Are You Gonna Go My Way

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. 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 massive worldwide success that helped to establish his popularity as a performer. The album was certified Platinum twice 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 one of Kravitz's best works.

Musically, it contained songs inspired by classic rock artists such as Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Curtis Mayfield, Sly and Robbie, and Prince.

Additional guitars were contributed by Craig Ross.

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.

Original edition

 * 1) "Are You Gonna Go My Way" (Kravitz, Craig Ross) – 3:31
 * 2) "Believe" (Kravitz, Henry 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, Hirsch) – 3:45
 * 2) "Brother" (Kravitz) – 4:16
 * 3) "Good Lovin'" (DeVeaux, Britten) – 3:34
 * 4) "Someone Like You" (Kravitz, Ross, Hirch) – 4:14
 * 5) "All My Life" (Kravitz) – 6:24
 * 6) "Spinning Around Over U" (Kravitz) – 3:35
 * 7) "For the First Time" (Kravitz) – 3:38
 * 8) "Lonely Rainbows" (Kravitz, Hirsch) – 2:26

Singles
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 as well as "Guitar Hero Live".
 * "Are You Gonna Go My Way"

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.
 * "Believe"

The third single from the album. An R&B and 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.
 * "Heaven Help"

The song was released as the final single from the original album. It peaked at number 19 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, number 52 in the UK, and number 32 in Australia.
 * "Is There Any Love in Your Heart"

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.
 * "Spinning Around Over You"

Music videos

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

Personnel

 * Lenny Kravitz – vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, Mellotron, bass, drums, chimes
 * Craig Ross – acoustic and electric guitars
 * Henry Hirsch – piano, Wurlitzer organ, synthesizer, bass
 * Tony Breit – bass
 * Dave Domanich – drums on track 4, "Heaven Help"
 * Michael Hunter – French horn, flugelhorn
 * Robert Lawrence – violins
 * Liuh-Wen Ting – viola
 * Michael "Ibo" Cooper – keyboards on track 11, "Eleutheria"

Chart performance
Are You Gonna Go My Way has been very successful not only in the United States, but also worldwide, particularly in the major markets of Europe and South America. It reached number 12 on the Billboard 200 and number one on the UK Albums Chart and the Australian Albums Chart. As of March 2008, the album 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. It was also voted in at number 28 in Triple J's Hottest 100 of 1993, an Australian music poll run by the radio station Triple J.

Grammy Awards of 1994

 * Best Male Rock Vocal Performance ("Are You Gonna Go My Way") (Nominated)
 * Best Rock Song ("Are You Gonna Go My Way") (Nominated)

MTV Video Music Awards 1993

 * Best Male Video ("Are You Gonna Go My Way") (Won)
 * Best Art Direction ("Are You Gonna Go My Way") (Nominated)

Album credits

 * Engineered and mixed by Henry Hirsch
 * Assistant engineer – Greg Di Gesu
 * Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound Studios
 * Ar direction by Len Peltier
 * Design by Jean Krikorian and Len Peltier
 * Cover photography by Jean-Baptiste Mondino