Kat's Korner: Lenny Kravitz let's it ride on a new classic

Kat:  Not a lot has excited me of late in terms of music.  It's not that I'm not buying music, I've brought ten albums -- vinyl -- this year so far.  Three yesterday, in fact, in honor of Record Store Day.  But they're older albums.  The three yesterday?  Stevie Wonder's 1973 classic INNERVISIONS ("Living For The City," "Higher Ground," "All In Love Is Fair," etc) was one.  It was a used copy.  The other two were new copies, still in the shrink wrap plastic..  MEET THE SURPEMES is the 1962 album that introduced Diana Ross, Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson, contained their first five singles and explains becomes the lead singer.  A lot of ink has been spilled over "Buttered Popcorn" -- a lot of ink to tell a lot of lies.  This Florence Ballard lead vocal song was not a hit.  It didn't make the top 100 on the pop or the soul charts.  Flo sings nicely enough but her voice is not unique.  She sound like about twenty other singers from that period -- so much so that it could pass for a Marveletts song.  They would have remained the no-hit Supremes had Flo or Mary continued as equal singers or, worse, as the group's lead singer.  

Copies don't do well.  A Katrina and The Waves may manage to get one hit but, at the end of the day, music lovers want to hear the Pretenders and not some sound-alike knock off.  Diana's voice sounded like no one else making music for teenagers (she has elements of Eartha Kitt and Dinah Washington in her vocals but those are influences, she's not copying them). And, from this album, the group's two hits are both Diana lead vocal songs.  With Smokey Robinson producing and Diana on lead, "My Heart Can't Take It No More" cracked BILLBOARD's hot 100 pop chart making it to number 95.  The follow up, produced by MOTOWN boss Berry Gordy and again featuring Diana on lead, did even better.  It made it to number 90 on the hot 100 pop songs.  The group was progressing.  And the song was also their first hit on the soul chart where it made it all the way to number 26. 

And on songs like "Who's Lovin' You," you can hear Diana pioneering the work that her fan of Michael Jackson would later take to new levels.  You can also hear -- though not see -- Barbara Martin.  When they started recording singles for MOTOWN, Barbara was still a member of the group.  By the time the singles and additional tracks were gathered together for this album, she had left the group   The 11 tracks give you an idea of what this growing group will emerge as, Diana's unique vocals and the excitement simmering in the songs they record -- excitement that will be realized when Brian Holland (co-writer of two songs on this album) Lamont Dozier (co-writer of one song on this album) team with Eddie Holland to become the group's primary songwriters and producers for the group's six next studio albums that are neither tribute albums (like WE REMEMBER SAM COOKE or their FUNNY GIRL albums) nor a holiday one (MERRY CHRISTMAS).  

The third album I bought Saturday?  

BLUE ELECTRIC LIGHT which came out in May of last year. Lenny Kravtiz is a solid singer-songwriter who makes albums that, at their worst, are dependable -- by which I mean, you can listen to it all and never feel you were ripped off.  

That's at his worst.

At his best?  He's delivering a classic rock album that blows you away.  LET LOVE RULE, MAMA SAID, 5 and IT IS TIME FOR A LOVE REVOLUTION.  Last May, BLUE ELECTRIC LIGHT became the fifth classic in his canon. 

I didn't realize it at the time, wasn't, in fact, even aware of it.  

The problem with an artist like Lenny is they need something different to stand out.  You've bought an album and you love it and you buy another and it's good and you start feeling like you know everything they do.  So they put out an album and maybe you remember that or maybe you don't.  

My very bad memory was always helped by the late Tower Records which had a section near the front of the store where the new music was and you could listen to it.  Without a physical store to go into, things can get lost in the shuffle.  

Two weekends ago, I realized that had happened for me with Lenny.  That's when C.I. posted Lenny's new video for "Let It Ride."

8 days ago, that video came out.  It's enough to interest me in the album and I think that's true for most Lenny fans. It's different and clues us in that Lenny's experimenting some and that he's got a new album we need to give a listen to.

When you do, you'll find 12 great tracks.  What's he doing with "Spirit In My Heart"?  I don't know.  It's Lenny but it's not.  

It's him moving to other explorations like the difference of the Beatles from, say, REVOLVER to SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND.  You'll catch that on the title track as well (and his vocal is just gorgeous on that song) and on "Heaven." 

On YOUTUBE, a comment on "Heaven" notes, "Prince is in the air."  Indeed.  Prince and Lenny Kravitz explored rock and funk -- among other genres.  And there's a feeling of the same exploration Prince pursued.  But it's also the vocal issue, Lenny's singing better than he ever has.  And in terms of experimenting, he hasn't been this loose and free since his debut album (LET LOVE RULE).  

I almost missed the album.  The video for "Let It Ride" was the kind of wake up call and reminded I needed.  Don't hit the snooze button, if you've ever been a Lenny fan make a point to check out BLUE ELECTRIC LIGHT because it's a classic on first listen.