Mama Said (album) explained

Mama Said
Type:studio
Artist:Lenny Kravitz
Cover:Lenny Kravitz-Mama Said (album cover).jpg
Released:April 2, 1991
Recorded:1990
Length:52:38
Label:Virgin
Producer:Lenny Kravitz
Prev Title:Let Love Rule
Prev Year:1989
Next Title:Are You Gonna Go My Way
Next Year:1993

Mama Said is the second studio album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz, released in April 1991 by Virgin Records. Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash co-wrote and played on the song "Always on the Run". He also played on the song "Fields of Joy". The song "All I Ever Wanted" was co-written by Sean Lennon.

Although the album has sold enough copies to be certified double platinum, the RIAA still has it listed as platinum. In the UK, the album reached number 8 on the UK Albums Chart. In 2012, Virgin Records released an expanded, double-disc version of the album with a number of remixes and bonus tracks.[1]

Critical reception

"Rather than synthesizing his influences in a way that allows him some personal expression," wrote Elysa Gardner of Rolling Stone, "Kravitz seemingly aims to acknowledge as many of them as he can in the course of an hour; the result is a rather disjointed album that lacks freshness and distinction. Kravitz continues to demonstrate a talent for crafting and arranging engaging songs; unfortunately, up to this point it has proven less a creative talent than a recreative one." Similarly, Chicago Tribune critic Greg Kot opined that "until Kravitz begins transforming his influences instead of just copying them, he'll remain a promising but minor artist." Phil Sutcliffe was more positive in Q, finding that Kravitz, while "not so much influenced as tie-dyed to the bone by the late '60s", sounds "truly inspired". The Village Voices Robert Christgau commented, "don't think Hendrix–Beatles, think Prince–George Michael",[2] later giving the album a "two-star honorable mention" grade.

In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine said that Kravitz had downplayed "some of the joy that informed Let Love Rule" in favor of a "more polished and studied" sound on Mama Said, which he deemed "another thoroughly enjoyable guilty pleasure... it doesn't really matter that it's talking loud and saying nothing, because it sounds good while it's talking." Writing for Record Collector, Terry Staunton found it "even more accomplished" than its predecessor: "Rarely had traditional guitar rock and sweet soul merged so confidently, so effortlessly: further proof that we were in the midst of a major talent."

Track listing

All songs were written by Lenny Kravitz, except where noted.

Original edition

  1. "Fields of Joy" (Michael Kamen, Hal Fredricks) – 3:57
  2. "Always on the Run" (Kravitz, Slash) – 3:53
    • Featuring Slash
  3. "Stand by My Woman" (Kravitz, Henry Hirsch, Stephen Mark Pasch, Anthony Krizan) – 4:19
  4. "It Ain't Over 'til It's Over" – 3:55
  5. "More Than Anything in This World" – 3:43
  6. "What Goes Around Comes Around" – 4:40
  7. "The Difference Is Why" – 4:48
  8. "Stop Draggin' Around" – 2:37
  9. "Flowers for Zoë" – 2:45
  10. "Fields of Joy (Reprise)" (Kamen, Fredricks) – 3:59
    • Arranged by Kravitz
  11. "All I Ever Wanted" (Kravitz, Sean Ono Lennon) – 4:04
  12. "When the Morning Turns to Night" – 2:58
  13. "What the Fuck Are We Saying?" – 5:13
  14. "Butterfly" – 1:50

21st anniversary edition bonus tracks

Disc one
The Studio B-Sides[3]

  2. "Light Skin Girl from London" – 2:42
  3. "I'll Be Around" – 2:55
  4. "Always on the Run" (instrumental) (Kravitz, Slash) – 3:54

The Unreleased 12"

  2. "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over" (12" remix instrumental) – 4:37
  3. "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over" (12" extended/dub version) – 8:08

Disc two
The Demos: Mama in Progress

  1. "Riding on the Wings of My Lord" (rough demo) – 3:02
  2. "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over" (home demo) – 2:05
  3. "What the Fuck Are We Saying?" (home demo) – 3:35
  4. "The Difference Is Why" (home demo) – 3:55
  5. "Riding on the Wings of My Lord" (funky vocal) – 3:41
  6. "Riding on the Wings of My Lord" (instrumental) – 3:03
  7. "Framed, Lying Crying" (instrumental segue) – 0:23
  8. "Stand by My Woman" (instrumental) (Kravitz, Hirsch, Pasch, Krizan) – 4:20

Live in Rotterdam Nov. 15, 1991

  2. "Stop Draggin' Around" – 3:06
  3. "Always on the Run" (Kravitz, Slash) – 5:26
  4. "Fields of Joy" (Kamen, Fredricks) – 4:19
  5. "Stand by My Woman" (Kravitz, Hirsch, Pasch, Krizan) – 4:59
  6. "More Than Anything in This World" – 8:16

The Live in Japan B-Sides

  2. "Always on the Run" (Kravitz, Slash) – 5:20
  3. "Stop Draggin' Around" – 3:06
  4. "What the Fuck Are We Saying?" – 5:20

Personnel

Production and design

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (1991)! scope="col"
Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[4] 37
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[5] 35
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[6] 4
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[7] 56
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[8] 49
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[9] 15

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Official Lenny Kravitz page for the expanded version. 2014-03-19. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140328233109/http://lennykravitz.com/releases/mama_said_21st_anniversary_deluxe_edition. March 28, 2014. mdy-all.
  2. News: Christgau. Robert. Robert Christgau. Consumer Guide. The Village Voice. June 4, 1991. April 30, 2024.
  3. Mama Said (21st Anniversary Deluxe Edition) . 2012 . booklet . Virgin.
  4. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Albums for 1991. Australian Recording Industry Association. March 21, 2021.
  5. Web site: Jahreshitparade Alben 1991. austriancharts.at. March 21, 2021.
  6. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Album 1991. dutchcharts.nl. March 21, 2021.
  7. Web site: Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts. de. GfK Entertainment. March 21, 2021.
  8. Web site: Top Selling Albums of 1991. Recorded Music NZ. February 11, 2022.
  9. Web site: Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1991. hitparade.ch. March 21, 2021.

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