March 1993 was a weird time for rock. Nirvana was still king, grunge was everywhere, and then Lenny Kravitz drops this neon-soaked, retro-futuristic bomb. People think they know the Lenny Kravitz Are You Gonna Go My Way tracklist because of that one riff. You know the one. It’s the riff that launched a thousand guitar center attempts.
But honestly? This album is way weirder and more soulful than just a "Hendrix tribute."
Kravitz was coming off a messy divorce from Lisa Bonet. He was holed up in Waterfront Studios in Hoboken, New Jersey. It wasn't fancy. It was just a place filled with vintage gear and a guy named Henry Hirsch who knew how to make tape hiss sound like magic. If you look at the tracklist, it’s a zig-zag through every genre that mattered between 1967 and 1974.
Why the Tracklist Order Actually Matters
The way this record flows is deliberate. It’s not just a collection of singles. It starts with a literal explosion and ends with a reggae-tinged prayer. Here is the official run-down of the original 11 tracks that defined Kravitz's peak era.
- Are You Gonna Go My Way (3:31)
- Believe (4:54)
- Come On And Love Me (3:54)
- Heaven Help (3:11)
- Just Be A Woman (3:48)
- Is There Any Love In Your Heart (3:40)
- Black Girl (3:44)
- My Love (3:53)
- Sugar (3:58)
- Sister (7:04)
- Eleutheria (4:50)
Most fans forget how much Craig Ross mattered here. He co-wrote the title track and played those blistering leads. He basically became Lenny's right hand for the next thirty years.
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The Gospel Behind the Riffs
Take "Are You Gonna Go My Way." People hear the guitar and think "sex, drugs, rock and roll." Wrong. Kravitz has said in a dozen interviews, including a pretty famous Reddit AMA, that the song is about Jesus Christ. He saw Jesus as the "ultimate rock star." The lyrics are written from that perspective—a choice offered to humanity.
Then you’ve got "Believe." It’s a massive, sweeping ballad. It sounds like The White Album had a baby with Curtis Mayfield. The phaser on the vocals? Pure 70s gold. It’s the spiritual anchor of the album.
The Deep Cuts You’re Probably Skipping
"Sister" is seven minutes long. Seven minutes! In 1993, that was a bold move for a guy being marketed as a pop-rocker. It’s a dark, acoustic-driven track about a woman trapped in an abusive cycle. It’s the most vulnerable he’s ever sounded.
And then there's "Eleutheria." It’s a tribute to the Bahamas, specifically the island his family is from. It’s loose. It’s breezy. It’s a total 180 from the grit of "Is There Any Love In Your Heart."
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The Deluxe and 20th Anniversary Extras
If you're a completist, the standard 11 songs aren't enough. The 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition turned the Lenny Kravitz Are You Gonna Go My Way tracklist into a massive 31-track behemoth.
Kravitz was writing like a madman during this period. He was also producing for Vanessa Paradis at the same time. Some of the best stuff on the deluxe version includes:
- Spinning Around Over You: A B-side that probably should have made the final cut.
- Ascension: Pure funk.
- Brother: A hard-hitting track that shows off his drumming. (Fun fact: Lenny plays almost all the drums on the record himself).
- The Vanessa Paradis Demos: "I May Not Be a Star" is a fascinating look at his "work in progress" phase.
The "One-Take" Legend
There’s a story about the title track that sounds like total PR fluff, but it’s actually true. They were finishing a session for Vanessa Paradis. There were five minutes left on the clock. Craig Ross started playing that riff. Lenny jumped on the drums. They recorded it in one take.
The next day, Lenny wrote the lyrics on a brown paper bag. That's it. That’s how a multi-platinum anthem is born. No overthinking. Just raw instinct.
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Why This Album Still Ranks
The production is the secret sauce. Henry Hirsch and Lenny used an old Helios console. They avoided digital like the plague. Even in 2026, this record sounds "warm." It doesn't have that brittle, over-compressed 90s sheen that killed so many other albums from that era.
It’s also surprisingly diverse. "Heaven Help" was written by Terry Britten and Gerry DeVeaux. It’s a soul ballad that feels like it could have been recorded at Motown in 1965. Kravitz’s falsetto here is insane.
Actionable Steps for the Modern Listener
If you want to experience this album the way it was intended, don't just put it on shuffle. The Lenny Kravitz Are You Gonna Go My Way tracklist is a journey from the ego-death of a rock star into the spiritual peace of "Eleutheria."
- Get the 180g Vinyl: The analog recording process only truly translates on a turntable. The 25th-anniversary double vinyl is the gold standard.
- Listen to "Sister" with Headphones: The spatial layering of the acoustic guitars is a masterclass in production.
- Check out the B-Sides: "B-Side Blues" is a raw, unpolished gem that shows the "Waterfront Studios" vibe perfectly.
This wasn't just another 90s record. It was the moment Lenny Kravitz stopped being "the guy who sounds like Hendrix" and became a global icon in his own right. The tracklist proves he had the songs to back up the style.