Maps of Music

Lenny (2001)

Where the lyrics of Lenny take you, and where it was really made.

The album that revived Lenny Kravitz's career is named after the artist himself, and he wrote, arranged, produced and played nearly everything on it.

Place unknown

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Lenny: sixth studio album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz
Released October 2001 through Virgin Records
Reached number 12 on the Billboard 200 and number 55 on the UK Albums Chart
Lead single "Dig In" reached number 31 on the US Billboard Hot 100
"Dig In" was the album's most successful song and helped Kravitz win his fourth consecutive Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance
"If I Could Fall in Love" was featured on the Blue Crush soundtrack and gave Kravitz another nomination in the same category in 2003

Kravitz wrote, arranged, produced and performed every song on the album
Minimalist one-man show of acoustic and electric guitars, live percussion and drum programming
Follows the hit "Fly Away" from the album 5, which revived his career
Cover of the Guess Who's "American Woman" was another hit, boosted by its use in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
"Again" was added as a new track to the Greatest Hits compilation

Kravitz played electric guitar, drums, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, Mini-Moog and piano across the tracks
Craig Ross played electric guitar and Hammond organ on selected tracks
Henry Hirsch handled engineering and mixing alongside Kravitz
Matt Knobel worked as Pro Tools engineer

Born May 26, 1964 in New York City; American singer, musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor.
Debut album Let Love Rule (1989) blends rock, funk, reggae, hard rock, soul, and R&B.
Hit singles include "It Ain't Over 'til It's Over" (1991) and "Again" (2000), both top ten on the Billboard Hot 100.
Won four consecutive Grammy Awards for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance from 1999 to 2002, a category record.
Has sold over 40 million albums worldwide.
Acted in Precious (2009) and the first two Hunger Games films (2012–13).
Founded the creative studio Kravitz Design Inc.

Raised partly in New York and partly in Los Angeles; began playing drums at age three.
Introduced to rock music in Los Angeles, listening to the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and Jimi Hendrix.

Initial critical response was positive; Metacritic average score of 69 based on 12 reviews, indicating generally favorable reviews
AllMusic (Stephen Thomas Erlewine): wrote a positive review, saying the album stands alongside his first three albums as classy, near-irresistible pop
Entertainment Weekly (Tom Sinclair): said it is hard not to wish Kravitz's music was a few degrees better, but noted he has improved over the years
Drowned in Sound (Graham Reed): wrote a negative review, calling the album stale, unoriginal and formulaic
Slant Magazine (Sal Cinquemani): said the classic rock influence is evident, with tracks recalling John Lennon's harmonies and Jimi Hendrix's guitar riffs
Billboard: described an invigorating, electric blend with smart and spiritual lyrics
Blender: said the 12 tracks are unusually raucous and raw, with turbocharged punk and arena rock
Rolling Stone: said nothing on the album matches "Again", but he sometimes gets close
Q magazine: described a heady swirl of rock, soul and hippy lyrics, calling it full of hits

Slant: called "Dig In" a gritty rocker that evokes Sheryl Crow at times, with slightly less keen lyrical content

Billboard 200: number 12
UK Albums Chart: number 55
US Hot 100: "Dig In" number 31
US Adult Top 40: "Dig In" number 7; "Stillness of Heart" number 18; "If I Could Fall in Love" number 40
Grammy: fourth consecutive Best Male Rock Vocal Performance award

"Dig In" became the album's most successful song and helped Kravitz win his fourth consecutive Grammy in the Best Male Rock Vocal Performance category.
"Yesterday Is Gone" was said by Entertainment Weekly to have a Beatles feel, though it no longer seems like an attempt to rewrite "Tomorrow Never Knows".
"Bank Robber Man" is based on a real-life incident in which Kravitz was mistaken for a criminal and busted by Miami police officers.
"Stillness of Heart" reached number 18 on the US Adult Top 40 and number 44 in the UK.
The Japanese edition includes a bonus acoustic CD, which is a different release from the standard album.