Baptism - Kravitz, Lenny (CD 2004)

Time and time again I hear people balk about how Lenny Kravitz is more into fashion than his own music. Need I bring up Steven Tyler, Prince, Andre 3000? Need we talk about the hairspray-laden 80 s? Fashion is just as important to the perception of cool, no matter how much any of us try to relegate it to the back burner. That s not to say Kravitz is inept the man can play a guitar (and bass and drums), he can arrange and produce a song, he can write and he did all of those things on this his 8th foray into music making Baptism .

Minister Of Rock And Roll jump starts the party in a serious way. Everything that one has come to be familiar in regards to Kravitz is there he s as cocky as ever and the guitar is up front and the whole deal is a slick package which despite being strong, has a few really good subdued moments. I Don t Wanna Be A Star despite smelling strongly of pretentiousness, is a really great song about yup, not really being affected by fame. Heard that before, but I guess every artist has to make one.

There s the lustful and staccato Lady and the stripped-down Calling All Angels which is beautiful in it s own right, feels a bit vulnerable and a bit mawkish all at once and that sentiment is a bit too prevalent on the slower tracks which is unfortunate since a track like Baptized could do without so much of the desperate sentimentality. And perhaps there is where Kravitz falters on Baptism , perhaps it s that he can t leave well enough alone, and some of the songs wind up being/sounding overproduced. California , which does effectively sum up the way I think of the sunshine state seem just so silly and over the top that you wonder what kind of mind state Kravitz was actually in when he wrote it/ produced it/ sang it.

What is fresh and new about Baptism is that more than being an influential nod to Prince (whose name comes up A LOT when talking about Kravitz), it feels like an eclectic mix of just about everything Kravitz is into and is nearer to Shuggie Otis than anything. Sistamamalover has a delicious groove and an R&B undercurrent that is paired with a grittier sounding vocal but that doesn t portray the whole Rock essence of the album as a whole.

Despite admittedly preferring to have my Kravitz served mid-tempo, the up-tempo numbers win by large on Baptism . Despite eschewing fame on I Don t Wanna Be A Star , Flash regales in the momentary fame, claiming that it s all down for the fans, a little bit endearing a little bit of a lie, but it s a well-done offering. But the shining star (oh, and you knew it was coming) is the intensely electrifying Storm , a collaboration with Jay-Z coughstillthekingofHip-Hop</b>cough, that hits everything right and I assure you that avoidance of guest stars is something I m big on, but here it feels right and more importantly it sounds right.

The Other Side finds Kravitz doing his best impression of the vocals of James Taylor, someone please find Lenny Kravitz a woman now, because apparently he s in a frenzied search and since I m taken, I m going to have to defer. Lenny s vocals sung so low, seems a bit spooky which seems fitting since the track is a bit ominous and sounds like a brooding, rock, if I don t find what it is I m looking for in this life, I m going to kill myself, suicide note.

- Final Thoughts -

While I have to admit that Baptism is a bit scattered (it would have benefited from some track re-ordering) on the whole, it s an absolutely solid album. It appears that Kravitz is trying to find a way to make his music but with a refreshingly new zest, almost seeing rock in a new light to see how that affects his artistry and while he does miss every now and again ( California , Where Are We Runnin ), most of what is here is good stuff.

I m not absolutely sure what die-hard Kravitz fans will think and while this isn t the best starting point for a new fan, it s definitely good enough to allow you a look into the art of Lenny Kravitz and just good enough to pique your interest in his older works.