Let Love Rule

Meh. Lyrics were pretty elementary.

I feel like he is lucky he is cute. He has his own sound and it's unique and all him but it gets a little old after a while. It's not bad but eventually just doesn't feel unique or different. Lyrics are ok, some stand out but overall not amazing. But it's not bad, it's enjoyable but just not super noteworthy.

Lenny is a vibe for sure. It’s not always the vibe you crave, as on one of my most hated songs of all time, Fly Away. I could write an entire essay on how shitty that song is, but that’s a different album. He loves to make his voice sound like he’s trapped in a box and he’s growling out, as on Let Love Rule. Otherwise the vibe is relaxed, bluesy and modern cool, as on My Precious Love and Fear. I enjoy Lenny far more when he just chills. This is a cool enough debut album, but not necessarily my complete vibe.

In an effort to separate the art from the artist, I need to separate my attraction to him from the actual music. (Have you SEEN the video for TK421?) Ok, so this album was fine. It touched on some important topics, albeit a little too blandly from a lyrical perspective, and it did get a little too religious for me in parts. It's impressive he did this entire thing almost singlehandedly though. Kudos to that! It's well done from a production and instrumentation standpoint. And he DOES bring the passion in places. I'm not surprised no big hits came from this. The songs were composed in such a way that most of the hooks didn't draw me in much.

One of the albums of all time

6.5/10

Aika kevyttä rokkia joka ottanut paljon vaikutteita afroamerikkalaisista musiikeista, blues, funk, soul jne. Parhaat: I Build This Garden For Us, Let Love Rule

Seems to be a lot of hate at the top of the reviews here. Not gonna hate on this, retro/revival rock and soul by someone who appears to be a wannabe Prince/sixties rock star who is just way cooler than me and probably most of the haters. Not gonna say I’d go out of my way to hear this again to be fair, didn’t get into it, don’t find the songwriting that strong, mainly felt like background and can see the bored point of view on some of it, songs being more the feel than anything else, It’s middling for me, rather hear this than a lot of other stuff on here, but wouldn’t go looking for it either, so down the middle 3 Star

I thought this album was pretty good. It seems to get a lot of hate in the reviews but I don't know if the comparisons to other artists are fair. Yes the songwriting isn't 5 star, but it's kind of funky and easy to listen to.

I enjoyed this. I felt it dragged on a little around 75% in but recovered pretty quickly. Pretty decent album.

Fínasta frumraun hjá Lenny. Mr. Cab driver alltaf kúl lag. 3,5

A little preachy in a very 80's way, and more of a pastiche than anything.

Ok, so debut album of Kravitz. Almost halfway through on my first listen, it is quite enjoyable experience. Title track is very nice. "I Built this Garden For Us" is pretty cool. Lyrically full of clichés, however still a very enjoyable listen. P.S. It's kind of disappointing reading many low reviews for this album and people seem to base their opinion on whatever bullshit was spouted by rock journalists comparing him to Hendrix or Prince when this came out. Maybe just take this as a work of art by itself and make up your own opinion. It's not a masterpiece by any means, but I don't see this as utter garbage as some people seem to think it is.

At time of writing this review, there are 15832 other ratings and it has a perfect 3 global score, which I think is appropriate. The way I've been looking at these scores is your standard "bad-good" with a 3 being right up the middle of fine/ok/indifferent, and that's exactly how I feel about this album. There's some solid bops, there's some absolute nothing-burgers of a song and across the whole of the album, it's just fine. A generic, milquetoast album with a well deserved and emphatic 3 out of 5

Decent rock album. He's going to get better though

It was ok

It shocked me to see this album was released in 1989 as Lenny is an artist I associated the late 90’s and early 2000’s. So I guess you can say his sound was ahead of its time.

3.5 first half is strongest

I'm going to say something that might not make any sense to you. I normally try to explain my scores in clear ways, but I find it kind of hard with this Lenny Kravitz album. I feel like I should love this, but I can't help but think that it's missing something to make that the case. Like, Lenny Kravitz is a talented guy, for sure. He plays most of the instruments on this album and does a good job with it. His singing's alright. He kind of sounds like Prince at some points, especially on the first song. The songs aren't bad. The musical style is generally one that I enjoy. On paper, Let Love Rule should be a slam dunk, but I can't help but feel slightly underwhelmed by this. Maybe it's the songwriting? It's a little repetitive and it could be better overall. It's not bad, but not special. I think that's the overall explanation. Maybe it's something with this particular album. It is his debut, so it's not too unreasonable to assume that Mr. Kravitz wasn't quite at the top of his game in 1989. I don't know. I really don't know. This is good, yes, but I can't say that I loved this. Still, I'm not upset by its inclusion at all, and would still call this a good album, just not a great one. Solid 3/5.

This is not his best album.

Not a bad debut album, but not nearly his best effort.

Hard to say. It was one of those albums that I put on and then it was over. It just turned into background music.

6/10

It's an album of his that I've listened to before. It was ok, not as good as his later releases. One or two standout tracks, but a few that were completely forgettable. I think 3 stars is about right.

This album blends a lot of influences from rock to soul.

Good to average.

better than i expected

2 good tracks and a bunch of fill. Meh. Definitely not the best Kravitz album.

Much better than I expected! Also impressive that it was almost a one-man show.

Mellow, well done, nothing special though

Not really for me. Couple of standout tracks first listen.

This album is all about a chill vibe, but still dominated by Lenny’s overwhelming sense of Cool.

Перетянул

As it is for many debut albums, this is a bit rough around the edges, some good moments, and the lyrics are... well, I can't really remember anything, so they seem forgettable. At least it's recognizable Lenny Kravitz.

I like Lenny and he’s clearly very talented, but to me it’s pretty much basic pop rock.

This album offers a glimpse into who Lenny Kravitz will become. It a bit rough and monotonous at times. It has moments of greatness but very uneven.

Lenny Kravitz will always be cool. Didn't realize he produced and played all of the instruments on this album. Not bad for a debut!

Kravitz’s 1st album; didn’t realize his catalog dated back to ‘89!

I didn't expect that album to be good, actually. It's not something great, something to highlight, but I liked it, at least some parts, and that's something... And more if we're talking about Lenny Kravitz, who can be a really boring guy.

I have this record and my memory is of a much better album! It’s not bad by any means and some bits are pretty damn good but I thought as a whole it was much better than it is I guess. Playing all the instruments yourself leaves no room for the interplay you get with other musicians, maybe that’s it? Looks like he even took the cover photo himself😆

Always cool,but i was worried about his voice when he was straining and not hitting the notes.

Overall: 6/10 Decent album but there were so many moments that I thought "I've heard this done better by other artists". Nothing against Lenny Kravitz, either. I enjoy some of his hits. Every time I think of him it's because of that video where his pants split in half but he wasn't wearing underwear so his weiner flings out and he's wearing a cock ring. Good stuff, Lenny. Better than the music on this album. Fav Song: Mr. Cab Driver Least Fav Song: Be

Was I expecting a treatise on racism, and how Lenny viewed the world as a Black man. I was not. A lot more political than I expected from a Lenny Kravitz album, and a bit Jesus-y as well. Though to be fair, this is the first I've really listened to him beyond American Woman. I liked the album, some funky grooves throughout.

A little too… stylish for me? I think giving it a 2 is a bit harsh so 3 it is!

Lenny Kravitz is an interesting one. At least on this record, he’s sort of a 70s funk regen with a healthy dose of flower child sensibilities. I don’t hate the record at all, but it’s not really my speed. I really like the rhythm and horn sections. Some of the guitar work is interesting. He has some pop sensibilities. But, sometimes he sounds like he’s whining into the mic to me. And the lyrics are mostly pretty bad; like, imagine that kid you knew back in high school that discovered pot and became a hippie for a season of life...now imagine that kid putting pen to paper and writing down his most profound high school thoughts about what the world needs (hint: it's love). That's what Lenny seems to be doing here, and this record can be difficult to listen to if you're paying any attention to the lyrics. 3.2/5 This record was a little better than I expected, but not really my style and I don’t have any reason to revisit it.

3.5 stars

Kinda mid. It has some flourishes of greatness, but he got better after this

Not sure this is the Lenny Kravitz album I would have chosen for this list. It's definitely good for a debut, and Lenny deserves to have something on here, I'm just not sure this is it. I think his later albums are stronger top to bottom. The standout tracks are "Let Love Rule," "I Build This Garden For Us," and "Mr. Cab Driver," while the rest of the album is a bit all over the place. The music is strong but the lyrics aren't particularly engaging. It gets kind of boring after awhile and the songs start to sound the same. It's not bad, but in my opinion, not representative of Lenny Kravitz's talent or influence. Another example of an artist deserving a spot on the list but with the wrong album.

No lo tengo muy escuchado. Conozco más los tres discos siguientes. Está inspirado pero algo repetitivo y vacío en algunas canciones y pasajes. Es un buen disco de debut de todos modos y muy original en la época en la que se publicó.

6/10…funk / rock

I love a lot of Lenny Kravitz’s stuff. Whether it’s huge hits like Are You Gonna Go My Way or Again, to other stuff like Low, there’s so much of his music that I like. When this popped up, I was excited to listen to it front to back. But I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed with this. Not that it’s a bad album, per se. It’s just not nearly as good as I hoped. To be sure, there are some good tunes. Let Love Rule is great and I really liked Rosemary. And the whole vibe of this record, along with Kravitz’s voice, is very cool. Too often, though, the choruses in these songs were very basic and repetitive. It’s like the ideas for the songs were there, but he didn’t know how to flush it all out. For that reason, this ended up being just an average album for me. Would love to give him more, but can’t give it more than 3 stars.

But what about scarfs?

I do think he is talented and enabled The Weekend to be famous. But also- eh?

Cool that he did almost everything himself, but this is otherwise an unremarkable album. 2.7

It was ok, but I know he has much better work available

I think Kravitz is a bit of a prima donna so when I saw this come up I was a little put off. I want to stay open about all music. So I was pleasantly surprised ...I do like this album. I hear Prince, some Beatles. I like that he is stretching his vocal limits....makes it sound genuine. I may have been a bit too harsh on Lenny.

Some reviewers are acting like this is the worst album in the West. It's not; it's okay. I didn't hate listening to it, and some of the parts were neat.

Lenny has a powerful voice, but this starts to get stale. Most of the songs can be trimmed, which would make this one a lot better.

A pretty good album. Leans more rock than pop. A couple of good singles as well.

hm i didn’t know i would like lenny kravits music

161/1089 - Kinda like Parliament and the Beatles fused together. He also did most of the rhythm instruments himself which is impressive and cool! However, the production is hit or miss and too many songs are the same tempo. There's also something weak about it that I'm really unsure how to describe. I felt it previously on the Beach Boys Today album and the Saints album. I need to listen to more music and more deeply so I can articulate myself better. Overall it's adequate.

This reminded me a lot of Prince, it was a good album, but not something that I'll be dipping back into.

It was fine, kind of like a second-rate Prince.

This rocks! Did NOT expect to enjoy it so much. Sounds fresh and has lots to keep your ears perked up in spite of the long run time. Will def spin this again! 3.5

Rock. Sometimes bluesy, sometimes edging towards jangly

Elvis, le roi du rock. Michael, le roi de la pop. Lenny, le Prince des pauvres. Bonne prod, ça s'écoute ben par bouttes. Quelques bonnes tracks de fuzz, à une époque où personne se rappelait c'est quoi. Chaque toune s'en va un peu nulle part. Y'en a des vraiment nulles. Aucune vraiment spéciale. Chaque toune est une version bargain bin d'une de Lennon, Prince, Sly, Velvet ou Dylan. 2.5 étoiles

this one i kinda liked

It’s a good album. Super solid. Enjoyable. Not “must listen before you die” great but really good.

Brings back memories of high school - good but not something I would seek out

Eh

I have liked a few Kravitz songs - nothing on here really stood out for me.

I was a big fan of this when I was in college but haven't listened to it since then. Some cool songs on it and I appreciate that he did almost all the instrumentation but the lyrics tend to go a little hippy dippy. An ok debut but there's better to come. Favorites: Sitting on Top of the World, Let Love Rule, Mr. Cab Driver

No había escuchado mucho a Lenny Kravitz. Este álbum es una mezcla de funk y rock con algunas cositas interesantes, pero no sé si es uno de los 1001 imprescindibles. La cara A está bastante bien, pero la B ya se hace un poco pesada. No está mal, pero no enamora.

Лирично вокалично

Ah Lenny it was….listenable but not your best

Solid 3 from Lenny

Have not explored his music before but have always liked what I’ve heard from him, this album included. It was close many times to inching its way into 4star territory but just didn’t get there.

So this is the debut Lenny album. I was looking forward to this one. It's just a laid back rock album really. It didn't hit as hard as I thought it would but still pretty good. I guess the catchier songs came on later albums. Some cool guitar work here. Still worth a listen.

Let love rule is the only song I know, and has by far the most listens. The other songs are not bad, but also not easy listening songs. There are quite some unpleasnt parts in the other songs. I like Be as well, a calmer melodious song, direclt followed by my least liked song, blues for my sister. Lenny has a nice voice, but for me quite often misses the beat.

The Lenny Kravitz on the list isn't the Lenny Kravitz most people know. Debut album Lenny Kravitz is more funk and soul, with less of the rock flair that carried him to hits with "Are You Gonna Go My Way" and "American Woman." It is pretty impressive that Kravitz was a one-man band on much of the record, and I guess interesting that a couple songs are his only collaborations with Lisa Bonet aside from producing Zoe Kravitz. But the tracks on "Let Love Rule" don't make nearly the impact his later work did.

He built this garden for you, 'cause this record was always a little too funky and hippy-retro for me. But I can't deny his songcraft, it grows on you.

No suena nada mal

OK

I was slightly disappointed to see we have a Lenny Kravitz album and it doesn’t have “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over” on it. While that track is better than any from this album, there’s still quite a bit to like here. Musically there are some good ideas, a decent amount of variation, and a healthy dose of soul draped over the basic showcase of Kravitz’s multi-instrumentalist talents. I particularly liked the organ and strings throughout, although looking at the album credits it looks like those are the instruments he didn’t play. He still produced the whole album so I will give him credit for that. My major complaint with this album is that the lyrics are often simplistic and corny and his vocals are kinda annoying and cringey about half the time, which is a shame because I think the other half are pretty nice. Overall, I found this enjoyable enough to listen to and I buy Lenny much more as a musician than as a lyricist or vocalist. Would not listen to the full album again. Playlist pick: “My Precious Love”

Apart from "are you going to go" not heard much of Kravitz. Quite enjoyed it and if single would add it to my sexy times playlist.... probably needs updating from Cranberries anyway

I didn't really have high expectations going into this album, but it's pretty decent. My favorite song is the title track.

Solid effort. Lenny's cool. But kinda boring. Mr. Cab Driver sticks out. 3

Okay but not recommending as a go-to album

Good.

I have had very limited exposure to Lenny Kravitz, so I really didn’t have any expectations. I found this album to be a mixed bag…I liked about half of the songs, and gravitated towards the ones that tended to be more Beatlesque in sound. The rest of them didn’t do much for me. So I am back in the familiar territory of three stars.

I think Lenny is a cool dude and I don’t have any beef with this album, but also won’t be back in line for seconds.

This has a great stench of a debut album. An artist who hasn’t quite found their style yet. In the first song, he sounded like Elvis Costello. His voice never seemed to be able to find the right note to sing. Guitar solos feel shoehorned. Just little things like that are what brings this down. On top of that, there are none of his big hits on this one so I wonder why they included it? This isn’t terrible. I enjoy Lenny, but he has so much better than this to offer. 3/5

3.5

3.5

I'm not sure why this one and not either *Mama Said* or *Are You Gonna Go My Way*. I don't think this one is bad, actually enjoy his first five or six albums, but this is not as the it factor of the next two. (7.6/10) ★★★½

A bit of Prince, a but of The Beatles. Not as good. 3.5 stars

This is another case where 1001 picked the wrong album for an artist. Lenny Kravitz gets crapped on a lot, but I think his first few albums are pretty good. However, his second and third albums are better than this. There's definitely some cool sounds and catchy songs here, even if Kravitz's songwriting prowess is a little thin. One reoccuring issue is that a lot of the songs kind of overstay their welcome, even when they start out good. My favorite tune is probably "Mr. Cab Driver". Light 3.5 stars.

Not really what I expected. I expected hard rock but I like seeing that this is where Lenny came from as far as his roots go. Really started to like this album after My Precious Love. I dig that, Rosemary, and Built This Garden For Us. I like the flower power vibe. Sounds like an infusion of late stage Beatles with Jimi Hendrix.

Okay, not my fave but it's decent enough. got jumpscared by religion tho

It's ok I guess.

Quite tolerable. Good vibes for a Saturday afternoon.

His voice kinda reminds me of Elvis Costello in places? It's all pretty well done funk-rock; I wouldn't turn it off if it came on the radio, but I probably wouldn't proactively decide to listen to him in the future, either.

Se deja escuchar, estaba aún muy verde y no había explotado. Me guardo "Mr. cab driver". Por lo que veo no hay más discos de Lenny Kravitz en esta lista y creo que su si Mama Said hubiese sido mejor elección.

“I’m a motherfuckindragonfly”, Dick n balls bursts from skin tight leather pants. 6/10

Jonkin verran passelia musisointia, mutta ei paljoa sellaista, mitä halajaisi sen suuremmin aktiivisesti kuunnella.

Nah

mediocre, background music

Okay but without revelation

I didn’t know there was a Lenny Kravitz album from before he was LENNY KRAVITZ It’s alright but quite forgettable

It's clear Kravitz refined his sound over the years.

There is something weird about Lenny Kravitz. On one hand, I think his catalog is full of great songs, many bangers indeed. He is a very talented musician, good singer, and mostly- a force for good in the world. On the other hand, I never find myself wanting to listen to him willingly. I mean, I would listen to a song now and then on the radio, and absolutely enjoy, but stream it. This album, I think, isn't different. But maybe I should change my ways, because putting this one this morning- made my morning better. Highlights- 2, 5, 7, 9,10, 12 It's a 3.5

This was quite pleasant and different than some of his most recent stuff.

Thats the thing i like about working through music lists. Im familiar with his music and hits. Even listen to usic hes been dropping in real time but there are so many artist out there that I dont deep dive every artist, so it was nice to listen to his first or early albums which shows the sound progress of him. (3.0/5.0)

Title track appeals. "Mr. Cab Driver" also (and it's familiar). The rest wasn't very interesting.

He was doing pretty well until “does anybody out there even care”. The beginning of that song is bad. He’s compelling and seems ahead of his peers in sound. Sounds much more 90s than late 80s. Something about his vocals always missed the mark for me and the lyrics represented here are a little on the nose. Not too bad at its best.

Lenny definitely has some good tunes but don’t think this entire album is that great.

it was fine 3/5

Lenny has some great songs. but not many on this album.

I mean... it's fine

aight 👍

Painfully mediocre…

Sounds like all Lenny Kravitz albums. It's fine.

I'm set to slag on this alpha-expressing rock-mojo-exuding style-substance-boilovering low-cut-neckline-chest-hair-bursting tight-jeans-crotch-bulging wholesome-image actor-musician-identity-obfuscating Hunger-Games-style-savant probably-an-alright-guy multi-busy-talented individual. Not sure if he's thoroughly contrived, or if he genuinely means love really ought to rule.

If Prince recorded a series of unreleased Sgt Peppers-era Beatles numbers… I was wondering if Kravitz was going to get an album on this list. It seems that he would grow as a lyricist during his career, as many of these songs’ words feel a bit cringey. Still nice.

Kravitz has talent without a doubt. He plays most of the instruments and has a powerful voice. It's a hybrid of rock and soul and blues I should love. But there's always something about his music that left me cold. It's the same here. Good but not good enough

Not as bad as I feared, but also not particularly interesting.

Favorite Track: Sitting On Top Of The World

We didn't mind this, kind of liked it.

Not his best

Sexy

Good vibes and cool to hear the different range of songs he has. I would listen again

Mr cabie and flower child best tracks... Kinda boring but great vocal talent

Rock with a little bit of soul - Raw vocals, can be off-putting at times - Strong instrumentals such as saxophone and drums

A fine album. A lot of the songs feel like they are a few BPM too slow though. This one definitely feels like filler. There are plenty of other albums that deserve this spot over this album. Mid 3.

Fine, not amazing

Better than I thought it would be

There is a growing sentiment that with each album, Lenny Kravitz produces two distinct collections: one for himself and one for his ego. "Let Love Rule" and "Mama Said" were crafted for Lenny, while his later work seems to cater to his inflated sense of self. The emphasis in his music has shifted from authentic feelings to outward displays of bravado. At the outset of his career, Lenny Kravitz created retro music that contrasted with the spirit of his times. His primary inspirations included Sly & The Family Stone, Prince, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and John Lennon. Though he occasionally received support, the majority of his records showcased Kravitz’s performances on various instruments. The charm of albums like "Let Love Rule" and "Mama Said" lies in his undeniable love for the music, which is palpable in the recordings. His guitar riffs particularly demonstrate his musical strength. Can we classify Kravitz as a master musician? Absolutely not. His instrumental work and songwriting can often be traced back to those who inspired him—artists who executed those ideas more effectively. However, Lenny excels at blending various musical styles, creating a unique and appealing sound infused with his own touch. Personally, I think most of the songs on "Let Love Rule" are quite good, while about half of "Mama Said" resonates with me. I believe these are respectable figures. Lenny's decline seemed to begin with the album "Are You Gonna Go My Way". In this work, Kravitz increasingly revealed less of his identity, leading to albums that felt more superficial and uninspired. Following *Are You Gonna Go My Way*, it appeared that Kravitz prioritized convenience and profit over artistic integrity. Although he achieved commercial success and financial gain, he seemed to rest on his laurels, which caused his albums to lose their excitement. This shift also led to a focus on themes of faith and good intentions, often feeling self-indulgent. It became evident that his records were less about genuine expression and more about showcasing his perceived greatness, resulting in a decline in the quality of his music. This is why *Let Love Rule* remains his best album; it was created during a time when he still sought to prove himself.

норм

It's fine

Don't be fooled by the 3 rating, I rather liked it. Some of the tracks had a tendency to meander a bit; 57 minutes running time could easily have come down to 40-45

Super talented guy

He's trying something a bit unique here (a throwback funk-rock-R&B/soul hybrid); unfortunately, it doesn't always work. Highlights: "Sitting on Top of the World" (a little ramshackle musically and rough vocally in some spots, but it has a charm to it), "My Precious Love" (soulful ballad that is oversung at times...reminds me of Terrence Trent D'arby), "Mr. Cab Driver" (giving me Velvet Underground vibes at times with deadpan vocals and fuzzed out guitar)

A very pleasant surprise! I physically shuddered when I saw this come up, but I rather enjoyed it! It’s nothing breathtaking or groundbreaking, but I wouldn’t put it off it came on again so that’s faint praise I suppose!

Was expecting a bit more here - felt a bit one-dimensional. 3.5*

kind of all over the place, not sure how i feel

It is an album that would improve with more listening but my first impression is 3 stars or C+.

I had no idea Lenny Kravitz began in the 80s. I remember his hits coming to prominence late elementary school with Fly Away and Are You Gonna Go My Way. Let Love Rule is a solid song. Freedom Train features a hella distorted guitar intro that sounds distinctly like Kravitz later hits. Fear sounds like it could pass for an RHCP song. I'm aligned with Kev here... started out really strong, but as this went on I started to care less and less. Never bad, but soft 3 for me.

3 stars. Ok album. Liked the beginning more than the end.

Not sure if it is just me or Spotify, but the vocals and instruments do not sound like they are the same quality through most of this album. The vocals sound way more forward than the instruments. But that aside, I kind of expected more from this album from the Lenny Kravitz I have heard before. It wasn't a bad album just kind of disappointing. Going to be a lowish 3

Really liking the first few songs. My Precious Love sounds like he was listening to too much Prince at the time. Kinda dragged on as it went but I do like the overall sound of it all. Just fell flat. Production on last song was not great.

It’s good. Not great, but nothing stands out really.

Absolutely fine. Not bad at all. Throw it on the 3/5 pile

i mean it’s fine

It was a good album overall, some of the song got repetitive with him just saying the songs name repeated over and over but it was always still a groove.

Something about Lenny Kravitz has always had me enjoy a number of his singles a lot and find others completely meh. As a result I’ve only ever really been a greatest hits listener and not an album listener. This might be one of the first times I’ve listened to a whole record of his. After listening I would say that same sense continues. Liked a bunch of it. Found a bunch just kind of there for me. I think I’ll give an another album or two a listen to round out my Lenny experience.

3.5/5 stars

L'esprit des années 1970 dans un emballage pré-1990. Je suis sensible aux revendications sociales, mais le propos religieux m'a fait déchanter (je trouve que ça ressemble beaucoup à «reste dans tes problèmes et endure en ayant la foi»).

3.1 1x

I find it quite enjoyable, altough the hollow feeling peace and love lyrics are a bit silly.

This guy can rock. Solid tunes

Very simplistic, lots of songs about love. There are a few that do stand-out, but for an album it's just 'alright'.

The Good: Mr. Lenny Kravitz! The Bad: debut albums are rarely awesome The Ugly: Finding out that the freshman attempt at music is like being the recipient of a girl’s first blowjob attempt; kind a nice, but nothing special… I remember listening to Let Love Rule, the song, for the first time, and being blown away by the sax solo… and to this day, it remains one of my favorite solos on a rock song. Yet, everytime I listen to the song, I wonder what the point was to have a 1 minute lead-out that totally changes the vibe of the song, and actually makes you hit the “next song” button. Maybe once, by accident, did I listen to the entire album back in the ‘90s, we had cassette players in our cars, so finding the next song was a bit of a pain, hence listening to an entire album was normal. I don’t recall the album leaving me speechless… today wasn’t different. You can hear how the Beatles influenced LK on this album, and that is a good thing. However, the Beatles knew how to time a tune and drag you in and not let you go… that’s why they are the Beatles, and Lenny is Lenny. 3* for effort ***

positively surprised by this album.

Ok it sounded

Fav: I Build This Garden For Us Least Fav: Freedom Train

5.5/10

nice mix of rock, funk, and psychedelia. am overall theme of spirituality seems to tie it all together. good album.

I do t particularly care for Lenny but this was ok. Got annoying at times.

It’s ok …

Bringing on a flavor of 60s inspired rock and soul with a then-modern flair, Lenny Kravitz aims high on Let Love Rule and sets about never going low throughout. There is something else also brewing in the air that brings to mind a certain Paisley Park wunderkind in how Kravitz operates musically on this album. Let Love Rule is the start of what is, on paper, a very promising and intriguing career. Favorites: Sitting on Top of the World, Let Love Rule, Freedom Train, Fear, Mr. Cab Driver, Rosemary, Be, Empty Hands.

this was fine. Wouldn't listen to anything again, I don't think.

I like Lenny but this was awful.

Ok but not my thing

There's no question that Lenny has some great songs in his armoury. Not all of them are on this.

I’m a Kravitz defender because of a Best Of CD that I listened to a lot as a kid. But man, he’s really trying to be Prince early on, and I don’t think it’s his best work. The album is fine overall, but his jams would get more anthemic with time.

This was a fine rock album, nothing too special in my opinion though. 3/5

Wow! Some real haters on this but overall it's middle of the road

Lenny in his early psychedelic rock phase, but not really... A little funky, a little bit in his feelings, has quite reached his Hendrix guitar shredder phase of the early 90s. So it's hippy music, mostly, 20 years too late. But my one abiding memory is a friend who'd change lyrics of songs while singing them, so we gotta let dogs drool (LET DOGS DROOL)

Enjoyable, not mind blowing

It’s ok - good, not great.

Some decent stuff here - I liked Flower Child. But a lot of it is really repetitive.

Solide Platte.

Classic

This is an interesting amalgam of rock and soul. But does it escape the influences?

6/10 Kind of strange this is in the list, a nice but competent album but really not outstanding at all. Music and Melodie’s good if a little derivative. Rock with Soul, R&B, maybe even Beatles influences. Vocals good - again soul influence & certainly inspired by Prince Lyrics attempted to cover some weighty matters and were very basic, came across as childish & trite. Best: Let Love Rule

Honestly I have heard so much about Lenny Kravitz but I don't believe I've ever actually listened to him before. Needless to say I really don't see amazingness, unfortunately. It wasn't bad of course, it was very fun and definitely good however I don't see hype. Kind of disappointed. This is me knowing little to nothing about him, and basing it solely on this album.

The title track will never not remind me of college, for better or (and?) worse. First experience with cable living on my own. Lotta MTV that year. Grades may have suffered. When I think of "Lenny Kravitz" now I think of autotuned/overproduced middle-of-the-road extreme boredom but this debut was kinda cool - I probably haven't heard it since 1989. It's raw and LK definitely gets points for playing almost all the instruments himself. Negatives pretty much revolve around some of the songs just not being fully developed - e.g. "Freedom Train" has a great groove and after half a minute I'm loving it then a minute later I'm thinking "let's get on with it already." But the cool harmonies on many of these songs (when the "Let Love Rule" single came out that's what we all took note of) are the signature hook/feature. Not a perfect album and few chills but I could do a lot worse than listening to this again. 6/10 3 stars.

soulsy, rocky, bluesy. pretty solid album

I think I like Zoë more.

Meh. Not bad, not great.

Sittin' on Top of the World 3 Let Love Rule 2.8 Freedom Train 2.4 My Precious Love 3 I Build This Garden for Us 3 Fear 3.1 Does Anybody Out There Even Care 3 Mr. Cab Driver 3 Rosemary 2.3 Be 2.4 Blues for Sister Someone 2.6 Empty Hands 2.8 Flower Child 3 Score: 2.8

Pop with a bluesy feel. Not too bad, but some of the vocalizations got on my nerves.

Lenny somehow can make a 70's album any time he wants to.

Fine

If you told me this came out in 1989 I would absolutely believe you. And it did. Classic turn of that decade slightly indulgent soul rock. Missing the big hits but it’s alright.

3.75

it was really quiet in my headphones for some reason.

First album - kinda meh. Didn't really have the established sound that I'm familiar with. I Build This Garden for Us had some nice harmonies and was probably my fav song of the bunch. His later work , especially 5, is so much stronger

80’s Kravitz is not as bad as thought it would be

Enjoyed this album but prefer his next few albums. It's not bad but nothing to blow you away he always reminded me off a Prince clone just a little bit more rockier and not as good. Let Love of & Mr Cab Driver are highlights of a decent album.

Cool

I like the nods to reggae and to 60's psychadelic rock, and that he plays it all himself. 3.5/5 Notable: Does Anybody Out There Even Care?,

Definitely not the biggest fan of Kravitz. His production in this debut is a bit rough, and there are definitely some improvement needed on some of the songs - but he still enters the stage early thinking he’s the next Prince. And you kinda have to admire the confidence (he isn’t, of course). What ultimately makes this a 3 is the great “I Built This Garden For Us”. A nice revisit.

Good album, but not great. Lenny reminds me a little of Earth, Wind, and Fire (but better) in that he's the type of artist that you might see in concert and have an awesome time, but then you put on an individual album and realize that most of the music is just good, not great. I can see the inclusion in 1001 albums though -- Lenny has an enjoyable, distinct sound, fusing soul and rock. He's a nice addition to the landscape. But the particular album is simply good, not great. There are a couple of very good songs, but the album as a whole is just "7 out of 10", so rounding down to 3 stars.

This is a good album, not outstanding, but solid. Notable songs include "Does Anybody Out There Even Care", "Be" and "Empty Hands".

Lenny Kravitz.

A little "shouty" on some tracks, but overall.. I liked it.

The authors of this list are funny. I don't know a single person who cares about this album or would consider Lenny Kravitz a particularly important musician. His songs usually contain some well-meaning Liberal platitude about the world and togetherness. Positioning himself as some sort of sexier Prince for the 90s, Lenny plays all the instruments on 'Let Love Rule' from 1989 but you can't say that it's particularly virtuosic. On "Mr. Cab Driver," there is a point where Lenny says "here we go" to usher us into a musical break, but it's so basic and really meant to showcase the very Macca-esque bass tone (and overall sensibility) found on the song. I have to admit that my internet was also cutting out while I was listening to this album, so maybe it's my way of answering the question, "Does Anybody Out There Even Care." Sorry, no. B-

Driven by Lenny’s voice more than anything, but the guitar hooks haven’t come in yet.

I only got through this once, and while I found a lot of the influences and composition pretty neat, I found it very empty. It was like eating a bag of artisan potato chips, better made than normal, but not really satisfying in the world of cuisine. I might come back to this one, but it's one of the least intriguing albums I've heard so far (74/1001).

August 2, 2024 HL: title track, “Freedom Train”, “Rosemary”, “Empty Hands” A little patchwork in quality, but I enjoyed this debut for its mix of the Beatlesque (title track) & psych-funk (“Fear”, “Freedom Train”) 3.5

It's aight

Very versatile album, some sort of stripped down and a few overly produced. Freedom Train a stand out in emotion.

I didn't like this album, particularly. I generally only like the song Are You Gonna Go My Way? by Lenny. I find his lyrics to be fairly uninspired and repetitive. Don't much care for his singing, either. But I didn't find it to be an irritating album, so it gets 3.

I give Lenny credit for playing most of the instruments and doing the production. This is his album for sure. There are good songs but there's a bit of filler as well and at times stuck in retro 60s psychedelia. Overall it's OK but he does try too hard to be Prince.

It kind of picked up near the back half, but this album just fells boring to me. 3 stars.

Not really my jam, but i like the album aesthetics!

Album 472 of 1001 Lenny Kravitz - Let Love Rule Rating : 3.5 / 5 Good album. Came on a day where way too much was going on, so I'm a day late. Probably better than I heard as there were a few distractions.

better than i thought it would be

just alright

Honesty is important. I wasn't blown away by this. His voice grated on me, and I wound up trying to like it because the lyrics were at times really interesting. It felt quite tame?

60/100 Lenny Kravitz has always been an artist whose general popularity strikes me as confusing. While his debut offers some nice 70s revival and is concise there are no true stand-outs

Its pretty good but at some points the guy just sounded like a tesco Prince

Decent album for Lenny Kravitz. 3/5

Mixes quite a few genres. pop, funk, rock, soul.

Trying way too hard.

Enjoyed it, but seemed a bit repetitive.

Have never heard the album. Not bad, but not that memorable. He "oversings" on quite a few songs. "Go Henry"

The most confident I’ve ever been giving a three. Overall solid quality, but it lacks some of the moments that 4s have.

Pretty good.

This was pretty good. Lenny Kravitz is someone I've somewhat enjoyed but never really listened to.

Well produced Soul-,Funk-, Rock. It's nice, it flows, is it the best album with most hits? no. Most songs are great and easy to listen to but most i forgot during the day. The most catchy one that i remember was Mr. Cab driver. An okey rock album to have in the background.

I was skeptical at first. I always thought of Lenny Kravitz as a Prince/Hendrix rip off. I’m not entirely wrong in that assumption, but the quality of these self-penned, self-performed tracks can’t be denied. The first half is especially strong, with the title track, My Precious Love, and I Build This Garden For Us all standouts. The back half veers into some social consciousness territory that does not come across as genuine or spirited (Mr. Cab Driver, Be, Blues for Sister Someone). Not perfect, but it has its moments.

typisch Lenny Kravitz

It's quite all right but I do not understand why it is on this list.

I have never heard this but I’ve heard plenty of later LK and I can only describe this as a caricature of what his sound would become. It’s not good but it’s charming. I’m bewildered. I think I like it.

I was expecting more. It was surprisingly uninteresting to me. I was expecting more of a unique sound. I did not hate it though!

There was a lot more Prince here than I expected, as someone who knows later Lenny Kravitz but had never listened to his early work. I don't think I'll return to it although I didn't dislike it.

It was okay. Definitely a breath of fresh air after the glam rock and synths of the 80s. But the music itself kind of bores me.

cool

...

I thought I might like this more - but I still enjoyed listening to it; maybe would even give 3.5 stars, if that were a thing. Some tracks a bit self-indulgent (My Precious Love). But others good: I Build This Garden for Us, I particularly enjoyed - sounded quite Beatley/Princey, to me. Empty Hands, and Rosemary stood out, too. Guitar! Anyway, all in all, pretty cool - I think I would quite like to be Lenny Kravitz, haha.

A fun opportunity to listen to an early release from Lenny Kravitz, as I am a big fan of some of his releases during the 90s and definitely think he has gone under the radar as years have gone by. ‘Mama Said’ in 1991 was definitely where he hit full stride for me, and I think that shows here.. good stuff but not quite hitting the spot as much as his other work. Feels a bit lacking, hard to explain.

Safe and inoffensive. If this was a restuarant, it would be Nandos.

Enjoyable

A lot better than I was expecting and surprised by the existence of Lenny Kravitz prior to "are you gonna go my way" which was played on MTV 4,000,000,000 times when I was coming up.

this was a good solid rock and roll

Thought I was going to enjoy this a bit more than I did. Starts off with the foundations of what I love about rock and roll, but devolved a bit mid-way through the end to being a bit preach (especially the bible songs). Not a bad listen though.

I like Lenny Kravitz. I enjoy his music and performances. This is very early in the Lenny Kravitz arc and probably should have stopped around track seven.

Meh 🫤 I’m gonna go listen to Prince.

Some really good instrumental work soured by the fact that Lenny desperately thinking he sounds like Prince (spoiler: he doesn't). If the first half of this album had all the vocals scrubbed out, it would probably be a 5/5. As it stands, it drags on too long and only gets progressively lamer. It is what it is.

Surprisingly sort of ok.

Lenny is always good for some funk, but surprisingly forgettable.

Pretty decent sound that brings to mind artists like Stevie Wonder, Prince, and maybe a bit of Beatles thrown in there. But that’s what it is. A bit of a copy. I would’ve liked to see more originality and diversity in the sound. However, it is pretty cool that he played most of the instruments on here.

Hard rock på den funky måde, ret cool

This feels like proto-Lenny. The time just before he was an idol to the masses. Kinda good, but also just kinda good.

Quick, someone who was alive back then tell me how bad and persistant the comparisons to Prince were. This is solid, I think it’s survived it’s time and aged maybe better than most mainstream rock albums of it’s time. A hard-working 3 from me.

With the exception of 1 song most of the songs sound very similar.

The filler songs were really forgettable. A few great tracks though. 3.

Middle of the road album. Not bad by any means, but also not amazing or impressive.

I dont like lenny kravitz, but this is a pretty good album, especially considering that its essentially a one man band recording. 3/5

Ok

Lenny has the ability to play some nice guitar riffs. There are also some sparks like the well known songs "Let Love Rule", "I Build This Garden For Us" and first of all "Mr. Cab Driver". The rest of the album bores me or sucks most of the time. 2,5

I don't understand the hate that Lenny Kravitz gets. I also don't see the comparisons to Prince. Listening to this album, I feel like Kravitz is trying to channel John Lennon, Jim Hendrix, and maybe Stevie Wonder. The songs are generally good and have some impressive moments, particularly on the song 'Let Love Rule'. It also has a few misses and feels like it's missing something as an album. But overall, it's impressive for a debut album.

I'm not a fan of Lenny K, so this album wasn't really for me. (His drummer is pretty good and the music has a lot of great quality, in places). Be - probably the best track A mediocre 3

first listen funky rock, but definitely style over substance

I know the song "Let Love Rule" and a lot of Lenny's singles already but have never listened to any Lenny Kravitz albums before. This was okay - I liked the title track and "Mr Cab Driver" (fuck you) the rest were mid - a lot of Lenny Kravitz doing a very unsubtle Prince/Jimi pastiche. Nothing too clunky, except some of the Jesusy bits, but nothing that really excited me either.

This wasn't terrible, but it wasn't good either. The perfect example of a 3 star album. Nothing really pulls you in, but it's not so bad you need to turn it off.

I only know 90s rock lenny so this was kind of suprising, funk meets.. the beatles?? Feels like a mix of several kinds of 60s and 70s rock sounds.

Solid debut album. Hard to believe it was released in 1989. Maybe Lenny was a little ahead of his time? This isn't his best album, but it's definitely interested to hear him figuring out his sound. Good stuff.

Definitely makes sense why this is included. Can see the bridge from 80s rock into the 90s rock with this album. Feels like a very mid 90's album yet was released in 89. Has a number of solid songs, also has a number that aren't super great and are too long.

Lenny is a vibe! His vocal talent shines throughout this album, and I appreciate the use of different sounds/instruments/music styles that make up a very well rounded record with a little something for everyone!

Honestly not as bad as I thought it would be. I don't know any of Kravitzs' songs except for Fly Away, but I moderately enjoyed this album.

It was alright

a bit too up his own ass for my taste

Tolerable which I didn’t think it would be going in! Could be easy background music for a party or gathering. Also got Let love rule stick in my head for the entire day, which I didn’t mind, surprisingly.

Pretty forgettable, was fine though

Surprisingly Christian? Some good funky jams too.

3.5/5

I saw Lenny live in the mid-90s. I didn’t know any of his songs but he sang Let Love Rule for, like 15 minutes and went through the audience during the super long chorus. I agree with the other critics on here. Impressive work but he sounds like the guy on the quad with a guitar trying to pick up chicks. Not bad but no real standouts.

A bit mainstream for me

I'm not a big Lenny Kravitz fan but I also have nothing against him so I put this one on in the background. Was it OK as a background listen? Yup. At a few points I heard things that gave off strong Beatles vibes and a few hints of Prince here and there. But otherwise there was no point at which the record grabbed by attention and made me want to listen more closely. 3 stars for a "meh" without feeling like it was awful.

Middle of the road and a bit too lovey dovey

This guy will never be popular enough to play on pop radio.

The only thing I remember from this album is one kinda terrible line

Overall just very average.

Harmless, fine, fairly non-existent, you might say boring. Absolutely nothing about this makes me want to turn it off or ever listen to it again. 2.5

"Let Love Rule" is the debut album by American musician Lenny Kravitz. Pyschedelic rock and pyschedelic soul are the genres listed. Hmmm, I guess they both work. Besides parts of two songs, Lenny wrote and produced all the songs. He also played nearly all the instruments. Impressive. The album hit #61on the US charts and #56 in the UK. "Sittin' on Top on the World" opens things up. Acoustic guitar. Funky with the bass and drums. Layered vocals. He might be sitting on top of the world but he's singing the blues. Things get way more optimistic in "Let Love Rule." Besides the standard rock instruments, an organ and sax are added. Always liked the vocal chorus. Although, this song does tend to go on and on and on. I really got Beatles' vibes in "I Build This Garden for Us." I think it was the guitar chord progression and strings added. A great guitar solo and the classic Lenny scream. This Garden does sound like a nice place. He goes a little political in "Mr. Cab Driver." This might be the most standard rock song: electric guitar, bass and drums. Cab drivers won't pick him due to his skin color and dreadlocks. I can't say there was anything entirely original on this album but it was fine. You can definitely tell that some of his influences were Hendrix, the Beatles ans Sly & the Family Stone. There's a variety of musical styles including rock, funk, blues and soul. I think I got what I expected out of this album: nothing mind blowing but nothing really that bad.

Lenny kills it on all the instruments here, and I suppose this is unique for 1989. It rocks and grooves a lot harder than pop rock music of that era. That said, a lot of these songs sounded extremely similar to classic rock from the 60’s/70’s

I had never heard any of this album before I just played it. I don’t know if there were any new ideas on it - it sounds quite derivative at times. Halfway through, I thought : shit, was this recorded at Abbey Road? I then read that Kravitz had been criticised because “the simple drum patterns brought to mind Ringo Starr” (poor Ringo - always copping a bashing). There are so many grabs from old songs, but, look, it works for me. It’s not great but it’s certainly not boring. And I cannot work out why the 3 bonus tracks on the cd were not on the vinyl?

Solid album, nothing "spectacular" but a very complete album that was enjoyable to listen to start to finish

Decent album, some funky base lines and good guitar.

Okay album. Not my favorite but not bad either.

Kravits can play and sing for sure. And I’ve seen him live, he puts on a great show. But the record just lacks… something. Originality? Maybe. Mr. Cab Driver is a good one as is the title track.

I don't know what to rate this thing. It's not offensive, but I don't really want to listen to it again anytime soon. But I probably wouldn't turn it off if it was one, either. Everything on here has been done better by The Beatles, Prince, and Bowie. So what's the point? It's totally fine. I just didn't care about it at all. Probably a 2.5 that I'll bump to a 3 just because it's fine.

I wanted to give it a 2, because I have been giving so many amazing albums 3s. But I just can't give this a 2. It deserves to be a 3. Forgot how talented he was.

Kravitz is pretty decent

Pretty strong debut from Lenny Kravitz, who plays basically every instrument. And he does a pretty great job at it. I've known some of these songs for most of my life, but never bothered to check out the whole record. It stays for the most part in the same vein, and that's okay, but it didn't really wow me either. And it would benefit from a better mix. Standout tracks: Sitting On Top Of The World, Let Love Rule, I Built This Garden For Us, Fear, Mr. Cab Driver. 6 out of 10

Surprised this was the album out of the potential LK albums they could feature that shows up here. Overall just average. 3/5

Fajny rock. Można słuchać wielokrotnie tej płyty.