MUSIC : What’s Funny ‘Bout Peace, Love and Understanding? : Stuck in the ‘60s? Lenny Kravitz says we’re starting to catch up to him.

Groovy, Neato, Farout & Kravitz could be a law firm. Or they could be some of the adjectives that follow Lenny Kravitz around like a peace sign on a Volkswagen bus.

Kravitz comes across as something of a flower child of the ‘60s stuck in the ‘90s. He’ll be appearing with Blind Melon Friday night at the tree-lined, totally uphill Santa Barbara County Bowl’s last show of 1993. It’s sold out.

After years of hearing heartfelt heckling, he’s tougher than a Velcro paisley shirt. This is because he writes songs about the usual suspects near and dear to the groovy contingent--peace, love and understanding.

His 1989 debut, “Let Love Rule,” lived long and prospered on KROQ radio with the title tune and “I Build This Garden for Us.” Not completely blissed out, Kravitz took aim at racists, as personified by New York’s motorized model of meanness, “Mr. Cab Driver.” Kravitz’s second album continued in the peace-and-love vein, with the highlight being a melt-your-shoes rendition of an obscure New York Rock Ensemble song, “Fields of Joy,” co-written by the now big-time soundtrack dude Michael Kamen.

One thing about the first two albums, it was easy to split the loot. Kravitz basically played all the instruments and sang all the songs. But on his latest, “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” Kravitz has got a whole band, a whole lot more fans, and he can probably afford a nose ring for every day of the week.

The 29-year-old rocker is from New York City. He’s a black dude with a Jewish name with dreads enough for a Rastafarian and a fashion consciousness that could’ve fallen off a pack of Zig-Zags. His mother is Roxie Roker, best known as Helen Willis on “The Jeffersons.” His father is Sy Kravitz, a Russian Jew who is a producer for NBC News. Kravitz used to be known for being married to Lisa Bonet; now he’s known on his own terms as a musician.

In a recent phone conversation, Kravitz talked about what’s what so far.

This is your first Santa Barbara gig. How often do you tour?

Actually, I’ve been touring constantly for five years. You just have to keep your head on straight because it’s very unbalancing not having a home base and always being somewhere different. I just got back from Japan and Europe.

How is “Are You Gonna Go My Way” different from your first two albums?

It’s just different. They’re all completely different. It’s just a piece of time, a piece of my life. I just go in the studio, and whatever comes out, comes out. It’s a very natural process for me.

As a one-man band it’s obviously easier to split the money, but why didn’t you ever have a band?

The first two albums were basically done by myself. I could never find the people I was looking for. But as time went by, I’ve gradually found guys I could play with.

Did you do the bar scene or did you just emerge as a rock star?

I was always just a studio rat. I never had a band. It was just me. I used to jam with other people sometimes, but I was never in a band.

What do you say to critics who say you’re just some retro hippie dude whose watch stopped in 1968?

I don’t really care what they say. They’re not really listening to my music. It’s like if I was singing songs about killing people or bleeping women, they’d love me. I remember one guy wrote that I do too many love songs. That made my mom happy. But, I only do what I do. That’s just me. I’ve been influenced by all styles of music.

What’s the most misunderstood thing about Lenny Kravitz?

Probably that I’m stuck in the past, but I’m actually very much in the future. They just don’t get it yet. Six years ago, everybody was laughing at me. Now the fashions have changed and everyone is copying me.

Did that nose ring hurt?

No.

I think “Roll Over” by the New York Rock Ensemble is the most perfect rock album ever made. How did you come to record “Fields of Joy”?

I’d heard that song when I was about 11 years old. It’s really a beautiful song. We used to sing that song when I was in the California Boys Choir. Recently, I met Michael Kamen on the Concorde, and it turns out the guy that helped write the lyrics for “Fields of Joy” was totally down and out. So, it’s cool that he’s getting some money out of the deal.

What’s the story on “Mr. Cab Driver”?

Oh man, I was in New York City going to the studio to work and something like 10 cabs passed me by. You get used to that stuff being black, but it was just the wrong day. Finally, I started yelling at this cabbie, a Middle Eastern guy--”Hey, why don’t you pick me up?” So this guys starts calling me a nigger, and here we are in New York City in 1989. When I finally got to the studio, that song just came out.

When did you know you wanted to rock?

When I was 5 I was listening to my parents’ records.

Who are some of the new bands you think are cool?

I don’t really listen to a lot of new music, although I like Blind Melon. I’m hooked on the old stuff.

How come rock shows never start on time?

Because guys like me never want to go on until later.

So, it’s your fault?

Yeah, man. Be cool.

Bill Locey, who writes regularly on rock ‘n’ roll, for Ventura County Life.

Details

* WHAT & WHERE: Lenny Kravitz and Blind Melon at the Santa Barbara County Bowl, 1122 Milpas St., Santa Barbara. Friday at 7 p.m.; tickets, $31.50, $28, $26. For information, call 568-2695.