Are You Gonna Go My Way is the third studio album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz, released on March 9, 1993 by Virgin Records America. It was recorded at Waterfront Recording Studios, Hoboken, New Jersey. 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 massive worldwide success that helped to establish his popularity as a performer. The album was certified 2× Platinum in the United States, for shipments of over 2.2 million copies, making it his third most successful album there, totalling over 4 million copies in worldwide sales.

Album information

The album had a good reception by fans and music critics and it is still considered as one of Kravitz's best works.^[1]

Musically, it contained more of 70's inspired songs of artists such as Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Curtis Mayfield, Sly and Robbie, and Prince.^[2]

Additional guitars were contributed by Craig Ross.^[3]

The album cover features Kravitz facing a woman whose back is turned to the viewer. This has been rumored to be Vanessa Paradis, with whom Kravitz was involved with romantically and professionally at the time.

Track listing

Original edition

1. "Are You Gonna Go My Way" (Kravitz, Craig Ross) 3:31
2. "Believe" (Kravitz, Hirsch) 4:50
3. "Come On and Love Me" (Kravitz) 3:52
4. "Heaven Help" (Gerry DeVeaux, Terry Britten) 3:10
5. "Just Be a Woman" (Kravitz) 3:50
6. "Is There Any Love in Your Heart" (Kravitz, Ross) 3:39
7. "Black Girl" (Kravitz) 3:42
8. "My Love" (Kravitz, Ross) 3:50
9. "Sugar" (Kravitz) 4:00
10. "Sister" (Kravitz) 7:02
11. "Eleutheria" (Kravitz) 4:48

Vinyl edition bonus CD track listing

1. "Ascension" (Kravitz, Hirch) - 3:45
2. "Brother" (Kravitz) - 4:16
3. "Heaven Help" (acoustic) (DeVeaux, Britten) - 3:56
4. "Someone Like You" (Kravitz, Ross, Hirch) - 4:14
5. "All My Life" (Kravitz) - 6:24
6. "Sister" (live) (Kravitz) - 7:15
7. "For the First Time" (Kravitz) - 3:38
8. "Believe" (acoustic) (Kravitz, Hirsch) - 4:07

Singles

"Are You Gonna Go My Way"

The lead single of the album, the song peaked at number one on the Australian singles chart, and also peaked at number one on the US Mainstream Rock chart, becoming his first number one single in both countries, while it peaked at number 2 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks. The song was also a worldwide hit, peaking at number 4 in both the United Kingdom and France. The song is not only considered to be one of Kravitz's greatest hits as an artist, but also as one of the biggest anthems of the 1990s. Appears in the video games Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec (in a GT Remix) and Guitar Hero World Tour.

"Believe"

The second single from the album, it is a rock ballad that speaks of faith and freedom. The song was another major success from the album, peaking at number 60 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 15 on the US Mainstream Rock chart, number 10 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks, number 30 in the UK, and number 8 in Australia.

"Heaven Help"

The third single from the album, an R&B/soul song that originally peaked at number 92 on the Billboard Hot 100 but later peaked at number 80, being charted as a double A-side single along with "Spinning Around Over You". The double A-side format also peaked at number 92 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, while in the United Kingdom, it became Kravitz's second Top 20 single from the album, reaching number 20.

"Is There Any Love in Your Heart?"

The song was released as the final single from the original album. It peaked at number 19 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, 52 in the UK, and 32 in Australia.

"Spinning Around Over You"

The song charted as a double A-side single along with "Heaven Help", peaking at number 80 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 37 on the Hot Mainstream Rock tracks chart. The single was originally featured on the soundtrack to the film Reality Bites and was featured on the album as a bonus track, thus being the final single from the album.

Music videos

• "Are You Gonna Go My Way"
• "Believe"
• "Heaven Help"
• "Is There Any Love in Your Heart"

Covers of the title track

• At the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, Metallica performed it as part of medley for the closing act of the show.
• Melanie Brown aka 'Scary Spice' performed the song as her solo piece on the The Return of the Spice Girls tour which took place from December 2007 to February 2008.
• Tom Jones and Robbie Williams together have performed a cover.

Personnel

Michael Hunter - French horn, flugelhorn
Lenny Kravitz - vocals, electric & acoustic guitars, Mellotron, bass, drums, chimes
Cindy Blackman - drums

Craig Ross - acoustic & electric guitars
Henry Hirsch - piano, Wurlitzer organ, synthesizer, bass
Liuh-Wen Ting - viola
Tony Breit - bass
Robert Lawrence - violins

Chart performance

The album Are You Gonna Go My Way has been a very successful album not only in the United States, but also worldwide, particularly in the major markets of Europe and South America. It reached #12 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on the UK Album Chart and the Australian Albums Chart. As of March 2008, Are You Gonna Go My Way has sold 2.2 million units in the U.S.

The title track has been considered one of Kravitz's signature songs and was nominated for two Grammy Awards. Also the title track was voted in at number 28 in Triple J's Hottest 100 of 1993, an Australian music poll run by the radio station Triple J.

Charts

Certifications