Circus | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 12, 1995 | |||
Recorded | 1994–1995 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 51:04 | |||
Label | Virgin | |||
Producer | Lenny Kravitz | |||
Lenny Kravitz chronology | ||||
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Singles from Circus | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Cash Box | (favorable) [6] |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [7] |
Entertainment Weekly | C− [8] |
Robert Christgau | [9] |
Rolling Stone | [10] |
Circus is the fourth studio album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz, released in 1995 by Virgin Records. It reached number 10 on the US Billboard 200 and number five on the UK Albums Chart, becoming Kravitz's first top 10 album in the US and second in the UK.
The album deals with different topics, such as rock star lifestyles on "Rock and Roll Is Dead" and religion on "God Is Love" and "The Resurrection". Kravitz is quoted as saying that the making of the album was a very tedious process—he was unhappy with the music business at the time, and his mother's illness was also weighing on his mind. [11] The recording locations were Chateau Des Conde, France; Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas; and Waterfront Studios, Hoboken, NJ.
Rob Wagner of The Tech stated, "Though Circus is a bit of a rip-off album, it could be justified. Kravitz believes that rock and roll is dead, so he could be trying to revive it by copying past rock and roll songs that worked. Two things are for sure: Circus definitely sounds better than his last album, and it is infinitely better than any inane drivel released by Live. Kravitz avoids the characteristically annoying sound he inflicted on people in Are You Gonna Go My Way . He avoids cheesy '70s style Muzak orchestrations, and, most of the time, he avoids incessantly singing, "Ooooooh!" [12] Mark Kemp of Rolling Stone stated, "Whereas Kravitz's last album at least offered several possible new paths for him, Circus finds him falling back on the most transparent one. Whether it's a calculated attempt to cash in on arena rock while it's all the rage again or an unshakable desire to re-create the 70s-style rock star in his own image is hard to say. What's clear is that Kravitz is not the slick reassembler of funk, R&B, and classic rock that he was two years ago." [13]
Weekly charts
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Leonard Albert Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Known for his unique fusion of rock, funk, reggae, hard rock, soul, and R&B, Kravitz is recognized for his powerful vocal range and distinctive style. In addition to his music career, Kravitz has ventured into acting, appearing in films and TV shows.
Baptism is the seventh studio album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz, released on May 17, 2004, by Virgin Records. The album produced five singles and reached number 14 on the Billboard 200 and number 74 on the UK Albums Chart.
Mama Said is the second studio album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz, released in April 1991 by Virgin Records. Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash 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.
Let Love Rule is the debut studio album of American rock musician Lenny Kravitz, released on September 6, 1989, by Virgin Records. Then-wife Lisa Bonet wrote the lyrics to "Fear" and co-wrote the lyrics on the song "Rosemary"; other than that the album is virtually a one-man Kravitz show, as he wrote and produced all the songs and played nearly all the instruments.
Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz, released on October 24, 2000.
Lenny is the sixth studio album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz, released in October 2001 through Virgin Records. It reached number 12 on the Billboard 200 and number 55 on the UK Albums Chart.
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 six singles released over the course of 1998 and 1999.
"Are You Gonna Go My Way" is a song by American musician Lenny Kravitz, released in February 1993 as the first single from his third studio album, Are You Gonna Go My Way (1993). It was written by Kravitz and Craig Ross, and has been covered by numerous artists, such as Metallica, in a medley for "MTV Hits" at the 2003 MTV Music Video Awards, Tom Jones for the Jerky Boys OST, Robbie Williams on Jones' 1999 album Reload and Mel B in her solo section of the Spice Girls 2007 Reunion Tour. Serbian hard rock band Cactus Jack recorded a version on their live cover album DisCover in 2002. A remixed version is played as the opening theme song in Gran Turismo 3: A-spec. Adam Lambert covered the song in November 2012 in his swing through South Africa.
"Where Are We Runnin'?" is a song performed by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz. It was released on April 5, 2004, as the lead single from his seventh studio album, Baptism (2004). Kravitz wrote the song with his long-time collaborator Craig Ross and produced it himself. Following its release, the song reached number 69 in the United States, number 13 in Italy, and number four in Spain.
"Rock and Roll Is Dead" is the first single released from the 1995 Lenny Kravitz album Circus. The song reached the top 20 in Canada, Finland, New Zealand, and Spain, but it underperformed in the United States, peaking at number 75 on the Billboard Hot 100.
It Is Time for a Love Revolution is the eighth studio album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz, released on February 5, 2008. The album produced four singles released in 2007 and 2008. This is Kravitz's final album for Virgin Records.
"I'll Be Waiting" is a rock song written by Lenny Kravitz and Craig Ross for Kravitz's eighth studio album, It Is Time for a Love Revolution (2008). It was released as the album's lead single on December 6, 2007. The iTunes download release date for the song was November 6, 2007.
American singer Lenny Kravitz has released 11 studio albums, one greatest hits compilation album, four box set compilation albums, two extended plays, 59 singles, and eight video albums, including three live albums. His debut album Let Love Rule (1989) peaked at number 61 in the US, and while receiving generally positive reviews, it became a huge success in Europe but took a long time to reach success in the US. Its followers, Mama Said (1991) and Are You Gonna Go My Way (1993) sold better overall than his debut, achieving platinum and multi-platinum status respectively, establishing Kravitz in the music industry and expanding his success in Europe and South America. However, despite only a two-year gap between albums, personal issues such as substance abuse problems, the aftermath of divorce, and his mother Roxie Roker's illness led to a decline in commercial sales with Circus (1995).
The solo discography of Slash, an American-English hard rock and heavy metal guitarist, comprises five studio albums, three live albums, two extended play (EP), 10 singles, and two video album. Slash has also featured on 12 singles by other artists, released ten music videos, and made contributions to numerous other releases.
Black and White America is the ninth studio album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz, released on August 30, 2011. The album also produced six singles released in 2011 and 2012.
Are You Gonna Go My Way is the third studio album by American singer Lenny Kravitz, released on March 9, 1993, by Virgin Records. It was recorded at Waterfront Studios, Hoboken, New Jersey, by Henry Hirsch. It became Kravitz's first top 20 album on the United States Billboard 200, and his first number one album in both Australia and the United Kingdom, achieving worldwide success that helped to establish his popularity as a performer.
Strut is the tenth studio album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz. It was released on September 23, 2014 and was the first release on Kravitz's own Roxie Records, with distribution by Kobalt Label Services. The record also produced five singles released both in 2014 and 2015.
Raise Vibration is the eleventh studio album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz. It was released on Roxie Records via BMG Rights Management on September 7, 2018 and produced seven singles.
"Believe" is a song by American musician Lenny Kravitz, released by Virgin Records on May 10, 1993, as the second single from his third album, Are You Gonna Go My Way (1993). It is a rock ballad with string orchestration, and was co-written, arranged and produced by Kravitz, with Henry Hirsch also contributing to the orchestration and composition. Its lyrics concern one being able to achieve freedom and "eternal grace" if they believe in themselves and put their faith in God.
"Circus" is a song co-written and performed by American singer Lenny Kravitz and released on December 11, 1995, as the second single from his fourth studio album, Circus (1995). There were produced two music videos for the song: one directed by Ruven Afanador and the other by Martyn Atkins. Kravitz explained to Billboard, "it gets more like a circus with all this suff—management people, fans, bankers, investment people. It's like, My God! What happened? It gets harder to be yourself."