Kravitz

I'm listening to this again. After15 years(?) Seems not so long ago.
I think I'm Falling in love with it again.
Mostly because of analogue memories* and dreams of pricey, fat tube mics and big plastic knobs dull and faded.

Plus I've really been missing the death of the guitar solo.
I never thought I would. I was so happy to see the obligatory guitar solo go. IT  was HORRID by the end. An annoying insincere  condescending spectacle. But every rock band had to have one. they felt obligated under the haze of grand success/nervous aspirations and in their paint by numbers mentality of what the public wants. "WHERE's THE GUITAR SOLO?!" "what no SOLO?? wtf. this is rock?"
It was a cheesy and self indulgent intrusion by the end of the 80s(Seattle's great grunge early 90s era notwithstanding).

bad solos were something like  a pornographic money-shot Pollocked over the face of some jaded battle weary working girl,
by some bloated and huffing lunk of a lothario.
Or Just another car crash you might feel ashamed to gawk at as you hold up traffic but you can't help yourself-- Inevitably driving off disappointed it wasn't something more cinematic and trying to piece together how such a minor tragedy may have gone down.
I think it was the lead guitarist drunkenly arguing that if his solo is cut...
 bad bad juju would befall the album and he'd leave the band, then storming out of the control room with his spandexed girl and his half empty JD bottle.
To bad the Solo was often the juju.

Still, Solos can be great and transcendent things.
I love the ones on the early Kravitz albums.
Sure you could bat away my shot with typical references to all the lead guitar parts of yore. (All time fave? Hendrix. "Hey Joe")
For me the Solo's on "Mama said" or "...Go my way"("BELIEVE". love it) or "Let love rule"
are nostalgic little postcard/love letters to the forefathers...
ones I've finely come to appreciate.
And after all these years, I'm just now poking my head over Lenny's shoulder and saying "hey sign my name too wouldja".
But I'm sure he'd just tell me to get my own fucking card.
I'm too lazy though.
...and then,
he said it so much better than I could anyway.

 -----

*Although today, there can be such a thing as TOO much analogue.

Not everything had to be printed to tape. Not everything needed fuzzy tubes and dull (if more harmonic) circuitry.

Clean digital room mics, and guitar over dubs, drum over heads, and brass mixed in prudently would have been a great texture.

...and no not with lead vox.

I don't think.
That would make the record a digital thing with analogue bits  rather than vice versa.