Lenny Kravitz

Lenny Kravitz - Virgin Records

In the 18 years that have transpiredsince Lenny Kravitz first entered the public consciousness, much has happenedin the world of music. Yet, through it all, Lenny Kravitz, has persevered,flourishing as one of the great rock musicians of our time. He proves exactlywhy with his eighth studio album, It Is Time For A Love Revolution, athunderous and elegant rock 'n roll call-to-arms.

All of Kravitz's albums have beencertified gold or better, with three of them certified multi-platinum. He hasscored multiple number 1 singles on the Billboard Top Singles charts, and haswon four GRAMMY awards (setting a record for most wins in the "BestMale Rock Vocal Performance" category, from 1999 – 2002), while beingnominated for several more. Other awards include the American Music Awards(2002, Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist), the MTV Video Music Awards (1993,Best Male Video), Radio Music Awards (2001, Artist of the Year), VH1/VogueFashion Awards (1998, Most Fashionable Male), and the Billboard Awards.

The root of all his success, though,is the music. Kravitz's sound has always carried the echoes of past eras –classic rock, old-school soul, gritty funk and confectionary '60s pop – yet italways boasts an urgency and craftsmanship reflective of modern times. It IsTime For A Love Revolution, is a bold, contemporary rock album, and its largessunderscores the idea that, over the course of his nearly two-decades-longcareer, perhaps the most remarkable of Kravitz's achievements is how he'smanaged to maintain the immeasurable consistency of being a quality singer,songwriter and performer.

"I'm a person who is alwaystrying to experience new things and constantly change my perspective," hesays. "I really try to keep things alive, to be around different peopleand different influences. I'll go live someplace I've never been, where I don'tknow anybody, and I'll gain the experience of it. I guess that reflects on themusic I make."

A funny thing happened when Lennystarted to write songs for the new album. "I just felt free. I can'texplain it, it felt like I was starting from scratch and the energy andexcitement that comes from that just took over."

That freedom is the fire inside ItIs Time For A Love Revolution, which sonically – and more importantly,spiritually – is as vibrant as Kravitz's debut album, Let Love Rule. "It'strue, I hadn't felt that free since before I was in the business," hesays. "For Let Love Rule, there was no agenda, no business people, nopressure to 'deliver' a certain vision of me. And that's how I felt recordingthis album. It feels like the beginning of a new chapter for me."

It Is Time For A Love Revolution waswritten and recorded over the course of the last year, in New York, Miami,Paris, the Bahamas and Brazil. It once again finds Kravitz playing most of theinstruments himself. What will be most striking to listeners is the boldness ofthe sound. Heavy drums, tight, hip-shaking grooves, frenetic guitars andKravitz's unmistakable croon mix to create big, raucous rock 'n roll jams.

Thematically, as its album titlewould indicate, Kravitz sings many songs of love and emotional and spiritualrevolution. He sings songs of optimism calling on people to open up and letlove in their hearts. As he explains, "I know people who are incrediblyrich and have everything but are some of the most miserable people in theworld. And you can have two dollars in the bank and be the happiest person onthe planet. There's nothing I could buy that could make me happy as long as Ihave love and God in my heart.

That much his music aspires toinspire is a product of how he was raised, he says. "It might be naïve butit's how I've always been. I wasn't raised in a cynical environment, but onethat was always positive and productive. You watch the news and things in theworld are not getting better," he says. "To me, it's time for peopleto really question this. It's time to get radical with it and combat the evilin this world with love."

The anthemic, classic rock tunes ofIt Is Time For A Love Revolution are matched by just as intense, but quieterand more personal songs. Kravitz uses this album as an opportunity to addresshis father, Sy Kravitz, who passed away in 2005, laying naked the up-and-downrelationship they had with each other. "We never saw eye-to-eye and Imoved out when I was 15," he elaborates. “I had issues with him as afather figure. I was a mama's boy – and his infidelities were things I tookpersonally. As we both got older, we just moved farther and farther apart fromunderstanding each other and so it was like a long and sad goodbye to thisfather/son relationship that used to exist. We made peace, though, so in thatsense, it's not that sad for me anymore."

Addressing that particular subjecton It Is Time For A Love Revolution was its own form of catharsis for Kravitz,and it only adds to the album's depth and range – the same characteristics thatmarked his foray into music on Let Love Rule and the same ones that has madehim a vital musician for 18 years. "I love this record and the feel of therecord," he says. "I felt like a kid playing in my bedroom, andthat's the most important thing you can tap into, that feeling of beingfree."