Lenny Kravitz has always been a great mimicker of mid-1970s rock and even though his latest offering Baptism (2004) is something like that, it has a deeper resonance than his previous albums.
The self-proclaimed minister of rock has turned the big 40 and his lyrics are more meaningful than ever before. With references to aging, mortality, being a rock star and the trials and tribulations of falling in and out of love, Kravitz has moulded together a composition of songs that reflect a man in his prime.
Lenny Kravitz seamlessly integrates 'retro' sounds and comes off sounding virtually live in his studio recordings. On Baptism, songs like 'Minister Of Rock 'n Roll', 'Lady', 'California' and 'Where Are We Runnin'?' are a testament to this 'free-form' style.
On 'Minister Of Rock 'n Roll' there is a hint of Kravitz's narcissism: "I can heal you, I can save your soul…" but it doesn't permeate throughout the entire album, something that was very obvious in earlier outings.
The song 'I Don't Want To Be A Rock Star' remonstrates with both the industry as a whole, and Kravitz's own lifestyle.
He lets it all loose like a teenager on the tracks 'California' and 'Where Are We Runnin'?, which burn with excellent riffs, melodies and a sprightly tempo.
The ballad 'Callin All Angels' will remind fans of a previous Kravitz slow-burner entitled 'Again' with its lo-fi approach and schmaltzy repetition in the lyric "…all of my life", but that is about it when it comes to comparisons. This song has religious implications – Kravitz is calling on ethereal beings to help find love, its almost desperate… a plea. It's as though finally, he's handing over his hopes to a higher power.
The album's secret gem is 'The Other Side', a song that speaks about the inevitability of death. More autobiographical than anything else, the lyrics will surprise and provoke thoughts of one's own feelings about life.
Overall, Kravitz has a real winner with Baptism. It sets out to quantify Kravitz's life so far, and in the process, shine a ray of hope onto those who agree with what he has to say. It rates three stars.
LENNY KRAVITZ: Born May 26, 1964, New York, NY, Lenny Kravitz attended the Beverly Hills High School with contemporaries Slash (of Guns N ' Roses) and Maria McKee (of Lone Justice).
In 1987 he attracted the interest of Virgin Records and the rest, as they say, is rock history.
By Damon Boyd for
www.suntimes.co.za.
Baptism
