Rocktrospectiva: The Smooth And Setting The Tone "Mama Said" Turns 35

Released on 2 April 1991 "Mama Said" was the second studio album by US rock musician Lenny Kravits, the album had the collaboration of Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash who co-wrote and played on the song "Always on the Run". He also played on the song "Fields of Joy". The song "All I Ever Wanted" was co-written by Sean Lennon. The album spawned five singles "Always On The Run", "It Ain't Over ('Til It's Over)", "Fields Of Joy", "Stand By My Woman", "What The Fuck Are We Saying", "What Goes Around Comes Around".

When Kravitz released his gold-certified debut album Let Love Rule through Virgin Records in 1989, the biracial, dreadlocked performer reintroduced the pop music landscape to the prolific, one-man-show dipped in a Sixties-themed vibe. Of course, something had changed when Kravitz, frequently told by record executives that his music wasn't black enough, came back and released his second album Mama Said.

The artist formerly known as Romeo Blue had just come off tour from promoting Let Love Rule, so he was seemingly well on his way to superstardom (or so we thought). His highly-publicized marriage to actress Lisa Bonet, known to television audiences as the free-spirited Denise Huxtable on both The Cosby Show and A Different World, was beginning to deteriorate, leaving a devastated Kravitz to find ways to deal with the heartache. His rising fame and success didn’t make things any better, he was mildly depressed, causing him to go into a brief period of hibernation. Still, with Mama Said, Kravitz, a love child of the late ‘60s and ‘70s, poured his respect and feelings onto wax. The only problem was, like the slew of major record companies that continuously turned down his demo tape, the music critics were equally as reluctant to really understand and appreciate his musical integrity.

Mama Said started off with "Fields of Joy," opening with a folky acoustic riff backing Kravitz's psychedelic vocals resembling post-Beatles John Lennon. Guitarist Slash contributes some funk/rock shredding to boot. The Guns N’ Roses member had a recurring role, joining Kravitz and Earth, Wind & Fire’s horn section, The Phenix Horns, on the Led Zeppelin-esque "Always On the Run." The track "Stand By My Woman" was one of the album's more remorseful moments, allowing Kravitz to be vulnerable over gospel-inspired pianos and organs.

Them the hit "It Ain't Over Til It's Over" earned Kravitz his highest pop chart position, peaking at No.2 . The single married his Curtis Mayfield-inspired falsetto with chunky Stax Records guitars and a lush MFSB-flavored (possibly Love Unlimited Orchestra) string arrangement. "More Than Anything In This World," was like many of Kravitz's latter recordings, presents his knack for laying down echoing vocals, specifically with an ambient Sunday morning feel. "What Goes Around Comes Around" revisited againg Mayfield.

The blues-influenced track "The Difference Is Why" and "When the Morning Turns to Night." "Stop Draggin' Around" poured Jimi Hendrix's guitar effects underneath a harmonious Sly Stone groove and vocal arrangement. The lullaby-resembling "Flowers for Zoe" was a tender hommage to his daughter, now young actress and singer herself. The echoing "All I Ever Wanted," was an auditory rendition of an empathetic Kravitz on bended knees, filtering Al Green’s spirit through Robert Plant’s screeching pipes.

The concerned "What the Fuck Are We Saying?," showed Kravitz taking crash courses in studying Stevie Wonder's lyricism on Innervisions and Brian Eno’s (or maybe Kraftwerk’s) synthesizer methodology. And finally "Butterfly" closer of Mama Said, resembling singer-songwriters like Jim Croce, Joni Mitchell, John Denver and even Lennon again. 

Critics were mixed some still considered him as remain a promising but minor artist. And keep borrowing those said musical elements, however, clearly worked to Kravitz's advantage. Mama Said became the entertainer’s first Top 40 album on the Billboard 200, peaking at #39. Basically, the album was not Kravitz's crowning moment in the studio and for record retailers, but definitely set the tone for what was about to come for Kravitz down the line. 

 

Mama Said Track List:  

 

1. Fields Of Joy

2. Always On The Run

3. Stand By My Woman

4. It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over

5. More Than Anything In This World

6. What Goes Around Comes Around

7. The Difference Is Why

8. Stop Draggin' Around

9. Flowers For Zoe

10. Filed Of Joy (Reprise)

11. All I Ever Wanted

12. When The Morning Turns To Night

13. What The Fuck Are We Saying?

14. Butterly