The irony of Are You Gonna Go My Way is that, by the release of his third album, Lenny Kravitz had finally started internalizing the influences of his musical heroes--Curtis Mayfield, Prince, John Lennon, and Sly Stone--who had been so nakedly copped on Let Love Rule and Mama Said.

So what becomes the album's big hit? The title track, a Jimi Hendrix rip-off if there ever was one.

Kravitz backslides elsewhere, too: "Is There Any Love in Your Heart" is plainly drawn from Led Zeppelin and "Eleutheria" from Bob Marley, while "Believe" takes a more inventive approach--its chorus is in the style of the Beatles, while the verses and guitar solo again recall Led Zep.

What's especially damning about the album though, is that the more Kravitz strikes out on his own, the more lackluster his songs become, evidenced by the dippy come-on "Black Girl" and the weak psychedelia of "My Love."

-- Daniel Durchholz (Read more)