Number 58

Generally, there are three types of successful rock artists. There are album artists who specialize in delivering a theme or concept over the span of a set of songs. There are singles artists, musicians who specialize in creating three minutes of magic but can't sustain their brilliance over a set of songs. And there are singles artists who think they're album artists, musicians who create a set of songs with the intention of a gigantic theme but only generate a handful of listenable songs. Number 58 falls into the last category,

Number 58: Lenny Kravitz - Greatest Hits (2000)

To say Lenny Kravitz is interesting is an understatement. Lenny grew up in LA and went to the Beverly Hills 90210 high school. His mother is Roxie Roker, an actress who appeared regularly on The Jeffersons. He originally modeled himself after Prince and in turn learned a multitude of instruments and wrote his own music. Eventually, Kravitz found his own sound by combining arcane influences such as John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix and Sly & the Family Stone. In other words, any classic rock artist from the early 70's became an influence for Lenny Kravitz.

Kravitz often seems to have grandiose ideas for his music, attempting to create music that is timeless by taking the best elements out of classic rock for his own. On paper, it sounds great. In practice, Kravitz often falls short of his ideals but does manage to create effective and catchy singles which conquer radio waves across the country. For this reason, the best way to experience Lenny Kravitz is through Greatest Hits (2000).

While Kravitz may not be a dominant artist, his highlights are plentiful. The driving Hendrixian guitar workout "Are You Gonna Go My Way" has become a signature song for him. Kravitz can also throw in a little funk in his rock in a way reminscent of Sly Stone such as on "Always On The Run". The soulful R&B of "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over" is a great tune in the early 70's R&B style. The John Lennon touches are revealed on tracks like "Stand By My Woman" and "Let Love Rule". Even the critically reviled remake of Guess Who's "American Woman" has an outstanding funky groove to it in Kravitz hands.

Many of Kravitz' albums included a great deal of filler that neither annoy or impress. But Greatest Hits cuts the filler out and leaves the beat moments of a prolific singles artist.