BORN: May 26, 1964, New York, NY
As a musician and a producer, Lenny Kravitz is unquestionably gifted. He can successfully recreate the sound and feeling of countless groups from the past; his music recalls everyone from Lennon, Hendrix, and Bowie to the Velvet Underground, Curtis Mayfield and Prince. What Kravitz can't do is synthesize these influences into a distinctive style -- every song on each of his albums sounds like it was recorded by a different artist. However, that's not entirely a bad thing, because Kravitz can reproduce the sound of his favorite artists exactly; "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over" sounds like it was recorded in 1972, "Are You Gonna Go My Way" sounds like a forgotten track from 1968. His music might not be original, but it is quite enjoyable. Since his 1989 debut, Let Love Rule, Kravitz's songwriting and production skills have been consistently improving. His second album, Mama Said, gave him a number two hit with "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over." Are You Gonna Go My Way, Kravitz's third album, was released in 1993; it was a stronger album than anything he had released in the past and is was his most commercially successful record yet.
1995's Circus, however, was something of a letdown, and he did not resurface with his fifth effort -- titled, appropriately enough, 5 -- until mid-1998.
~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
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