Listen: Breathe / Melissa Etheridge MelissaBreathe.mp3
There was a moment around the release of her second album, BRAVE & CRAZY, when Melissa Etheridge hit her stride. Sure, that first album opened a big door yet looking back now, I think it was a bit stiff and uncomfortable. This second release however, was a natural. Seemed she loosened her image simultaneously, losing the initial housewife look, as one journalist coined it, for a jeans/t-shirt and gel-free hair. Live shows from the period were about the best thing you could hope to see. If you went to any, you know the deal. Twenty or so years later – still strong.
In no way to dwarf her greatness, it must be said, having one of the best and unsung managers in the business behind the curtain made for an even stronger result. Bill Leopold, not once did he take his eye off the ball. Like Melissa, Bill never forgot anyone along the way who helped, big or small.
‘Breathe’ from ’04, was another in a long line of great singles, and first from an outside writer. The album, LUCKY, was full of good stuff, and ranks up there with BRAVE & CRAZY. Problem with her singles, as with so many others like her, they’re all becoming harder and harder to find on 7″, making that moment of acquisition even more appreciated.
