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1994-02-01
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71 lines
Lyrical Leanings
Copyright (c) 1993, Joe DeRouen
All rights reserved
YES I AM
Melissa Etheridge
Island Records
1993
With her release of 1988's MELISSA ETHERIDGE, Melissa Etheridge shoved
her way into the folk/rock world with an energy and intensity not to be
rivaled. SIMILAR FEATURES, the album's hottest single, proved Etheridge
a force to be reckoned with.
1989 and 1992 saw, respectively, the release of BRAVE AND CRAZY and
NEVER ENOUGH, both critically acclaimed by neither having the much
sought after selling power of her first album. Both CD's contained a lot
of good music, but none embodied that original passion and energy that
characterized her first release.
YES I AM, Etheridge's fourth album, returns us to that dark intensity
and passionate rage that made the first one such a welcome guest in my
CD player. Far from being just a knock off of her debut album, YES I AM
songs are crafted with precision wit and intelligence as well as
something new: the confidence of a established artist who isn't afraid
to take chances.
The album's first single release, I'M THE ONLY ONE, is a powerful
exhibition of Etheridge's music skills (one of the best all-around
guitar players in the business) as well as her songwriting ability.
(Please baby can't you see/My mind's a burnin' hell/I got razors a
rippin' and tearin' and strippin'/My heart apart as well) The single
recaptures the intensity of 1988's hit single SIMILAR FEATURES, but
doesn't just copy it.
COME TO MY WINDOW, the CD's third track, is an achingly beautiful
rendition of a forbidden love. Laced with a curious mixture of
sensuality and sadness, it's possibly the best all-around track on the
CD. (Come to my window/Crawl inside, wait by the light/of the moon/Come
to my window/I'll be home soon)
TALKING TO MY ANGEL, the last (10th) track on the CD, is an achingly
bittersweet tale of a woman who's searching for something she can't find
and running away from what she has found just the same. (Don't be
afraid/Close your eyes/Lay it all down/Don't you cry/Can't you see I'm
going/Where I can see the sun rise/I've been talking to my angel/And he
said it's allright) It's a hauntingly remorseful tune, with just the
hint of hope and promise.
All in all, there's not really a bad song on YES I AM. That's a feat
rarely accomplished by even the experienced veterans of the music world,
and one to be celebrated. With a strong mix of excellent musical ability
(Etheridge playing acoustic and electric guitars, Kevin McCormick on
bass) and beautifully crafted, energetic and passionate songs, this is
one CD that can't lose. Check it out.
My rating, on a scale of 1-10: 10
Melissa Etheridge CDs, all published by Island Records:
YES I AM (1993)
NEVER ENOUGH (1992)
BRAVE AND CRAZY (1989)
MELISSA ETHERIDGE (1988)