Black and White America

Lenny Kravitz | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 29, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2011
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Roadrunner Records
• ASIN: B0055EDBIE
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,729 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

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

Editorial Reviews

For his ninth album, Lenny Kravitz found much of his inspiration close to home. In fact, the very spirit of Black and White America came from the locations in which the music was made from a tiny, 400-person community in the Bahamas to the streets of Paris. And out of his experiences as a true citizen of the planet, his first new songs in three years became the most personal and diverse collection of his career. "No doubt, my environment definitely lends a lot to the creative process," he says.


Black and White America was written in reaction to a documentary Kravitz saw about racism in the post-Obama United States. Amidst the defiant lyrics, the songwriter references his own family history, and the experiences of his parents as an interracial couple in the 1960s. Though the sonic emphasis of Black and White America may land squarely on the funk, the force behind such guitar-driven smashes as "Fly Away" and "Are You Gonna Go My Way" hasn't turned his back on rock. Songs like "Rock Star City Life," and the first single, "Stand," give the album a healthy dose of crunching riffs.
The overwhelming emotion on Black and White America is the feel of optimism, faith and hope.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 31 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars THREE REASONS TO BUY THIS MUSIC August 30, 2011

By Andrew H. Lee

Format:Audio CD

Dear Music Appreciator,

Here are three reasons to buy this music:

1. You don't mind a little message with your music - artists that imbue their music with explorations of racial, social, and political issues fascinate and challenge you and you would rather hear something with some brains behind it than the flavor of the week trying to burn some sickly catchy beat into your brain that you will love at first and later wish you'd never heard after the one hundred thousandth time you hear it. In other words, you don't waste your money on cotton candy at the fair.

2. You are the kind of person who really appreciates Marvin Gaye and James Brown. You are the kind of person who likes to get funky. You are the kind of person who dances around the room with headphones on, not earbuds, but headphones, real headphones, like shut out the world on the subway headphones that you can hear music really well in - you may have a room-dancing con headphones moment or two with this album - you might even buy this album on vinyl, I don't know.

3. You have the intelligence and the patience to realize that although you might be all excited and dancing with the first track of a new album and then get a little bored and maybe even fall asleep on the couch because it's too late at night, if you listen to some albums over and over again they will eventually come alive for you in a meaningful way and you will be glad you stuck with it. Some of the best music has to grown on you awhile before it sticks.

BLACK AND WHITE AMERICA will stick if you give it a chance.

Sincerely,

Constant Listener

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Give it a Chance September 7, 2011

By Keith Cherry

Format:Audio CD

When I first heard 5, back in 9th grade, I hated it and had buyer's remorse. Then it grew on me and became an album that has defined a period of my life, a classic, an album that brings back memories and emotions that I felt back in high school. I felt the sameabout this new record. I had buyers remorse and was ready to hang it up, but then, guess what? It grew on me and more and more I started liking the new songs. You have to give Lenny's music a chance, he is very creative and we are not used to that in the USA. We like songs and artists who fit in boxes. Lenny can not fit in a box. The man is too big.

LENNY!!!!!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Get It, Got IT, ITs Soooo Good September 8, 2011

By M. F. Kennedy

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Wow, nothing beats new music from one of your favorite artist. Nothing except when it is a great release filled with an eclectic set of tunes with sharp lyrics, wonderful riffs, and more quality then you could have hoped for. For me this is exactly what happened with this purchase. Song after song, I couldn't help but love them. Whatever your doing (living on a beach in the middle of nowhere) it's working Lenny! This could quickly become my favorite album that you have ever release. I strongly recommend this to anyone who likes good rock and roll, this album is fantastic.