LENNY KRAVITZ
Lenny (Virgin)
Reviewed by Melanie Campbell

---

Lenny Kravitz may be the first rocker of the new age whose music would also sound right at home on "classic rock" radio. Fortunately, Kravitz actually interprets and factors the work of his heroes into his own unique blend of funk-rock slam, rather than merely aping his revered predecessors (Hendrix, the Stones, and White-Album-era Beatles). On Lenny, his sixth full-length outing, we find a spirited, eclectic mix of sonic delight that is magnified by lyrics that are smart and spiritual without coming across as preachy. Kravitz, who once again plays all the instruments and handles all the vocal chores, also had the luxury of putting this one together in his new state-of-the-art recording studio. Surely such an environment could have resulted in a complete overindulgence of ego-stroking bombast. Not so here--the arrangements are lean and mean, and this guy can definitely rock with the best of them. Standing front and center is the brash and riotous "Bank Robber Man," sirens wailing against an almost-Spector-esque chorus and a sassy metal riff. At the same time, songs like the melancholic "If I Could Fall in Love" and the smash singalong, "Dig In" reveal that deep down inside, Lenny is also an unabashed pop-meister. Dig into this one, and you'll definitely have yourself a good time.

© 2002 - Melanie Campbell