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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

The Awakening
by Melissa Etheridge


7.5

based on 5 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 4 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album

Lucky
Skin

Official Artist Site

The ninth studio album for the Kansas-born singer.

LABEL:	Island
RELEASE DATE:	25 September 2007
DISCS:	1 disc
GENRE(S):	Rock, Pop

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

All Music Guide

It's interesting that while so many of these songs are peppered with faux-mystical approaches to spirituality, the album is also confessional and looks hard at itself, even if at times it seems cloying, self-indulgent, and preachy.

Rolling Stone

Melissa Etheridge finds both a depth and an ease that eluded her on previous releases.

Boston Globe

It's been a trying but triumphant past few years for Melissa Etheridge. Her celebratory new album reflects those times with some of her most compelling songwriting in years (particularly 'Map of the Stars') cast in her usual power-rock framework.

Entertainment Weekly

Her ninth LP's title sounds like a promise to expand on that MO, yet the first few tracks find Etheridge wasting her weather-beaten voice on bland lyrics and arrangements. Thankfully, she redeems the disc with a closing clutch of passionate antiwar declarations that let her play her firebrand persona to the hilt.

Los Angeles Times

Toning down the sonic drama creates an appealing intimacy, but an hour's worth of blues- and folk-flavored ballads becomes monotonous.

The average user rating for this album is 7.5 (out of 10) based on 4 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Matt D. gave it a7:
Somewhat disappointing musically, but it has many very poignant and powerful lyrics. Some of the political stuff here might sway the more hardened conservatives. If you like the rocky Melissa, listen to it first, but others should find it a fine addition to her catalog.

Corey S gave it a10:
It's pretty clear to me that the reviewers just don't get this album. Calling this 'an hour's worth of blues-and folk-flavored ballads' is like calling Iron Maiden a boy band. This is quite simply Melissa's masterpiece. This is her Nebraska. This is her Pet Sounds. This is her Abbey Road. It has the potential hit singles in Message To Myself, California, Threesome and What Happens Tomorrow. It also has some great non radio-friendly songs such as Map Of The Stars, The Kingdom Of Heaven and the Universe Listened that make this a very cohesive album (a concept that is all but completely lost in today's music) that details Melissa's journey. It also features quite possibly the best love song that she has ever written in I Think I've Loved You Before. The Awakening is a classic!

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The Awakening by Melissa Etheridge

The Awakening
by Melissa Etheridge