Melissa Etheridge debut released

Melissa Etheridge Melissa Etheridge

Released: May 2, 1988 Peak: 22 US, -- UK, -- CN, 3 AU, 16 DF Sales (in millions): 2.0 US, -- UK, 2.94 world (includes US and UK) Genre: mainstream rock

Tracks: Song Title [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to charts. Similar Features [4:42] (3/13/88, 94 BB, 6 AR, 93 CN, 34 AU, 5 DF) Chrome Plated Heart [3:59] (10/13/88, 22 AR, 9 DF) Like the Way I Do [5:23] (8/3/88, 42 BB, 28 AR, 16 CN, 9 DF) Precious Pain [4:15] (40 DF) Don’t You Need [4:59] (12/15/88, 39 DF) The Late September Dogs [6:33] (7 DF) Occasionally [2:36] (1 DF) Watching You [5:33] (40 DF) Bring Me Some Water [3:52] (4/27/88, 10 AR, 100 UK, 34 CN, 9 AU, 1 DF) I Want You [4:07] (40 DF) All songs written by Melissa Etheridge. Total Running Time: 45:59

Rating: 3.927 out of 5.00 (average of 25 ratings) Quotable: “One of the most stunning debut albums of the 1980s.” – Vik Iyengar, AllMusic.com Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About Melissa Melissa Etheridge was born in 1961 in Leavenworth, Kansas. She emerged in the late ‘80s with a wave of female singer/songwriters who crafted confessional, introspective songs in the folk-rock and alternative rock genres. Etheridge, however, was closer to a straightforward rocker than some of her contemporaries, “clearly influenced by classic rock artists such as Bruce Springsteen and John Cougar Mellencamp.” AM Her First Album She built a following as an artist “during several years of grinding out recognition, one small venue at a time.” CR After being signed to Island Records, Etheridge recorded an album that was rejected as too polished and glossy. WK Her next effort, her “stripped-down, self-titled debut” WK was completed in four days. WK It “was one of the most stunning debut albums of the 1980s.” AM “Given the domination of synthesizer pop on the radio, Melissa Etheridge was a breath of fresh air.” AM “Her raw-throated vocals, confessional compositions, and simple yet effective acoustic-built music totally contrasted the flash and fluff which saturated the conventional airwaves.” CR Her “passionate vocal deliveries” AM “sung with a sensitive bravado often compared to Janis Joplin. Although the passionate vocal deliveries are similar, the comparisons end there.” AM Themes “The main theme explored is the emotional complexity of relationships, and throughout the album she sings about the hunger for affection, the pain of unrequited love, and the fire of obsessive romance.” AM While there may be “little thematical variation on Melissa Etheridge, it is a very even album which delivers potent tracks throughout.” CR Impact “Etheridge became a role model for a generation of young women who found her to be an uncompromising artist unafraid to expose (and celebrate) her strengths and weaknesses. This is a fine introduction to Melissa Etheridge, and it is one of her most enjoyable albums.” AM The Songs Here are thoughts on individual songs from the album. “Similar Features” “The album is full of infectious, up-tempo songs that propel the album forward. Etheridge’s true talent, however, is reconciling uncontrollable emotions such as jealousy with a strong and fiercely independent spirit.” AM Similar Features “kicks off with measured bass notes before moving into a moderate arrangement led by Etheridge’s acoustic and the subtle electric guitar phrases by Johnny Lee Schell.” CR “Chrome Plated Heart” Chrome Plated Heart “arrives with a boogie-blues rhythm held together by the kick drum of Craig Krampf along with a slight riff by Schell. Here Etheridge really shines through vocally with biting lyrics: ‘I got a two-dollar stare, Midas in my touch and Delilah in my hair / I got bad intentions on the soles of my shoes with this red hot fever and these chromium blues.’” CR “Like the Way I Do” Like the Way I Do is “a production masterpiece…[with] a consistently strummed acoustic accented by a sharp, double-beat rhythm by bassist Kevin McCormick during the verse. The song uses an ingenious, minimalist approach.” CR It “is a good example of…Etheridge’s early material with dramatic vocals telling a story of heartbreak and longing bordering on obsession.” CR “Bring Me Some Water” Bring Me Some Water “captures the overall angst of the album” CR with “the main theme of hunger for affection and pain of unrequited love.” CR She delivers the vocal with a passion that channels Tina Turner. It was enough to get the song nominated for a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, ironically losing to none other than Turner. “Occasionally” One of the album’s standout tracks is Occasionally. The nearly a cappella song features just “Etheridge’s vocals accompanied only by a slight percussive thumping of the acoustic guitar body.” CR It strengthens the song’s message in which Etheridge rattles off multiple scenarios in which she feels lonely, even as she claims, “I’m only lonely…occasionally.” Other Songs Like “Occasionally,” The Late September Dogs and Watching You “use minimalist arrangements.” CR Precious Pain “is a softer, rolky acoustic tune musically, albeit the lyrics are just as sharp as anywhere else.” CR With its “thumping rhythm and bit of funky bass” I Want You is a “fine tune of unbridled desire to complete the album.” CR Notes: A 2003 deluxe edition adds a second disc of the entire album recorded live at the Roxy in Los Angeles in 1988 and another five acoustic performances.

Resources: AM AllMusic.com review by Vik Iyengar CR Classic Rock Review WK Wikipedia page about Melissa Etheridge Related DMDB Pages: First posted 3/13/2008; last updated 12/3/2024.