals evolves so wonderfully into a Stevie Wonder-esque funk jam and it's a brilliant beginning. Several of the songs on this list are really solid, and some are just OK. "I Built This Garden For Us" is an awesome social commentary and I love the lyrics about prejudice and race, but it's so incredibly repetitive until around the 3:30 mark, but it's too late in the song. Then when the song breaks even more around the 5 minute mark I have the same sentiment.. it took too long to get here! 3.4/5 for me. It's a nice album that shows a lot of his diverse songwriting capabilities. With that being said, if there's only one of his records on this list, I would think that his album "5" would be in it over this one

pleasant

slut 80'erne men tilbage til 60 og 70'erne rock psychedelia, folk og en smule funk.

Not sure what I expected from a debut album but this was soulless and fell far short of whatever that expectation was.

Was not expecting this to be as good as it was. Really comfy pop rock, I've always loved this kind of sound so it's a no-brainer I like this one too.

Otimo album

I mean, it’s just not very good really, is it?

Listened Before? N Let me start by saying - Lenny Kravitz is a highly respected and popular musician. He is not for me. I heard someone describe him as "rock for the pop masses" and that seems about right. I probably wouldn't mind him so much if he hadn't built a career on repeating the same chorus line 20+ times per song - but alas, he has. This record had me hopeful as it is his debut, but unfortunately it is just as repetitive and simplistic. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Let Love Rule

7/10 It would sound great on a record

Très très cool je pense que j'irai découvrir un peu plus la discographie !

Je connaissais que quelques pistes de cet album, et j’aime bcp cet artiste de manière générale. Je suis contente qu’on puisse écouter ça Voix singulière

Sympa mais sans plus (album 200!)

Listened in the car. On first listen was thinking that this guy is immensely talented but it's a nice solid 3 star. But then it took a weird left turn into Christian Rock and it completely spoiled the experience for me. Not sure what he was thinking with the back quarter of this record. His later stuff improved a lot.

I thought this one would be one of those old classics I’ve never listened to but would be like, oh nice, this is great I can see why it’s a classic. Not at all!! This was pretty bad! Didn’t realise I had a higher opinion of Lenny kravitz than he deserved!

Sorry but I fucking hate it. Genuinely what is the point of music like this, particularly these utterly tedious on the nose lyrics. It's just absolutely artless, while the music sounds like you fed all the worst Beatles songs into ChatGPT. This album is one hour long but it felt like 6. BAD BAD BAD BAD.

Started out strong, but dropped off quickly. It was a fun listen but didn’t really do much other than that. It doesn’t flow very well and the lyrics aren’t great. It was just okay.

super zvuk, leni divno peva, dobra produkcija (svaki instrument je namenski ubačeni u svako mesto u svakoj pesmi, ako to ima smisla) , tekstovi pesama su raznovrsni, od romanse do socijalnih problema i sličnog. pesme se razlikuju dovoljno da slušanje albuma ne smori, ali su tematski ipak povezane, i rečima i produkcijom. moj prvi leni kravic album nije razočarao :)

Very familiar with Mr. Kravitz's music, but can't say I've gone back to his debut album. This unsurprisingly sounds a bit raw, but the foundation for the soul sound that Kravitz would try to make his own is apparent here. Plus, he handled most of the instrumentation himself here, which is always mighty impressive. Not much else to say here, it's a sort of fun debut with some imperfections.

So I only knew Lenny Kravitz’s biggest hits before this album, which are obviously his cover of “American woman” as well as “are you gunna go my way” and “fly away”. So for most of my life I’ve known of him as a pop rockstar from the early 2000s. Meaning he was already established as a musician and celebrity. So I never took the time or even had the thought to look into his earlier work. And while I’m only familiar with his album “five”, I have to say this album has got to be my favorite of his. The whole first half of the album is old school blues rock and it’s great! My only complaint is it does feel safe, especially for a debut album, like there are no expectations yet, swing for the fences! But that being said I did enjoy most of the tracks like “freedom train”, “fear”, “mr.cab driver” and my personal favorite song on the album “I build this garden for us”. That being said I have to get to the negative now, which is the first two songs are underwhelming and forgettable, like the track “does anybody out there even care”, but those are not the issue. The issue is the last five songs of the album are terrible! And I don’t say that lightly, I actually hated them so much more than anything else I’ve heard on this entire list so far. The condescending/selfrighteous nature of those songs really got under my skin and upset me. Like I had no idea he was so religious. And while I normally can look the other way on such things cause who am I to tell someone else what they should or shouldn’t believe in, but they are just so grating and irritating. Genuinely the most I’ve been ever been let down by an album so far, like the first half was so promising and then it just takes a HARD left turn and totally turned me off.

Sittin' on Top of the World - 2.5/5 Let Love Rule - 3/5 Freedom Train - 2/5 My Precious Love - 2/5 I Built This Garden for Us - 2/5 Fear - 2.5/5 Does Anybody Out There Even Care - 2.5/5 Mr. Cab Driver - 2.5/5 Rosemary - 3/5 Be - 2.5/5 Lenny Kravitz in this version is just a diet version of Prince. I would like this album more if it wasn't so long. Does every song really need to be 5 minutes and be the same throughout? No. It doesn't. It's not an horrid listen, just a gating one where I wanted it to be over and then realized there's still 2 minutes left in the song. Overall: 2/5 Favorites: Let Love Rule, Rosemary

4/7

Really good album, could have used better production as it sounds very muted.

Good, solid debut album from a very unique artist. While the video and genre tour he takes is interesting and diverse, his lyrics and vague sense of spirituality are kind of odd and pretentious.

Without being an achievement in the history of music, it has the kind of positive vibes I want in my life. 7/10

I understand that Lenny Kravitz has his fans, but I’m not sure even his most fervent supporter would argue that he’s an original. Take away his very obvious influences – Hendrix, Prince, Beatles, etc. – and what’s left is not very much at all. That’s not to say his records are completely without merit. They’re enjoyable enough, but why on earth are they on this list. Let Love Rule arrived unheralded and 15 years too late in 1989 – a very odd choice. 4/10

Thought the first couple tracks had something going for them, certainly piqued my interest. But it tailed off big time. Too much slop

High 3 Decent listen this

I like some songs from Lenny Kravitz, one of them being the album's titular track "Let Love Rule", but an entire album proves to be a bit too much. The album overall sounds a bit repetitive, and each song sounds similar to the previous. Even though the album itself starts out relatively strong, by the end, it kind of falls off and drags on a little too much. 6.5 / 10

Let Love Rule is among one of my least favorite songs I've heard on this list, and it's the title track for this album...

2/5. There are some good moments, but the album has a lot of filler tier songs and the rest are conceptually good songs hurt by poor vocals. Kravitz seemed to be under the delusion that sloppy vocals are more expressive, because there are times where his delivery is confident but execution ends up gratingly bad. That's a charitable interpretation; he could also just not be a good singer. Lyrics are pretty basic, both in terms of complexity and worldview. Based on the lyrics, Kravitz has a mental depth not far beyond that of a thirteen year old but still tries to make poignant social commentary all the same. Which I suppose is in line with what a precocious thirteen year old would do, so that checks out. I normally wouldn't comment on lyrical quality in a pop/rock album, but they're so prominent with Kravitz' vocal delivery that it's hard to ignore them. There's still good here, though. Some songs have a decent structure, some a decent melody, some a great riff or two. Thus the 2/5; there's enough here to make a listen through not worthless, but you gotta look for it. Standouts for me were "Mr Cab Driver," "I Build This Garden for Us," and "Empty Hands." There were some shining pieces in these songs that made me glad to at least give this a single listen.

Growing up in the 90s, Lenny Kravitz was an iconic sound for me. I’m also impressed to read that he wrote, produced, and performed most parts for his debut album. I enjoyed the album and recognized the hit “Let Love Rule”. I also particularly enjoyed “I Build This Garden For Us”. What surprised me was the biblical theming present throughout the album.

Starts out strong but then never really builds to anything more or develops in any notable way. Not bad for a track or two (i.e. fine radio songs), but a whole album got boring quickly. Felt like you could feel the psychedelic influences in the music, but never actually did anything with them beyond an okayish imitation. Very derivative. Top tracks: Sitting On Top Of The World, Let Love Rule, Be

Yeah, this was fine. Gotta a little preachy at the end with Rosemary. Didn't mind it, but probably won't be seeking it out again.

C'était plutôt sympathique, mais pas non plus un truc sur lequel j'aurais particulièrement envie de revenir.

This guy's just always been cool, huh?

Kravitz's debut album takes inspiration from 60's Soul and Psychedelia (and Psychedelic Soul) but also looks forward into the decade ahead. However, Lenny here is definitely more of a singles artist, as I can't say there's anything as memorable as the famous title track. Key tracks: Let Love Rule

Middle of the road. Some groovy guitar work early on that was forgotten as the album stretched on. 3/5 stars.

Just kinda there

not getting the hate. everyones calling this a poor mans prince, but i love prince so more for me i guess. i kind of start off hating every song, but they evolve into something really good near the end. there's so some really cool grooves on here. lenny's performance is def a little forced and over the top but i don't mind. i think its cool, especially freedom train, love the glitched out electric guitars sounds super cool and ahead of its time.

It's a very strong debut album for Lenny Kravitz, and it's overall a great listening experience. It's got elements of soul and blues and old school rock that blend well together. Wikipedia labels this as psychedelic rock but I didn't totally get that impression aside from some Hendrix-esque riffs. I do think a few songs go on a bit too long, maybe that's a psych rock element.

I love Lenny Kravitz, but this is not one of my favorite albums by him. I can definitely hear in it the sound that he eventually would evolve into, but most of the songs feel a bit slow to me and not as hard hitting as some of the Lenny stuff I love. This album was not his most successful album commercially either, so interesting that it's on the list. I have to give him credit in that this is another of those "one man show" albums, where outside of the lyrics on two of the songs (which were written/co-written by his then wife, Lisa Bonet), Kravitz wrote all of the songs, played all of the instruments and produced the album. Pretty impressive for a debut album!

Great debut album!

Decent. Enjoyed it more than his more polished hits actually.

Generic guff.

How unremittingly dull. Feel like the winners of Rock School. Sure all better musicians than I could ever hope to be but so boring. Lyrics that probably come from a good place but doling out tired references to freedom, love etc etc. and I honestly couldn't find it in me to make to the end.

it's paint by numbers rock and blues. Nothing wrong with it, but seems to lack soul.

Rock and soul and bit of gospel thrown in occasionally. A couple of tracks written by or co-written with Lisa Bonet (The Cosby Show’s Denise), the rest of the album is a one-man show with Kravitz playing all the instruments himself. I think he could have benefitted from others in the studio to bounce ideas off - his lyrics can be poor, and by the end of the album it sounds like he’s run out of musical ideas to keep the album fresh. Having said all that, this album has a groove to it and I like it!

Good album. Lenny has a great voice.

I have a certain degree of antipathy for Slash's high school roommate Lenny. His songs dominated the airwaves. Particularly his worst songs. After listening to this album I will give him his due that he does in fact have better songs. They are not for me but they are well executed and his lyrics, while sometimes a bit dopey, are decent enough. My antipathy has waned.

Weird. I thought I was going to like this one more than I did. Good stuff but didn’t click throughout. Maybe I like the latter Lenny

Interesting album. Lots of variation in tracks, both in genre and instrumentation. Enjoyed the saxophone usage. Slightly odd but overall a solid album.

im gonna be honest i didnt listen in full cuz im not assed but i kinda skimmed thru it and it didnt seem horrible so it gets a 3 from me

Parts of it sounded like Prince. Parts sounded more grungy. Nothing really stood out. If you were going to have a Lenny Kravitz album on the list, this is not what I would have picked. 2.5⭐️

I wish there were more “recent” funk-rock albums that aren’t actually good, but I can still enjoy.

Didn't like this at all. It sounds like it's trying to emulate Beatles but without any actual soul. The musicianship is fine, but no, not for me.

You cant trick me into liking a boring, repetitive, album just because it has one or two cool baselines (even though they somehow lack tone entirely lol?)... Again, agreeing ideologically with an album != liking the music. 2/5 Note, after coming up with my own review I read some of y'alls, and damn, many of you hate this album because you're racist lmao.

I was having Thbad day, but this album made it better. "Let Love Rule" subverted my expectations. It proved that Lenny Kravitz was worth listening to. I used to confuse him with Lemmy from Motorhead. The songs "Be" and "I Built This Garden for Us" remind me of Pink Floyd's "DSotM". 4 stars for "Let Love Rule".

Only heard some big hits from him before. Let me put it this way: you'd spend your time in a more productive way if you listened to any of Prince's albums instead of this one. Lenny's voice sounds so strained on some songs, he's forcing himself to sound more emotional. It makes my ears bleed. The songs here are either goofy or insincere 2/5

54/100. I’m not really a big fan of his vocals or the lyricism here, which makes it harder to connect with the songs. Decent enough, just not especially compelling.

#30/1001 🇺🇸 I felt a bit sorry for Lenny back in the day. He was the target of much ridicule from the comedy columnist Mr Agreeable in the Melody Maker. Having said this, i'd never listened to this album. It's not that it's bad musicianship, he has a great voice and he's extremely handsome. Some of the lyrics are dreadful and i don't care for any of the tracks. If it was background music in a shop or bar, I wouldnt run out holding my ears. I don't want to hear it voountarily again howeve. Best track: Meh.

Not bad in places but generally mediocre

This entire album feels like it was written by a supremely earnest tween

First song is pretty meh. And then you go straight into let love rule, banger from the first note. It’s crazy how there’s so much more confidence exuded in Let Love Rule versus the first song on the album, which feels real shaky. Idk how else to explain it, you can hear they didn’t have the same confidence/drive behind the first song. Fear was the next noticeably good song on the album. Mr. Cab Driver is still on my rotation. What a good song, and interesting how the racism and situation has flipped. The chances of getting a white cab driver now a days is rare lol. Oooo I haven’t heard Be before. I like it. Fits the vibe. The doubled/harmonized vocals sound real good. As the song goes I’m pretty sure they’re two separate vocal takes cause they change slightly here and there. That’s pretty cool.

You can miss me with the Christian songs. I got the sentimental intention of this but this is dripping in cliche. The mix is average, disjointed and low quality at times. Performances strained and inauthentic imo. I could get behind some of the story telling until he went Jesus on us

the lenny man!

Great vocals and overall talented dude, but this felt a little half baked. An unnecessary origin story for Lenny. Cant say I’ve ever listened to any of his stuff front to back but have a feeling I’ll have a high score for one or his later albums.

There is something kind of lame about Lenny kravitz that I can’t put my finger on. I think maybe he’s just too good looking to rock. At a certain point, it’s just counterproductive to rocking. The actual music isn’t terrible, it’s just doesn’t seem authentic that a man this handsome would feel such earnest emotions. I’m not gay you are!

Ever hear of the uncanny valley? Its used to describe the phenomena of seeing human like things that closely resemble actual humans, but ironically make you feel creeped out. Lenny Kravitz is an audio parallel to the uncanny valley. He can sound close to Prince. His playing style can mimic Hendrix. Some of the tracks seem to fit the Laurel Canyon 60s vibe… It all falls short though. And the result is that I feel like his music is a shitty rip off instead of its own thing I say this knowing that I actually like some LK tunes e.g. Are You Gonna Go My Way is a banging track. This album does not hit and was a massive disappointment for me

Every morning when I wake up, before I open my eyes or even move a muscle, I think about that picture of Lenny on stage with the crotch of his black leather pants split wide open, no undies, trouser hog flopped out for all to see. Google it, learn it, love it, make it your phone background. I did.

Like, sure, thanks Lenny for building this garden for us, but no one asked you to do it in the first place. 2.5/5

Really good

one of my earliest CD's. Love this album front to back. 5 *

No thanks.

To me, this album is aspirational rather than autobiographical. He's a guy from a privileged background but he's saying this is where he'd like to go, and he seems earnest. Plus, tons of talent playing most of the instruments. I prefer this to cynicism.

Bonne petite écoute !

🎧Some might tell you Lenny Kravitz is effortlessly cool. Those people are wrong. Kravitz is clearly trying so hard to be this ubercool throwback rocker guy, and honestly he probably could pull it off if it weren’t for his incredibly mediocre, derivative, and sometimes straight up cringe music.

Just....dull tbh.

My mother once saw Kravitz at a festival in our country and bought the album there. This was sometime in the ’90s, and from that day on she became a huge fan. I’ve heard “Mr. Cab Driver” an insane number of times because of that. I do agree with most people, though, that Let Love Rule isn’t exactly a 10/10 album. There are some great tracks on it, but also quite a few that are pretty unremarkable. Still, I can’t bring myself to give it a bad rating because of the personal connection I have to it.

Just nah.

I didn't completely hate this, but it required a significant effort to not turn it off an listen to the while album. A very low two.

Tried listening to this two times, but I just found it so... generic? Lenny's voice sure adds a flavor to it, but the rest feels very meats and potatoes rock to me, and so do the lyrics. There are some songs with a bit more attitude that keeps it interesting at times, like 'Blues For Sister Someone', but it falls short still. Don't really have a deeper analysis than this, just wasn't for me. Lenny Kravitz is a cult name though, so was a bit disappointed in this album.

I really just can’t stand his vocals. The first few lines where Kravitz voice breaks had me nearly turn off the album immedietly, but I managed to continue. I feel like he has taken a lot of inspiration som old motown and soul records, what is really missing in his music is the political statements. His lyrics feel so bland and toothless that it becomes boring. Love is good, hate is bad. I got it. I could forgive the lack of meaning full message if the musicality or vocals or ANYTHING ELSE was actually good. But everything is ranging form bland to bad. Weak 2.

Pas mon style mais pas mauvais

This wasn’t terrible but it is a bit boring and long. He plays and sings well but I just don’t find any of this really interesting or fun.

Some good sounds here. Some songs I recognized. This was good but not great.

It sounds like he’s trying to be Prince. And I liked this better than Prince! But I don’t like Prince. My evil stepmother loved Lenny Kravitz, and I’m trying not to hold that against him.

I thought this was pretty weak. I don't mind Lenny Kravitz but surely he has better albums than this one. Not sure why it was included on the list.

Cool vibe

Has a few decent tracks, but that is it.

First listen I was cringing so hard at some of the lyrics, more than I have at any other album on this list. I mean, it has a nice overall vibe but there’s nothing interesting about the music. Let Love Rule is quite good. Was feeling more charitable second time around. 2 stars

top 3 - I Build This Garden For Us, Sitting On Top Of The World, Does Anybody Out There Even Care. No strong opinions on this.

Fantastic record - never heard it before. Highlights are Fear and Let Love Rule, but there are no skips

i had a great time it was some nice generic rock but not generic in a bad way

That's a nepo baby, innit?

Tedious. It just feels shallow and insipid throughout.

The video of his shlong flopping out was more memorable than the album.

Why on earth should this be a must listen to album? It’s trying to be funky without the funk. Trying to be edgy without any edge. Trying to be fun without any enjoyment to be found. Really quite surprisingly bland and instantly forgettable. I’d rate it a 1 but there wasn’t much I actively disliked about, it’s beigeness saving it from the complete doldrums.

Loved it? Hello?

first listen. pleasantly surprised. some good sounds and lyrics....will listen to it again

This one was a very hard listen. I really really wanted to like it but it wasn't there. Maybe one memorable moment or two, but without those this album would be a one star. There was no wow in this album. 58 minutes of compost.

oh help me Rhonda.

I dunno some of these reviews. Just cos they were two black guys with guitars round their necks doesn't mean Kravitz and Prince have much in common. Kravitz, at this point, was committed to making music that whole heartedly referenced/recreated the 60s and 70s. He said it in interviews and followed through even as far as the studio gear he used. Prince of course had influences from the past but he was very much an 80s act in his sound pallette and how he used the studio. Kravitz music was Beatles, 70s rock and classic soul. Prince was way more about the funk, modern pop and a bit of gospel with sure some classic soul in the ballads, and plenty other genre blending aside. Kravitz is lyrically obvious and SINCERE! Prince had loads of different lyrical modes including obscure, freaky and funny. Anyway, I have some fond memories of my university room mate enjoying this. It was good for soundtracking a sunny day dangling my legs out of our window when I was supposed to be studying.

This was solid. Will probably be back to try it again in the future.

How about cutting the song list in 50%?

this is the most average middle of the road funkish rock album i've heard but i didn't not like it so yea.

I'm not sure how this album feels so middle-of-the-road for being a funk album, but it does. Honestly, I'll stick to his hits after this.

As background music it was quite chill. Mr. Cab Driver stood out from the album.

Meh, it's okay enough but I have always found him to feel not very genuine - like an actor pretending to be a rock star.

could reasonably be a 3 but 55 minutes of this?

Good album! Unlike Lenny Kravitz a lot but I've never heard this album I could see where he was headed with it!

I've liked this album for a long time. Kravitz gets props from me for writing all the songs (except for the one that sucks) and playing all the instruments.

Was not familiar with Kravitz's earlier work, and I was pleasantly surprised by how riveting some of these songs are.

I'm only giving it 2 stars because it's not quite offensive enough to be 1.

Some really excellent moments but as with most things, a bit of an edit would have helped. A strong debut with occasional ragged sounding vocals but undeniable talent and foreshadowing of more great things to come

It's actually interesting to listen to given its release year. Not a lot of people were taking a fresh look at what was then called classic rock. At a time when music was becoming more corporate and mechanical, Kravitz made a genuinely soulful and interesting record in Let Love Rule.

Meh

So long.

185 Tenía apuntes escritos acá y los perdí así que sólo recuerdo que: tuvo sus momentos, y le faltó edición porque era muy largo y sentí que varias canciones eran relleno. Ahí leí que él grabó todos los instrumentos y creo que hizo todo solo, y eso tuvo sentido. FINNN

Inoffensively pleasant? A bit boring. Very repetitive. So far not much more to say than that. You can sense the potential in his vibe / voice.

Clothes horse with no pedigree or training thinks he's a rock god. I found this hard not to skip every song after 15 seconds. How did Lenny Kravitz's attempts at music get him as far as it has? The music is funk rock, and it's a decent, accessible version of it. There's not much reverb on any of the vocals or instruments but there's a good amount of fuzz and other effects. The players are quite tight as a band and they rock well. Then there's Kravitz. His voice is at odds with almost every song. The band has barely got going into a song before he's squealing and yeah-yeahing and falling out of key. He undoes the good work of the band at every juncture. He sings and yowls like someone who thinks this is what rock vocalists do, but has no idea of his own final product. Almost as if a rich kid paid a band to play something so that he could live his dreams out. Then he recorded all their stuff and released it in his own name. Good. If I was a musician, I wouldn't want much association with this work. Someone at his label signed him based on his looks and marketing potential, rather than his music talent (zero!). 2/5 coz the band did what they could, but Lenny's hubristic vocal posturing has dated as well as Hale & Pace. How on Earth is this an album we must listen to before we die?

I expected something more than what I got. A lot of reviewers are saying .. boring ... and they are right. I'm sorry to say I was called away from this album after 5 songs ... and didn't come back. Sorry, Lenny.

Exceedingly pleasant. Though I doubt I’d listen again out of choice in future. So it’s a strong 3-bagger, but I’m gonna give Lenny an extra bag since he played all the instruments and self-produced it

I actually find him very grating and performative - and the lyrics are so basic - but the music is solid, so I’ll give him sufficient props for that to just about hold on to a 3.

Musically a 4, lyrically a 2 at best. I'll go with a low 3.

Agreeable

Enough stand out tracks for a 4

Pretty much the definition of average. Average vocals. Average instrumentation. Average lyrics. Pros: - There's some experimental sounds, including a random car horn that made me smile. - Impressive for a mostly-one-man-effort. - Some of the tracks have quite a fun funk vibe. - Some fun instrumental efforts. - Overall vibe is chill, pleasant and easy to listen to. Cons: - The lyrics are extremely shallow. - Definitely tries a bit too hard to be Prince in places, and doesn't do a great job of it. I think "Fear" was the one that really gave me Prince vibes but I'm not going to listen again to check. - Bit boring, definitely only background-worthy. For a debut album I really don't understand the hate in the other reviews.

Not my vibe.

I am far more familiar with Lenny Krazitz as a figure in popular music than I am with his music. I have only heard his 90s and early 2000s big MTV songs. This was my first time listening to any of his music other than those 4 or 5 songs. This is a well made album and I especially like the more R&B type songs. Kravitz as a guitar forward artist must have been a later development. Some of the songs are a bit overwrought and sappy but all in all this is an ok album, but one that I will likely never listen to again.

The album i didn't know i needed

2 Stars (5/15)

Ehhh. It's neither here nor there for me.

I didn’t hate this, even though I knew how Lenny Kravitz would turn out.

myyyy precious love

So I read he was in a Prince cover band. Could never tell... It's a solid album. Impressive as it's his first, and he played most of the instruments and produced it (again prince like). Feel like he's trying to overdo the vocals at times. Lyrics a little wishy washy.

I do not care much for Mr. Kravitz' body of work. 2.5/5

I can't really put my finger on it, but this feels aggressively OK for the most part. Part of it is expectations going in. Maybe it's just him losing cultural cache, or maybe he just was never culturally that big, but I can't really imagine Lenny Kravitz being important enough to be included on a list like this? But a lot of this just feels derivative of stuff I've heard before. And when it's not good (Like the straight up porn music going on in Fear), it's a little off putting. And holy cow did I not need Lenny's voice so forward in the mix in the beginning Does Anybody Out There Even Care? That made my skin crawl. But yeah, I don't really know about this one. I think some preconceived notions are affecting my rating on this one, but yeah, I'm just not feeling it.

Boring

A nice mix of funk, soul, and hard rock. Lenny can really play the guitar. Nothing spectacular, just solid all around. 3/5

i found this dragged a bit too much, he sounds a lot like elvis costello somehow, songs just felt too long, some tracks were okay tho

It is hard to deny the sheer talent on display here, especially knowing one sexy motherfucker played nearly everything. The production feels warm and authentically vintage without sounding dusty. Reminds me of Prince’s work ethic but without the dangerous edge. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Let Love Rule - Mr. Cab Driver - Rosemary

I really enjoyed this! Lots of classic rock references and riffs. Loved the songs cowritten by Lisa Bonet.

If I’d never heard of Prince or Stevie I would be impressed, but I have and I’m not

I didn't mind the music in places and was interesting to hear the signature 'yeahs' from later. But overall the lyrics let it down.

Bland lyrics, white noise and repetitive themes. Lenny Kravitz was writing AI rock music 35 years ahead of its time

My only exposure to Lenny Kravitz before now is the side-splittingly hilarious Architectural Digest videos. It’s pleasing to see that he is the exact same character here. He takes the most dramatic and forceful elements of The Beatles and adds a dash of Soul singing. It’s all a bit cheesy and overwrought for my personal tastes. He regularly pushes the performance too hard into quite grating territory.

Not much to say about this… competent but boring, a low 2

He's a drama queen, but it works. Could have had an extra star if it didn't have as much filler. Favorite song: I build this garden for us

released in 1989. his debut album mixing multiple genres. inspired by led zeppelin songs i already knew: none songs i liked: mr cab driver, rosemary fun facts: he self produced and played most of the instruments in the album. he played cinna in hunger games, and his daughter is actress zoe kravitz

I guess it's better than I expected

Quite samey and/or cheesy for the most part, but I liked My Precious Love and I Build This Garden For Us.

Pretty boring

I hated this. Lyrics seem too on the nose and lacking any depth. Did not enjoy a single song

𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘙𝘶𝘭𝘦 is a solid debut that shows Lenny Kravitz’s talent right from the start. The album blends soul, rock, and a retro 70s sensibility with ease, and the production has a warm, homemade feel that suits his style. While the songwriting isn’t consistently gripping across the entire record, there’s enough personality and musical ability here to make the album stand out. It’s a promising introduction rather than a fully realized statement, but the talent is unmistakable.

I’m pretty lukewarm on Krabitz. The dudes talented and honors rock with his songs but they aren’t particularly adventurous or new. He’s competent. That being said, this was an enjoyable album I’ll probably not revisit. “I’ll build this garden for us” was a nice surprise. The chorus, repeated, emboles something eerie when he drops the note on the repeated us. I will give him credit in that he seems t have created a classic rock, funk, punk fusion of some sorts but it ultimately still feels like a borrowed novelty.

I listened to this last week and don’t remember anything memorable.

Some songs are beautiful rock-infused ballads but the album is also littered with generic pop rock hooks that don't excite me at all. I enjoyed his voice regardless of how boring some of the tracks were to me but it's not something I'd seek out again likely. 'Be' was ass lol Highlights Sitting on Top of the World Let Love Rule My Precious Love

Nothing happened, kinda boring

Fine

Ahh Lenny with your big scarf. This was fine I suppose. Tempted by a two, but probably harsh. Simpsons: Yes (full guest star)

Never really listened to Lenny Kravitz. It's was quite good. Not sure I'd listen again though, or go see him when he plays in Sevilla this summer.

I did kinda like it but it didn’t feel all that special.

Album No. 0095 on my list. I’ve grown up with Lenny Kravitz being presented as a cool rock star kind of guy, he was all over the radio when I was a child. Hence, I was quite curious as to how this album would actually sound. Well, I have to say I don’t like it. To be frank, it’s mostly just generic boring mainstream rock and kinda mediocre singing. And the lyrics are… ugh… yikes. Yeah yeah, we get it… you’re a cool guy that preaches that love is good and hate is rather not. Tell me something new. I’m probably overhating the album and maybe it’s just me being annoyed, but I was on the verge of actually just giving one star. I respect though that Lenny Kravitz played nearly all instruments himself and if I’m honest, not all songs were that terrible. I’ve certainly heard worse. I’ll add “Let Love Rule”, and “Does Anybody Out There Even Care” to my playlist. Beyond that, I’ll stick to Kravitz’ later works (which I know from the radio). 2/5 stars.

Entertaining record, but I prefer his later albums more.

Ha! "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." - from the top review. It's not as bad as some of those reviews claim, but it sure in that low 3s for me.

Spet en, k sm ga v živo uspela vidit, čeprav nikol nism bla neki ful fan. In dons mam en tak šit dan, da se morm prou prisilt v tole. Uf. Se mi zdi, da se res sliš, kok je mlad še kle. Zanimivo je, da je večino inštrumentov na albumu sam igral, sam to, da je multiinštrumentalist, sm itak vedla že od prej - me ni presenetila ta informacija. Je blo bolj, valjda da je. Mislm da sicer, razen "Mr. Cab Driver" ne poznam nobenega od teh komadov. Kul prehod iz "Let Love Rule" v "Freedom Train". U, pa distorted vokali. Je pa bl k nek intermezzo ta komad. "My Precious Love" je kul balada. Tazadn komad, "Flower Child", ma pa mal Beatles vajb. Kul debut album.

Tiresome stuff. Full of platitudes and heartfelt grunting and groaning. The production is good but thats about the sum of it all.

Love, did not, in fact, rule ….

I never understood the appeal of Kravitz. I like Are You Gonna Go My Way just like everyone else, but for the most part I find his material lacking. This album feels emotionally empty to me. Just going through the motions of making music. Not sure how to explain it further.

Rough. Prince impersonation vocals did not help

It's just there. Someone wants to be Lennon.

This was so fun! I need to listen again.

I performed a version of 'Fly Away' by Lenny Kravitz when I was 11 in a school talent quest. I had no idea who he was, but the song was vaguely catchy, and the band (2 guys pretending to play ukuleles and 1 guy shaking an egg shaker) decided it was good enough. I even bought the single to sing over. When we ended the song, we lined up together and shouted out a wrestling line. Yep, we didn't win. The album began with an acoustic and then on came the groove. I actually really enjoyed the first two songs. Then it got all funky. He knows how to write a chorus and how to address some pretty meaty issues. There was also a Velvet Underground influence. The taxi driver song was a good example of this. However, while I enjoyed it, I wasn't entirely enthralled by the album. A little too much a product of the time. And it wasn't my time. 4 stars. We are the nation, the proclamation... I think we said.

This album is like going to a friends house for dinner for the first time in their new house. Your friend is a self-confident guy, and the evening is a great time. The food is delicious, the conversation flows, the heat pump is set to the perfect temp. But at the same time, you can't help but feel that your friend is trying a bit too hard to ensure the evening is perfect. You just wanna say "bro calm down, this is a good time", but you also don't want to throw him off his rhythm because he is obviously stressing about making sure everyone's drink is topped up and that the aged gouda is being served at the right time. You do have a really good time though.

It tries to be Prince but its not there. It tries to be Tom Petty but its not there. It tries to have soul and something to say but its not there. This feels like an album bu am artist trying to find their own voice. Not sure why that makes it essential.

What an absolute piece of shit this was.. this sounded like the guitar guy at the party was really horny

Good

Damn, he's enthusiastic

Let Love Rule has some Hendrix, some Mayfield, some Lennon. Sounds like it should be incredible but it doesn’t really resonate with me. Maybe a case of hearing it for the first time 40 years later. 6.7/10

Really great for a debut album, especially considering it’s basically a one-man-show. Funky blend of genres and I could see myself revisiting for sure.

7.6

Super generic rock n roll.

Listenable.

Funky, bluesy, and loose, doing his best to channel the spirit of the Rolling Stones into something more modern

I actually think there's room for this one to grow on me. It's got a really cool DIY, organic feel that reminds me a bit of McCartney's first album. I imagine that a lot of people probably do prefer Lenny's later stuff that's a bit more polished, but as someone who's never been a huge fan of his lusher, more R&B-inspired efforts, I dig the homespun atmosphere quite a bit. The Beatles, Hendrix, and Prince influences are *very* clear, but they never feel like cheap imitations either. I'm interested to keep returning to this one. 3.5/5

Lots of clean guitar tone and sparse guitar work here, reminiscent of early rock n roll like The Kinks, but decades too late. There are some good songs on here but it's mostly a lot of potential, realized in Kravitz's later work.

3/5 - pretty good album but too laid back for me

Damn this album gets a lot of hate. I didn't hate it, but I didn't really like it either.

Not Bad

Just a decent album from a good looking dude.

1989. Nice funk elements of this soul rock blues. Good themes throughout that made it meaningful

Eh

I definitely listened to pre-big scarf Lenny Kravitz a lot in 1989, and somehow that horn honk in Mr. Cab Driver didn't sound so ridiculous back then. Anyway, the grooves still groove. And the strings in Empty Hands? Totally forgot about those.

I don't get why this on the list. He has better stuff (are you gonna go my way) but this just isn't it. Weird album and choice for the list

Here’s a deep-dive review of **Lenny Kravitz’s 1989 debut album _Let Love Rule_**, unpacking its **lyrics, music, production, themes, influence**, and a balanced look at its **pros and cons**. --- ## 🎸 Album Overview _Let Love Rule_ is Lenny Kravitz’s debut album, released in **1989**. It’s a **one-man show**: Kravitz wrote, produced, and performed nearly every instrument himself. The album blends **psychedelic rock, funk, soul, and blues**, drawing heavy inspiration from 1960s and 70s icons like **The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Prince, and Sly Stone**. --- ## 🎤 Lyrics & Themes ### ✅ Strengths: - **Idealistic and heartfelt**: The album is rooted in **peace, love, unity, and social justice**. Tracks like *Let Love Rule* and *Mr. Cab Driver* tackle **racism, prejudice, and inequality** with sincerity. - **Emotionally resonant**: Songs like *Rosemary* and *Be* are introspective and vulnerable, offering a softer, more personal side of Kravitz. ### ❌ Weaknesses: - **Naïve or clichéd at times**: Some lyrics are overly simplistic or idealistic. Lines like *“Love is gentle as a rose / And love can conquer any war”* can feel **heavy-handed or trite** to modern ears . --- ## 🎶 Music & Composition ### ✅ Strengths: - **Genre-blending mastery**: The album fuses **rock, funk, soul, and psychedelia** seamlessly. Tracks like *Freedom Train* and *I Build This Garden for Us* showcase this eclectic mix. - **Strong melodies and grooves**: Songs like *Let Love Rule* and *My Precious Love* are **catchy, soulful, and musically rich**. - **Instrumental talent**: Kravitz plays nearly everything himself, and his **guitar work, basslines, and drumming** are impressively tight and expressive . ### ❌ Weaknesses: - **Lack of dynamic range**: Some tracks don’t build to a dramatic climax, which can make them feel **flat or repetitive** . - **Inconsistent pacing**: A few songs, especially toward the end, feel **underdeveloped or like filler** (e.g., *Empty Hands*) . --- ## 🎛️ Production ### ✅ Strengths: - **Analog warmth**: Kravitz used **analog equipment** to give the album a **raw, organic, and timeless** feel that stands apart from the overproduced sound of the late '80s . - **Immersive soundscapes**: Tracks like *Fear* and *I Build This Garden for Us* are **lush and atmospheric**, with layered vocals and rich instrumentation. - **Saxophone highlights**: Karl Denson’s sax solo on *Let Love Rule* is widely praised as **one of the best in rock-soul history** . ### ❌ Weaknesses: - **Vocal layering overload**: At times, the **multi-tracked vocals** can feel **overwhelming or excessive**, especially on repeat listens . --- ## 🌍 Influence & Legacy - **Cult classic status**: Though not a massive commercial hit at launch, the album has gained **critical acclaim and a loyal fanbase** over time. - **Blueprint for Kravitz’s career**: It established his **signature sound**—a retro-modern fusion of rock and soul—and set the stage for later successes like *Are You Gonna Go My Way* and *Fly Away*. - **Inspiration for modern artists**: Its **DIY ethos** and genre-blending approach have influenced **indie and neo-psychedelic artists**. --- ## ✅ Pros Summary - **Timeless production** with analog warmth - **Genre-blending** that feels fresh even decades later - **Emotionally sincere** lyrics with social consciousness - **Strong musicianship** from a one-man performance - **Iconic tracks** like *Let Love Rule*, *Mr. Cab Driver*, and *Rosemary* --- ## ❌ Cons Summary - **Lyrics can be overly idealistic or clichéd** - **Some tracks lack dynamic progression** - **Vocal layering can feel excessive** - **A few weaker tracks dilute the album’s impact** --- ## 🏁 Final Verdict _Let Love Rule_ is a **bold, passionate debut** that showcases Lenny Kravitz’s **raw talent and vision**. While it’s not without flaws—**lyrical naivety and occasional pacing issues**—its **musical richness, emotional honesty, and retro-futuristic production** make it a **standout debut** and a **must-listen** for fans of rock, soul, and psychedelia. – A flawed but **deeply influential and heartfelt** album that still resonates today.

2.5ish.

Listened to this one a lot when it first came out. At the moment, it seemed like a totally fresh take on Psychedelic Rock/Soul. It was also fun to get stoned to. After Krazitz became a global superstar, the freshness went away and we were left with sexy, yet toothless, Dad Rock. I think we realized that no matter how fashionably cool Kravitz was, Jimi Hendrix and Prince would always make him look and sound like a wannabe.

Love Lenny.

For a moment, I thought of Lenny as a Prince wannabe, but in all fairness, any rock, pop, R&B, or whatever multi instrumentalist who doesn’t emulate Prince a little bit maybe isn’t reaching high enough. So, good album. Not fantastic, it worth listening to a good bit of it again.

It’s not very good but also not bad. But I couldn’t finish it.

Those songs aren't bad per say but they're so devoid of power and dare I say passion that they all get terribly boring. The fact that a lot of them are dragging for way too long isn't help either. I have no idea why this guy got big.

One of the lamest attempt at music I've ever heard. This sounds like AI music before AI. Ridiculous.

This album could have been great in other hands than Lenny Kravitz and the producers who worked on this... It lacks power, tone, soul, rhythm, dynamics and other nameless feelings that made something inexplicably awesome or bad.

An accomplished debut album. Really well put together. On this listen I realised how many songs have religious themes running through them.

Hadn’t realized he was already around in the 80s. This one is more Prince than Hendrix and not nearly as fully realized as his later stuff.

Very solid. No real stand out songs but everything pretty good. Very impressive for first album since it sounds like he wrote, produced, and played every instrument

Not necessarily Kravitz best, but still a solid album with some great guitar as expected.

Musically, this record is really, really derivative, and its ‘60s psych-rock-revival thing is not enjoyable. Sure, Kravitz can play, like, literally on every instrument here, but that doesn’t mean he’s a good songwriter. The songs sound great, but they’re not great songs. Kravitz is no Prince, that’s for sure. 
That said, I do really like him as a lyricist. He’s not the most mind-blowing lyricist, but I really appreciate his perspective as a Black rock musician, which really comes through on tracks like “Fear” and “Mr. Cab Driver.” Now, the topics aren’t super original, but he still handles them well. Also, again, he’s really good as a player, especially as a guitarist. But playing well and talking about important topics well doesn’t result in good songs. To be honest, I think I would’ve preferred a later, more commercially-popular Kravitz record, even though those albums are even more derivative and cheap, because at least the bombast serves his rock star persona more and it’s easier to vibe out to. Here, it’s a bit too low-key to distract me from knowing that he is standing on the backs of giants, and especially when I can just listen to his influences, I’m way less excited. 

Prince’s first album is more essential than this, and basically you could make the exact same arguments for its inclusion as Let Love Rule [he plays every instrument, covers important topics/perspectives as a Black rock musician, showcases a guitar legend in the making, etc.]. And For You isn’t essential. So while it gets a passing grade for being listenable, Let Love Rule isn’t really enjoyable, and far from essential on this list.

Ikke lige mig. Ikke noget, der hang fast.