Poplife Pick: "Let Love Rule" (1989)
In many ways, Lenny Kravitz's Let
Love Rule is a thoroughly impressive debut. Like Prince, he plays
nearly every instrument on the record, yet makes it sound organic
and alive. Musically, it's a startlingly accurate replication of
late-'60s psychedelia, crossed with a Princely groove and a heavy
John Lennon fixation. Kravitz has no desire to move forward, he
only wants to recreate classic rock, and as a result, Let Love
Rule is an enormous, guilty pleasure. His songcraft may be
derivative, but it's catchy -- the title track has a lean groove and a
colorful chorus, "Sittin' on Top of the World" and "Does Anybody
Out There Even Care" have strong hooks, and while the stately
psychedelia of "I Build This Garden for Us" can sound like a
parody, it is quite effective. Kravitz stumbles when he gets
preachy (the awkward "Mr. Cab Driver") or flowery ("Flower
Child"), but that doesn't diminish the pleasures of Let Love Rule.
-- Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
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