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I would venture to say that this is not only Lenny Kravitz' best album, but his ONLY album that holds up from beginning to end; I find all of Lenny's music this side of "Are You Gonna Go My Way" to be mere shadows of the greatness he exhibited here. I guess I liked him a lot better sounding like Sly Stone and John Lennon and Curtis Mayfield, than I do now, sounding like Jeff Lynne. He perhaps should have gone blacker rather that whiter.

That brings me to one other point.../everyone/ in music cops their schtick from somewhere. Why don't we look back and bag on Sly for copping from James Brown, or rip into Miles Davis for copping from both of them? Or the Beatles and Stones, for ripping off Buddy Holly? Or blah blah blah. You could trace musical theft back to a caveman beating on a tree-trunk drum, if you had enough time to research your bitter little record review.

You're not going to be disappointed if you buy "Mama Said." In fact, I give you my personal guarantee as an Essentially Anonymous Poster that you'll probably like it a lot better than "LENNY."


Lacks direction, but Lenny has a great voice.   July 26, 1999
 10 out of 12 found this review helpful

My first Lenny Kravitz album was "Are You Gonna Go My Way", and at the time I bought that, the store clerk recommended "Mama Said". I finally bought it, and was disappointed. I had come to expect musical sensitivity, discernible melodies, and music that is easy on the ears. I did not find that on "Mama Said". Instead, I got grinding guitars, not a small amount of wailing, and a general lack of harmoniousness. However, I love Lenny's voice, and his style, and I really enjoyed "It Ain't Over" and "Stand By My Woman", which are more what I expect. I greatly prefer "Are You Gonna Go My Way" to this CD, though those who want a harder, more driven edge may appreciate "Mama Said".


Gorgeously Produced Album   September 6, 1999
 7 out of 8 found this review helpful

I have been a Kravitz fan for about two years now, and I can safely say this is him at his best. I would say that all but 3-4 songs on this album are phenomenol tracks. The best yet most under rated track would have to be "What Goes Around, Comes Around" which (to the tune of a bossa-nova beat) is great to listen to, and its lyrics are also quite impressive. In light of Lenny Kravitz' most recent album (5) this show's Kravitz' undesputable talet when it was freshest.


A mellow collection for the Lenmeister   September 15, 1999
 5 out of 5 found this review helpful

A totally different CD than Are You Gonna Go My Way. I recommend listening to this one when you are relaxing and just hanging out. Don't expect to get up and dance to these songs.


The beginning of a darker Lenny Kravitz emerging   December 9, 2001
 4 out of 4 found this review helpful

Lenny Kravitz's 1989 debut LET LOVE RULE was the ultimate in playing spot-the-influence & that was how his early music sounded. With time, he'd internalize his inspirations, but with his first few albums he hadn't learned that yet. Following up the great-but-no-masterpiece affair that was LET LOVE RULE wasn't going to be easy for Lenny & but he managed to do it one better with 1991's MAMA SAID.

Probably realizing his fixation with the '60s on LET LOVE RULE was a little much, Lenny decided to update himself a bit with some early 1970s soul on MAMA SAID. It was that change that would finally give Lenny some long-overdue commercial success.

"It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over" I'm sure shocked even Lenny with it peaking at #2 on the pop charts in 1991. The use of analog recording equipment no doubt contributed to this sounding like something you'd hear from your local oldies radio station than modern top 40. The novelty must have been quite inviting for listeners who weren't yet bombarded by the coming grunge storm from Seattle. The old-school sound is furthered on "More Than Anything In This World", "Stand By My Woman" & "All I Ever Wanted". Making these songs more interesting is the fact that Lenny's marriage to actress Lisa Bonet was crumbling at the time MAMA SAID was recorded.

The rock-tinged sound of the follow-up ARE YOU GONNA GO MY WAY (1993) is hinted on "Always On The Run" (which could have been on the soundtrack for any blaxploitation film), "Difference Is Why", "Stop Draggin' Around" & "What The [...] Are We Saying?". This also foreshadows the angry, darker soundscape of 1995's CIRCUS.

While the influences still continue to control Lenny a bit on MAMA SAID, the only real snags are those songs that sound like LET LOVE RULE outtakes. "Fields Of Joy", its mid-album reprise, "Butterfly" & "Flowers For Zoe" (written as a lullaby for Lenny's daughter) are somewhat enjoyable, but a bit out of place on an album that was supposed to be about slowly bring Lenny away from his hippie identity.

Some have called MAMA SAID Lenny Kravitz's divorce record, but it isn't all the way through. Of course, his marriage falling apart contributed to the darker tone of the record, but to say all of it is about Lenny trying to patch things up would be overestimating it. Granted, he is still trying to iron out the rough spots in his sound, but Lenny seems a bit more sure of himself than he did on LET LOVE RULE. Who knew that Lenny would finally blossom on his next album?