5 (Lenny Kravitz album)

5
Studio album by Lenny Kravitz
Released May 12, 1998 (US)
Recorded 1997–98
Studio Ghetto Lounge Studios and Compass Point Studios
Genre
Length
  • 66:26 (standard edition)
  • 75:39 (new edition)
Label Virgin
Producer Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz chronology
Circus
(1995)		 5
(1998)		 Greatest Hits
(2000)
Singles from 5
  1. "If You Can't Say No"
    Released: April 21, 1998
  2. "Thinking of You"
    Released: July 6, 1998
  3. "I Belong to You"
    Released: September 22, 1998
  4. "Fly Away"
    Released: December 29, 1998
  5. "American Woman"
    Released: June 29, 1999
  6. "Black Velveteen"
    Released: November 16, 1999
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Entertainment WeeklyC[2]
Robert ChristgauC[3]
Rolling Stone link

5 is the fifth full-length studio album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz, released on May 12, 1998, by Virgin Records. The album produced five singles released both in 1998 and 1999.

Background

The album featured such hits as "Fly Away" and "I Belong to You", which helped Kravitz to expand his success in Europe. The album won two Grammy Awards.

5 was re-issued in 1999, including Lenny Kravitz's latest single from the soundtrack of Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, "American Woman", plus a bonus track called "Without You"—initially a B-side to the lead single, "If You Can't Say No".

Initially, the album received mediocre reviews by some critics and its rise to commercial success was quite slow until it gained significant success towards the end of 1998 and throughout 1999. The album received multi-platinum certifications in many countries, producing a string of worldwide hits and becoming one of the most successful albums of 1999. Despite paling in comparison in US chart position with Kravitz's other albums, it managed to have a remarkably long chart-life, charting for nearly three years straight on the Billboard 200, two of which were spent in the top 100.

The album gained Kravitz multiple awards nominations and gave him his first two Grammy Awards in the Best Male Rock Vocal Performance category for the hits "Fly Away" and "American Woman".

Critical reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic stated "Without hooks, melodies, and style, Kravitz's Sly, Mayfield, Hendrix, Lennon, and Prince pastiches are a bore. 5 has a few passable cuts, yet it falls short of the quirky hero worship and melodic smarts that made his first three records so enjoyable".[1] Jim Farber of Entertainment Weekly commented "It’s useless to keep railing about Kravitz’ endless grave robbing. On 5, he shows no signs of halting his lifts from Sly Stone, Curtis Mayfield, and the Beatles. At least this time he targets some new catalogs (Gary Numan, Depeche Mode)".[2] Robert Christgau wrote "His racially convoluted formalism having long since come clean as a total absence of original ideas, he grabs the brass ring from the back of a tacked-on Guess Who cover best heard on the far more imaginative Austin Powers soundtrack. Lenny, your work here on earth is done".[3]A reviewer of Classic Rock Review added "This winner of two Grammy Awards, successfully found Kravitz both establishing himself as a genuine funk and R&B artist while also advancing his incredibly diverse fusion of rock and soul which he had established early on in his recording career. The result is an accessible and accomplished work that offers an array of sonic candy... While 5 is pretty solid throughout, the second half of the album is where real gems lie with rock, funk and soul musical diversity".[4]

Production

In the production of the album, Kravitz worked with digital technology such as synthesizers and tape loops providing the album with a more modern sound. The album contained more of his '70s-inspired songs, funk and soul, mixed with his rock style.

Track listing

Original edition (1998)

TrackTitleSongwriter(s)Production creditsTime
1."Live"
Lenny Kravitz5:12
2."Supersoulfighter"Lenny KravitzLenny Kravitz4:58
3."I Belong to You"Lenny KravitzLenny Kravitz4:17
4."Black Velveteen"Lenny KravitzLenny Kravitz4:48
5."If You Can't Say No"Lenny KravitzLenny Kravitz5:17
6."Thinking of You"
Lenny Kravitz6:24
7."Take Time"Lenny KravitzLenny Kravitz4:31
8."Fly Away"Lenny KravitzLenny Kravitz3:41
9."It's Your Life"Lenny KravitzLenny Kravitz5:02
10."Straight Cold Player"Lenny KravitzLenny Kravitz4:19
11."Little Girl's Eyes"Lenny KravitzLenny Kravitz7:44
12."You're My Flavor"Lenny KravitzLenny Kravitz3:48
13."Can We Find a Reason?"Lenny KravitzLenny Kravitz6:24

New edition (1999)

TrackTitleSongwriter(s)Production creditsTime
1."Live"
Lenny Kravitz5:12
2."Supersoulfighter"Lenny KravitzLenny Kravitz4:58
3."I Belong to You"Lenny KravitzLenny Kravitz4:17
4."Black Velveteen"Lenny KravitzLenny Kravitz4:48
5."If You Can't Say No"Lenny KravitzLenny Kravitz5:17
6."Thinking of You"
Lenny Kravitz6:24
7."Take Time"Lenny KravitzLenny Kravitz4:31
8."Fly Away"Lenny KravitzLenny Kravitz3:41
9."It's Your Life"Lenny KravitzLenny Kravitz5:02
10."Straight Cold Player" (Instrumental)Lenny KravitzLenny Kravitz4:19
11."Little Girl's Eyes"Lenny KravitzLenny Kravitz7:44
12."You're My Flavor"Lenny KravitzLenny Kravitz3:48
13."Can We Find a Reason?"Lenny KravitzLenny Kravitz6:24
14."American Woman"Lenny Kravitz4:21
15."Without You"Lenny KravitzLenny Kravitz4:47

Personnel

  • Lenny Kravitz – vocals, all other instruments
  • Craig Ross – electric guitar, slide guitar, keyboards
  • Terry Manning – toy piano on "I Belong to You"
  • Cindy Blackman – drums on "Straight Cold Player"[5]
  • Jack Daley – bass guitar
  • Michael Hunter – trumpet
  • Harold Todd – saxophone
  • George Laks – keyboards
  • Alix Alvarez – keyboards
  • Stephen Dorff – 'uh' sounds on "American Woman"

Production

  • Engineered by Terry Manning except "American Woman".
  • Recorded by Tom "T-Bone" Edmonds.
  • Mixed by Terry Manning and Lenny Kravitz.
  • Pro Tools operation by Matthew Knobel.
  • Programming by Lenny Kravitz, Terry Manning, Mark Browne, Matthew Knobel and Eric Rehl.
  • Horn arrangements by Lenny Kravitz, Michael Hunter and Harold Todd.
  • Art direction and design by Len Peltier.
  • Photography by Mark Seliger.

Singles

  • "If You Can't Say No" number 48 UK
  • "I Belong to You" number 71 US, number 75 UK
  • "Thinking of You"
  • "Fly Away" number one UK, number 12 US
  • "American Woman" number 49 US
  • "Black Velveteen"

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/Sales
Australia (ARIA)[6] Platinum 70,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[7] Gold 25,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[8] Platinum 100,000^
France (SNEP)[9] 2× Gold 200,000*
Germany (BVMI)[10] Gold 250,000^
Italy (FIMI)[11] 2× Platinum 200,000[12]
Japan (RIAJ)[13] Platinum 200,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[14] Platinum 100,000^
Norway (IFPI Norway)[15] Gold 25,000*
Poland (ZPAV)[16] Gold 50,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[17] Platinum 100,000^
Sweden (GLF)[18] Gold 40,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[19] Platinum 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[20] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[21] 2× Platinum 2,920,000[22]
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[23] 2× Platinum 2,000,000*
Worldwide (IFPI) N/A 6,000,000 [24]

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Lenny Kravitz: 5". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  2. 1 2 Farber, Jim (May 15, 1998). "5". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  3. 1 2 Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide Reviews:". Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  4. ↑ "Lenny Kravitz 5". Classic Rock Review. May 12, 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  5. ↑ Nala and the team (December 2005). "Reportage: Cindy Blackman". La Toile des Batteurs. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
  6. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1999 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association.
  7. ↑ "Austrian album certifications – Lenny Kravitz – 5" (in German). IFPI Austria. Enter Lenny Kravitz in the field Interpret. Enter 5 in the field Titel. Select album in the field Format. Click Suchen. 
  8. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Lenny Kravitz – 5". Music Canada.
  9. ↑ "French album certifications – Lenny Kravitz – 5" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
  10. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Lenny Kravitz; '5')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  11. ↑ "Italian album certifications – Lenny Kravitz – 5" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana.
  12. ↑ Berne, Terry (24 June 2000). "Virgin". Billboard. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  13. ↑ "Japanese album certifications – Lenny Kravitz – 5" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan.
  14. ↑ "Dutch album certifications – Lenny Kravitz – 5" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Enter 5 in the "Artiest of titel" box.
  15. ↑ "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway.
  16. ↑ "Polish album certifications – Lenny Kravitz – 5" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry.
  17. ↑ "Spanish album certifications – Lenny Kravitz – 5" (PDF) (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Select album under "Chart", enter 1999 in the field "Year". Select the certification month in the field "Semana". Click on "Search Charts".
  18. ↑ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1999" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden.
  19. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Lenny Kravitz; '5')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  20. ↑ "British album certifications – Lenny Kravitz – 5". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Enter 5 in the search field and then press Enter.
  21. ↑ "American album certifications – Lenny Kravitz – 5". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
  22. ↑ Basham, David (27 August 2001). "Calling All Chart Freaks: Michael, Lenny, Bush Under The Microscope". Mtv. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  23. ↑ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2005". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
  24. ↑ Flick, Larry (14 October 2000). "Kravitz Looks Forward oN 'Hits' Set". Billboard. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
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