Let Love Rule

Oh man I did not know about that penis flop video.

More Christian than expected

Look, it's fine. Perfectly listenable. But also quite forgettable. Not sure what made it a candidate for the list.

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.

Love this albums though it does have some misses on it. It’s album with a little bit of rock, funk, and soul. Can’t wait to listen again

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

A much better album than I expected. I'm going with 4 as I high rating. Sound and feel were excellent, especially the title track.

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

not great bob

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

4/10

Baby Lenny Kravitz <3 It’s a bit grating at times, he strains his voice a lot. Does anybody know how many lives we‘ve lost is a tune. Mr Cab Driver is interesting, too. Flower child is groovy. I prefer the second part of the album.

If Lenny Kravitz didn’t look like a rock star, would we have turned him into one based on his music alone? Obviously Lenny can’t help being conventionally handsome, but this album feels a bit like the record company wanted a Prince without the sexual ambiguity. Unfortunately, he also didn’t have the tunes.

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

Very 60s trippy era type music. Not my favorite from Lenny. Could not get into.

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.

Janice Hendrix meets Jimmy Joplin

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

Ble ikke ferdig, men hørtes greit ut. Bra voksenmusikk. Flink kar

Dette hørtes nesten litt amatørmessig ut. Vokalen var nesten sur til tider og kompet veldig basic. Har hørt ganske bra låter av han før som er langt mer spennende 🤷‍♂️ (Are You Gonna Go My Way og American Woman for eksempel)

Runder opp

Part Jimi Hendrix, part Prince.

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.

Weirdly reminded me of Mike Viola! Got a little religious in the second half that turned me off a bit I fear… but this rocked! The harmonies and the songs were awesome. Feels like it fits in with 90s alt rock more than the disco/funk I was expecting

Sexxxxxyyy. Synthy-organ-bass whatever - melt.

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

Grungy funk-rock med et Beatlesk touch her og der. Det er ikke stor kunst, men jeg kan sgu meget godt li’ det.

Raw debut with forgettable Lyrics - says a critique.

How this man became popular I’ll never know

It's a bop

This album is a weird choice to include over one of his more popular 90s albums. After listening to it, I learned that it has all the trite lyrics Kravitz's hits have with none of the fun and energy. He would probably do well to shy away from political statements and social activism and stick to "Are You Gonna Go My Way?".

Waiiiit this is a good ass album?! I have heard his older stuff (my mom is a Lenny Kravitz fangirl) but never this album. I love how it starts a little unpolished and goes through so many different states and emotions. Soooo good

Pretty solid rock, good emotion. Enjoyed.

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

Worse than Coldplay

I loved this album when it came out. I think because it was a retro sound to start with, it still holds up now.

++: 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.

Pretty funky

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.

A verry 'Jazzy' Rock mixture in Lenny's style. If you like Lenny and his style - you'll get it.

Thought it’d be soulful and engaging — but it was so mellow I actually fell asleep!!

Hate it. Hate the sound and the lyrics are made for stupid people.

Finally an answer to the question, what if Prince had no singing or lyrical ability? This was rough. Lenny extends his vocals too much on this debut, like he hadn't discovered his thing yet. They're weak. But the lyrics are what are truly abysmal, like grade-school level. I was not ready to discover that 'Fly Away' is somehow *not* the worst song in his oeuvre.

Gear: 64 Audio Duo Artwork: 😏🔗🔦 Production: 🔉📏🆗 Music: 🤷‍♂️🤔🙅‍♂️ Ratinng: 🍆(🍆)/5

His debut album isn't my favourite, but it's decent... 4 stars

Couldn’t get through it. Just bad. I don’t love Prince, and this is just a worse version. 1 is too harsh, but 2 is generous.

Don't like it

Best Track - "Let Love Rule"

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 should like Lenny Kravitz but there is something about his vocals that I find incredibly offputting. At times he seems to screech for no apparent reason and it's deeply unpleasant to listen to.

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.

I like the bass that Kravitz uses it slightly declined towards the end but overall enjoyed this album.

One of the albums of all time

A very good first effort. The following albums were even better, but this one also ticks all the right boxes. 4/5

Great debut album. Sounded familiar while be original. The guy has been iconic for almost 40 years.

This was just more boring than I expected. I bet he is more interesting as a person than this is as an album.

His voice just isn't that strong. You have some Prince kind of songs and some very Beatles moments. Mr. Cab Driver I remember being kind of catchy, but I found it pretty boring now. Over compressed. This whole album just has local bar band energy. It's on the level of a working class musician with a day job. Not required listening.

Retro Lenny! Still, good stuff. Well done.

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

1.5/5

I wanted to like this alot more than I did. Don't get me wrong, it's very good, but I guess I was expecting a little more? Loved "Let Love Rule" the song, though. 7/10

Not much redeeming about this one. Completely boring bunch of songs with little to make them stand out. And some really obnoxious lyrics and melodies that bordered on cliche. Hard to believe he was so popular after listening to this.

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.

Fairly shocked that this is Lenny Kravitz's first album. His sound seems fully formed at this point and largely no boring tracks in the whole thing. Really really impressive entry and I had a lot of fun listening to it. Special shout-out to Mr. Cab Driver. That song rocks.

I really liked this album for some reason.

Lenny is pretty cool. He definitely leans heavily into his inspirations, which is a plus and a minus. It gives his music a solid background of musical history, but then it doesn't usually feel too original. I guess the list guy chose this album because its the debut that brought Lenny to the world, but Mama Said and Are You Gonna Go My Way seem to be better all-around albums to me. I think it's because there are more musicians bringing their parts to life. (And you have to give him some credit for playing everything here.) Did you notice how for each and every song Lenny pretty much sings the title over and over? Some have many more lyrics, but they all do share this one thing. Not that it's a wrong thing to do, just weird. (To an annoying extent on "I bult this garden for us.") I'm sure I've listened to this album more than a couple of times in the past, but usually prefer the next two and have listened to those more. But I'd say this is a worthwhile listen. I want to give 3.75 stars. Guess it's getting a 4

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

I only really know his most famous songs, which are likeable but I didn’t know any from his debut. This album is mostly fine but it passed me by somewhat, and largely only caught my attention when things weren’t so good. Lyrically, I wasn’t too impressed with this and some of the songs were just lacking. Certainly doesn’t feel like a must hear album.

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

Leuk

повторяющийся и вокально тоже скучный (

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

1/5, not for me

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.

Rockstar for sure

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

Do you like Prince but want him to be - More overproduced? - A Worse Guitar player? - A Worse Singer? - A more Cringe Songwriter? Then boy do I have an album for you 3/10

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

It was ok

I fucking love this shit - went to check the reviews and fuck me why is this so hated? I enjoyed it a lot

Fine album, worth listening to once in a while

Favourites: Let Love Rule, I Build This Garden For Us, Fear, Rosemary, Blues For Sister Someone, Flower Child

I wasn’t aware that this album existed until now. It’s proto-Lenny and a fun listen. Straightforward in its pop rock approach, but glimpses of what’s to become shine through.

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

Quero começar dando crédito pro cara. De acordo com Wikipedia, ele compôs o álbum todo com exceção de uma faixa, e ainda tocou todos os instrumentos. Bem comendável a sua virtuosidade, apesar dos resultados serem abaixo de estelares. Lenny Kravitz certamente não é nenhum Stevie Wonder. Pra começar que achei todo o disco bem pastelão. A voz de Kravitz não é ruim, mas também não é boa. Passa batido, um vocalista completamente esquecível. Uma voz que serviria mais para atender clientes em um drive-thru. A instrumentalização, composta e tocada inteiramente por ele, é sem gosto. Básica, pedestre, nada notável. O resultado é este. Um disco completamente inofensivo, mas também desprovido de qualquer personalidade própria ou maior ambição. Parece que ele existe apenas para existir. E é aquilo, não conheço nada sobre o artista em si, mas tenho certeza que se fosse conhecer ia acabar gostando ainda menos desta obra. Vamos tentar novamente amanhã, 1001 álbuns. 1/5

Lenny Kravitz is simply a cool guy and an incredibly talented musician. This was already evident on his debut album “Let Love Rule,” which is really worth listening to. I find it remarkable that the songs are so different that I don't really want to single out any one of them. On the other hand, Lenny manages to convey each of the 13 different moods convincingly and fill them with his personality. It makes sense that he was compared to Prince early on—even though I see him more as a successor to Jimi Hendrix in terms of style. Strong debut!

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.

Lenny nunca falla. Pasa por varios estilos a lo largo del disco y nunca defeauda. 7/10

Groovy

In a nutshell: foreplay music for a movie It’s as if Lenny is a mix of Prince and Sly Stone. The funk/soul stylings, a sensual voice (for the most part), multi-instrumentation. Speaking of, I find it amusing that the Personnel entry on the album’s Wikipedia page lists Lenny’s credits as “lead and backing vocals, all other instruments.” All other instruments. Good for you. Overall: 2/10

Très sympa

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

Genuinely solid. Not an everyday listen for me, but Lenny sings sweetly

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

what a great debut!

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

No me terminó de enganchar por cosa de gustos, pero tiene temas destacables. Bastantes elementos del blues utilizados de una forma precisa

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.

Raw Lenny Kravitz...cool album. Almost blues-like and I would listen to it again.

Great album

Неплохой соул альбом, послушать иногда можно. 6 из 10.

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.

"Get me Jimi Hendrix!" "He's unavailable." "Then get me his non-union Beverly Hills equivalent!"

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!

Other than “Let Love Rule” I’ve never heard anything else from this album. Was hoping for more. 2.5 stars

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.

A bit try hard

This is great. Has the sort of homemade, keyboard-heavy texture that you might find on a 70s Stevie Wonder record. A lot of these tracks are laid-back and jammy, reflecting a sort of return to normalcy after the overly synth-happy 80s and a tendency towards overwhelming, roaring textures by Kravitz's contemporaries. To be sure, Lenny Kravitz's style is more accessible (to, say, proto-soul (à la Marvin Gaye) fans) than someone like Prince, who tends to be weird and sexual for the sake of being weird and sexual. This material is definitely more rocky, more bluesy, and arguably more carefree than any of Prince's famous material. I also appreciate how Kravitz isn't taking the direction of LL Cool J, Public Enemy, and others from around the same period. They didn't know it at the time, but they were pioneering a pretty hit-or-miss (mostly miss) genre. Props to Kravitz, I guess, for recognising the value of more old-fashioned funk/soul at the same time. The sheer number of negative reviews here almost reads like a bot trying to bring the average rating down. It's kind of shocking. Let Love Rule isn't perfect, but it's sure as heck better than most other late-80s material. 1989 was a rough year for even the strongest bands at the time (Storm Front, The Miracle, Hot In The Shade, Built To Last...) and this stands out from the crowd in terms of both quality and genre. Great guitars, consistently excellent basswork, a strong vocal that's projected to the forefront of the music (as it should be!). An incredible sax solo on the title track too. The guitar sound reminds me of Mick Ronson (who played with David Bowie on his Ziggy Stardust record). It's especially apparent in I Build This Garden For Us, which is also a great (albeit brashly mixed) song in its own right. Mr. Cab Driver sounds like early Lou Reed over a funk beat – a combination I never would've expected to work. Rosemary is essentially an acoustic ballad with a clichéd chord progression, but it sounds so darn great that I can't find any reason to complain. 5/5 Key tracks: Let Love Rule, Mr. Cab Driver, Rosemary

What a half-baked mess. Each track is like one of Hannah's dolls in Toy Story - made up of pretty parts; but stitched together, they are comically unpleasant. Does nothing to disabuse me of my sense that he's famous because of that face.

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😆

girl idgaf 😭😭😭😭😭

Classic w great songs.

Ultra boring.

this album is a ton of funk - mix between real sensual RnB, funk, soul, and energetic feel throughout that simultaneously challenges the listener with lyrics that challenge interpersonal relationships that spawn racism and sexism.

Groovy and kinda sexy album. Not actually what I expected from Lenny Kravitz, might need to check out the rest of the discography now as I was unfamiliar with his game.

This was solid, but super derivative. Basically it felt like I was listening to a solo album from that guitarist in Across the Universe.

Why is this album on the list??? Totally unimaginative and boring.

This shows how hard it is to be Prince. Was an ok listen, but wouldn't come back to it. My Precious Love stood out. 2/5

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

I don't know how Lenny Kravitz convinced himself so contritely that he was good, let alone anyone else; in the words of Ongo Gablogian "DERIVATIVE" He saw Prince moving into new sonic territories to mixed success and then jumped into his grave. The only saving grace, is this palette somewhat sounds like how Prince would revive himself with in 95 and thereafter.

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

*Do not care for Lenny as an artist, and then didn’t change my mind. *Just no soul and not compelling. It feels like Lenny was originally an actor or something, and then decided to try his hand at being a rock star now that he’s famous. RATING - 4/10

Una joya de Lenny, es increible lo moderno que suena este disco a pesar de haber sido grabado en 1989.

I built this garden for us is the best one IMO. But the lyrics overall aren't the best, and some of the songs are really repetitive, like the one bout a train, was it? idk, the music is pretty good though.

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

Oh this was not good. Highly irritating.

nice stuff

#654. Step 1: Find an artist that people know one [or more] of their songs. Step 2: Pick one of their albums that have none of these songs on it [and surely do not need to be heard before you die] and put it in the book. Step 3: ??? Step 4: Profit. 3/5: fine

Best thing Lenny Kravitz made was Zoe.

Good Album ... even better fashion designer. Did you see how the dress looked like it was on fire? The other one turned into a Mocking Jay! I wonder what happened to him after the Quarter Quell?

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.

Nothing in particularly wrong with Lenny. He has hits. this album just doesn't stick with me in any meaningful way

I don’t want to live in a world where a Lenny Kravitz album is considered essential.

I never need to listen to this one again

Something’s a little off. Too long for what it is but it’s ok

Not good

6/10…funk / rock

Didn't really get much out of this

Lenny!

No one needs 5 and a half minutes of "let love rule" and no one needs to waste an hour of this. Somehow this wasn't just boring, it actually made my day worse.

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.

Homie is vibing in his room alone feeling himself, wanking himself and decided to release the video for some reason

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 get that Lenny wants peace for everyone out there, but parts of this album make me want to choose violence. Lyrically there's nothing to write home about here. Musically it's fine. Some funky guitar here and there. Kravitz playing most of the instruments on the album is impressive. Some of it does sound amateurish. It even takes a religious turn in "Rosemary," which is annoying and I kinda wanna knock a star off just for that. Standouts were "Freedom Train" for the guitars, and that's kinda it honestly. None of the songs really got me going. This album didn't do a whole lot for me. Very forgettable. It seems empty and fake. Mostly average tunes that annoyed me more and more as the album went on. 2/5 stars for this one.

Maybe I just don't understand the dislike for this album. I found it really enjoyable. Clearly influenced by the music that was around at the time and music from eras past. Lenny does it really well on this debut. I was really surprised to find that he played the majority of the instruments on this album. It sounds good, front to back, flows together nicely, and has a nice variety.

One of my kryptonite vocalists.

I know Lenny Kravitz's 5 or 6 hits, and based on that, I expected to at least partially enjoy a few songs on this album at worst. I couldn't wait for it to end. There's hardly any meat here. None of the songs go anywhere particularly interesting. Not musically, not lyrically. Several songs touch on compelling subjects, but ultimately the tone is too preachy and / or the rhymes are too cheesy. Rosemary, for example, is basically just a really bad CCM song. (Not knocking the genre itself - I could name dozens of Christian rock songs that are infinitely better than anything on this album.) The first half sets up a story that could really go somewhere, but it evolves into a sermon. What a complete turn-off. Not for me.

1. Let Love Live 2. Does Anybody Out There Even Care 3. My Precious Love

You’re right Lenny, music is just style.

First time listen. And I was blown away.

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.

Favorite Track: I Built This Garden For Us

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.

I was surprised to see so many negative reviews for this album. I liked it. A little slow / samey at some points, but it was soft and smooth and I’m a sucker for debut album.

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

Boring

Not a huge fan of this album but I cant really put my finger on why. The instruments and the genre sounds good. The singing isn't mt favorite part but its not bad. It just feels like something is missing or that its trying to be a blues album but doesn't get all the way for me. The mix lands somewhere in the middle of blues and rock for med but it doesn't land exactly right.

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.

3/10 Like an alcohol free version of Hendrix/Prince/Beatles - none of the depth of flavour, no edge and it won't make you want to dance. Lame songwriting. Teenage poetry lyrics, uninspiring music. This album had added nothing to the world and does not need to be listened to. "Does anybody out there even care?" asks Kravitz. 'Fraid not, mate.

I was never big on Lenny, but after listening to this I need to give him a second listen.

Late 80's pop-rock mit paar (mehr) funk Elementen - weiß ich jetzt nicht. Kann man bestimmt mal im Hintergrund anmachen, wenn man niemandem auf die Nerven gehen will. I don't like his voice. Chord progressions und Harmonien sind vllt etwas ausgefeilter als bei anderen Genrevertreter. Letzter Song ist einfach wierd.

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.

What a pleasant surprise! I didn't think I liked Lenny Kravitz and his yelly style of singing. I was wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed this album from start to finish and even found I enjoyed his voice. A surprise 5.

It sounded a little flat at first but it got better so it's a four.

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

An interesting combination of funk/soul and rock. Probably just my bias talking, but I feel like it would have been better at times to lean more into the rock side.

Rock. Sometimes bluesy, sometimes edging towards jangly

Not a bad album, didn't blow me away, but some pretty cool, funky songs.

OK, I get the Photocopy-of-a-photocopy-of-Prince comparisons. But hear me out... This album is a gritless but slightly funky Lou Reed album. Simplistic messaging about good and bad. Appallingly bad rhymes. Criticism of the conditions that cause urban washout. Feels like counter-culture but it's being narrated from the sidelines. But middle America thinks he's a prophet. And I hate Lou Reed. Bonus point because Let Love Rule is pretty good.

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

A good rock album

Technically, this is music

this one i kinda liked

I really didn't care much for this one. The vocals in particular were bad to the point I couldn't listen to half the album before needing to turn it off, even while I was working on other things. No good!

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

Day534 - this might make it on the 2000 albums you need to hear before you die list, but come on.

Eh

2.5

2.75. Maybe a 3.

Спасибо за дочь, наверное. Лучшая песня - Rosemary.

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

Low budget Jimi Hendrix meets Anderson .Paak

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

at least he’s sexy

I was not surprised to hear him screaming about gardening and then I was even less surprised to hear the lyrics to his corny ass song “Does Anybody Out There Even Care.”

This album really gave me empathy for my husband. I feel like this is what it’s like to try to have a conversation with me when I’m hyperfixated on something. I say the same shit, the conversation moves along, then I go back to the same shit over and over. I actually kinda liked it tho

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.

It's not for me.

Лирично вокалично

kinda funky at points, kinda classic rock-y at points. a little sly and the family stone, a little beatles. does it feel kind of like a knock-off of prince at points? yeah, kinda. does that make it a bad album? no, not really. it's pretty enjoyable and there are some fun moments on here. still, there's nothing that totally blew me away - the best thing here is probably the title track and, although good, nothing particularly mind blowing. still, it was a fun listen.

While I do have some sympathies for Lenny Kravitz, this is kinda underwhelming? I get the vibe and inspirations this has, but it's just not doing so much for me, honestly

Let Love Rule is Lenny Kravitz’s debut album, but unfortunately, it didn’t leave much of an impression. Overall, the record felt like a diluted version of Prince — lacking the charisma, energy, and standout moments that might have elevated it. Most of the tracks faded into the background, with a consistently low-key, slow-paced vibe that never really gained momentum. Standout Tracks: Let Love Rule and Fear were decent, but even they didn’t quite hit the mark. Weakest Aspect: The rest of the album was forgettable — not bad enough to be offensive, just overwhelmingly average. Album Artwork: Nothing remarkable here either — a fairly standard cover that matched the overall tone of the music. Verdict: A forgettable listen. I won’t be revisiting this one

positiivi, komparatiivi ja superlatiivi, tämä on tylsin albumi jonka olen pääkoppaani laittanut vähään aikaan…

Ah Lenny it was….listenable but not your best

Solid 3 from Lenny

4/10 More psychedelic than expected, 90s Beatles vibes. Lenny is annoying

Big ol' snoozfest. I'm not a huge Kravitz fan in general, but I found pretty much every song on this album to be just very superficial and boring. Not something I'd listen to or recommend. 1.5/5

I really don't like Lenny Kravitz. It's all style and posturing and no substance. It is listenable though. It resembles music. 1.75/5

Yeesh... enough with all the shouting, already... This has always been my problem with Lenny... I could dig his music... I could dig his vibe... but I just can't get past his propensity for screaming... I'd have probably given this a 1, but as I've had a long string of 1s lately, and this isn't quite as 1y (though very close), I'll give it a 2 and hope we're on an upward trajectory...

This was fine, but felt like a rather boring safe choice. No one NEEDS to hear this before they die.

Mä oon varmaan kuunnellut liian vähän Kravitzia. Tämähän nimittäin toimii. Päivitettyä Hendrixiä ja paljon monimuotoisuutta! 4/5

Vähän geneeriseksi jäävää pop-rockia. 2.5/5

This is like a record label realized Prince is popular and said “we can do that”, but it wasn’t quite as good.

This is a good time. Not as good, in my opinion, as some of his later work, and it leans a bit to heavily on religiosity and hippie aesthetic, but Lenny is so cool he just about makes it work. 3.5 album if we had half stars, but I'll bump it to 4 stars because I'm a Lenny Kravitz fan, even if this isn't my favorite album.

Combined soul and rock. Has a nice feel and emotion to it. The instruments are really good. I like the songs and the vocals.

Wishes he was Hendrix and not nearly as good of a songwriter as he thinks he is

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.

Groovy

Just an all time album for me.

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.

Would have been a 3 star without the overly preachy songs.

Dude with a big scarf.

It feels like Lenny Kravitz should've been bigger. Maybe it's because I really only know him from his cover of "American Woman," or maybe it's because his peak seems like it was when I was younger than ten. I don't know. But it feels like he should've been bigger. Maybe he was. Anyway. This was a fun album. The production feels ahead of its time, honestly. For being of the late 80's, it shook all the familiar trappings of the rock production listeners had become used to - lots and lots of reverb, synths, and an attitude that meant taking yourself too seriously. None of that is here, and I am 100% here for it. This feels like a party, and that Kravitz wants the listener there. There's some hard rocking dance music, some slow jams that last for five or more minutes, and some loud horns that (at least for me) really tie some of the songs together. It isn't all great, but man is it a fun listen. It's soulful, it's rocking, it's spiritual, it's funky, it's immediate, and visceral. And I really, really enjoyed listening to this. And I can absolutely seen why it's on this list. What an album. Four stars. Standout Tracks: Sitting on Top of the World, Let Love Rule, Does Anybody Out There Even Care, Mr. Cab Driver, Blues for Sister Someone, Flower Child

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.

I built this garden for us Forever

this is sweet, it really is. lenny loved prince, the beatles, jimi, and stevie so much that he self-produced this loving macaroni art tribute. it's sweet, but it's not good.

Picture scene from Star Wars, where in the main characters looking up into the distance and he sees all the greats looking down on him smiling Yoda Obi-Wan the other people not a Star Wars guy anyways I get the sense that this is what’s going on in Lenny Kravitz’s head like he’s looking up and he’s seeing Stevie Wonder and Prince and Jimi Hendrix and he’s like I’m making you guys proud making my papa proud But then like he can’t contain his penis right I don’t know complex guy Mr. Cab driver is the highlight of this album for me and not for a very good reason Whoever did castanet work on empty hands is responsible for saving this album. I’d like to think that it’s Lenny himself carefully recording this wonderful instrument. The song about bees is powerful On flower child, I was cracking myself up, thinking about Lenny having the song mostly done, but thinking it’s gonna need something something really really really special. He sits there for a moment and all the other musicians in the room sit there with him in silence he needs to think what does it need? Then he jumps up and says I got it…. Old Timey, Honky Tonk old western piano in the background at random moments in the song. I think I’m not a Lenny Kravitz person no disrespect Mr. Kravitz. Sexy dude though.

i didn't realize lenny was such a sweetie pie. lyrically, these songs could come across a little corny, and occasionally do -- but lenny feels earnest enough to pull it off. mad respect for pulling this all together himself, all the writing, all the production, and almost all of the instrumentation. you can feel his limitations in the record, but one again - it's earnest. some of my favorite music comes from when artists sound like they are pushing themselves to edge of their ability it's pg rock. it's cute. it kinda sounds like dated rock n' roll from the later 90's, but it was made in 1989....which confuses me. 2.

4 stars

Another one where I'm like is this really in the top 1001 ever? Lenny has had some good hits over the years but too much of this meanders. We get it man you built the garden.

Mamma Said was a great album before I understood it was enthusiast music. The reason it worked was Lenny. Let Love Rule is more authentic, not everything was produced to be airwave ready and that's what sets this apart from most all of his other music.

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.

Slow and quiet is not where his voice shines so the beginnings of some tracks were a little rough as a result. But he quickly hits his stride and the middle of the album has a great, funk bass driven backdrop to his rock screams.

Low energy and repetitive. Way too many 5+ minute songs with no direction or purpose past 3 minutes.

soulless, but easy to listen to

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’m not going to let my deep disdain for Lenny Kravitz’s absolutely horrendous cover of “American Woman” have any effect on this review, as that travesty was released on a different album. Having said that, I really just cannot stand this guys voice. Musically this album is.. fine? Pretty generic late 80’s/early 90’s pop rock, definitely designed for radio airplay aspirations. But the voice is really what kills this record for me, I’m not even entirely sure why, but it’s just so grating to me. Not something I’ll ever even consider listening to again. 1*

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.

I'm not sure if I've ever listened to this whole album, and it's definitely an oversight. I may have when I was a teenager and been annoyed that every song wasn't a full on hard rock riff song like Mr. Cab Driver or Are you Gonna Go My Way. Anyway, now that I'm over that, this stuff definitely holds up on a lot of levels. Lots of good soul tracks--even the slow stuff is well done and not too weepy. Mr. Cab Driver is still a rocking song, among Kravitz's best.

> the Beatles Was previously unaware of this album. It's great

This album surpassed my expectations, especially the front half. Way better than I expected, however the lyrics seemed to become more sacchrine and on the nose as the album continued on, which wore on me. 2/5

Although it's not my favorite Lenny album, it was an impressive debut and cemented his style...seamless blend of rock, funk, soul. And that voice..... P.S. Just have to add that he's even hotter now than he was then, which is a feat unto itself.

sounds semigod.

Das Debütalbum von Lenny Kravitz, einem US-amerikanischen Musiker, wurde hauptsächlich in den Castle Studios sowie im Atlantic Studios in New York aufgenommen. Kravitz übernahm große Teile der Instrumentierung selbst und arbeitete eng mit Henry Hirsch zusammen, der für Tonaufnahmen und Produktion mitverantwortlich war. Musikalisch bewegt sich das Album zwischen Rock, Soul und Funk mit Elementen aus Psychedelic und Gospel. Der Sound erinnert teils an Musik der späten 1960er- und frühen 1970er-Jahre. Bekannte Titel des Albums sind der gleichnamige Song „Let Love Rule“, der sich durch einen repetitiven Aufbau und eine offene Botschaft auszeichnet, sowie „Mr. Cab Driver“, ein Stück mit gesellschaftskritischem Ton. Ebenfalls prägnant ist „I Build This Garden for Us“, das Kravitz’ Hang zu spirituellen und idealistischen Themen widerspiegelt. Das Album markiert den Beginn einer Laufbahn, die stark von stilistischer Vielseitigkeit und Retro-Einflüssen geprägt ist. Es vermittelt einen persönlichen Zugang zum musikalischen Selbstverständnis des Künstlers und gibt erste Hinweise auf spätere Entwicklungen in seinem Werk.

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

Okay but not recommending as a go-to album

Good.

Lenny Kravitz tells us to love each other and love god. I was hoping this album would show me a new appreciation for him, but I didn’t find that here. It’s really just bluesy pop rock that doesn’t stand much. It occasionally tries on a little more edge or a dil of psychedelia for color, but it’s shallow and not enough to really influence the sound. Almost just a nod to an influence or cool factor without really embracing it. There are some decent instrumental breaks which were probably my preferred parts. While I respect that he does almost everything in his own, maybe he’d benefit from some collaborators.

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.

Preachy, trite, and unpleasant. Lenny has chops, but this late 80s style does not hold up. "Blues For Sister Someone" is particularly heinous.

I fw this so heavy

I’ve had a love affair with this album and Lenny since its release. It’s still relevant and always creates a positive chill vibe. His friendship with Prince was really sweet and their work together showcases his immense talent.

Me: mom can we have Prince? Mom: no, we have Prince at home At home: this album. It’s so formulaic and try-hard, it’s almost a skit. But don’t worry Lenny, I’m sure someday “up” and “help” will rhyme (Mr Cab Driver).

Missing a real standout song. Album is rather stale. 2/5 Won’t listen again

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

Aggressively lame.

Ik vind dit eigenlijk best wel heel lekker. Enorm gruizige rockgeluiden met wat funk en soul er omheen. Ik weet niet hoe authentiek en hoe diepzinnig het allemaal precies is, maar het luistert wel lekker weg. En dat willen we uiteindelijk. Een soort Prince voor mensen die net 10 jaar jonger zijn dan de gemiddelde Prince liefhebber ofzo. Hij doet ook het irritante Prince schreeuwtje, o.a. bij 'My Precious Love'. Maar ik vind dit dus een meer dan prima album om in z'n geheel te luisteren. Gewoon erg lekker. 4 sterren.

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.

More like Let Love Drool. Or Let Average Spool. A 55 Minute Album Gruel. Stinkier than Elephant Stool. Better music could be made by Dr Steve Brule. Overall this is a punishingly average and derivative and aggravatingly bland listening experience and feels like the most boring lamest imitation of a dozen different better artists. There’s a microgram of Beatles, Prince, Hendrix and a tiny sponge of funk mental of Faith No More then diluted by a million parts water. It’s like classic rock and funk homeopathic medicine. Except it’s much harder to wade through than water (55 minutes felt like 300) so it’s more like some thick Kravitzy mucus that is used instead.

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.

Lenny at his prime

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

It's ok I guess.