chuckaducci said:

both.

and thats the glory of this world...we all have the right to share our opinion. im not trying to prove im right and your wrong..im just sharing my take on it all.

Any thoughts on the Vanessa Paradis album from 1992, which is basically the Lenny Kravitz record between 'Go My Way' and 'Circus'? He and his band wrote it, played on it, produced etc etc. Only instead of Lenny singing it's Johnny Depp's French model girlfriend.

I for one think it's one of Lenny's best. You could say her voice is thin and little-girlish, but to me it fits his retro deal perfectly. This record is about 1000x better than the Cree Summer..thing he did a few years ago. 'VP' should be a requirement for anyone collecting the Lenny catalog.

Fave songs:
Natural High
Lonely Rainbows
Your Love Has Got a Handle On My Mind

chuckaducci said:

I love when responses begin like this!

sosgemini said:

Well, my point is, is that I wish people would get off of Kravitz's back. Just because his influences are obvious doesn't mean that he's a hack. And I wish that the heat he gets from the press would be dished out to other "pastiche" artists who also dip their hands in the cookie jar of their influences.

Kravitz is a black man doing rock, an original black art form, and I support any black musician who dares to do so.

I didn't care for the "Let Love Rule" album too much. I only like "Freedom Train" and "Mr. Cab Driver".

I like almost all the songs on "Mama Said" and "Circus" and I love every track on the "Are You Gonna Go My Way" album all the way through.

After the "Circus" album, Lenny fell off big time.

vainandy said:

chuckaducci said:

I see your point, but I don't agree. I think Kravitz is good, but I think he wears his influences on his sleeve in a far more obvious way than Beck. I think a better comparison with Beck would be Outkast. They also are fairly obvious that Prince and P-Funk are huge influences, but they put their own twist to it.

I'm not saying that Lenny doesn't put his own stamp on things, but I think he is far less original. You can listen to Lenny and pick out the Prince beats, the Zepplin licks, etc. Beck and Outkast blend their stuff better. Lenny is a great musician, but he isn't innovative. There isn't really anything wrong with that, and I do feel folks should get off his jock about it. I can appreciate him for just being a funky dude who plays the gee-tar quite well.

minneapolisgenius said:

I would say it was after 5. His last two albums just sounded like retreads, but 5 had some great cuts.

JediMaster said:

I've listened to 5 maybe three times. It just didn't hold my interest.

edit:
I'm listening to it now, and I forgot that "Straight Cold Player" is on there and that's really funky actually.

"Little Girl's Eyes" and "Can We Find a Reason" are pretty good too. Although the latter reminds me of a hybrid of Guns n' Roses and the Black Crowes or something.
[Edited 10/21/05 5:58am]

minneapolisgenius said:

SCP alone is worth the cost of that album! That song is funky as h-e-double-hockey-sticks!

JediMaster said:

It is.

I used to use it when I was teaching jazz-funk (dance) classes.

"I Belong To You" was his last classic melody altough it was harshly slept on by most everybody.

Novabreaker said:

Good song. I pretty much dig the whole album with the exception of maybe 3 tunes.

'5' was a departure (using computers instead of tape; opting for a bit more modern sound) and took some getting used to, but before long I had to admit that some absolutely kick ass stuff was on there.

Some highlights for me

Thinking of You - some intensely soulful singing and harmonizing. Great use of Heineken bottle percussion. I love the way the kick drum groove picks up at the end

Take Time - I've been playing guitar for over 20 years, but I cannot touch this solo for its sheer feel. Damn, he digs deep and I swear channels a bit of Hendrix. Brilliant!

Supersoulfighter - you funk lovers have no excuse for not loving this song. Prince wishes he could funk like this. He can't.

comments on a few things

Yes, you're actually right, 5 is a solid enough album, but it's no LLR. I still throw my cassette of it in occasionally.

There have even been a handful of things that I've dug from self titled and whatever the fuck his latest one is called. "Bank Robber Man", "Believe in Me" "yesterdays gone my dear kay or whatever" and "california" ... but kravitz used to make great ALBUMS - now his albums just have a handful of good songs, and a lot of bullshit. Just my opinion. But just like Prince, I'm still paying attention, still waiting for another bomb ass album. It's been 7 years for Kravitz and 8 or 9 for prince.

I never managed to find the Paradis album, anywhere (i haven't checked ebay tho... I shop in real stores mostly) but I have the Cree Summer album ...

You can't say there's not some jams on there tho. Mean Sleep, Deliciously Down and the KILLER "Falling" come to mind. especially Falling, if you give it it's fair chance, that track builds into a great finish.

smokeverbs said:

It's true, starting with 5 it's been 3 records with some great songs and also weak filler. Baptism is the worst offender - I don't think his heart was in it. And I agree that Lenny should stop writing hits and get back to writing from the heart.

The Paradis record is well worth looking for. There are a few used copies on Amazon and eBay. If you love the retro Lenny sound, you need this cd!

I'll give Cree another shot when I find it again. Maybe her voice just grates on me after awhile

Rudy said:

I'd take even "Push It Up" or any other Prince's leftover funk fart over that Kravitz ditty anyday. Can't say I'd dig it, personally. But it was fun to see Lenny attempt something like that.

To this day I don't get the hype over the Let Love Rule album I've tried, just doesn't get me (though in concert, the title song KICKED MY ASS!! I was shocked )...

Every album after that is cool as shit IMO...


Mama Said: good all the way through, gets weak after Stop Draggin' Around though...



Are You Gonna Go My Way: great all the way through, though I usually skip Just Be A Woman...



Circus (probably my fave): Beyond the 7th Sky, Tunnel Vision, Can't Get You Off My Mind, Thin Ice & The Ressurection are absolutely undeniable ...



5: dig it all the way through w/ the exception of Super Soul Fighter & Black Velveteen. This album was constantly on repeat...



Lenny: complete throwaway piece of garbage, I think I downloaded ONE song from it (Pay to Play)...



Baptism: mostly weak but Minister of Rock & Roll & Sistamamalover are MY SHIT!! Where Are We Runnin', Storm & Lady are cool too.



The only album I've actually returned was the Lenny album, he feel the fuck off w/ that thing. Baptism gives me some hope, seeing him live got me back on board. I'm hopeful he'll never suck as bad as he already has again

Rudy said:

You think Baptism is worse than Lenny?

Novabreaker said:

I can't get into "Supersoulfighter" either.

Rudy said:

I like the Vanessa Paradis album also. The fact that Lenny did everything but sing on it reminds me of those old Jamie Starr/Paisley Park albums. Never heard the Cree Summer CD though.

JediMaster said:

No. To my ears, Beck's "pastiche," Clapton's "slowhand," Prince's James Brown infatuation and countless other musicians heralded are just as guilty (if that is indeed a "crime") in wearing their influences as brazenly as Kravitz does.

JediMaster said:

1. Pick out the Prince beats (whatever that means) that Kravitz has employed; cos Prince and Kravitz have nothing in common save being black and doing rock. I have never heard a Kravitz song and thought to myself, "that negro is copping Prince." I doubt you can as well.

2. Zeppelin licks? You mean riffs? Most rock riffs are nothing but rehased material any ways! And Kravitz copping Zeppelin is Kravitz copping Zeppelin copping Willie Dixon. Here we go again; Zeppelin gets critical laudation (while having stole most of their riffs from any black Mississippian), Kravitz gets denigrated (by the white press who don't want to see a brother doing rock). Who's zoomin' who?

3. Beck and Outkast blend their influences better? You better go check your records, mon frere. To these ears, I categorically disagree. Did you hear The Love Below? That sounded like a Prince lp circa '87! Organized Noize owes a debt of gratitude to anything G-Funk. Don't get me started on Beck; that slipshod hack gets away with murder cos he can papier mache a record with the Dust Brothers well? Gimme a break.

With Kravitz, the goal is not to hear anything innovative; It's simply to have a good listen (Kravitz being a hell of a producer). Kravitz may be guilty of dipping his hand in the cookie jar of his musical past, but he is not the only artist who does. If he wasnt Black, I guaran-damn-tee Kravitz would be bigger than Beck, if not that, then not as deplored in the music press.

chuckaducci said:

As well they should.

minneapolisgenius said:

..and Zeppelin got sued, as well as they should.

Rudy said:

What drugs were u smoking/injecting when you listened to this The best solos on Lenny's albums aren't done by Lenny...

sextonseven said:

Get it..its better. I played it to death on girlbros radio.

I have Vanessa album on cassette. I remember only liking two tracks a lot but didnt hate the rest. It was just there forme.

JesseDezz said:

Oh, I wasn't saying this was the best solo on a Lenny record, by a long shot. I don't consider lenny to be a fantastic player by any means (although on songs like Take Time his bending/feel are perfect for the song).

The best solos are of course the work of the mighty Craig Ross. At the Lenny show I had the bad luck of being in the bathroom during 'Always On the Run', but hearing the solo ripping through the floor of the venue made me laugh to myself as I did my business. Good times..

Withdrawn, skinny white kid with polyester shirts and huge fro, killing on a Les Paul - what's not to like? Craig Ross is the shit

Here's a nutty question for the funk geniuses here.

In 'Supersoulfighter' there's a little bass/moog lick-thing that ends the song, right before the chick says "soullllfightah".

Well, this same exact riff thing is also in Neneh Cherry's 'Buffalo Stance', from around '89 or so.

My question: was lenny involoved with the Neneh Cherry recording at all, before she got all pissed at him with her 'Buddy X' song? He must've been in the scene then, doing Madonna's 'Justify My Love' within the same year or 2.

Anybody know anything about it?

Yeah, Craig Ross is the man!!! He has the Joe Perry, Keith Richards, Dez Dickerson, Steve Stevens, cool-ass guitar ace/sidekick vibe goin' on with Lenny.

I'm actually a big fan of Lenny's drumming, especially on "Is There Any Love in Your Heart?".