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The Editorially Independent Voice of The University of Akron

The Buchtelite

The Editorially Independent Voice of The University of Akron

The Buchtelite

Kravitz gets back to roots with latest release

“Lenny Kravitz’s latest studio album It Is Time for a Love Revolution shows that despite releasing a greatest hits album eight years and four albums ago, his passion and desire for rock and roll is still prevalent. The album maintains a good mix of fast and slower songs, all the while sustaining the credibility and status of rockstar Kravitz has rightfully earned throughout his career.”

Lenny Kravitz’s latest studio album It Is Time for a Love Revolution shows that despite releasing a greatest hits album eight years and four albums ago, his passion and desire for rock and roll is still prevalent.

The album maintains a good mix of fast and slower songs, all the while sustaining the credibility and status of rockstar Kravitz has rightfully earned throughout his career.

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The album starts with the title track Love Revolution and Kravitz shows his true rock roots with blistering guitar solos through the first few tracks that reflect his early material and influences such as Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page.

The album segues into two softer and slower John Mayer-esque songs with If you want it and I’ll be waiting, the latter of which seems to stick out from the rest of the songs on the album.

I’ll be waiting is one of the better songs musically on the album, however it doesn’t seem to fit with the overall style.

Kravitz shows his versatility by swinging from the harder and faster Will you marry me to the slower and more melodic I love the rain.

The lyrics of A long and sad goodbye show how he has grown since his last release, 2004’s Baptism.

In the best written song of the album, Kravitz sings of his feelings toward his father, Papa what is this game / with all that cheating you did you’re going to go insane / papa I am in pain / ’cause on the day you left you said I’d do the same.

In the chorus of A long and sad goodbye, Kravitz sings: Why did you turn your back / why didn’t you stay on track / why did you leave and make her cry / Papa you meant the world to me / why did you abandon me, /now it’s a long and sad goodbye.

Dancin’ till dawn is reminiscent of 70s funk with mellow guitar and bass riffs as well as a horn section that joins in halfway through the song.

Kravitz almost made it through the album without taking a political stance, but Back in Vietnam clearly displays his feelings toward the war in Iraq.

Although it has a strong political message, the song is subpar compared to the rest of the album lyrically.

In the opening line of the song, Kravitz sings: We are like pirates and we are comin’ with the biggest ego / we’re gonna bring it down and give it to you / that’s how we go / we’re gonna drop from the sky like a killer tornado.

The chorus of the song is weak and consists of Kravitz repeating the line, We’re back in Vietnam, back in Vietnam, over and over again.

Overall, this is one of Kravitz’s best albums to date.

There are many songs that may eventually catch the attention of top 40 radio, however, the album does lack the one solid block-buster hit that usually accompanies his releases.

While the majority of the songs are strong both lyrically and musically, there isn’t a bonafide hit such as Are you gonna go my way from his 1993 album of the same title or Fly away from his 1998 album 5.

Fans of Kravitz’s earlier work will not be disappointed by his latest studio effort.

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