It Is Time for a Love Revolution
It Is Time for a Love Revolution is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and arranger Lenny Kravitz, released on February 5, 2008.[12][13] The album produced three singles released in 2007 and 2008.[14] This is Kravitz's final album for Virgin Records.
It Is Time for a Love Revolution | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | February 5, 2008 | |||
Recorded | 2006–07 | |||
Genre | Rock[1][2] | |||
Length | 62:09 | |||
Label | Virgin | |||
Producer | Lenny Kravitz | |||
Lenny Kravitz chronology | ||||
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Singles from It Is Time for a Love Revolution | ||||
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Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 57/100[3] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | |
The A.V. Club | C–[4] |
Daily Express | |
Entertainment Weekly | B[2] |
The Guardian | |
IGN | 6.8/10[7] |
Lost at Sea | (7.6/10)[8] |
Now | |
Record Collector | |
Rolling Stone |
Background
It includes 14 original tracks, written, composed, arranged, performed, and produced by Kravitz. The album received Kravitz's best reviews in years, with Rolling Stone giving it three stars out of a possible five and suggesting that "As a blast back to the past, this is the best album Lenny Kravitz has ever made."[11]
Kravitz has planned to tour with the album's material for two years after the release, starting with a performance of two new songs on Times Square New Year's Eve show, hosted by Carson Daly.
Release
It debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200, selling about 73,000 copies in its first week[15] and becoming Kravitz's first US Top 5 album since 2000's Greatest Hits.
Reception
At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 57, based on 17 reviews, which indicates "mixed or average reviews".[3]
Michaelangelo Matos of The A.V. Club stated "Well, there go the rumors that with each album, Lenny Kravitz was going to jump ahead three years stylistically, catching up with the present some time around 2008. From its title on down, It Is Time For A Love Revolution is spiritually interchangeable with his debut, 1989's Let Love Rule".[4] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote "...by the measure of pure sound, It Is Time for a Love Revolution is a glorious feast of retro-rock pleasures -- a feast of empty calories perhaps, but sometimes fast food is more irresistible than a five-course meal".[1] Betty Clarke of The Guardian wrote "having given up sex in a quest to find a wife, renowned lothario Lenny Kravitz has directed all his extra energy into getting back to his best. His eighth album is another collection of vintage riffs, funky rhythms and hippy-dippy sentiments but like an abstinence-propelled prize fighter, Kravitz sounds leaner and hungrier than for years... Ultimately bogged down by spirituality, guitar solos and soppy ballads, this comeback should nonetheless win Kravitz a few hearts, even if he doesn't discover a soulmate".[6]
Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly commented "His infamous mane may be shorn but the songs on It Is Time for a Love Revolution remain the same: guitar-heavy, psychedelic-swirly, and determinedly flower-powered".[2] Chad Grinshaw of IGN stated "It Is Time For A Love Revolution is a half-hearted return to Kravitz's bluesy-rock roots. There are glimpses of the rocker he used to be but too much of the album is nothing more than the same bland adult contemporary fodder he has been dishing out lately, dressed up with slightly cranked up guitar".[7] A reviewer of Daily Express said "Energetic, youthful and without the cynical by-numbers feel of his recent albums, this feels like a fiery return to form".[5] Terry Staunton of Record Collector wrote "Lenny’s got a new album out, it’s painfully similar to all his others and nowhere near as good as the records he listens to".[10] David Fricke of Rolling Stone stated "As a blast back to the past, this is the best album Lenny Kravitz has ever made — a visceral, expertly tailored blend of late-Sixties and early-Seventies classic-rock paraphrases with just enough modernizing to justify the record's copyright date". [11]
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Lenny Kravitz, except for "Love Revolution", by Kravitz and Craig Ross.
No. | Title | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Love Revolution" | Lenny Kravitz, Craig Ross | 3:14 |
2. | "Bring It On" | Lenny Kravitz | 3:35 |
3. | "Good Morning" | Lenny Kravitz, Tony LeMans | 4:17 |
4. | "Love Love Love" | Lenny Kravitz, Craig Ross | 3:21 |
5. | "If You Want It" | Lenny Kravitz, Craig Ross | 5:08 |
6. | "I'll Be Waiting" | Lenny Kravitz, Craig Ross | 4:19 |
7. | "Will You Marry Me" | Lenny Kravitz, Craig Ross | 3:43 |
8. | "I Love the Rain" | Lenny Kravitz | 4:43 |
9. | "A Long and Sad Goodbye" | Lenny Kravitz, Craig Ross | 5:58 |
10. | "Dancin' Til Dawn" | Lenny Kravitz, Craig Ross | 5:09 |
11. | "This Moment Is All There Is" | Lenny Kravitz | 5:07 |
12. | "A New Door" | Lenny Kravitz | 4:38 |
13. | "Back in Vietnam" | Lenny Kravitz | 3:45 |
14. | "I Want to Go Home" | Lenny Kravitz | 5:04 |
Total length: | 62:09 |
No. | Title | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|
15. | "Uncharted Terrain" | Lenny Kravitz | 4:28 |
16. | "Confused" | Lenny Kravitz | 6:48 |
17. | "I'll Be Waiting" (Acoustic Version) | Lenny Kravitz, Craig Ross | 4:22 |
Total length: | 77:48 |
Deluxe edition bonus DVD
- "It Is Time for a Love Revolution Intro" (Interview)
- "Let Love Rule" (5.1 Surround Video) (originally on Let Love Rule)
- "Mr. Cab Driver" (originally on Let Love Rule)
- "I'll Be Waiting" (Interview)
- "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over" (originally on Mama Said)
- "Are You Gonna Go My Way" (originally on Are You Gonna Go My Way)
- "If You Want It" (Interview)
- "Rock and Roll Is Dead" (5.1 Surround Video) (originally on Circus)
- "A Long and Sad Goodbye" (Interview)
- "Fly Away" (originally on 5)
- "Lady" (originally on Baptism)
- "Love Revolution" (Interview)
- "Where Are We Runnin'?" (originally on Baptism)
Personnel
- Lenny Kravitz - vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harmonica, piano, electric piano, harpsichord, Hammond B-3 organ, Wurlitzer organ, Mellotron, keyboards, synthesizer, Moog synthesizer, bass, drums, congas, cowbells, tambourine, hand claps, sound effects
- Anoushka Shankar - sitar
- Craig Ross - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, hand claps
- Liuh-Wen Ting - viola
- Tony Breit - bass
Commercial appearance
- The song "Love Revolution" was featured on the soundtrack of the 2008 comedy film Made of Honor.
- The song "Bring It On" was played on the 9th episode of the fifth season of the drama series One Tree Hill.[16]
- The song "I'll Be Waiting" was featured on the 2008 Brazilian soap opera Beleza Pura.[17]
Chart performance
Chart | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian ARIA Chart [18] | 47 |
Austrian Albums Chart [18] | 4 |
Belgian Albums Chart [19] | 5 |
Canadian Albums Chart | 5 |
Danish Albums Chart [18] | 17 |
Dutch Albums Chart [18] | 2 |
Finnish Albums Chart [18] | 9 |
French Albums Chart [18] | 5 |
German Albums Chart [19] | 3 |
Greek Albums Chart[20] | 14 |
Italian Albums Chart [18] | 3 |
Japanese Albums Chart [18] | 10 |
Mexican Albums Chart [18] | 43 |
New Zealand RIANZ Chart [18] | 30 |
Norwegian Albums Chart [18] | 28 |
Polish Albums Chart[21] | 2 |
Portuguese Albums Chart [18] | 11 |
Spanish Promusicae Chart | 6 |
Swedish Albums Chart [18] | 17 |
Swiss Albums Chart [18] | 1 |
UK Albums Chart [19] | 42 |
U.S. Billboard 200 [22] | 4 |
Certifications and sales
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Austria (IFPI Austria)[23] | Platinum | 20,000* |
France (SNEP)[24] | Platinum | 100,000* |
Germany (BVMI)[25] | Gold | 100,000^ |
Russia (NFPF)[26] | Gold | 10,000* |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[27] | Gold | 15,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[28] | none | 240,000[29] |
*sales figures based on certification alone |
References
- Thomas, Stephen (2008-02-05). "It Is Time for a Love Revolution - Lenny Kravitz". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2012-08-11.
- "It Is Time for a Love Revolution Review". Entertainment Weekly. February 1, 2008.
- "It Is Time For A Love Revolution Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved May 6, 2012.
- "Leny Kravitz: It Is Time For A Love Revolution". The A.V. Club.
- "Lenny Kravitz: It Is Time For A Love Revolution (Virgin) ***". Daily Express. Feb 1, 2008. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
- Clarke, Betty (February 1, 2008). "CD: Lenny Kravitz, It Is For a Love Revolution". The Guardian. London.
- Grinshaw, Chad (22 February 2008). "LENNY KRAVITZ - IT IS TIME FOR A LOVE REVOLUTION". IGN. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
- "Reviews". Lost at Sea.
- "Lenny Kravitz". Now.
- Staunton, Terry. "LENNY KRAVITZ - IT'S TIME FOR A LOVE REVOLUTION". Record Collector. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
- Fricke, David (January 25, 2008). "It Is Time For A Love Revolution : Lenny Kravitz : Review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 28, 2008. Retrieved May 6, 2012.
- Graff, Gary. "It Is Time for a Love Revolution". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 3, 2008. Retrieved May 6, 2012.
- Matthews, Allie. (October 9, 2007) "A Love Revolution is coming your way". Archived from the original on December 10, 2008. Retrieved 2007-10-27.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link) Aced Magazine. Accessed October 27, 2007.
- "Lenny Kravitz – It Is Time For A Love Revolution". Discogs. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
- Katie Hasty, "Digital Sales Propel Johnson To Second No. 1", Billboard.com, February 13, 2008.
- Default (2008-02-26). "One Tree Hill Music". Oth-music.com. Retrieved 2012-02-25.
- "Cd Beleza Pura". Aofundo.org. Archived from the original on 2012-02-20. Retrieved 2012-02-25.
- "International performance". Hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
- "Chart performance". A-charts.us. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
- "Greek Albums Chart". Ifpi.gr. Archived from the original on 2003-06-08. Retrieved 2012-08-11.
- "OLiS: sales for the period 04.02.2008 - 10.02.2008". OLiS. Retrieved 2012-08-11.
- "Lenny Kravitz Artist Chart Position at ''Billboard''". Billboard.com. 2008-12-10. Retrieved 2012-08-11.
- "Austrian album certifications – Lenny Kravitz – It is time for a love revolution" (in German). IFPI Austria.
- "French album certifications – Lenny Kravitz – It is time for a love revolution" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
- "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Lenny Kravitz; 'It is time for a love revolution')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
- "Russian album certifications – Lenny Kravitz – It is time for a love revolution" (in Russian). National Federation of Phonogram Producers (NFPF).
- "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Lenny Kravitz; 'It is time for a love revolution')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
- "American album certifications – Lenny Kravitz – It is time for a love revolution". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.
- Peters, Mitchell (20 August 2011). "PLanet Rock". Billboard. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
- ":: MTV | Album Jahrescharts 2008 | charts". MTV.de. 2010-01-18. Archived from the original on 2010-01-18. Retrieved 2012-08-11.