Customer Reviews

Brave & Crazy

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

With this album, Melissa Etheridge displays her incredible talent for meshing an edgy beat with beautiful lyrics that are pure poetry. Her songs are intensely soulful and are about desire, passion, possibilities and finding & losing yourself. From the very cool "Brave and Crazy" track to the sexy - slow dance in front of a jukebox - "You Used to Love to Dance" to the hopeful "Testify" - every song on this cd is a keeper.

This is an album that will make you want to get in your car and hit the open road with the wind in your hair. I guarantee that if you do with this cd in your changer, you'll be drumming your fingers on the steering wheel and will be compelled to belt out the words from deep within yourself.

There is something about this CD that makes me love it more than anything she's ever done. In fact, it's one of my five favorite CDs of all time. The range of music, the quality of the lyrics, the sound, her voice -- everything comes together perfectly to create an amazing experience for the listener. Etheridge knows how to rock, as she shows in the title track, but she also has tremendous depth and soul, as shown in the plaintive, poignant ballads You Can Sleep While I Drive and You Used to Love to Dance. I particularly like the way Etheridge manages to add some songs which reflect a social conscience - specifically Testify, which is possibly my favorite song of all time -- while still keeping a personal, intimate feel to the songs. If you consider yourself a serious music fan, or even just a serious Etheridge fan, I think you need to add this CD to your collection. This is one of the gutsiest, most well done CDs I've ever heard.

I saw her at the "flats" in Cleveland almost 20 years ago, doing songs from her very first LP. She was jammin. I love her music cause it actually ses something. For me, it's about her music in and of itself-the stories. They have heart and soul. Sometimes they don't go the way you want them to..seems to be a lot of pain but it's real. I love the way she tells her stories. It's not about her sexual preference and its not about her stance on the political merry-go-round. If I want that, I'll watch the news. I just love all her music and this is one of the best, aside from her very first.

"Brave And Crazy" is Melissa Etheridge's sophmore album released in 1989. The songs and her performances are more raw and personal than her self-titled debut. Yet, she keeps her musical quality on top. This is only one of eight albums that proves that she is one of the greatest female rockers of all time. Her lyrics are always honest, which deserves her tremendous respect as an artist. She pours every drop of emotion through every note in every track. This forces listeners to feel her words. Melissa Etheridge once said in an interview that she felt more honest and lyrically free after she come out with her sexual orientation in 1993. She felt that this improved her music. Still, "Brave And Crazy" is amazing like her other seven albums. Whether she sings an upbeat song or a ballad, her performances stay on top. Her guitar playing matches the themes perfectly. Whether she writes hardcore rock, folk, pop, or blues, her songwriting always has the intense chemistry that keeps listeners interested. "Brave And Crazy" is a great album from a true rock artist that will keep people listening for a many more years.

Any fan who has listened to all of her albums will all agree that this album is amongst one of the best. Full of passion and desire, lyrics that will have you asking yourself questions, then you smile as you hear the answers. Testify will fill you with strength and courage, you will find yourself holding in the urge to shout out and sing right along with many of the songs on this album. Her talent is in being truthful and sharing each experience with us no matter how painful it may be. This is grounds that determine she is all rock and roll.

Melissa Etheridge is a heroine to me - any public figure who is brave enough to be openly lesbian or gay in Reagan-Bush America is a hero. Few songs have ever been written that are more beautiful than "You Can Sleep While I Drive". I first came across it on CMT, when Trisha Yearwood covered it (very well, too), but it's a Melissa Etheridge song, and if she's brave and crazy, then I like me some brave and crazy. Go, Melissa - go, girl. Ain't much better than you.

A fine road trip album. This strong collection of songs showcases the best Melissa Etheridge has to offer. While some of her other work does not show much range, Brave & Crazy gives the listener a great ride. The performances are strong, spirited and nuanced when needed.

While not her best album by far (I rank them: Melissa Etheridge; Yes I Am; Your Little Secret; Brave and Crazy; Never Enough) it still has some must-haves: You Can Sleep While I Drive; The Angels; Testify; Let Me Go. Really cool pieces that I just can't have enough of. What I don't understand is why these never became big hits -- I mean "You Can Sleep While I Drive" is one of the best ballads I've ever heard!!! And if you've seen how Melissa performed this with kdlang at a concert back in 1994, you'll know that you MUST have this song!

This is the album that really proved to me that Melissa is here to stay. Alot of Meliisa' fans will agree that this album is at the top of their list as well. She writes with such honest on this record and the melodies are just great. You could sleep while I drive is a standout. One song after the other and you just fall into this person's vision of romance and heartache. It was a little more produced than her last effort, but the writing here has definitely matured. A high reccomendation.

I am a longtime fan and this CD still garners a permanent slot in my CD changer. "Royal Station 4/16" alone is worth the price of this CD. Of course, "Skin Deep," "Brave & Crazy" and "No Souviners" are also stellar, stand-out cuts! This is a great CD.