Black and White America

by Lenny Kravitz

Overview

Lenny Kravitz has walked the musical line between Black and White America ever since 1989, when he cannily crafted his persona through strands of Prince, Curtis Mayfield, David Bowie, John Lennon, and Jimi Hendrix. Kravitz has never been shy about his colorblindness but the very title of Black and White America suggests that he may finally be getting political, something he's avoided outside of the occasional free love platitude. Naturally, this isn't quite the case. Certainly, there are hints of politics flowing throughout the album, but Kravitz is never about detail -- he's about big bright broad strokes, a skill that's on prime display here. Unlike the monochrome It Is Time for a Love Revolution, Black and White America pulsates with color and texture, playing somewhat as a return to his one-man band hippie fantasias. If anything, this is looser than Let Love Rule and Mama Said and more forward-thinking too, the Mayfield-isms offset by heavy synthesizers and dance beats, the overall package bearing a modernist snap to its retro revivalism. Even with that stylized flair and cameos from Jay-Z and Drake, Black and White America never quite feels like it belongs to 2011; it seems as fuzzy and analog as its cover photo of a young Kravitz, which is of course a large part of its appeal. Kravitz's greatest gift is how he evokes different eras through his sonic synthesis, and he's let that gift slide slightly as he's emphasized guitars over the studio. Here, he reverses that dynamic, playing the studio like the virtuoso that he is, and he's come up with his best record in years, a shamelessly enjoyable piece of aural candy. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	08/22/2011
Label:	Roadrunner Records / Warner Bros.
UPC:	0016861770426
Rank:	100463

Tracks

1. Black and White America
2. Come on Get It
3. In the Black
4. Liquid Jesus
5. Rock Star City Life
6. Boongie Drop
7. Stand
8. Superlove
9. Everything
10. I Can't Be Without You
11. Looking Back on Love
12. Life Ain't Ever Been Better Than It Is Now
13. The Faith of a Child
14. Sunflower
15. Dream
16. Push

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Lenny Kravitz   Primary Artist,Vocals,Cowbell,Maracas,Soloist,Timpani,Arp 2600,Arp Omni,Bass,CS-80,Drums,Piano,Bongos,Claves,Congas,Guitar,Jaw Harp,Linn Drum,Mellotron,Mini Moog,Prophet 5,Tambourine,Vibraphone,Harpsichord,Glockenspiel,Handclapping,Farfisa Organ,Fender Rhodes,Oberheim Obxa,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Arp String Ensemble,Vocals (Background)
Jay-Z   Primary Artist,Rap,Featured Artist
Drake   Primary Artist,Rap,Featured Artist
DJ Military   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Michael Hunter   Trumpet
Donna Allen   Vocals (Background)
Kurt Nikkanen   Violin
Craig Ross   Handclapping,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Guitar (12 String Acoustic)
Harold Todd   Saxophone
Rickey Washington   Vocals (Background)
Darrett Adkins   Cello
Dee Dee Wilde   Vocals (Background)
David Palma   Trumpet
Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews   Trombone
Leesa Richards   Vocals (Background)
Mathieu Bitton   Handclapping
Vincent Broomfield   Vocals (Background)
George Laks   Soloist,Prophet 5,Fender Rhodes
Kenji Bunch   Viola
August Haas   Trumpet,Saxophone
Edward Calle   Saxophone
Lisa C. Soto   Handclapping
Tony Brett   Handclapping

Technical Credits

Kasseem Dean   Composer
Tom Edmonds   Mixing,Engineer
Craig Ross   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Pro-Tools,Programming
Aubrey Graham   Composer
Alex Alvarez   Technician,Programming,Studio Manager
Lenny Kravitz   Arranger,Mixing,Composer,Lyricist,Producer,Wind Chimes
Mathieu Bitton   Design,Photography,Art Direction
DJ Military   MC
Cyrill Tallandier   Engineer
Rhythm Box   Beats
Sy Kravitz   Cover Photo
Jay-Z   Composer
Justin Stanley   Composer