Raise Vibration Explained

Raise Vibration
Type:studio
Artist:Lenny Kravitz
Cover:Raise Vibration - LK album.jpg
Border:yes
Studio:Gregory Town Sound, Eleuthera, Bahamas
Genre:Rock
Length:64:35
Label:Roxie, BMG
Producer:Lenny Kravitz
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Raise Vibration is the eleventh studio album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz. It was released on Roxie Records via BMG Rights Management on September 7, 2018 [1] [2] [3] and produced seven singles.

Background

Kravitz explained that he struggled with serious writer’s block while trying to focus on this album.[4] [5] Raise Vibration is a socially-conscious album, containing twelve compositions that address multiple issues plaguing the world. As on most of his other studio recordings, Kravitz plays most of the instruments himself, with longtime guitarist Craig Ross and keyboardist/orchestrator David Baron being the only collaborators (other than string and horn players).[6] The album has produced four singles. "It's Enough!" is a song against corporate greed, political corruption, and racism. The follow-up single "Low" explores the perils of his near-mythical sensuality with intonations alluding to his past intimate relationships.[7] The song "Low" was released as a single and a video approximately six weeks before the album.[8] It contains vocal extracts from Michael Jackson.

Song "5 More Days 'Til Summer" was released as the third single and is much more upbeat than "Low" and "It’s Enough!". The song "Johnny Cash", a mix of psychedelic country and western, was released as the fourth single to be a tribute to American legendary country singer Johnny Cash, who died on September 12, 2003. Kravitz claims to have met Cash and his wife June Carter in 1995 when he was flatmates with Rick Rubin in Los Angeles, when he encountered Cash and his wife after being called that his mother had died.[9] He recalls the memory in the song, and pays respect to the legend.

The album was recorded in Eleuthera island, Bahamas, of which Kravitz is a long time resident—he has previously stated that many of his songs were written while staying there.[10]

Reception

At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 62, based on six reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".

Madison Desler of Paste Magazine commented "So here we are at the end of this album, left with the question, after 30 years, where does he stand? Is Lenny Kravitz a low-key legend? Let’s say yes—French people love him, he’s been praised and pilloried in equal measure and he has some tried-and-true bangers. Is Lenny Kravitz still cool? Not sure. This album is sending mixed messages. Will the giant scarf always be a thing? Most definitely".

Kory Grow of Rolling Stone stated "Lenny Kravitz gets angry in only the most Lenny Kravitz way possible: with a high-pitched “hoooo,” some funky bass and his typically über-passionate vocal delivery. Nearly every track on his 11th album, Raise Vibration – at least those that aren’t his signature love songs – seems like he intended it to be an anthem for resistance in the Trump era... Mostly, it’s Kravitz’s signature blend of rock and soul, love and social outrage, only this time with a little more bite". Zachary Hoskins of Slant Magazine wrote "Raise Vibrations more serious shortcoming is its lyrics, which stumble whenever they reach for grand proclamations on the state of the world". Mark Kennedy of Chicago Sun-Times wrote "Still, Kravitz has given us enough meaty tunes to last us until he’s ready again to come ride to our rescue".[11]

Personnel

Musicians

Technical

Artwork

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2018)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Australian Digital Albums (ARIA)[12] 40
Japan Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[13] 50
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[14] 38

Year-end charts

Chart (2018)! scope="col"
Position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[15] 169
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[16] 55
French Albums (SNEP)[17] 99
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] 47

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Lifton . Dave . Lenny Kravitz is set to release his 11th studio album, Raise Vibration, on Sept. 7. . . 11 May 2018 . June 26, 2018 . June 26, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180626164316/http://ultimateclassicrock.com/lenny-kravitz-raise-vibration-its-enough/ . live .
  2. Web site: Thibault . Alexis . How come Lenny Kravitz is still so cool? . June 26, 2018 . May 18, 2018 . August 1, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180801210649/http://www.numero.com/en/music/lenny-kravitz-raise-vibration-i-belong-to-you-american-woman-black-and-white-america-strut . live .
  3. Lenny Kravitz: Neues Album "Raise Vibration" erscheint im September . . June 26, 2018 . German . May 14, 2018 . June 26, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180626164035/https://www.rollingstone.de/lenny-kravitz-neues-album-raise-vibration-erscheint-im-september-1499183/ . live .
  4. Web site: Kielty . Martin . Listen to Lenny Kravitz's New Song '5 More Days 'Til Summer' . . 26 July 2018 . 14 March 2019 . 6 February 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190206071702/http://ultimateclassicrock.com/lenny-kravitz-5-more-days-till-summer/ . live .
  5. Web site: Lenny Kravitz Is Ready For Fun In The Sun On '5 More Days 'Til Summer' . Soulbounce . 14 March 2019 . 25 July 2018 . 28 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180728052540/http://www.soulbounce.com/2018/07/lenny-kravitz-5-more-days-til-summer/ . live .
  6. Browne . David . Lenny Kravitz Talks Overcoming Dry Spell for New Album 'Raise Vibration' . . July 17, 2018 . April 17, 2018 . July 17, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180717154242/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/lenny-kravitz-talks-overcoming-dry-spell-for-new-album-raise-vibration-628705/ . live .
  7. Web site: Kugel . Allison . Lenny Kravitz on race, god and spreading love through music . The Spectrum . June 26, 2018 . June 6, 2018 . April 13, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230413032047/https://www.thespectrum.com/story/entertainment/2018/06/06/lenny-kravitz-still-letting-love-rule/674977002/ . live .
  8. Web site: New Lenny Kravitz Album, Raise Vibration, To Be Released in September . Music Tap . June 26, 2018 . May 14, 2018 . June 26, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180626164054/http://www.musictap.com/2018/05/14/new-lenny-kravitz-album-raise-vibration-to-be-released-in-september/ . live .
  9. Hudak . Joseph . Lenny Kravitz Sings About Johnny Cash, June Carter in New Song 'Johnny Cash' . . 20 August 2020 . 7 September 2018 . 12 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200812125135/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/lenny-kravitz-johnny-cash-new-song-raise-vibration-720456/ . live .
  10. Web site: Lenny Kravitz interview . . 21 February 2017 . 9 September 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120909132758/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopfeatures/5549844/Lenny-Kravitz-interview.html . live .
  11. Web site: Kennedy . Mark . Rock swashbuckler Lenny Kravitz makes fine return with 'Raise Vibration' . . 22 February 2019 . 7 September 2018 . 22 February 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190222152426/https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment/lenny-kravitz-raise-vibration-album-review-music/ . live .
  12. Web site: ARIA Australian Top 50 Digital Albums. Australian Recording Industry Association. September 17, 2018. September 15, 2018. September 15, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180915154920/http://cdn.aria.com.au/pdfs/8E1A35E63B340969319F0A3E0551A7C142444DE03082032A933B226B9D62DFF2/ARIA%20Digital%20Albums%20Chart.pdf?seq=13. live.
  13. Web site: Raise Vibration on Billboard Japan Hot Albums. Billboard Japan. September 22, 2020. ja. live. October 7, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201007192207/http://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/detail?a=hot_albums&year=2018&month=09&day=17.
  14. Web site: レイズ・ヴァイブレーション. ja. Oricon. October 26, 2023. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20231026225717/https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/184377/products/1289474/1/. October 26, 2023.
  15. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2018. Ultratop. July 7, 2020. December 27, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191227181011/https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=2018&cat=a. live.
  16. Web site: Rapports Annuels 2018. Ultratop. July 7, 2020. December 20, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181220231108/https://www.ultratop.be/fr/annual.asp?year=2018&cat=a. live.
  17. Web site: Top de l'année Top Albums 2018. SNEP. fr. January 8, 2020. February 28, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200228020640/https://snepmusique.com/les-tops/le-top-de-lannee/top-albums-annee/?annee=2018. live.
  18. Web site: Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2018 – hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. December 31, 2018. December 31, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181231043107/https://hitparade.ch/charts/jahreshitparade/2018. live.

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