Reviews

Lenny Kravitz

Baptism

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Review Date: 2004-11-20

There was a time when I was obsessed with Lenny Kravitz. Around the time "Circus" was released he had firmly established himself as one of my top artists/bands. Ever since he has been slipping down the list. When "Baptism" was released I wasn't even inspired enough to go out and buy the album. But after hearing the lead single "Where Are We Runnin'" a handful of times, I was enticed to give him just one more chance. I wish I would have stuck to my guns. Lots of people like to shit on Lenny, and sometimes they have a right to do so. But I always admired the fact he played so many different instruments, and did all of the work himself, and I always admired his voice whether or not the lyrics were any good. But he just doesn't seem to try all that hard anymore. He has become kinda a parody of himself. His fan base has almost entirely changed, very few fans exist from before the release of "5". And they are likely never coming back. I mean fuck the guy is in Gap commercials. The record sales reflected the quality of this album however, and you never know maybe somewhere and somehow he'll get it back together. But I have my doubts, and nor will I likely ever know as I won't be lining up to hear it.

The lead track "Minister of Rock N Roll" kicks off the album with a strong start. When I first popped this CD in I was excited. This song sounded like older Lenny Kravitz, except with an added element of funk that was reminiscient of the album "5". Whereas on lots of the songs on this album I find Lenny isn't giving it a full effort, he certainly does on this track. Singing so powerfully, you wonder how his voice holds up. The lyrics like most Lenny songs are lack lustre, "I'm a minister of rock and roll, I can heal you I can save your soul" isn't going to win best song writing anytime soon. But it sounds cool, and Lenny has always sounded cool. The other secret of this song is the length. A lot of the tracks on this album go on too long and they start to grate on you, at just a tad over three minutes Lenny's repetitive tendencies are safe-guarded.

"Where Are We Runnin'" the lead single I have no complaints about. The chorus is obsessively catchy, the guitar compliments the vocals extremely well. And I really enjoyed the video, which was kinda a tongue in cheek version of what people think Lenny Kravitz is actually like. Lyrically, this song is again weak. "Keep your skin tight and the booty in the air?" Come on now Lenny, what in the hell kinda lyric is that? About 1:30 seconds into the song, all the instruments are dropped and its just a really cool drum and vocal solo. I've always found that Lenny was one of the few artists around that had the ability to carry a song even without much in the backgrounds. And in this segment of the song, for a split second I can remember why I was so obsessed with him for a few years. Its really not indicative of the general style of the album though, which sadly is true of a lot of money-making singles.

"Storm" is a collaboration with Jay-Z. Which I give Lenny high marks on, since its far and away the most innovative and new sounding song on the album. Unfortunately, Jay-Z thought so highly of it that he didn't even bother to appear in the music video that was released for the song with Lenny wearing a mid riff and earings, looking rather feminine. You might not have seen it, I think it got aired once. But its on muchvibe every now and again. This song if you wanted to label it is close to soul and R&b. Which is a direction Lenny has never explored but always had the capability to if he wanted too. Jay-Z's part is ok, but I doubt they were ever even in the same studio. Still on an album that finds Lenny rehashing previous songs, and trying unsuccessfully to re-use them in a new way this song stands out as something new.

But what stands out to me is the hypocrisy of this album. Take "I Don't Want to be a Star" which is a song all about how Lenny is tired of being a star, and he just wants to back to his roots and be able to play music without all the attention. But the fucking guy showed up in a GAP Commercial rocking out while Sarah Jessica Parker was dancing around all over the place. You can't have it both ways. And so even though the song isn't horrible, I immediately have to hate it because of how full of shit the lyrics are.

"Lady" is the infamous song frmo the GAP commercial, also known as the low point of Lenny Kravitz's career and the end of any sort of credibility he had with his fans from his original albums. And its not even that the song was in the GAP commercial, the guitar is the same throughout the entire song. And I would think there is maybe 50 words in the entire song which somehow manages to span 4:15 seconds. You know what you heard in the GAP commercial? That is the entire song, repeated again and again for 4 minutes and 15 seconds. But hey, I mean Lenny probably got some sweet jeans or something out of the deal. So maybe there was something worthwhile out of the transaction.

In case you haven't noticed I could go on for hours bashing some of these songs. But this will be my last. "Baptized" is a typical Lenny Kravitz song about his angst and the problems in his love life. I remember the album "Mama Said" his wife had just left him. And he spent the entire album trying to convince her that she should take him back, and hearing those lyrics I seriously felt for Lenny. This song is along those lines. But considering over the last 5 years I have read numerous times about Lenny getting dumped for constantly cheating on his girlfriends, I can't exactly feel for his lyrics on this song. "I don't want to know emptiness, take me down to the water, wanna be baptized in your love" and then the next line should be but not only your love because sometimes I'm on tour and need to bang some of the chicks backstage I mean I'm a rock star. I can do that right?

Poor poor Lenny. He still doesn't realize that he not Jimi Hendrix. He is maybe at best the single most impressive Jimi Hendrix wannabe I have ever come across. What Lenny needs to do is to lock himself in a room, with every album he released up until "Circus" and to listen to it again and again until he realizes how much of a parody of himself he has become. That and to attach an electric device to his body, so that if he ever decides he wants to dance around in a GAP Commercial again that they pump some voltage through his body to remind him just how a horribly dumb idea that is. If you started liking Lenny after "5" then you might like this album. I however, liked Lenny Kravitz from the beginning and for that reason this album leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Kinda like watching a new episode of the Simpsons, and how frustrating it is to know how much worse that show has become. Lenny you have over stayed your welcome. Time to fade into syndication.

Score: 4.9

When i only like three songs on the album, that is a disaster of epic proportions.

- Dan