Mama Said | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 2, 1991 | |||
Recorded | 1990 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 52:38 | |||
Label | Virgin | |||
Producer | Lenny Kravitz | |||
Lenny Kravitz chronology | ||||
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Singles from Mama Said | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Chicago Tribune | [5] |
Christgau's Consumer Guide | [6] |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [7] |
Entertainment Weekly | C− [8] |
Record Collector | [9] |
Rolling Stone | [10] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [11] |
Select | 4/5 [12] |
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.
Although the album has sold enough copies to be certified double platinum, the RIAA still has it listed as platinum. In the UK, the album reached number 8 on the UK Albums Chart. In 2012, Virgin Records released an expanded, double-disc version of the album with a number of remixes and bonus tracks. [13]
Greg Kot of Chicago Tribune commented "Rather than building on the '60s influences that permeated his 1989 debut, Let Love Rule, Kravitz practically wallows in them on Mama Said... Kravitz`s taste is commendable, and Mama Said sounds admirably gritty and sexy, without big '90s production touches. But until Kravitz begins transforming his influences instead of just copying them, he'll remain a promising but minor artist." [5] Terry Staunton of Record Collector stated "The blanket praise that greeted Kravitz’s 1989 debut Let Love Rule might have made him a prime candidate for difficult second album syndrome, but if anything Mama Said, released two years later, was an even more accomplished set. Rarely had traditional guitar rock and sweet soul merged so confidently, so effortlessly: further proof that we were in the midst of a major talent." [9] Elysa Gardner of Rolling Stone wrote "Rather than synthesizing his influences in a way that allows him some personal expression, Kravitz seemingly aims to acknowledge as many of them as he can in the course of an hour; the result is a rather disjointed album that lacks freshness and distinction. Kravitz continues to demonstrate a talent for crafting and arranging engaging songs; unfortunately, up to this point it has proven less a creative talent than a recreative one." [10]
All songs were written by Lenny Kravitz, except where noted.
Disc one
The Studio B-Sides [14]
The Unreleased 12"
Disc two
The Demos: Mama in Progress
Live in Rotterdam Nov. 15, 1991
The Live in Japan B-Sides
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Argentina (CAPIF) [32] | Gold | 30,000^ |
Australia (ARIA) [33] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Austria (IFPI Austria) [34] | Gold | 25,000* |
Canada (Music Canada) [35] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
Germany (BVMI) [36] | Gold | 250,000^ |
Netherlands (NVPI) [37] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
Sweden (GLF) [38] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [39] | Gold | 25,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [40] | Platinum | 300,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [41] | Platinum | 1,880,000 [42] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Leonard Albert Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and actor. Born in New York City to TV news producer Sy Kravitz and actress Roxie Roker, Kravitz was exposed to the entertainment industry at a young age. As a child, Lenny showed a keen interest in music, and by his teenage years, he began embarking on a music career with his style mixing rock, funk, reggae, hard rock, soul, and R&B. Kravitz has had numerous hit singles over his career including "It Ain't Over 'til It's Over" (1991) and "Again" (2000), each of which reached the top 10 on the Billboard Top 100 chart; other hits include "Let Love Rule" (1989), "Always on the Run" (1991), "Are You Gonna Go My Way" (1993), "Fly Away" (1998), and "American Woman" (1999), each of which reached the top 10 on the Alternative Airplay chart.
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.
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.
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.
Ain't Complaining is the eighteenth studio album by British rock band Status Quo. Initially released on the Vertigo label on 6 June 1988, it was the group's first album on that label to fall short of the UK Top 10, breaking a streak of 12 studio albums in the process. It reached no higher than its entry position of No. 12. The band, however, reentered the Top 10 just three years later with Rock 'Til You Drop in 1991.
"It Ain't Over 'til It's Over" is a song written, produced, and performed by American musician Lenny Kravitz for his second studio album, Mama Said (1991). Released as the album's second single in June 1991 by Virgin, the song is a mid-tempo ballad musically inspired by Motown, Philly soul, and Earth, Wind & Fire. The horn line at the end is performed by the Phenix Horns from Earth, Wind & Fire. "That song just came out one day, and I knew it had a classic vibe. And I still love that song very much today," Kravitz said in an interview for VivaMusic.com in 2000. The line is based on a Yogiism, or quotation from Yogi Berra: "It ain't over 'til it's over."
"Always on the Run" is a song by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz, released as the first single from his second album, Mama Said (1991), in March 1991. It features a contribution by Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash. Slash had written the music for the song with the original intention of releasing it on a Guns N' Roses studio album, but since former drummer Steven Adler had difficulty playing the song, he saved it for this eventual collaboration with Kravitz. On June 6, 1992, during Guns N' Roses's Use Your Illusion Tour stop in Paris, Kravitz joined the band onstage and played guitar and sang vocals for this track.
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.
"Fields of Joy" is an original song by The New York Rock Ensemble released in 1971. Lenny Kravitz released a remake on July 16, 1991, as the third single from his second studio album Mama Said.
Video Retrospective is the first video album by American rock singer-songwriter Lenny Kravitz, released on November 25, 1991, in VHS format by Virgin Records America due to the success of his second album Mama Said. The album contains all of Kravitz's first music videos filmed from 1989 to 1991 from his first two albums, Let Love Rule and Mama Said.
American singer Lenny Kravitz has released 11 studio albums, one greatest hits compilation album, four box set compilation albums, two extended plays, sixty-one 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.
"Stand by My Woman" is a song recorded by American singer Lenny Kravitz and released on September 2, 1991, as the fourth single from his second studio album Mama Said. The song was later included as a track on his 2000 album Greatest Hits.