A collage of sounds and
styles, of hip-hop grooves and rock guitar, classic melody and 21st century
ambience, 5 is Lenny Kravitz at his most eclectic and his best. Of the
records range, Lenny says, "Making this album, I felt like a kid with
a box of crayons.And I used all the colors."
An aesthetic chameleon ever
since his 1989 debut, Let Love Rule, Kravitz has never been comfortable
with borders, boxes, limitations. And with 5, a fascinating mix of old
and new, of vintage Lenny and Lenny-right-now, hes again reinventing himself.
"The album took eight months, because I had to learn a whole new style
of recording," Kravitz says.
Lenny produced himself
and enlisted the legendary Terry Manning as engineer (Al Green, ZZ Top,
Led Zeppelin, Staple Singers).
At the beginning of his career
Lenny was a pioneer of a return to basic recording, this time Kravitz
embraced
hi-tech, incorporating his own samples and loops into his trademark tube-amp,
down n dirty recording approach. "No tape, this time," Lenny says,
"And Digital used to be a dirty word for me. But by working instrument
by instrument, building up the sound, I was able to construct the record
like a puzzle. I was listening to a lot of New York hip-hop. I like
that technique the sparseness, the groove, the rhythm."
As always, the multi-instrumentalist
plunged into marathon studio sessions, 16-hour days in New York and the
Bahamas crafting sounds. The result? Lennys fiercest, fullest music
the vocals crisp and immediate, the instrumentation surprising (everything
from wah-wah guitar to mellotron and mini-moog to "green Heineken bottles"
as percussion). Craig Ross is again on hand, turning in hot guitar.
Lennys horn players Michael Hunter and Harold Todd are given space to
soar. Female back-up vocals (an unusual twist for Kravitz) add elegance
and heart. And Lennys own work playing all the instruments is
more fluid than ever. "Even before Let Love Rule, I was playing funk.
Ive gone in different directions, too and Ill continue doing so, but
it was great to get back. Its been two years since I was on stage
with the HORDE tour. And I havent made a record since Circus. So, even
though Ive been making records professionally for nine years, this
time Im making music again as if its my first album.No preconceptions.
No expectations. Im just flowing. And its a blessing."
A child of two cultures,
Kravitz grew up half-Bahamian, half-Jewish in Manhattan and Brooklyn,
the son of TV producer Sy Kravitz and actress Roxie Roker (Helen on "The
Jeffersons"). Raised around music, he dug jazz and R&B in NYC; moving
to LA, he sang with the California Boys Choir and recorded with Zubin Mehta.
Hitting first with Let Love Rule, he followed up with the tougher Mama
Said (1991), the rocking Are You Gonna Go My Way (1993) and the kaleidoscopic
Circus (1995). Critics noted his originality and breadth of influences
(Hendrix to Lennon, gospel to funk). Crowds responded to his incendiary
live performances and demanded more. 5 honors that legacy and extends
from it. Like so many of us as we grow older, Kravitz has experienced
loss in recent years, with the death of his mother. That loss has influenced
his music. "Thinking Of You" is one of his most beautiful efforts;
fittingly, its a tribute to his mother. He thrives on his own experiences
as a parent, and incorporates these emotions into creating music with renewed
energy and customary fire. "I love being in Daddy mode," says Kravitz.
"Little Girls Eyes" evinces grace and tenderness. "That song was my daughters
ninth birthday present," says Kravitz. The track "Black Velveteen" was
inspired by recent news stories. "I was thinking about cloning and how
the future is now. The songs about a virtual mate, a virtual companion."
The calypso-inflected "I Belong To You" showcases Kravitz melodic
flair. Of the witty and explosive track "Super Soul Fighter," Kravitz
says, "Hes like a comic-book character, going around spreading good
vibrations." "Youre My Flavor" and "Its Your Life" reflects Lennys thoughts
about interracial couples. "Thats where I come from. Even these days,
theres sometimes a stigma about it. And I was saying to two people
in love, Dont worry about the world. Be yourselves." The sweeping and
majestic "Take Time" is among Lennys own favorites. "I like the power
of it; its like time travelling back in history."
Now readying himself
for touring, while also taking time to produce new SONY/Work artist Cree
Summer and work on re-mixes for 5, Lenny Kravitz is doing what hes always
done 24 7, the man loves music. Its his purpose and his joy. "Can We
Find A Reason," the albums closer, in fact is all about purpose
it was inspired by a CNN report Lenny saw about a young man "all
by himself, with a truck, cleaning up rivers in Mississippi." And, finally,
thats what Lennys music has always been about soul and fervor
and inspiration.
