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LET LOVE RULE by Lenny Kravitz

LET LOVE RULE

by Lenny Kravitz with David Ritz

Pub Date: Oct. 6th, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-11308-5
Publisher: Henry Holt

The singer/songwriter reflects on his early family life and the launch of his career.

In this rapidly paced, mildly engaging memoir, Kravitz recalls the many events that influenced his younger self before making it in the music industry with the hit album Let Love Rule (1989). His mother was actress Roxie Roker of The Jeffersons, and his father was TV producer Sy Kravitz. Throughout, the author draws on the dual aspects of his upbringing. “I am deeply two-sided,” he writes. “Black and white. Jewish and Christian. Manhattanite and Brooklynite. My young life was all about opposites and extremes.” The author writes lovingly about his family members—including Sy, who “lived in a framework of extreme discipline” and withheld affection—and how their varied cultural experiences were a source of enrichment and support. Through his family connections, he also encountered a number of influential recording artists, including Miles Davis, Sarah Vaughan, and Herbie Hancock (there’s plenty of name-dropping in the book). According to Kravitz, he resisted several lucrative recording deals before landing as a solo artist with Virgin Records. He was focused on authenticity and finding his true voice, an approach further inspired by his relationship with Lisa Bonet. “Lisa was bringing out something in myself I’d never seen before,” he writes. “The poetry of my soul. She gave me courage, inspired me, changed my whole artistic attitude.” Though Kravitz attempts to demonstrate his street credentials, describing his “nomad” experiences crashing at friends’ apartments while seeking local gigs, the narrative, co-authored by veteran ghostwriter Ritz, has the slick feel of a standard-issue celebrity memoir. The text lacks the grit and deeper, soul-baring substance of notable recent music memoirs by the likes of Carrie Brownstein, Patti Smith, and Flea. In comparison, this book reads like an extended acknowledgements page; the author is grateful to those who helped him, but he rarely expresses the sensation of meeting and overcoming obstacles along his journey.

A readable account for Kravitz fans.