Editing Brave and Crazy

{{Short description|1989 album by Melissa Etheridge}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox album|
| name       = Brave and Crazy
| type       = Album
| artist     = [[Melissa Etheridge]]
| cover      = Melissa Etheridge - Brave and Crazy.jpg
| alt        =
| released   = September 11, 1989
| recorded   = January 24–26, March 1 and May 24–26, 1989
| venue      =
| studio     = [[A&M Studios]] <small>(Hollywood, CA)</small><br>[[Devonshire Sound Studios]] <small>(North Hollywood, CA)</small>
| genre      = [[Rock music|Rock]]
| length     = 44:13
| label      = [[Island Records|Island]]
| producer   = {{hlist|[[Melissa Etheridge]]|[[Niko Bolas]]|Kevin McCormick}}
| prev_title = [[Melissa Etheridge (album)|Melissa Etheridge]]
| prev_year  = 1988
| next_title = [[Never Enough (Melissa Etheridge album)|Never Enough]]
| next_year  = 1992
}}
{{Music ratings
| rev1      = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name=AllMusic>[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r6882/review|pure_url=yes}} Brave and Crazy Review by Alex Henderson], AllMusic.</ref>
| rev2      = ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]''
| rev2Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>[http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=1231776&style=music Album Reviews at CD Universe]</ref>
| rev3      = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
| rev3Score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref>{{cite book| last = Brackett  | first = Nathan  |author2=Christian Hoard  | title = The Rolling Stone Album Guide  | publisher = Simon and Schuster  | year = 2004  | location = New York City  | page = [https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/283 283]  | isbn = 0-7432-0169-8  | url = https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac| url-access = registration  | quote = rolling stone melissa etheridge album guide.  }}</ref>
}}
'''''Brave and Crazy''''' is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter [[Melissa Etheridge]], released by [[Island Records]] on September 11, 1989. As of 2010, the album has sold  632,000 copies in the United States alone, according to [[Nielsen SoundScan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/958305/ask-billboard-records-about-records|title=Ask Billboard: Records About Records|publisher=Billboard|first=Gary|last=Trust|date=August 5, 2010|access-date=February 17, 2020}}</ref>

==Reception==
''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' commented that "though more polished, rocker's sophomore outing never sacrifices passion, emotion, and guts for style. Etheridge remains a one-trick artist - most of her songs are in a similar midtempo rocker guitar style - but her lyrics, delivered with startling conviction, lead her to the head of the class."<ref name="Billboard19610828">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1989/BB-1989-09-23.pdf|magazine=Billboard Music Week|title=Album Reviews|issue=23 September 1989 |page=84 |access-date=July 18, 2024}}</ref>

In their review, ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]'' stated that "''Brave and Crazy'' documents an artist still stoking the furnace of desire...Alternating between somewhat balladic songs and fierce rockers, the album does not suffer the dreaded sophomore slump, but it does convey the suffering born of the blues...While much is said of Etheridge’s vocal instrument, her prowess as a 12-string ace is a large part of why her compositions succeed as well as they do."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1989/CB-1989-11-04.pdf|magazine=Cash Box|title=Album Reviews|issue=11 November 1989 |page=18 |access-date=July 18, 2024}}</ref>

''[[Allmusic]]'' noted that "the throaty singer/guitarist/composer is slightly more reflective than on her first release, but no less confident. Nor is she is any less rootsy. Etheridge's earthiness is a large part of her appeal, and she uses it most advantageously...As introspective as things get on this CD, Etheridge never becomes wimpy or self-pitying. For all its vulnerability, ''Brave and Crazy'' is the work of someone who comes across as a survivor."<ref name=AllMusic />

==Track listing==
All tracks written by Melissa Etheridge, except where noted.

#"[[No Souvenirs]]" – 4:33
#"Brave and Crazy" – 4:37
#"You Used to Love to Dance" – 5:33
#"The Angels" – 4:38
#"[[You Can Sleep While I Drive]]" – 3:14
#"Testify" (Etheridge, Kevin McCormick) – 4:28
#"Let Me Go" – 3:56
#"My Back Door" – 4:24
#"Skin Deep" – 3:10
#"Royal Station 4/16" – 7:08

'''Note'''
*The album lists the running time of two songs incorrectly: "You Used to Love to Dance" actually runs 5:33 (not 4:33) and "Royal Station 4/16" runs 7:08 (not 6:40). The correct times are printed on the disc itself.

==Personnel==
*Melissa Etheridge – vocals, [[twelve-string guitar]], producer, arranger
*[[Bono]] – harmonica
*Bernie Larsen – electric guitar
*Mauricio-Fritz Lewak – drums
*Kevin McCormick – bass guitar, producer, arranger
*[[Scott Thurston]] – keyboards
*[[Waddy Wachtel]] – guitar{{refn|group=a|Richard Wachtel is credited for guitar, on [[AllMusic]], but [[Waddy Wachtel#Misconceptions|this is a known error]]{{Broken anchor|date=2025-05-25|bot=User:Cewbot/log/20201008/configuration|target_link=Waddy Wachtel#Misconceptions|reason= The anchor (Misconceptions) [[Special:Diff/925404792|has been deleted]].|diff_id=925404792}}, and he is not credited on [[Discogs]].<ref name=Discogs/> Mauricio Fritz Sewak is also credited on bass, but this is likely a mistaken over-crediting of the drummer Mauricio-Fritz Lewak.<ref name=Discogs>[http://www.discogs.com/Melissa-Etheridge-Brave-And-Crazy/release/2898804 "Melissa Etheridge – Brave And Crazy"], Discogs.</ref>}}

'''Production'''
* Niko Bolas – producer, mixing, engineer
* Niko Bolas, Bob Vogt – engineer, 
* Tom Banghart – assistant engineer
* Larry Goodwin – assistant engineer
* Randy Wine – assistant engineer
* Dennis Keeley – photography
* Robin Fredriksz – make-up

==Charts==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Chart (1989)
! Peak<br />position
|-
{{album chart|Australia|9|artist=Melissa Etheridge|album=Brave and Crazy}}
|-
{{album chart|Austria|14|artist=Melissa Etheridge|album=Brave and Crazy}}
|-
{{album chart|Netherlands|51|artist=Melissa Etheridge|album=Brave and Crazy}}
|-
{{album chart|Germany4|7|artist=Melissa Etheridge|album=Brave and Crazy|id=946}}
|-
{{album chart|New Zealand|5|artist=Melissa Etheridge|album=Brave and Crazy}}
|-
{{album chart|Norway|18|artist=Melissa Etheridge|album=Brave and Crazy}}
|-
{{album chart|Sweden|40|artist=Melissa Etheridge|album=Brave and Crazy}}
|-
{{album chart|Switzerland|7|artist=Melissa Etheridge|album=Brave and Crazy}}
|-
{{album chart|UK|63|artist=Melissa Etheridge}}
|-
{{album chart|Billboard200|22|artist=Melissa Etheridge}}
|-
|[[RPM (magazine)|Canadian Album Chart]]<ref>{{cite web |date=Nov 18, 1989|title=Image : RPM Weekly |url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=4951&|access-date=April 6, 2024 |website=Bac-lac.gc.ca}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|5
|-
| Finnish Albums ([[The Official Finnish Charts]])<ref>[https://musiikkiarkisto.fi/oa/_tiedostot/julkaisut/sisaltaa-hitin.pdf "Sisältää hitin"]. Musiikkiarkisto.fi/.</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" |38
|-
|[[European Top 100 Albums|European Albums]] (''[[Music & Media|Eurotipsheet]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1989/M&M-1989-10-21.pdf|title=European Top 100 Albums|magazine=[[Music & Media|Eurotipsheet]]|volume=6|issue=42|date=21 October 1989|page=14|oclc=29800226|via=World Radio History}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|20
|-
|}

==Certifications and sales==
{{certification Table Top}}
{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Australia|artist=Melissa Etheridge|title=Brave and Crazy|award=Platinum|relyear=1989|certref=<ref>{{cite book|last=Ryan|first=Gavin|title=Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010|year=2011|publisher=Moonlight Publishing|location=Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia}}</ref>|access-date=February 17, 2020}}
{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Canada|artist=Melissa Etheridge|title=Brave and Crazy|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1989|certyear=1989|access-date=February 17, 2020}}
{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=New Zealand|artist=Melissa Etheridge|title=Brave and Crazy|award=Gold|id=1990-04-27|source=newchart|access-date=2024-12-03|relyear=1989}}
{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United States|artist=Melissa Etheridge|title=Brave and Crazy|award=Platinum|relyear=1989|certyear=1994|access-date=February 17, 2020}}
{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group=a}}

== References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Melissa Etheridge}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Melissa Etheridge albums]]
[[Category:1989 albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Niko Bolas]]
[[Category:Island Records albums]]