Let Love Rule

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

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.

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.

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

7/10 It would sound great on a record

Sympa mais sans plus (album 200!)

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.

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.

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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.

Not bad in places but generally mediocre

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!

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.

Pas mon style mais pas mauvais

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.

Cool vibe

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.

Loved it? Hello?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Listenable.

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

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

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

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.

I remember when this album came out back in the day and being surprised by the sound of this album seemingly looking back to the aesthetics of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s and well, just the Beatle-ness of it all. It definitely stood out amongst the pop and rock music of 1989 and 1990. Lots of varied song ideas and soulful vocals and cool that he made most of this himself. Unfortunately it’s a bit too long at just over 55 minutes and would have been served well by some edits and/or cutting some songs out. It’s a good first album but personally I like his next album, Mama Said, much more and that would have been my album of choice for this list rather than this one.

I like the Lenny Kraviz sound, this album did not really grab me tho.

Never heard the album - a treat! His first is good, he gets much better! Hey, numerologists - my 700th for those playing along at home

genericest generic of all the generics that genericed. Lot more unearned yelling than anything.

Not bad but not great either. Loved some of the vocal production towards the end and there was some cool riffs.

Nothing notable.

Kravitz is obviously a talent and was pretty big in the 90s with a string of hits. Always reminds me of a cross between Prince and Hendrix. His debut album is a solid but unspectacular psychedelic rock/soul album. It’s a confident enough start but he’d go on to make more compelling records then this one.

#126 - Lot of musicality here clearly. Just couldn't really get into it.

There were things I loved about this and things I really did not love. I love his voice and the harmonies I could listen to that all day. Some of the songwriting was a little too “classic rock” for me which is something I’m realizing can really turn me off.

Lenny.. Ja det var lidt som forventet, og så alligevel endte jeg med at være lidt skuffet over den trivielle omgang.

Raw debut with forgettable Lyrics - says a critique.

A more mellow(and disappointing side) of Lenny Kravitz. For a debut, still fairly good, but lacked those heavy hitters tracks. Favorite Track: "Does Anybody Out There Even Care?".

Good

++: Sittin' on Top of the World, Let Love Rule, My Precious Love, Fear, Does Anybody Out There Even Care, Flower Cild +: Rosemary, Be, Blues for Sister Someone, Empty Hands +-: Freedom Train, Mr. Cab Driver -: I Build This Garden for Us 6,7/10

Wasn't sure about this one. Some of it felt derivative other songs were really lovely and his voice seemed so familiar, so similar to another singer but could not place it. I will give it a three as while it didn't make me sit up and go "Whoa" in a good way it didn't hurt my ears.

No objections, but no lasting impression. 3.

More of a fan of his lower register. Not my favorite album, but a fine listen

Not bad.

Solid listen and great energy. This is basically what I think Prince sounds like. I’d give it a 3.5.

A very hot man who likes love

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

The music is ok, but the lyrics are too soft for me. I get why it's on the list.

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.