Search - Melissa Etheridge :: Yes I Am

The quintessential Melissa

Rachel | San Francisco | 06/05/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First of all, the album title is very appropriate - "Yes I Am" - alluding to her coming out as a lesbian earlier in 1993. And this album is indeed all about the now-public lesbian pride, felt through several high-energy songs and thoughtful lyrics. This is also the Melissa that most people are familiar with, as this album was the best-selling Melissa album ever.The first track, "I'm The Only One," sets the tone with powerful bass and and a strong message affirming her love against all hostile circumstances. It is followed by "If I Wanted To" - a very high-energy song. "Come To My Window" is rather a let-down, but that may be because the radio stations tended to overplay it. The rest of the album is made up of high-energy songs like "All-American Girl," which is about the everyday life of a working-class single mother, and thoughtful vocal reflections such as "Silent Legacy," "I Will Never Be The Same," and "Talking To My Angel." Don't forget the title track either!I find every track to be a gem in its own right, and do not hesitate to give album the highest rating. Coming out of the closet often means devastation to an artist's career, but Melissa has done what she has been always good at - great music and meaningful lyrics - to turn it into an even bigger message and success. This album may not have the subtlety of Melissa's earlier works, but it is nevertheless a great one... buy it and you will find yourself shouting "Lesbian Power" before you know it. Even if you are straight or male!"

What Channel Are You Folks On???

beatlenik49 | Florida Panhandle Gulf Breeze Incident | 06/05/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Please read this review if your fire has been doused by the buckets of flame-retardants heaped upon it by the Entertainment Tonight mentalities who've been reviewing it.



First of all, there is NOT ONE word in her poetic lyrics which could possibly infer "gay" or "lesbian" themes. What there IS in this beautiful collection, is an abundance of material that touches upon the fruits of diversity, acceptance, and individuality (tolerance is too weak of a word). The only reason reviewers can even begin to get preachy so far as to call this a "coming out of the closet" album is because they "know" (from their ET shows and from the check-out counter rag-mags that inundated the public with Melissa's "sexuality").



This album is about heart, about truth to ones own nature, about walking your own path, about love and heartache, but most of all this album is about INTEGRITY.



Sure it boasts the sultry pining I'm The Only One, and the love-lorn Come To My Window. But every song on this collection is a poem, beautifully written and scored with a lot of heart. This album is the pinnacle of Melissa's maturation as a songwriter and singer (check out Heart's Dog & Butterfly if you want to know what I mean).



I'm not going to run down each song with a bullet-comment review, just realize that If I Wanted To, Silent Legacy, I Will Never Be The Same, Yes I Am, Resist, and Ruins, are among the very best songs Etheridge ever wrote and performed.



If you are a fan who has not purchased this and are sitting on the docks with her debut album believing it was the best ever because you were blown away when it debuted, pick up Yes I Am and you will be blown to the next level. This album is as much better than her debut self-titled as that one was better than all the pasty female rock artists that saturated us during the 80's.



The acoustics are rendered lighter than air while the electric guitar leads just soar like a stealth bomber. These melodies are both so complex and yet richly simple it's as if Melissa is an artist who painted each song with brush strokes from her heart.



If you are just pondering buying this album because of two songs, you might as well pick up her "greatest hits" album instead because you sound like a Bryan Adams or TP&theHeartbreakers kind of listener to me. If, however, you like the richness of ME's writing style, her brooding vocals, and her gut-wrenching music (if Melissa Etheridge MOVES you) then don't miss out on this album, it's definitely her 5-Star performance!



Once again, Melissa issues a directive on individuality, a cry for acceptance and diversity, not a lecture on sexual preferences. Those reviewers are on the wrong channel watching the unfolding dramas of Brad and Angelina, Tom and Katie, and can't live without trouble in paradise! And if you like artistry in music, something deeper and more meaningful that the pablum of "commercially successful" music, take a big bite of this apple!"

"Yes I Am" Falters Slightly...

beatlenik49 | 11/08/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have been a huge Melissa Etheridge fan since her self-titled debut way back in the late 80s. After giving "Yes I Am" a few spins, I'm definitely satisfied with the album, but I have to wonder if the magic and raw emotional power was put on the back burner when The Great Melissa Etheridge walked into the recording studio. Smash hits such as "I'm the Only One" and "Yes I Am" are thoroughly saturated with the deep-cutting, home-hitting Etheridge we've known for years, but the last half of the album is missing a little bit of the passion. I love this album nonetheless, and encourage Etheridge fans new and old alike to check it out."