Lenny Kravitz and John Lennon produced very different albums; However, Kravitz loved one of John’s albums so much that he listened to it over and over again for months. Interestingly, Kravitz was a Beatles fan but didn’t learn John’s solo material until he was an adult. Kravitz then helped a number of artists come together to cover a song John wrote.

Lenny Kravitz learned something important about classic rock by making his debut album

In 2010, Rolling stone released a list of the greatest artists of all time. The Beatles were No. 1 on the list. John was # 38 on the list, showing the magazine endorsed both his solo work and his work with the Fab Four. Kravitz wrote a short essay for the list. In the essay, Kravitz explained what John’s music meant to him and how he was introduced to it.

“I loved the music of The Beatles growing up, but I only became aware of John Lennon’s solo music after making my first album, Let love speak“Kravitz recalls.” There was this guy who was going to handle me; when he heard the raw tapes of my first songs, like ‘Be’, he said, ‘Have you ever heard John Lennon Plastic Ono tape? Because your stuff looks like him.

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How Lenny Kravitz reacted to the ‘John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band’ album

Kravitz had a strong reaction to the album John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band. “So I bought Plastic Ono Band, and I listened to it over and over again for months, ”Kravitz revealed. “It is a monumental work of genius. I was blown away by its minimal character and expressiveness. Lennon had just finished his primal scream therapy, and he was unloading it all, about his mother leaving, the Beatles, and who he was.

Kravitz said the album inspired his own composition. “The attitude and emotion of this album is harsher than any punk rock I’ve ever heard,” Kravitz said. The “American Woman” singer said he thinks John’s post-Beatles songs could be even better than The Beatles songs.

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Lenny Kravitz arranged for many artists to cover a song written by John Lennon

It wasn’t the only connection between Kravitz and John. According to The New York Times, Kravitz brought together a number of artists to record a new version of “Give Peace a Chance” in response to the Persian Gulf crisis that led to the Gulf War. These artists included Cyndi Lauper, Iggy Pop, Randy Newman, Little Richard, Annie Lennox, Dave A. Stewart, Q-Tip and others.

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Kravitz did it with the blessing of Yoko Ono. Meanwhile, John’s son Julian Lennon wrote new lyrics for “Give Peace a Chance” that begged the United States not to go to war. While the new version of “Give Peace a Chance” fell short of its goal, it proved John had a huge impact on Kravitz.