Lenny Kravitz - Greatest Hits
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Music CD Cover
Artist: Lenny KravitzEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
CD Release Date: 2000-10-24
Music Label: Virgin Records Us
Product features:
- KRAVITZ LENNY GREATEST HITS
- Are You Gonna Go My Way
- Fly Away
- Rock 'n' Roll is Dead
- Again
- It Ain't Over Till It's Over
- Can't Get You Off My Mind
- Mr. Cab Driver
- American Woman
- Stand By My Woman
- Always On The Run
- Heaven Help
- I Belong To You
- Believe
- Let Love Rule
- Black Velveteen
Free Music Notes for Greatest Hits
Free Music Review: As Good as a Greatest Hits Collection Gets
Hit: 5 Stars
In the mid 1990s, I heard a concert promotion radio ad that was basically introducing the performer to be "The World's Greatest Rock and Roll Star". When they announced that star to be Lenny Kravitz, I must admit, I nearly drove off the road when I heard that. I had realized Kravitz had some commercial success and had a nice following, but "World's Greatest Rock and Roll Star"? - Come On! However, now about a decade later, as I have begun to get a deeper appreciation for what Rock music has to offer, I now realize that perhaps there is some real merit to that radio ad. I'm still not ready to put Kravitz up there with the upper echelon of Rock with the Paul McCartneys, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteens, or even Billy Joels - however, it is safe to say that Kravitz could easily be one of the great revelations of the 1990s and has lived completely up to expectations as he has entered the 2000s. In 2000, Kravitz amassed enough material and success to release his first Greatest Hits album. This collection, "Lenny Kravitz Greatest Hits" provides some a great cross-section into Kravitz's musical career and is a great place to start if you are interested in checking out Kravtiz's material.
"Lenny Kravitz Greatest Hits" hits focuses on the first decade of Kravitz's career (1989-2000). During this time, Kravtiz would release five solo albums for an average of 1 album every 2 years. These albums (and the associated tracks included from these albums) are: 1989's "Let Love Rule" ("Mr Cab Driver", "Let Love Rule"); 1991's "Mama Said" ("It Ain't Over Til It's Over", "Stand By My Woman", "Always On the Run"); 1993's "Are You Gonna Go My Way" ("Are You Gonna Go My Way", "Heaven Help", "Believe"); 1995's "Circus" ("Rock and Roll is Dead", "Can't Get You Off My Mind"); "5" ("Fly Away", "I Belong to You", "Black Velveteen"). As with the case of most greatest hits albums, there is one new song to stimulate album sales among the deep fan base - a very solid song called, "Again". It is worth noting that Kravitz's cover of the Guess Who's "American Woman" is also included on this collection. This song was part of the soundtrack of "Austin Powers - The Spy Who Shagged Me", but was eventually included on the re-issue of "5". One thing that is very nice about this collection is that it is split among the 5 albums just about evenly. I'm pleased that there are even two songs from his first album which was really not commercially successful.
I think that Kravitz hits the three main dimensions that I expect from a successful solo artist: Vocals, Instrumentation, and Songwriting. On top of these three dimensions, Kravitz cross all of these dimensions by providing a variety of different music styles. Whether it is hard Rock, R&B, or Funk - Kravitz finds ways to incorporate these styles and more into his music. Kravitz was influenced by Prince who also incorporated similar styles into his music. "Lenny Kravitz Greatest Hits" will show examples of this wide range of diversity. You can hear Kravitz's Hard Rock style on "Are You Gonna Go My Way", "American Woman", "Fly Away", "Rock and Roll is Dead" and "Always on the Run". Songs such as "Mr Cab Driver" have a definite Funk influence in it - especially on the Bass. Still songs such as "Heaven Help" , "It Ain't Over Til its Over", and "I Belong to You" show Kravitz' R&B side. Despite these obvious influences, it is not easy to pigeon-hole Kravtiz's music into one musical genre. There are many of his songs that definitely cross several of these genres and also break new ground. Perhaps the best example of this is "Black Velveteen". "Black Velveteen" has been a song that Kravitz has been criticized for, but I happen to think it's the best song he has done. The song does have a "Euro Pop" feel, but it you will hear parts of Hard Rock and even R&B overlaid on top of this. I like how Kravitz tries to do something "out of the box" and "different" to his music. Kravitz's ability to innovate didn't happen late in his career - listen to his early song "Let Love Rule". Kravitz uses combines some R&B with some Jimi Hendrix-like sounds to give a unique sound.
As mentioned I think it comes down to the three dimensions I list above. Kravitz shows incredible range on his vocals - whether it's "It Ain't Over Til It's Over", "Let Love Rule" or his new track "Again", Kravitz will show he is not one dimensional as a vocalist. From an instrumentation standpoint, Kravitz is well-known for his incredible guitar, but also listen to his Bass work as well. You'll hear Kravitz incorporate other instruments as well - such as piano on "Heaven Help" or horns on "Let Love Rule" and "Always on the Run". Lost in this whole picture is some of Kravitz's songwriting - this is perhaps one of the most overlooked dimensions of his talent. Once again, this can even be traced early to his career - on 1989's "Mr Cab Driver", he describes the experiences of racism and discrimination.
There is one negative on this collection. I normally like when an artist puts tracks in chronological order because this allows me to hear how the artist progressed over time. Unfortunately, this collection does not do so. It would have been a great strength if this had been done on this collection.
The liner notes include the lyrics to the new song - "Again". The songwriting credits as well as what album the song is included on are also included in the liner notes. Overall, this is as solid a Greatest Hits album as it gets. The only other negative may be as Kravitz continues to have success, this album might someday be eclipsed by a more current Greatest Hits portfolio.
Greatest Hits Poster
Lenny Kravitz Photos
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More from Lenny Kravitz
 Baptism |  Circus |  Mama Said |
More prolific than D'Angelo and Terence Trent D'Arby combined, one-man rock & soul revivalist Lenny Kravitz kept traditional pop values alive through much of the '90s. From the Motown-perfect "It Ain't Over Til It's Over" to the Beatlesesque "Let Love Rule," Kravitz has always inhabited his influences with a genuine spirit that transcends imitation. The 15 tracks found here provide a surprisingly coherent reminder of just how much the artist has accomplished in a relatively short time. And even if his biggest hit, "Are You Gonna Go My Way," falls short of its Hendrix target, Kravitz's cover of the Guess Who's "American Woman" still rocks in a pleasingly Neanderthal way. An infectious new cut, "Again," fits neatly alongside sturdy Kravitz originals such as "Fly Away," "Mr. Cab Driver," and "Black Velveteen," showcasing a talent whose postmodern pop should play well into the new century. --Bill Forman
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