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Kravitz has at all times been this manner. He views any and each model of rock, R&B and funk as a toy to be performed round with till it generates a riff, or a hook. Over the course of 12 albums, he’s absorbed Hendrixian power-trio psychedelia, early ’70s thud-rock of the James Gang/Uncommon Earth faculty, Marvin Gaye-ish sex-soul, early ’80s New Wave AOR, Dirtbombs-esque storage rock, disco-era Rolling Stones funk, James Brown as filtered by way of Led Zeppelin’s “The Crunge,” back-to-the-land country-rock à la Neil Younger or the Band, Tackhead-style industrial funk, and a few sounds I can’t even pinpoint. He additionally does a Beatles-filtered-through-Tears for Fears psychedelic factor quite a bit, which I don’t love. (Examples: “Let Love Rule,” “Good Morning”.) And he has a passion for piano ballads that hardly ever work.
However what makes Kravitz fascinating is that he by no means writes an entire music in only one model. As a substitute, he swirls all of the sounds he likes collectively, treating them virtually like sonic tropes. This bass tone, that drum sound, that keyboard, after which on the refrain we’ll deliver within the huge guitars, and after the bridge — sax solo! And within the course of, funk turns into rock turns into soul turns into New Wave turns into synthwave turns into postpunk turns into Lenny Kravitz Music. So it’s not like you’ll be able to pull out one album and say, That is Lenny Kravitz’s rock album, or That is Lenny Kravitz’s funk album. Each monitor on each album is a few surprising mixture of the a number of sounds he likes, mixed in a barely totally different manner, and he’s under no circumstances fascinated by sustaining a constant temper. And once you embrace that as a listener, you end up nodding your head and saying, Fuck, it is a actually good music extra typically than you anticipated to.
Now, there’s one space the place I’ve to admit that Lenny Kravitz is not Good, Really. He’s a purely mediocre lyricist. Simply as he combines sonic tropes to be able to conjure songs which have classicism, but additionally a sort of newness, he writes lyrics that cope with basic rock ‘n’ roll topics — love, intercourse, freedom, faith, rock ‘n’ roll itself — however he does so in a really uninspired method. I’ve listened to all 12 of his albums at this level, which is properly over 150 songs, and I don’t assume I’ve heard a single line that made me assume, Wow, that was an surprising metaphor or Wow, that was a very vivid picture. Even when he will get private, on a music like “Black And White America,” it by no means feels confessional and even notably heartfelt.
I’ve a idea about this. Lenny Kravitz has a US viewers, however he’s a much bigger star internationally. So he’s spending a number of time singing to individuals whose first language isn’t English. It due to this fact is smart for him to write down songs full of straightforward, primary photos of affection, lust, euphoria, freedom, God, and many others., phrased in methods that may be simply memorized and sung by audiences whose precise command of the language is pretty restricted.
If that is the truth is his technique, it’s a sensible one. I had a dialog about this very topic as soon as with Max Cavalera of Soulfly and Cavalera Conspiracy (and previously of Sepultura). Most of his songs have easy choruses, typically consisting of a single phrase or a two-word phrase. Once more, simple to memorize and scream together with a crowd, whether or not you’re in Brazil, Paris or Jakarta. Lenny Kravitz, regardless of being American, makes music for export.
And in addition to, how necessary are lyrics anyway? Your common listener solely is aware of a couple of strains of most songs they like. There are particular artists — a lady with the initials T.S., for instance — whose followers memorize and scrutinize each phrase. However most songs are half-heard, misheard, and made to imply regardless of the listener desires them to imply within the second. So so long as you get the overall level, that’s sufficient. Particularly if it’s backed by a strong riff and a hooky melody. And Lenny Kravitz has riffs and hooks falling out his ass, plus his data sound good. He’s a superb producer of his personal work, with a retro-yet-modern sonic fingerprint each bit as robust as Mark Ronson’s.
I believe I’ve made my case. However for these of you who stay unconvinced, I supply the next 30-track playlist, which pulls from all 12 of his albums with out together with most of his hits (as a result of simply as he’s not an amazing lyricist, he’s typically fairly unhealthy at selecting singles). When you hear, I’m assured you’ll agree that Lenny Kravitz Is Good, Really.
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