Baptism is the seventh album from Lenny Kravitz, and at this point the flashes of brilliance are few and far between. Kravitz proves once again that the talent he possesses will always be overwhelmed by his worst instincts, beyond the corny lyrics — just check out his "Dirty Mind" haircut on this great album cover. The penchant for rock clichés is evident on Baptism, as Lenny claims he's "the minister of rock’n’roll.” It’s a pretty bold claim for a guy who hasn't had a smash album in years. “I Don’t Want to Be a Star” tries to convince us of its title, but somebody should tell Lenny that growling, “I drank with Dylan/Boy, did we act a fool…I got high with Jagger/It was really cool,” suggests exactly the opposite. His corny lyrics suit the ballads (“Calling All Angels,” “Baptism” "The Other Side") which are great, in a way that Lenny has mastered. If he’s really the minister of rock’n’roll, it may be time to step down from the pulpit. The good news? Let Love Rule and Mama Said are still great all the way through. -tk