Let Love Rule

Another album that wasn’t bad but is never going to be my choice.

It’s surely competent but like, so heavy-handed? And he is most definitely trying to imitate Prince on a lot of this but it just comes out as screeching instead. And like, the “YEAH YEAH YE-YE-YEAH” like he does on Fly Away was i guess just a signature move of his? You’ve got better stuff in ya Lenny. You’ll get there soon.

Not bad

Horribly whiny singer

This is another tough one but I want to stand by my choice of a 2. Realistically, this is more like a 2.4 even a 2.5. It is simply a case of a singer's voice just not resonating with me. Do not get me wrong, there is passion there which you can feel and some songs really make you feel something. For example, "My Precious Love" was filled with great build up, passionate singing which matched the tone, and some incredible solos on keys. However, this just did not carry on through out the album so I cannot in good heart give it a 3.

Not interested in this at all. Too good to be a 1, but I'll not be revisiting...ever

No single song is terrible, but listening to them all together highlights how empty they sound

Overwhelmingly plain and boring

Disappointing album i expected more from this album its a bland album only liked song 3.6/10

I dunno man. It’s funky and Princey and Jimi Hendrixy and LOOOOOONG and doesn’t really come together in an effective way. I found myself skipping songs 2-3 minutes into them going “yeah yeah I get it”.

‘Does anybody out there even care’ asks Lenny in one of the songs. And the answer is: nope.

Yup, that's a Lenny Kravitz album all right.

Mid and cap. Why is this on here. There are like 2.5 good songs by Lenny and none of them were on this album

It was a meh. Some songs sounded like Prince rip offs, all songs were forgettable though. I like some of Lenny Kravitz's songs, but really none from this album stood out to me.

Was so cringe. Low 2 1.8/5

I like the concept of Lenny Kravitz and enjoy some of his tunes. Just gets a little repitative and dull.

Somewhere between bad and bland 2/5

Funny getting this one the day after D'Angelo's Brown Sugar. While you can hear the influence of Prince on D'Angelo, it feels like Kravitz just blatantly rips him off. But he's less compelling as a singer than Prince, and a much, much worse lyricist, heavily relying on vague platitudes about love. Then theres the very bad, random Christian rock of Rosemary. I like the title track and its building chorus, Mr Cab Driver is pretty good, but most of this is lame as hell, truly cringeworthy self-seriousness from nepo baby Prince

Meh. Just all meh. I think he thinks he sounds sexy but he doesn't. He sounds like Aerosmith. Boringgggg

I didn’t want to go this way

All the rock 'n roll fixins', but didn't light me up

Rating: 5/10 Maybe the definition of average. At this point we've gotten a good few albums in the realm of the rock, funk, and soul that Kravitz plays here in the year 1989, like The Beatles, Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder, and Prince; and this album which obviously takes influence from them all to the point of homage is just not nearly as good.

Cheap rock that I can't take seriously. It's kinda just junk and isn't stylish or that "good" at all, and for some reason it annoyed me when he overlayed his vocals over himself like he just discovered the concept of music production 3.2/10

Raw & unpolished music is totally fine and valid, but I know Lenny has better releases, so this wasn't the one to nominate for this purpose. It's not even that interesting.

Niet mijn muziek

Lenny Kravitz seems like a supremely great guy. He's got a great voice, is a solid guitar player, has a distinctive sound, and isn't afraid to do his own thing. Unfortunately, I find his own thing to be by and large very very boring.

I respect the idea on paper - a skillful combination of old school pop-rock, 80s pop, soul and funk, carried by a convincing voice. The end result is groovy and smooth... maybe a little too smooth, even. It also sounds too shallow and easy-listening for my taste, as if most of the songs were specifically created to be radio hits. The arrangements are all right but lack complexity and can sometimes sound repetitive, while lyrics are completely uninteresting. But my main gripe is that I didn't hear any real emotion here - it feels more like a product than an album, and it started to bore me halfway through. Not unpleasant overall, but clearly not something I'd listen again. 4/10

2

One of the first cds I ever bought was Lenny Kravtiz’s “5” because I really liked his cover of “American Woman”. The lesson is that Jr High Brett had horrible taste. This album is better than that one. I’ve always liked “Mr Cab Driver” but the rest of the album really isn’t notable from my perspective. 2.3

So I’m not really into rock that much but this album really changed my whole perspective of rock cause i thought it was gonna be one of those rock song that be yelling and shit, but this album was more of a chill relaxing type of album, this is the type of album you play when you’re in a long roadtrip or when there a festival at a park or sum. One of my favorite song were,Let love rule, and I build this garden for us Overall I give this album a 2.5/5

not for me i guess

Lenny isn't sure if he's a rapist or not? Favorite track: Be 2.5/5

2.46

Not bad but not good

boring

Other than the title track and Mr Can Driver it bored me.

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

meh

(37/100)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ok when in the right mood for it. 2.7

Not really moving

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

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

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

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

Well probably okay, not my bag.

not impressed. too long

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

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

pretty good Prince pastiche. well produced!

Was ok

This was not necessary. Not bad, but not necessary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Just kinda there

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

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

Good album. Lenny has a great voice.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Just....dull tbh.

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

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

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

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

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

Has a few decent tracks, but that is it.

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

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

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

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

oh help me Rhonda.

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

could reasonably be a 3 but 55 minutes of this?

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

So long.

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

Not my vibe.

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

2 Stars (5/15)

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

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

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

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

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

I guess it's better than I expected

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

Pretty boring

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

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

Nothing happened, kinda boring

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

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

Rough. Prince impersonation vocals did not help

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

Super generic rock n roll.

2.5ish.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ikke lige mig. Ikke noget, der hang fast.

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

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

not great bob

4/10

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.

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

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.

How this man became popular I’ll never know

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?".

Worse than Coldplay

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

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

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.

Best Track - "Let Love Rule"

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.

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.

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.

повторяющийся и вокально тоже скучный (

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

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.

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

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

A bit try hard

girl idgaf 😭😭😭😭😭

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

*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

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.

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

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

Not good

Didn't really get much out of this

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 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.

One of my kryptonite vocalists.

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.

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.

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.

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

Technically, this is music

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

2.5

2.75. Maybe a 3.

at least he’s sexy

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

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

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

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.

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

Groovy

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

Dude with a big scarf.

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.

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.

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

soulless, but easy to listen to

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

sounds semigod.

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

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

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.

Can one man be both Stevie Wonder and The Beatles at the same time? No. No they can’t.

This was painful. The majority of the songs felt boring and uninteresting. It felt like eating a burger with only meat and bread, and in some little occasions, the meat has a bit of flavor. The production is decent, so at least the meat is well done, and not raw nor rotten, but I would prefer eat something more fulfilling. And now I'm hungry... for both better music and food.

Bored me to tears

One good classic and the rest is ok. Dude with a nose ring in 1989 was pretty far out…

Didn't enjoy this album very much at all. I think it was mainly his voice. Naggy kinda voice.

I expected this to be better based on his hits. 2.4.

I wonder what Lenny Kravitz's impact would be if he wasn't so good looking. This album was unoriginal and felt like he was trying too hard. Personal enjoyment: 2/5. Relevance to this list: 2/5

Like a more annoying cher.

couldn't finish it

1 - Just a bad Prince impression. 2 - Bad Beatles impression. 3 - wat? I’m on a bitter train? A bottle train? 4 - Bad James Brown. 5 - A second helping of Beatles but way too long, and too much Lenny trademark screeching™. 6 - Metal Stevie Wonder! (shoutout Burning Spear). 7 - Ballad of unknown provenance. 8 - NOW WE’RE TALKING! Mr. Cabdriver some throwback rockabilly spice with a little “fuck you” for the punk credibility! Extra star, best Lenny Kravitz song. Every song should be this one. 9 - aaaaaand we ruin it with the acoustic… oh no! A harmonica! What the hell. Sad child song. What is this? Bon Jovi? 10 - Prince full circle. Alright. Generally "listenable." Definitely doesn't need a whole album, and for those whose taste aligns with Lenny, you'll enjoy this a lot, so much trademark vocal sound. Interspersed with the contrived are some good moments, sometimes his little soulfunk/rock mashups work. It's a decent effort, Let Love Rule is nice, Mr. Cabdriver is great - really the only song on here that seems heartfelt at all. Good to be born at the right time in the right place I suppose.

Pretty middle of the road soul album. You can hear his great vocals. It's a decent not great album.

Great Groove!

You're running the risk of being labelled an asshole if you don't like this preachy album. Guess I'm an asshole. The Gospel, funk and poprock mix is not to my liking. He has a good heart and blabla but yeah a 2.

Was expecting some polished pop/funk/rock ala "you going to go my way" - was not expecting such a pedestrian rock album with repetitively dull and banal lyrics. I don't hate it or have anything against Lenny so I guess that makes it a 2.

Let Love Rule I didn’t really like this. I wasn’t necessarily expecting to dig it but it was way less enjoyable than I thought it might be. I don’t really get the appeal of Kravitz (although he is clearly quite a sexy man in a yoga instructor way), his music just feels pretty anodyne. I did like Are You Gonna Go My Way when I was 13 and it was on NOW 24, but that was before I’d really heard any actually good music. I generally don’t have a problem with derivative music, but this is derivative in a particularly uninspiring way. He takes from the artists he likes (Prince, Hendrix, Beatles/Sgt Pepper) and just produces wafer thin facsimiles, never capturing whatever it is that actually makes those artists great and filtering it through his own style and coming up with his own take, it just comes out as boring soundalikes. What starts off as tribute becomes a pastiche so weightless and ephemeral that it is weirdly oppressive by about halfway through, especially combined with the ropey hippy dippy platitudes of the lyrics. It’s not wretched like some of the stuff we’ve had but it is right on the cusp of 1 and 2. I’ll go 2 as I guess it’s heart is in the right place even if it’s pretty moribund. I quite like Mr Cab Driver though. 🚕🚕 Mr Cab Driver

He has a decent voice but at times just inexplicably wails like he's trodden on a piece of Lego. 'Does Anybody Out Of her Even Care' starts as a 'Perfect Day' take (only Lou Reed gets away with that delivery), and is then punctuated by screams worthy of the pre-natal ward. Beatleseaque again, but reasonably unlistenable. Talking of Lou Reed 'Mr Cab Driver' is pure Velvet Underground and a very decent effort at that. The character portraits don't have the authenticity of Lou Reed, and the melodies don't have the staying power of Abbey Road. The vocal schizophrenia is sometimes jarring. But this is still a class above the corporate rock of Fly Away. The album is really carried by its singles, Let Love Rule, I Build This Garden and Mr Cab Driver and little else.

It as interesting as his later albums, but you can hear the seeds of what will become prime Lenny Kravitz. Definitely not one of the best albums of the 1980s. Doesn’t belong on the list.

Meh, Lenny's done better.

This is a very pretentious album. After the awesome title track, everything else was overproduced, neohippie bullshit.

hyii tommone.. huom. tämä mies EI OLE seksijumala.. tämä EI OLE prince..prince... mies vai nainen ei väliä so smexyyyy... so fcking sexy yysex sexs sexsexsexsxsexs... hullu hiuset. liikkuu niin sulava liikunta, tukka niin hullut... unmatched.... pornooooooo pornoooooooooooooo...... prinssi näytä munaaa pliiiiiiiiiissssssss.. rinc.. prink.. plllllssaaaaaaaaaaaaaa muna munaaa muaaaaaa aaaaaaahhhhhhhh . google kuinka pitkä kili prinssilläö... ok google prinsselin kikkelin koko!!!! nyt heti paikalla!!!!!! tämä mies EI EI OLE prince NOT FEMININE.. NOT MASCULINE... NOT ANDROGYNOUS.. NOT TRANS ICON... my precious love

I was pretty underwhelmed with this one - mostly made of forgettable tracks with eye-rolling lyrical clichés about love/peace etc. Easy going dad rock that hasn't aged too well. 2/5

Pretty average …. Needs more oomph

Lenny Kravitz gotta be one of the biggest examples of “pretty privilege” of all time. This man has been allowed to make the most boring, milquetoast “classic” rock, mostly because he’s stunningly beautiful. I can’t really blame the record executives! They probably saw him, fell in love, and never even heard what he was playing! But I gotta tell ya, when you can’t look at him, the music is bad! The worst “socially conscious” lyrics I’ve heard in some time, just stupidly on the nose, and also, he can’t sing? He’s straining to hit all the notes!!! He wrote these songs!!! Lower the damn key! Rough going, this thing is also an hour long!

Twas okay. Went on a bit.

Half star for sax solo on Let Love Rule. I’ve never been a fan of Kravitz. Coming in, I’ve always thought his brand of rock was very bland and although I’m trying to approach all albums with an open mind, this album has not changed that opinion.

..

Its like a sonic mashup of Prince and Elvis Costello. Mr. Cab Driver sounds like a demo tape from some punk kid in his garage. Wow this is really not good. Rosemary is a big pick back up, and then it goes into a bunch of god shit. ugh this was very not good, and I'm tempted to dock a star for the diet prince approach, though its not his fault for being multi-instrumental.

Lenny Kravitz was making music in 1989? Did you know? Because I sure didn't. I had heard Let Love Rule and Mr Cab Driver before, but I def didn't realize it came out before Are You Gonna Go My Way. I had discounted listening to much of Lenny's work since I had assumed it was all mostly like AYGGMW, but this album shows he has a broader sound. So maybe I'll check out some of his other stuff. Maybe. My Previous Love might be my fave song on the album, of course due to its ample use of horns and organ.

It’s alright just didn’t really catch me

OK

Yeah this is just a lame album

mmm no

Considering this was Lenny Kravitz, I was expecting more. The first 2 songs were good, but everything afterwards was boring or just sounded off. I'm pretty surprised I landed at a 2 with this one.

Nice vibe but did not like his voice

I'm not sure but I think Lenny might build this garden for us? Jesus, I lost the plot by that track, which is a shame cause musically it's pretty good and I like his vocals, but it felt a bit indulgent at times

Corny

One of the more amateurish-sounding records I’ve encountered on the list so far (from lyrics, singing, production) and I’m 240+ albums deep into it.

I Built This Garden For Us - Wow this shit is hard to listen to. Rosemary - and here we go with jerking off to Jesus. This really sucks, what's the hype about?

Pretty good ... he's got a very definite sound which isn't my favorite, but is definitely talent, and this earlier incarnation I like better than the later stuff.

I’m not sure why, exactly, but I just didn’t enjoy this at all. It was boring and the vocals had kind of a whiny quality. It mostly just irritated me. Almost a 1, even.

mid

3 songs in- underwhelming and a bit dull. When does it get started?

As Ben said, better to listen to actual Prince instead. I Got bored halfway through and put it off

Not a huge fan of Lenny

2/5

This shit's so dopey.

Impressive that he played most of the instruments, but all in all a pretty boring album.

The sound on the hits was good but the other stuff was a letdown. Trite messages and childish concepts on how to achieve peace through embracing Jesus are the bulk of the second half. I feel Lenny has nothing to say. And the music he makes, while suitable for radio is ultimately just passing.

a bit ploddy nice piano in My Precious Love sounds a bit like Lou Reed on Mr Cab Driver

Lenny a pretty average artist by just about every measure. His third album "Are you gonna go.my way" hold nostalgic value for me but this outing doesn't hold up

It pains me to say this, but I must. Dull. (But, like Blur, nice that the record label kept the faith.)

2/5

The Prince influence is clear but there’s also a harder rock edge that slots nicely into that grungy sound that was coming into popularity at the time. The title track is great if a bit over long and some of the other rockier or groovier tracks work really well, but there are a lot of go-nowhere adult contemporary ballads that just make me zone out

Not very impressed with this one, some of the vocal inflections a tad grating. Assuming this is another album that set the standard going forward but didn't age the most gracefully 4/10

Ganska slätstruket. 2.5 av 5.

Inane blues rock that aspires to be Mick n Keef but just end up being a bit shite. Bored.

Not really impressed. I used to like listening to Lenmny Kravitz when I was 8 years old and hadn't heard of Nirvana yet. There's a lot of quite funky and groovy elements here but the overall album sounds like pretty forgettable rock.

Some of this is pretty good, and some of this is pretty cheesy. A number of these songs also overstay their welcome for me. In my mind, the enduring legacy of Lenny Kravitz is when his leather pants exploded on stage, revealing his genitals. If I could do half stars this would be a 2.5. When in doubt, I'm rounding down, even if 2 stars feels pretty harsh.

I'm not saying the guy is untalented, but I don't like this album and find most of the songwriting childish and wack.

I don't know how anyone listens to this. It is really dull. Lyrically and musically.

I never made it through, bleeding boredom. Technically it is well executed, but nothing that catches me, neither anything that provokes. It is just there, and it does not do anything beyond.

Competent radio rock. Not my cup of tea.

Not really into it today. I love me some Lenny Kravitz songs some times. There's a new one that I like a lot I heard last week.

More like Lenny crapitz. It was ok

You know, seeing Lenny Kravitz’s name pop up this morning really isn’t what I was anticipating. It has to be some kind of inside joke that this list does not have artists like Death or Neutral Milk Hotel, but does have the debut from Lenny Kravitz himself. In my mind, I don’t really see him as much of a musician though. Like even if he can play instruments, musician implies he belongs under the same umbrella as David Gilmour or Paul McCartney. Not very accurate if you ask me. He’s sort of like Jason Derulo at this point. Where his public image has extended beyond my view of him as an artist. Except I think even Jason Derulo can classify as an artist better. By either way, I found myself listening to Let Love Rule today. And thank god I was in my room by myself, because I’d be embarrassed to be caught with this on in public. Fans of Lenny may try and peddle this to you as some sort of Prince level effort. If you look into it, it is written online that Lenny produced this whole thing and played every instrument on it. The credits in other places online say otherwise, so I’m not sure how to feel. But make no mistake, even if he is playing every instrument, this is not some sort of virtuosic situation, where every instrument he picks up, he instantly masters. He might be a jack of all trades, but he’s most definitely a master of none. Because nothing he is playing at any moment really feels impressive or even remotely above average. This is entirely just soul music at its most surface level and basic. You couldn’t make a harder billboard, radio play bait album if you tried. Possibly the least appealing aspect of this whole mess is his voice. From what I’ve heard of him in the past, his voice never seemed that bad. I mentioned Prince earlier. And I don’t know if I’ve ever heard someone try to sound like Prince harder, and fail more miserably. Again, because he’s not fucking Prince. I cringed a multitude of times when he attempted to hit a certain note and it was blatantly obvious he was straining his voice. I’m not sure in what universe we should be considering this an essential listening experience. This is wholly unnecessary, and hilariously out of place next to so many fantastic records. Whatever, middle aged women love this guy, so what do I know? Rating: 3/10

Favorite track: Let love rule other picks: Mr.Cab driver, my precious love, rosemary

Pleasant, does not try to hide his influences but a bit of a throwback.

Je ne comprends vraiment pas l'inclusion de Lenny Kravitz dans ce palmarès, et surtout ce cet album. C'est admirable que Kravitz a en gros fait l'album par lui-même et joue tous les instruments, mais globalement c'est tellement fade, trop minimaliste, les paroles sont souvent vraiment bêtes. On dirait qu'il essaye vraiment fort de faire du cosplay de Prince et ça ne marche pas. 3/10

Feel like this is a prime example of an unessential album. Another of those 'earlier albums without any of the famous songs' list choices but I can safely say this wasn't groundbreaking or influential. Thought it was pretty tame in terms of guitar playing and riffs, would seem Lenny didn't become a radio friendly artist but was always that way. Most of the guitar tones were very weak and it just in general didn't impress.

Didn't do much for me to be honest. It's fine, and pretty much what I expected but that's about all I can say. No stand out tracks really Few tracks weren't bad though, but not sure Lenny Kravitz is my thing 2.5

Lenny Kravitz has long embodied the quintessential rockstar: charismatic, hit-making, and oozing sex appeal. For over 30 years, he's been a cultural icon with magazine-cover abs and the swagger to match. While I’ve never delved deep into his catalogue, I’ve always respected his craft and enjoyed his occasional hit. His debut album, Let Love Rule, highlights his immense talent from the start, with Kravitz playing nearly every instrument—guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards—himself. At the time, it was impressive, and it still holds up today. The raw, analogue production was a deliberate contrast to the overly polished sound dominating the late '80s. Despite his talent, the album leans too heavily on his influences, often feeling more like a tribute to past giants than an original work. Listening to Let Love Rule can often feel like playing a game of "spot the influence." Kravitz channels Jimi Hendrix one moment, then switches gears to evoke The Beatles, Prince, Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, and The Rolling Stones—all in rapid succession. While he clearly has the chops to pull off these styles, his interpretations rarely rise above imitation. Instead of showcasing versatility, the genre-hopping leaves the album feeling scattered and unfocused. The title track, "Let Love Rule," is undeniably the standout—an anthem that showcases Kravitz at his best. But the rest of the album feels less inspired, jumping from soul to rock to funk without a cohesive thread to tie it all together. Given Kravitz’s later career, I shouldn’t be too surprised by this eclecticism. He would go on to have chart-topping hits spanning a wide range of genres, from the Motown-inspired “It Ain’t Over ’Til It’s Over” to the riff-heavy “Are You Gonna Go My Way” to the electro-tinged soul of "I Belong To You.” But on Let Love Rule, this eclecticism feels more like a lack of focus than versatility. The inclusion of "Let Love Rule" in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die is baffling. It is the sonic equivalent of reheating last night’s leftovers—fine in the moment but lacking in spark and freshness to leave much of a lasting impression. Even Kravitz himself seems to recognize this; outside of the brilliant title track, most of the album is absent from his greatest hits collections and curated playlists on most streaming platforms. Let Love Rule is a promising but flawed debut. It’s a decent listen, but too derivative to leave a lasting mark. Did/Do I own this release? No Does this release belong on the list? No Would this release make my personal list? No Will I be listening to it again? The title track is a banger, but the rest is mostly forgettable

I'm giving it the benefit of doubt by giving it 2 stars. I thought about giving it 1 star because it was so bad that I couldn't get past the 3rd track. So I'll give it an extra star purely on the basis that it might have got better from track 4 onwards.

For me, Lenny Kravitz is perpetually on the verge of doing something ambitious or interesting. And that is just not enough for my one life.

A few really good songs like Mr cab driver but the bad songs were pretty boring

Good singer. Some good songs. Not his best album.

Lenny Kravitz is kinda ass, sorry

Proficient

Legalzinho. Repetitivo

Mid

back up sitting on top of the world- i like the bass. not much else. 3 or 4 let love rule- ... 3 or 4 freedom train- 3 my precious love- 2 i build this garden for us- 2 fear- 3 does anyone out there even care- no. 2 mr cab driver- 3 or 4 he shouldnt be allowed outside after this

Very samey. Love is good I guess tho 4/10 Would I listen again? Probably not

too long and puritanical for me to really enjoy but it did get me interested in Lenny!

Prince for people who think Prince is too fun. And too talented. And too sexy. Also: Beatles.

There are a couple of OK tunes but most of this is a slog to listen to. Borderline 1 star, but I'll give it 2 stars just because there were a few redeeming qualities. Definitely not an essential album in any way.

Ok, but would not listen again 2/5

This is an album that is trying to be cool, to rock, to emote, to be taken seriously - it tries too hard. Some nice fuzz/wah guitars, loads of Beatle-isms, not many memorable songs. "Mr Taxi Driver" is the best of the bunch - it is less desperate than the rest of the album.

A lot of people tell me Lenny Kravitz is great, but I never figurered why. OK. The title track here is decent, but in general the music does not speak to me

Uninteresting mix of retro sounds.

As many others have pointed out, he wants to be Prince but does not have the talent to be Prince.

Not one of our stronger efforts. Makes the cardinal mistake of reaching for a note that he can't hit in the first 30 seconds of the first track, and the music is too vocal-focused to get away with a voice as weak as that. I only knew two Lenny Kravitz songs before this, neither on this album, and I have no desire to seek out more. It's a bit dull and the guy really can't sing as well as a professional singer should be able to. 2/5.

Music for people with no personality made by a nepo baby. At least some of it is catchy!

Like Lenny but this album is mid

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

good, a little dull at moments, some great songs on here though.

"Let Love Rule" is plodding. So is "I Built This Garden". Just because the tempo is moderately slow doesn't mean they have to be lacking in energy, but these are limp and lifeless. A low 2.

The only person who loves Lenny Kravitz more than Lenny Kravitz is two Lenny Kravitzes. I need to leave a little room for stuff I actively dislike, but there's nothing for me here.

Wouldn't listen again. Nothing special. 2/5

no meat on these bones

Honestly i there were good songs on it but i've found it a bit boring. Not bad but not that great