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I miss the days when albums (especially Lenny's) were recorded on nice warm analog equipment. This CD sounds so bad I can't even listen to it. Don't get me wrong, I like a few of the songs on this album, but the way he recorded it is just awful.

Digital recording technology is good for getting a low-noise recording, but the sound of the instruments and vocals just totally suffer. If the peak level goes above 0 db you get nasty distortion and nasty clipping, which this CD has all OVER it! Pro tools recordings make live drums sound like junk. If you don't run the microphones through tube pre-amps and equalizers you get...well...this!

The good news is he does a lot of those Plastic Ono Band songs where it's just piano, bass and Ringo-sounding drums. I like those numbers a lot. He's done a lot of those in the past, but I don't care, they're always cool to hear.

I don't like "Storm" because it has rapping on it. I mean, if it was Lenny doing the rap that would be cool, but it's somebody else doing it.

Craig Ross appears on several tracks. He's a good musician. I wish he would do a solo album. He looks like Noel Redding in some pictures.

Lenny, wrap up all your pro tools equipment and dedicate to the VH1 school kids. Then go and dust off your old 16-track reel to reel and your tube pre-amps that cost more than a BMW! Listen to your album Mama Said and hear how warm it sounds and try and make your new music sound like that again.

Then we would all be happy again.

Also, the drumming is not good on this album. Previous albums and songs ("Is There Any Love In Your Heart") showed us that Lenny is quite proficient as a drummer. This album just sounds like he recorded 8 measure drum patterns and looped them for the whole song. Except he doesn't even put cymbals on the top like he did on the last album ("A Million Miles Away" where he recorded three crash hits and just copied and pasted them everywhere there needed to be a cymbal crash! Urgh...that sounds so robotic! Get an 808 if you want to do that!).

Songs on this album are o.k. The best song on the whole album is the last one, "My Destiny." The only thing wrong with it is it's just acoustic guitar and falsetto vocal. It's the one song he should have put some real drums on (with REAl-time cymbal hits, not copy and paste specials!)and maybe a wurlitzer electric piano, a light cello and a muted trumpet! And Hirsch on bass guitar!

I'm sorry if I am over-critical of this album, I was just very disappointed. This one and his last CD are not very good. And I imagine the next one he do with be worse, but I hope he will get better.

If you are a new fan, stick to his first four albums. They're all 5 star, no matter what anybody says. 5 and on are only for die-hard fans.

Peace,

Keith


Lenny...being Lenny   May 23, 2004
 9 out of 12 found this review helpful

Fans and non-fans, alike, should by now know what to expect from Lenny Kravitz... fun, catchy, cliched rock music at it's most unadulterated, guiltiest, and most pleasureable best. BAPTISM is more of the same. If you're a fan...this is a good thing. If you're not... well, why are you listening anyways?
One should not scrutinize Mr. Kravitz too deeply. You may not like what you find. A Lenny Kravitz album is like a drunken binge...yeah, it can be a fun ride, but you may end up hating yourself in the morning.
Is he original? No. Are his lyrics sincere? No (see "I Don't Want to be a Star"). Catchy song, but could you honestly see Mr. Kravitz, with his model-esqe fashion style and new flat ironed hair do, cruising in a "Chevy" and playing an "old guitar"? However, the real question is... is HE sincere? I think so. Hell, considering many of today's most popular artists... that's reason enough for me to stand behind him.
This is a fun (if at times boring, "Calling All Angels") album that should make any Lenny Kravitz fan pleased. If you like Lenny Kravitz, don't be fooled by the negative reviews. This is Lenny...being Lenny.


What the funk happened to you?!   May 29, 2004
 8 out of 14 found this review helpful

Someone call the police, someone has stolen Lenny's "soul"
I think Lenny is slowly morphing into a teenage white boy from the suburbs, because his music certainly sounds like all the crap that's been on the radio and MTV for the last 5 years or so. Where'd the funk go?
At his best, I always though Lenny was a perfect hybrid of Jimmy Hendrix, Prince, and a little bit of Paul Stanley circa 1970's KISS, but I think he has now become a parody of himself.
"Fly Away" becoming a hit was the worst thing to happen to him, because everything he's done since is trying to emulate that.
This CD will make a good coaster.


Batism. The album that brings Lenny back   August 19, 2004
 8 out of 8 found this review helpful

I could easily just write the word "Awesome" and explain this cd thoroughly, but it deserves way more praise than that. I must say that Baptism is the album where Lenny comes back, and back with a vengance!!!! Every single song on this album really felt like he was singing from his heart, like the lyrics had meaning rather than just sounding good. Not only were the lyrics good, but also the music is just as good if not better! If every song were an instrumental, I'd enjoy it just as much. Although I am a little saddened that his former drummer Cindy Blackman is no longer part of his band, I must say the new band (including the back up singers) are great. The music was put together, written, aranged and performed greatly. The ballads were simple, but beautiful. Perhaps it is the simplicity, which made it so great for his ballad "Calling all Angels" track 4. It was pure and he wasn't trying so hard...it just came out simply sounding great. I also thought "Baptized" track 8 was a ballad that was written with feeling and soul.

Now on to my favorite part of this album.... the faster, more upbeat, ROCK n' ROLL songs!!! Tracks like "Lady", "Flash", "Where are we Runnin'" and "I Don't Want to be a Star" made me want to dance, move, tap my feet and slap the steering wheel while listening and driving! These were songs that truly brought us back to the true Lenny. Not so much cookie cutter...the Lenny we all love and going from tracks like "Minister of Rock n' Roll" to "Storm", really showed that diverse side of Lenny. He can easily go from Rock n' roll to a more r&b, hip-hop song; something only Lenny can do so graciously. The only negative thing in my opinion is that for "Storm", it would've been better without JayZ. I like JayZ and all but I really didn't see the need for him in this song.

Overall, this album is worth buying whether you are a Lenny fan or just a fan of good music.