Raise Vibration

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Raise Vibration
Studio album by
Lenny Kravitz
ReleasedSeptember 7, 2018 (2018-09-07)
StudioGregory Town Sound, Eleuthera, Bahamas
GenreRock
Length64:35
LabelRoxie, BMG
ProducerLenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz chronology
Strut
(2014) 		Raise Vibration
(2018) 		Blue Electric Light
(2024)
Singles from Raise Vibration
  1. "It's Enough!"
    Released: May 11, 2018
  2. "Low"
    Released: May 25, 2018
  3. "5 More Days 'Til Summer"
    Released: July 24, 2018
  4. "Johnny Cash"
    Released: March 1, 2019
  5. "Here to Love"
    Released: November 21, 2019
  6. "Ride"
    Released: May 29, 2020
  7. "Raise Vibration"
    Released: June 25, 2021
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic62/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Classic Pop[3]
Classic Rock7/10[4]
Evening Standard[5]
laut.de[6]
Mojo[7]
Paste7.2/10[8]
Q[1]
Rolling Stone[9]
Slant Magazine[10]

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 [11][12][13] and produced seven singles.

Background[edit]

Kravitz explained that he struggled with serious writer’s block while trying to focus on this album.[14][15] 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).[16] 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.[17] The song "Low" was released as a single and a video approximately six weeks before the album.[18] 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.[19] 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.[20]

Reception[edit]

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".[1]

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".[8]

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".[9] Zachary Hoskins of Slant Magazine wrote "Raise Vibration's more serious shortcoming is its lyrics, which stumble whenever they reach for grand proclamations on the state of the world".[10] 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".[21]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Lenny Kravitz, except 3 and 10 written by Lenny Kravitz and Craig Ross[22]

Raise Vibration track listing
No.TitleLength
1."We Can Get It All Together"4:40
2."Low"5:19
3."Who Really Are the Monsters?"5:19
4."Raise Vibration"5:27
5."Johnny Cash"6:18
6."Here to Love"4:42
7."It's Enough!"7:55
8."5 More Days 'Til Summer"4:02
9."The Majesty of Love"5:49
10."Gold Dust"5:08
11."Ride"5:58
12."I'll Always Be Inside Your Soul"3:58
Total length:64:35
Japanese edition bonus track[23]
No.TitleLength
13."Low" (David Guetta Remix)3:30
Total length:68:13

Personnel[edit]

Musicians[edit]

  • Lenny Kravitz – vocals, composition, writing, arrangement
  • Craig Ross – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, hand claps, moog
  • Michael Jackson – posthumous vocals on "Low"
  • Michael Andrews – additional vocals on "Raise Vibration"
  • Michael Bellanger – additional vocals on "Raise Vibration"
  • Sam Lopez – additional vocals on "Raise Vibration"
  • Carmer Carter, Fred White, Jason Morales, John Fluker, Kennya Ramsey, Makeda Francisco, Nikko Lowe, Nikisha Grier-Daniel, Tiffany Smith, Tim Kepler, Valerie Pinkston, Will Wheaton – background vocals on "Here to Love"
  • Alix Jones Bragg, Deanna Levitt, Ella Davis Bragg, Katelyn Cambridge, Kyra Courtemanche, Nicole Gamma, Petagay Hollinsed-Hartman – chorus vocals on "5 More Days 'Til Summer"
  • Lenny Castro – cuica, congas
  • Lisa Wong – looping
  • Harold Todd – saxophone
  • Michael Sherman – saxophone
  • Ludovic Louis – trumpet
  • David Baron – Mellotoron, Moog, piano, strings, synthesizer
  • George Laks – keyboards
  • Miguel – hand claps on "Gold Dust"

Technical[edit]

  • Lenny Kravitz – production, arrangement, mixing
  • Craig Ross – mixing engineering, recording engineering, drum programming
  • David Baron – orchestration arrangement
  • Bernie Grundman – mastering engineering
  • Gavin Paddock – assistant engineering
  • Jennifer Gros – assistant engineering
  • Jeremy Nichols – assistant engineering
  • Matthieu Lefevre – assistant engineering

Artwork[edit]

  • Mathieu Bitton – art direction, design, photography

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Certifications for Raise Vibration
Region Certification Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)[46] Gold 50,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "RAISE VIBRATION by Lenny Kravitz". Metacritic. Archived from the original on April 13, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  2. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Lenny Kravitz: Raise Vibration". AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 8, 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
  3. ^ Wallace, Wyndham. "Review: Lenny Kravitz – Raise Vibration". Classic Pop. Archived from the original on December 4, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  4. ^ Floßmann, Jacqueline (7 September 2018). "Review: Lenny Kravitz RAISE VIBRATION | Classic Rock". Classic Rock Magazine (in German). Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  5. ^ Aubrey, Elizabeth (7 September 2018). "Albums of the week: Paul McCartney, Lenny Kravitz and Paul Simon". Evening Standard. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  6. ^ Kabelitz, Sven (7 September 2018). "Im Herzen bleibt der New Yorker ein Blumenkind" (in German). laut.de. Archived from the original on 3 July 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  7. ^ "Lenny Kravitz: Raise Vibration". Album of the Year. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  8. ^ a b Desler, Madison (September 7, 2018). "Lenny Kravitz: Raise Vibration Review". Paste. Archived from the original on September 13, 2018. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  9. ^ a b Grow, Kory (September 7, 2018). "Review: Lenny Kravitz Lends His Voice to the Resistance on 'Raise Vibration'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 22, 2018. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  10. ^ a b Hoskins, Zachary (September 10, 2018). "Lenny Kravitz: Raise Vibration". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on September 11, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  11. ^ Lifton, Dave (11 May 2018). "Lenny Kravitz is set to release his 11th studio album, Raise Vibration, on Sept. 7". Ultimate Classic Rock. Archived from the original on June 26, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  12. ^ Thibault, Alexis (May 18, 2018). "How come Lenny Kravitz is still so cool?". Archived from the original on August 1, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  13. ^ "Lenny Kravitz: Neues Album "Raise Vibration" erscheint im September". Rolling Stone (in German). May 14, 2018. Archived from the original on June 26, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  14. ^ Kielty, Martin (26 July 2018). "Listen to Lenny Kravitz's New Song '5 More Days 'Til Summer'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Archived from the original on 6 February 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  15. ^ "Lenny Kravitz Is Ready For Fun In The Sun On '5 More Days 'Til Summer'". Soulbounce. 25 July 2018. Archived from the original on 28 July 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  16. ^ Browne, David (April 17, 2018). "Lenny Kravitz Talks Overcoming Dry Spell for New Album 'Raise Vibration'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 17, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  17. ^ Kugel, Allison (June 6, 2018). "Lenny Kravitz on race, god and spreading love through music". The Spectrum. Archived from the original on April 13, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  18. ^ "New Lenny Kravitz Album, Raise Vibration, To Be Released in September". Music Tap. May 14, 2018. Archived from the original on June 26, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  19. ^ Hudak, Joseph (7 September 2018). "Lenny Kravitz Sings About Johnny Cash, June Carter in New Song 'Johnny Cash'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  20. ^ "Lenny Kravitz interview". The Times. Archived from the original on 9 September 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  21. ^ Kennedy, Mark (7 September 2018). "Rock swashbuckler Lenny Kravitz makes fine return with 'Raise Vibration'". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 22 February 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  22. ^ album sleeve notes
  23. ^ "Lenny Kravitz / レニー・クラヴィッツ「Raise Vibration / レイズ・ヴァイブレーション」 | Warner Music Japan". ワーナーミュージック・ジャパン | Warner Music Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on November 27, 2021. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  24. ^ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Digital Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. September 17, 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 15, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  25. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Lenny Kravitz – Raise Vibration" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  26. ^ "Ultratop.be – Lenny Kravitz – Raise Vibration" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  27. ^ "Ultratop.be – Lenny Kravitz – Raise Vibration" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  28. ^ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 37.Týden 2018 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  29. ^ "Lescharts.com – {{{artist}}} – {{{album}}}". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  30. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Lenny Kravitz – Raise Vibration" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  31. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Lenny Kravitz – Raise Vibration" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  32. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2018. 37. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  33. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Lenny Kravitz – Raise Vibration". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  34. ^ "Raise Vibration on Billboard Japan Hot Albums". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 7, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  35. ^ "レイズ・ヴァイブレーション" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on October 26, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  36. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  37. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  38. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Lenny Kravitz – Raise Vibration". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  39. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Lenny Kravitz – Raise Vibration". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  40. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  41. ^ "Lenny Kravitz Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  42. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2018". Ultratop. Archived from the original on December 27, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  43. ^ "Rapports Annuels 2018". Ultratop. Archived from the original on December 20, 2018. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  44. ^ "Top de l'année Top Albums 2018" (in French). SNEP. Archived from the original on February 28, 2020. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  45. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2018 – hitparade.ch". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on December 31, 2018. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  46. ^ "French album certifications – Lenny Kravitz – Raise Vibration" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
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