Kravitz: Consistent Quality Wins Again on New LP

I'll be honest, the acts associated with the root of Lenny Kravitz's sound, barring Sly & Family Stone, Prince, and The Rolling Stones, have never really been my thing. However, you don't have to be a fan of Led Zeppelin to appreciate Kravitz's unique musical synthesis of white rock and traditional black soul.

On It Is Time For a Love Revolution, Kravitz keeps quality and consistency in abundance. These traits have aided and abetted Kravitz in internalizing the previously mentioned influences, which many critics accused him of recycling shamelessly in the past. Thematically, this record differs little from the other seven LPs that preceded it. Kravitz easily could have come of age in the late 1960's, the breadth of the 1970's, or the early 1980's. His ability to sound like he stepped off of a time machine is what makes his music endearing in this age of musical cynicism. Kravitz always pours emotional depth into his music through his self-contained the production, arranging, writing, and playing. On this record Kravitz does what he does best, rock out, bare his soul (musically speaking), and make music that just feels so damn good.

The opening rush of "Love Revolution" sports Kravitz's handsome voice, popping with energy over the guitar crunching and drum stabs. The sexy braggadocio of "Bring It On" walks on your ear drums like its a stage. Kravitz's voice is able to bend and break upon the appropriate moment, never sounding phoned in, always just right.

The tongue-in-cheek wit of "Love, Love, Love" is a favorite here. With words like: "Your ways are never static! You're always keeping it erratic! I want you to know I'm emphatic, about your love that's enigmatic!" Women (and men!) are bound to swoon, especially when he follows it with the steamy stickiness of "Will You Marry Me?" This number shows that the fluid masculinity of Kravitz's sex appeal is not only stylish, it has substance to keep you coming back for more.

It isn't all rock star swagger and knee-knocking crooning, on the now Kravitz classic "I'll Be Waiting" he weaves his typical portrait of love prevailing in the face of a heart betrayed. An ode to his father "A Long and Sad Goodbye" joins the song dedicated to his mother, "Thinking of You," from the 5 LP (1998) as bittersweet dedications to his parents.

It Is Time For a Love Revolution leaves the listener with a sense of fullness and satisfaction. It isn't groundbreaking, but it is original in the sense that it is now Kravitz's sound. This sound finally bridges the true connection between the black soul and rock 'n' roll, and only Kravitz could do it on a balanced level. Four stars out of five.-QH

The Brand New Heavies b/w Siedah Garrett and Nicole Russo!

The Brand New Heavies. Andrew "Love" Levy works the bass. Jan Kincaid owns the drums, with occasional lead vocals. Simon Bartholomew is the guitar machismo. These three together provide a solid wall of jazzy, hip-hop dipped, trippy, smoothed out soul. The cherry on top is the female lead that makes their music really sparkle. Enter three distinct women: N'Dea Davenport, Siedah Garrett, and Nicole Russo.  Davenport is the vocalist who has remained in orbit around the Heavies longest but that doesn't make her cool approach my favorite. Rather it's Garrett (bewitching) and Russo (slick, if raunchy) that have two of the five Heavies LPs I've purchased burning up my boombox and iPod.

Shelter (1997)

Coming off of the acclaim of the Brother Sister LP (1994),and the last (at that time) to feature Davenport, the Heavies were certainly under pressure to deliver the goods. Enter Siedah Garrett, her resume reads as a songwriter, session vocalist, and singer which enabled her to fit into the bottomless funk pit the Heavies were known for.

Her voice filled the music with enthusiasm, injecting life experience into the affirming, complex cuts "Sometimes" and "Stay Gone."
On the glittery "You Are the Universe" and refreshing "Feels Like Right," she puts on her inner romantic. Outside of Garrett's vocal work, the songwriting and composing from the Heavies core of Levy/Kincaid/Bartholomew abound. The title track is a backbone banger of perseverance and pride, the vocals from Kincaid are detached but powerful.

Music Video for "You Are the Universe"




All About the Funk (2004)
Sadly, Garrett only remained for the one record and the males of the Heavies again were left to find another femme fatale to channel their U.K. flavored, U.S. inspired funk. Enter Nicole Russo, who one All Music Guide critic inaccurately described as Fergie-like, when in truth she has more in common with a Joss Stone or Nikka Costa.

On this album, the Heavies don their slickest sound, Russo's bouncy sex appeal (vocally) was the raw contrast. On the delightfully sassy and booty wriggling, "Boogie" Russo is a focused assailant to a double-crossing player. She manages to get reggae and emotionally pleading on the oft-covered song "Many Rivers to Cross" before slipping back into her strut shoes for the closing stomper "How We Do It."

From the Heavies core, we get some interesting contemporary and retro blending sonically. The hip-hop element is prominent here, not as heavy (no pun intended) as the Heavy Rhyme Experience: Vol. 1 LP (1992), but playfully kicked up a notch or two in the sampling and mixing elements. There is also a hilarious skit that closes "How We Do This," where Russo gives birth to a CD, and Levy comments: "I've never,ever seen a baby that color before!"

Music Video for "Boogie"


Overall, these records are really are just astonishing. I've been listening to them non-stop since I purchased each one. While I love the Davenport LPs Brother Sister (1994) and Get Used to It (2006), the latter contains one of my favorites Heavies jams "Love Is," I just think that Garrett and Russo deliver more interesting vocals to the Heavies sound.-QH

Flame to Fire: Donna Summer's Return

Spending majority of the 1990's and 2000's, rightfully so, coasting on previous hits Donna Summer is (finally!) returning with a new record on May 20th via the Burgundy imprint (who hosts Chaka Khan on its roster). The album is called Crayons.

This will be Summer's first album of new material since 1991's Mistaken Identity and her fifteenth album overall. The lead single "I'm A Fire" is already setting folks into a frenzy within the clubs. The EP is currently available through the iTunes music store. My thoughts on the new single? Summer has had a decent run of "new recordings" over the years: "Melody of Love" (1994), "I Will Go With You (Con Te Partiro) (1999), and "I've Got Your Love" (2005).  "I'm a Fire" in its original version is similar to the recent electronic-jazz fusion work that Jody Watley has been known for on her last two albums. The sound is worn by Summer's colorful voice nicely, the "Solitaire Club Mix" is also well done. It drops a wicked keyboard riff that is so house, so black and vogue, you can't help but to take it down to the floor.

Summer described the title of the record by saying, "My dream is that when people hear the music it will remind them of their youth, their childhood and the joy and wonderment they felt exploring their first pack of crayons." On board to produce the record are Danielle Brisebois, Greg Kurstin, JR Rotem, Lester Mendez and Evan Bogart. The two that really got me going are Rotem and Mendez. Rotem produced Jennifer Lopez's last underrated gem Brave (2007) and Mendez worked on Jewel's 0304 (2003). Both producers craft excellent pop music that is creative and interesting to the ear, something Summer has always been about.  In the midst of the Madonna's current musical blunder
(I say that with all the love and adoration for her), it's great to see the true "Queen of Pop Music Reinvention" making an overdue return.-QH

[Editor's Note: Visit this tribute page for the up-to-the minute news and information: http://www.donna-tribute.com/ . You'll also find the link to her official page there, which is still under construction for the new project.-QH]