I've always been a casual Lenny fan and have owned "5" since it came out, gave it a few spins over the years, but never really thought much of it.

But something about the album has really clicked with me in the last few days and I can't believe I've been sleeping on this killer album all this time.

So many great tracks. It's Your Life, Take Time, Black Velveteen, Little Girls Eyes, Supersoulfighter, Can We Find A Reason, Without You, Fly Away... man, it's one great track after another. Think it may actually be his best album (although I haven't heard the last two).

[Edited 2/18/18 5:52am]

I agree, this is a very strong album! But, I noticed you left off one of the strongest songs..imo....the opening track "Live". It sets the tone for the album. It's a rockin' funk track.

The album is a good mixture of funk, rock and soul. I love it! The highlights for me are:

1. Live

2. Supersoul Fighter

3. I Belong to You

4. If You Can't Say No

5. Thinking of You

6. Fly Away

7. American Woman

It's a great album! I'm listening to it as I type this!

Shaolin325 said:

I agree, this is a very strong album! But, I noticed you left off one of the strongest songs..imo....the opening track "Live". It sets the tone for the album. It's a rockin' funk track.

The album is a good mixture of funk, rock and soul. I love it! The highlights for me are:

1. Live

2. Supersoul Fighter

3. I Belong to You

4. If You Can't Say No

5. Thinking of You

6. Fly Away

7. American Woman

It's a great album! I'm listening to it as I type this!

I dig Live too, just forgot to mention it. The only track I'm not that fussed on is You're My Flavor.

I do think there were some strange single choices from this album though. It's Your Life and Black Velveteen would've made a much stronger impact on the radio and charts than If You Can't Say No, I Belong To You or Thinking Of You.

I know Black Velveteen was eventually released as a single, but I think the album would've gone on to much bigger success had they led the promo campaign with the trio of Fly Away, Black Velveteen and It's Your Life.

MattyJam said:

NorthC said:

EmmaMcG said:

NorthC said:

Maybe because it isn't that great. This was the time I lost interest. I bought his albums, saw him live a couple of times (Paradiso Amsterdam 1995 was the best), but I started to realize he was just making the same album over and over again. If you've heard one Lenny Kravitz album, you've heard them all.

They do all have a similar sound but I don't see that as a bad thing. His albums aren't groundbreaking but at least you know what you're getting. I liken it to Bon Jovi. Having said that, Lenny's last album "Strut" was a bit of a departure from his usual style.

.

I like Lenny. I just think he likes straight-up rock and roll and doesn't want to use too much technology in his music. I appreciate that he is an artist who is true to himself, much like Prince was. Lenny does music that he enjoys, and if the rest of us like it, then hey......that's cool too!

My favourite lenny album

I always feel like the with LK albums, the sum of the parts is greater than the whole. That doesn't mean that I don't love and support him as an artist. It just means that IMO the individual songs he produces from an album are greater than the albums themselves. 5 is proof of that.

namepeace said:

I always feel like the with LK albums, the sum of the parts is greater than the whole. That doesn't mean that I don't love and support him as an artist. It just means that IMO the individual songs he produces from an album are greater than the albums themselves. 5 is proof of that.

Apart from Mama Said, which I think is a masterpiece, this is well said.

Used to be my favourite Lenny album, but i think i overplayed it a bit back in the day, i think some of the songs go on a bit too long. And the album itself could be a bit shorter. Think Circus is favourite Lenny album. Black and White America isn't too shabby either.

[Edited 2/20/18 0:46am]

TOP Lenny = MAMA SAID!

Best Years = 1989-1999 *roughly

[Edited 5/18/18 2:58am]

Lenny? He aint funky

Dasein said:

namepeace said:

I always feel like the with LK albums, the sum of the parts is greater than the whole. That doesn't mean that I don't love and support him as an artist. It just means that IMO the individual songs he produces from an album are greater than the albums themselves. 5 is proof of that.

Apart from Mama Said, which I think is a masterpiece, this is well said.

I'd agree that MS is his defining album.

stpaisios said:

I haven't listened to "5" in years.....I really bought it (back then) because I thought it was the so called "funk" record that Lenny had been promising to release. When I found out that it wasn't, I was a little disappointed but I later grew to like it.....I also thought that the album cover was a bit of a ripoff of P's "S.O.T.T".

My hubby and I have been big fans of Lenny's for over 30 years. I have never understood the hate he gets on this site. He's an accomplised musician and has written some incredible songs. He also happens to be one of the sexiest men alive IMO

We own all his albums and have seen in in concert many times. I look forward to his next new cd. In the meantime, give his last 2 cd's a try. They're both pretty good. I love that fact that he's not an asshole either.

stpaisios said:

Lenny? He aint funky

What would you know about funk?