found1 said:

FullLabios said:

Zoe's 15.
Read this: http://www.miami.com/mld/...404.htm?1c

mochalox said:

thanks miss mocha!

FullLabios said:

no problem sweetie!

paisleypark4 said:

anybody ever tellu that your avvie looks like Ronnie from NE/BBD?

I loved FIVE, but didn't get into LENNY at all.
This is inbetween those two.
Some very cool tracks..surprisingly cool.
But man...he's just drowning in these ballads.
The title "Baptism" is supposed to be his rebirth
into rock n roll, I thought.
But man..this has more ballads than a Bon Jovi Album.
What gives?!

I have been a big Lenny Kravitz fan since '94. I went out & bought the CD today, which I've been waiting for for weeks. Of course I've only listened to it once but that's because on my first listen it was AWFUL. LENNY is not his best work, but it's better than Baptism. I feel like I've wasted my money. I will try it again, tomorrow maybe, I hope it will grow on me, but I doubt it.

I got it today and I'm on my second listen through headphones as I type. First impressions - I love it! I love the new vocals he is using, his deep vocals here and there, very interesting. His guitar playing in solos is sounding 'phat'.

And again, I am impressed with his musicianship. I think he is underrated man, he plays a lot of instruments and plays them well.

I am about J on the album, but it works

Yeah, thank you Mr Kravitz.

PS. He's still a fox.

All Music Guide review:

*1/2 (out of *****)

To some, listening to Lenny Kravitz was always a bit of a guilty pleasure, but rarely has listening to one of his albums induced overwhelming feelings of guilt, as does his seventh album, Baptism. Guilt that you took him for granted, not acknowledging the craft behind his best singles. Guilt that you thought he couldn't be as nondescript as he was on "Fly." Guilt that you thought he couldn't sink lower than Circus. Or maybe it will just be a flush of angry guilt that you've wasted 55 minutes of precious time listening to an album that betrays all faith you've had in Kravitz as a retro-rock revivalist. Since 1993's Are You Gonna Go My Way? he'd been erratic, stumbling on the doggedly rock-oriented Circus and only gathering his full strength on 2001's Lenny, which may have been a good record but failed to sell. Perhaps maintaining a balance of sales, craft, and fame had exhausted Kravitz, but he sounds worn down to the bone throughout Baptism. He may claim that he "can save your soul" on the opener, "Minister of Rock 'n Roll" (which bears unfortunate similarities in tone and theme to Circus' dud opening salvo, "Rock and Roll Is Dead"), but on the rest of the album he sounds anxious to quit the business, wondering whether he would have been better off if he were a simple man and living off the land. These themes are commonplace in rock & roll, but most rockers have better sense than to air their concerns in the first person, whining that "I'm internationally known...I've got millions sold/But after the party, I'm left standing in the cold," which engenders little sympathy since he could, after all, pull a Bobbie Gentry and quit the business and not make any more records. But he doesn't really want to do that since he's too enamored with the spoils of fame and all of its trapping, complaining "I Don't Want to Be a Star" in the same song where he exults "I got high with Jagger/It was really cool." Such shallow sentiments could be excused if the music worked, but it's as thin as his words and stultifying lethargic, to the point that he doesn't bother to disguise how he cops ZZ Top on "Where Are We Runnin'?" or Sly Stone on "Sistamamalover." It's such a drag that it's a real shock when a song pierces through the murk, as it does on the addictive rush of "California" or the fuzzy glam of "Flash" — these are the songs that remind you that Kravitz can fuse familiar sounds into something that giddily celebrates his love of music. While these are fine individual moments, they wind up being a bit dispiriting since they're surrounded by lazy, exhausted retreads where it sounds as if the act of making music is a chore to Kravitz — something that he nearly admits in his lyrics. It's a shame and embarrassment, and hopefully it will be a temporary slump like Circus — unless he really does want to quit this business called show, since it would be better for him to stop making records than to crank out depressing sludge like this. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine

VoicesCarry said:

I agree with this review. It's harsh I know, but I should've went to vh1 before I bought this because I want my money back.

Former Lenny Kravitz fan

i like the circus cd.

VoicesCarry said:

This is far too harsh.

I have never heard Circus in its entirity and plan to buy it at some point, but Baptism is certainly worth *** . Tracks like "Lady" are excellent and show that despite his lyrical angst about fame, he's still got some passion.

I somewhat agree with the All Music Guide review, but I also think the author didn't let the music grow on him. The album is very mediocre the first time you hear it, but it definitely grows on you. Again, like "Lenny" half of the songs are really cool, while the other half sound a bit lazy and uninspired. 3 or 4 of the songs I would even describe as "boring". But the 4 or 5 really good songs on here kinda make up for it.

And damnit, for the last time, "Circus" was a GREAT Lenny Kravitz album!!! Possibly his best effort.

'Circus' is definetly one of Lenny's best albums. Every song on there is great.
'Baptism' isn't nearly as good as 'Circus'. Worth at least 3 stars though. But hey, the same guy rated 'Lenny' with 4 stars

Anyone else think that Lenny's "Sistamommalova" title is a little too close to Prince's "FriendLoverSisterMotherWife"?

Se7en said:

i could'a swore that I mentioned that in another thread, but I'm not sure....
cosign anyways.

Lenny needs a break BAD! After watching that "Lenny Live" DVD (which is really good by the way)and listening to "Lenny" the only conclusion I could come to is that he's sick of the business and needs to either get his shit together and break thru it, take a break for awhile, or quit altogether. Half of the tracks on "Lenny" sound so damn LAZY, like he wasnt't even TRYING to come up with something good. Damn Lenny, say it ain't so!

POOK said:

Beyond seventh sky is one of my faves...

Beyond seventh sky is one of my faves...[/quote]


Mine too.Underrated song.

Se7en said:

Well

sataninas said:

Well...so what, it doesn't make it a bad song??? i really like that one! But the fisrt thing I thought when I saw this title....yes indeed!

But what the hell is up with his hair???

noepie said:

NEW! Do you never change your look? It's a form to be creative too.

sataninas said:

It's a form to look stupid you mean.

I have noticed that there are "two" kinds of Lenny K fans...not better or worse neccisarily, but with a different sensibility musically...

There are those "Let Love Rule" Original Funk Soul Rock n Roll Hippies, (Like Myself) who think his First 4 albums, Including and Espcially "CIRCUS" are his "Classic, Golden Years".

Like Parliament from "Mothership Connection" (Maybe even "Chocolate City") to say "the Motor Booty Affair" (Maybe even "Gloryhallistoopid: Pin the Tail on the Funky").

Like the Stones, "Exhile on Mainstreet (Maybe as far back as "Satanic Majesties"...) to "Tatto You" (Maybe even "Emotional Rescue" or even "Steel Wheels").

Like Sly and the Family Stone from "Stand!" to "Fresh!".

Or "Pretenders" and "Pretenders II".

Or Stevie Wonder From "Music of My Mind" to "Journey Thru the Secret Life of Plants" (or Maybe "Original Musiquarium" and selected Tracks from "Woman in Red" Soundtrack and "In Square Circle").

Like Kiss "Dressed to Kill" or Destroyer" to up to the Four Solo albums (although some dig "Dynasty"...and both the riff POP "Unmasked"...a favorite of mine..."Torpedo Girl!!!"...and the Moody "Music From the Elder" were very under rated because they were departures...).

For Me, Lenny's first four were his "mid period Beatles" era, not in terms of historical precedent or Pure off the charts, other worldly "Woooow", but relatively speaking, his "Heyday".

I am a "Circus" guy, for the Record, It STILL Blows my mind. I liked "5", and it grew on me, but the haters started digging him on that one, and the "Old School" fans liked it, but it was too pure a "POP" record, without the warts and all "This is Who I am", dig me Or not feeling and sensiblilty.

I Hated "Lenny" upon first play (but love "DIG In", another favorite song of mine...), and stayed cold for months...as a Lenny fanatic. Some songs grew on me, but I still know it was a Real LOW point, a total lack of inspiration and originality (Yes a "retro rocker" with obvious "Influences" can be Original!!!!!).

I LOVE, UPON ONE LISTENING the New "Baptism"!!!!! I Just Listened to it, and Half way thru, had to log onto the Net and punch in "Lenny Kravitz Fans Community" in my google Search, bringing me here, where I have been a member for years.

If you are an "Original Kravitz Fan", or just dig music from the heart, Inspirationally done, you will LOVE this album (I don't call 'em CD's...too disposable).

I Have now Heard it Twice, and am "Preaching the Gospel of Lenny's Return to Form!!!

Peace, Love, and Harmony, my peeps

JHI

This album just gets better when you leave it for a few days and come back. It's a grower and it's a very complete, well-sequenced piece of work. I love Dave Sanborn's sax solo's. This album has soul.