 |
From the Vault...
02/18/2001
#721 |
|
info
Lenny Kravitz
"Circus"
© Virgin Records
Year of Release: 1995
Rating:
|
track listing
Rock And Roll Is Dead
Circus
Beyond The 7th Sky
Tunnel Vision
Can't Get You
Off My Mind
Magdalene
God Is Love
Thin Ice
Don't Go And Put
A Bullet In
Your Head
In My Life Today
The Resurrection
|
WSVNRadio Archives
Lenny Kravitz related sites:
|
|
|
Lenny Kravitz
"Circus"
Lenny Kravitz has always been an extraodinary performer/songwriter. By
the time of his 1995 release, Circus, his previous releases were truly
exceptional. It seems that Circus was critiqued as not as great as his
previous releases, but in listening to Circus, the songs contained a
time in his life that was personal, where he was struggling with a divorce,
and the death of his mother.
"Rock And Roll Is Dead" is a definite hard-rocker, and you can't help
to think that Jimi Hendrix may have played in this style, if he hadn't died.
Kravitz's first album Let Love Rule had songs that were similar in the
style (as I hear) to Elvis Costello. The title track of this album is moody,
and dark, yet the vocal style can be easily compared to that of Costello's.
"Beyond The 7th Sky" has the style known only to Kravitz. Having a
much mystical atmosphere, this song captures Kravitz (as well as many of the
other tunes on this album) in a dark, take-on-revenge manner. "Tunnel
Vision" captures this also.
The medium-tempo ballad "Can't Get You Off My Mind" is quite
interesting... It has a somewhat Country Rock sound, as in bands such as The Eagles
yet it tells the story of trying to get over someone (where in fact, Lenny
Kravitz was going through a divorce with actress Lisa Bonet).
"Magdalene" is a common rock song, Lenny Kravitz style. But the
ballads seem to work better for Kravitz on this album; we can add "God Is
Love" to that list... "Thin Ice" is another mystical rocker,
as it is very mysterious, and you can easily tell that Lenny Kravitz was
experiencing some personal problems, and he reflected them in his music.
"Don't Go And Put A Bullet In Your Head" has a somewhat reggae feel,
and with this appropriate title, it's obvious that with many problems in life,
they can be worked out, and not risk committing in doing the opposite of the
song's title.
"In My Life Today" has a more positive light... realizing the good
people/person in one's life. The album's closing tune, "The Resurrection"
is another dark, moody tune in sound.
It's easy to see how Circus was not as praised as Kravitz's earlier
releases. The songs contained on this album reflected the personal problems
that were occuring at the time for Lenny Kravitz. With his divorce, and the
recent death of his mother, actress Roxie Roker of The Jeffersons. It's amazing
that Lenny Kravitz managed to reflect his feelings towards music, and not do
anything that would jeopardize his life, as that may have happened; but it didn't.
There are some songs that could have easily fit previous releases, with its
sound and style, yet Circus was the dark part in Lenny Kravitz's life,
where instead of committing suicide, he put his emotions in his music, and
created a album that reflected the times of his life, at that particular time.
And by not committing suicide, we can still enjoy new music from him, in the
years ahead.
© WSVNRadio.net. All rights reserved.
Review or any portion may not be reproduced
without written permission. Cover art is the
intellectual property of
Virgin Records
and is used for reference purposes only.
|
|
