Fearless Love
| Fearless Love | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Melissa Etheridge | ||||
| Released | April 27, 2010 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 56:31 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Producer | John Shanks, Melissa Etheridge | |||
| Melissa Etheridge chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Fearless Love | ||||
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Fearless Love is the eleventh studio album by American rock/pop musician Melissa Etheridge, released on April 27, 2010 by Island/Def Jam Music Group, produced by John Shanks. Etheridge said in an interview the album is "about being fearless. It's about choosing love over fear. It's a way, a philosophy of living life that suits me well."[1] The album was recorded at the Document Room in Malibu, and Hensons Studios in Hollywood, CA. It features twelve tracks on the standard release and two bonus tracks on the deluxe edition.
Production
The album was produced by John Shanks, and co-produced by Etheridge. In an interview Etheridge stated about Shanks, she said: "He and I have a great relationship and I knew he could understand my desire to really get back to the rock and roll roots of myself and my music. He certainly did all that and more."[2]
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Billboard | (favorable) [4] |
| The Boston Globe | (average) [5] |
| The New York Times | (favorable) [6] |
| NU.nl | (6/10) [7] |
| PopMatters | [8] |
| Q | [9] |
| Rolling Stone |  [10] |
Chart history
Fearless Love was widely viewed as Etheridge's "return to rock" after a more introspective and blues-influenced album in The Awakening.[11] She embarked on an extensive promotional tour in support of the album, performing the lead single on QVC, Oprah, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Dancing with the Stars, The View, Good Morning America, and Ellen.
In its first week on the Billboard 200, Fearless Love debuted at #7, selling 46,000 copies. Although the number of albums sold was nearly identical to The Awakening's first week, this album debuted six spots higher on the chart.[12] It was her highest charting debut since Your Little Secret, which debuted at #6 in 1995.
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard 200[3] | 7 |
| Austrian Albums Chart[13] | 26 |
| Canadian Albums Chart[14] | 13 |
| Dutch Album Charts[15] | 28 |
| Greek Album Charts[16] | 18 |
| Swiss Album Charts[17] | 51 |
Critical reception
Critical reception towards the album was mixed and positive. At Metacritic, which assigns a rating to reviews from mainstream critics, it holds a "mixed or average reviews" score of 59% based on seven reviews.[9]
Rolling Stone gave it 3.5 stars out of 5, calling the album, Melissa's "feistiest disc since her 1988 debut."[10]
The New York Times praised the "broad, bruising rock arrangements."[6]
The Boston Globe also noted that the rock tracks are the ones when Etheridge's "scarred, emotive croon works its visceral voodoo."[5]
AllMusic was less positive, giving the album 2 stars out of 5 and criticizing the "oppressive" production.[3]
NU.nl states that "despite a strong and promising opening, Fearless Love gets trapped halfway in (...) cliché-filled lyrics against a backdrop of insignificant heartland rock and schmalzy power ballads."[7]
Track listing
All songs written by Melissa Etheridge.
- "Fearless Love" - 4:28
- "The Wanting of You" - 4:12
- "Company" - 4:53
- "Miss California" - 4:00
- "Drag Me Away" - 4:41
- "Indiana" - 5:28
- "Nervous" - 3:12
- "Heaven on Earth" - 3:47
- "We Are the Ones" - 5:39
- "Only Love" - 5:43
- "To Be Loved" - 5:16
- "Gently We Row" - 5:11
Bonus tracks
- "The Heart of a Woman" - 5:16
- "Away" - 4:37
Personnel
- Melissa Etheridge: vocals, acoustic and mando-guitar
- John Shanks: acoustic and electric guitar
- Victor Indrizzo: drums
- Sean Hurley: bass guitar
- Jamie Muhoberac: keyboards
- Charles Judge: additional keyboards and synthesizers (tracks 3-6)
- Joss Stone: backing vocals (track 9)
- Natasha Bedingfield: backing vocals (track 9)
- Satnam Ramgotra: tabla (track 9)
- The line "We are the ones we have been waiting for" (track 9) originates from June Jordan's Poem for South African Women. Copyright 2005 June Jordan Literary Estate Trust.
- Engineered and mixed by Jeff Rothschild
References
- ↑ "Melissa Etheridge Discusses her New Album Fearless Love
- ↑ "SheWired.com"
- 1 2 3 AllMusic review
- ↑ Wood, Mikael (2010-05-07). "Melissa Etheridge, "Fearless Love"". Billboard. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
- 1 2 O'Neil, Luke (2010-04-26). "Melissa Etheridge, 'Fearless Love'". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2012-11-16.
- 1 2 Caramanica, Jon (2010-04-25). "Critics' Choice - New From Etheridge, Roky Erickson and Jacky Terrasson - Review". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
- 1 2 Oitmann, Pierre. "Review: Fearless Love". NU.nl. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
- ↑ Leftridge, Steve (2010-05-18). "Melissa Etheridge: Fearless Love < PopMatters". PopMatters. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
- 1 2 "Critic Reviews for Fearless Love". Metacritic. Retrieved 2010-05-30.
- 1 2 Walters, Barry (2010-04-27). "Fearless Love". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2012-11-16.
- ↑ "Melissa Etheridge Returns To Her Rock Roots"
- ↑ "B.o.B. Bounds In At No. 1 On The Billboard 200"
- ↑ "Melissa Etheridge Austrian Charting". Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
- ↑ "Fearless Love > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Macrovision. 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
- ↑ "Melissa Etheridge Dutch Charting". Dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
- ↑ "Melissa Etheridge Greek Charts". greekcharts.com. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
- ↑ "Melissa Etheridge Swiss Charting". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2010-06-05.