Rocker Melissa Etheridge's latest album Lucky follows on the heels of her 2001 Skin (a painful soul-searching record written in the wake of Etheridge's highly publicized breakup with Julie Cypher after a 12-year relationship; as Entertainment Tonight fans no doubt remember, Cypher bore two children from artificial insemination courtesy of David Crosby). Lucky is a brighter, bouncier effort, and while none of the 14 songs (the full 13 from the new release, and one unrecorded number) performed in this 2004 NYC concert quite match the fire of 1993's Yes I Am (with the hits "I'm the Only One" and "Come to My Window"), Etheridge's fine balance of straight-ahead rockers and power ballads makes for solid listening. Also released as a CD/DVD compilation ($29.98), the 81-minute concert (even though it contains no older material at all) offers good value, with Etheridge ably backed by guitarist Philip Sayce and drummer Kenny Aronoff on standouts that include the hit "Breathe," the lovely ballad "Will You Still Love Me," the soaring anthem "This Moment," and the 9/11-themed "Tuesday Morning" (a moving tribute to gay passenger Mark Bingham, an American hero who was part of the "Let's roll" revolt against the hijackers of crashed Flight 93, but--as the song points out--lived with less rights than most of us). Filmed in 2004 on the "Lucky Live" tour (which was cut short in October when Etheridge underwent surgery for breast cancer), the DVD is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo, and includes a 44-minute "day in the life" behind-the-scenes documentary, a 28-minute interview, and commentary by Etheridge and band members. Recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)
Melissa Etheridge: Lucky Live
(2004) 81 min. DVD: $14.98. Universal Music (avail. from most distributors). Color cover. Volume 20, Issue 1
Melissa Etheridge: Lucky Live
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