Created for Virgin Records America, Inc. in 1991. |
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Peaked at the 39th spot on The Billboard 200 charts in 1991. |
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Moving forward a couple years from the psychedelic fixations of his debut, Mama Said finds Lenny Kravitz in the early '70s, trying to graft Curtis Mayfield and Jimi Hendrix influences to his Prince and Lennon obsessions. This time |
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around, he synthesizes his influences better; it's essentially a seamless record, with all of its classic rock homages so carefully produced that it sounds as if it could have been released in 1972. Kravitz's songcraft has gotten better as well, with the swirling Philly soul of "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over" and the rampaging Sly Stone-meets-Hendrix "Always on the Run" standing out as instantly addictive singles. Still, some of the joy that informed Let Love Rule has worn off, largely because it's more polished and studied than its predecessor. That, however, doesn't prevent Mama Said from being another thoroughly enjoyable guilty pleasure -- its sweet soul and fuzzy hard rock are slyly seductive. Ironically for such an inviting record, Mama Said is Kravitz's divorce album, yet it never quite conveys any true pain or emotion, since he puts sound over substance. Essentially, the lyrics are afterthoughts, but with a record as immaculately produced and sonically pleasurable as Mama Said, it doesn't really matter that it's talking loud and saying nothing, because it sounds good while it's talking. (Stephen Thomas Erlewine - Barnes & Noble) |
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On Mama Said, Lenny Kravitz builds on the edgy soul-rock of his debut, streamlining his sound in both songcraft and production. The opener, "Fields of Joy," moves from ethereal verses that evoke a bucolic summer's day to power-chord-heavy refrains and screaming guitar solos. The Stax/Volt- esque soul of "Stand By My Woman," the bossa nova groove of "What Goes Around Comes Around" (which finds Kravitz mining a clear Curtis Mayfield influence), and the heavily phased rocker "Stop Draggin' Around" are all finely honed tributes to classic '60s and '70s sounds. That Kravitz is an unabashed fan of the old school is what, ultimately, makes his music so enjoyable, and he manages to synthesize his influences with style and economy. Mama Said's two standout tracks, "Always on the Run" and "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over," are cases in point. The former is a lean, riff-driven rock song that recalls both Jimi Hendrix and early Funkadelic; the latter a string- sweetened ballad that could have been pulled straight from the Philly Soul catalogue. Kravitz's flair for re-imagining rock, pop, and soul, topped by his fine production sense, keeps it all appealing. The buttons he pushes are no less pleasurable for being so familiar. (Muze/MTS Inc. - Tower Records) |
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Album Play List 1. Fields Of Joy 4:03 (Recommended) Written by Michael Kamen & Hal Fredricks Published by Elbmesne Music (BMI) 1991 Virgin Records America, Inc. 2. Always On The Run 3:57 (Recommended) Written by Lenny Kravitz Published by Miss Bessie Music/Dik Hayd Music (ASCAP) 1991 Virgin Records America, Inc. Peaked at the following positions on Billboard's charts in 1991; # 40 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks and # 8 on the Modern Rock Tracks. 3. Stand By My Woman 4:16 (Recommended) Written by Lenny Kravitz/Henry Hirsch/S.Pasch/A.Kirzan Published by Miss Bessie Music/Henry Hirsch Music/ P-Zan Publishing (ASCAP) 1991 Virgin Records America, Inc. Peaked at # 76 on The Billboard Hot 100 in 1991. 4. It Ain't Over Til It's Over 3:55 (Recommended) Written by Lenny Kravitz Published by Miss Bessie Music (ASCAP) 1991 Virgin Records America, Inc. Peaked at the following positions on Billboards charts in 1991; # 10 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks, and # 2 on The Billboard Hot 100 chart. 5. More Than Anything In This World 3:43 (Recommended) Written by Lenny Kravitz Published by Miss Bessie Music (ASCAP) 1991 Virgin Records America, Inc. 6. What Goes Around Comes Around 4:40 (Recommended) Written by Lenny Kravitz Published by Miss Bessie Music (ASCAP) 1991 Virgin Records America, Inc. Peaked at # 38 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks in 1991. 7. The Difference Is Why 4:48 (Recommended) Written by Lenny Kravitz Published by Miss Bessie Music (ASCAP) 1991 Virgin Records America, Inc. 8. Stop Draggin' Around 2:37 (Recommended) Written by Lenny Kravitz Published by Miss Bessie Music (ASCAP) 1991 Virgin Records America, Inc. 9. Flowers For Zoe 2:45 (Recommended) Written by Lenny Kravitz Published by Miss Bessie Music (ASCAP) 1991 Virgin Records America, Inc. 10. Fields Of Joy (Reprise) 3:57 (Recommended) Written by Michael Kamen & Hal Fredricks Published by Elbmesne Music (BMI) 1991 Virgin Records America, Inc. 11. All I Ever Wanted 4:04 (Recommended) Written by Lenny Kravitz Published by Miss Bessie Music (ASCAP)/Sean Ono Lennon Music (BMI) 1991 Virgin Records America, Inc. 12. When The Morning Turns To Night 2:58 Written by Lenny Kravitz Published by Miss Bessie Music (ASCAP) 1991 Virgin Records America, Inc. 13. What The ...Are We Saying? 5:10 (Recommended) Written by Lenny Kravitz Published by Miss Bessie Music (ASCAP) 1991 Virgin Records America, Inc. 14. Butterfly 1:45 (Recommended) Written by Lenny Kravitz Published by Miss Bessie Music (ASCAP) 1991 Virgin Records America, Inc. |
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Shalondra recommends 13/14 songs on this album |