''Your Little Secret'' is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter
Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Lou Etheridge (born May 29, 1961) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and guitarist. Her Melissa Etheridge (album), eponymous debut album was released in 1988 and became an underground success. It peaked at No. 22 on the Billbo ...
, released by
Island Records
Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...
on November 14, 1995. It is her highest-charting album on the
''Billboard'' 200, where it peaked at No. 6. The album also contained three singles, "
Your Little Secret", "
I Want to Come Over", and "Nowhere to Go". "I Want to Come Over" went on to reach No. 22 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, and "Nowhere to Go" peaked at No. 40.
As of 2010, the album has sold 1,348,000 copies in the United States alone, according to
Nielsen SoundScan
Luminate Data, LLC (formerly MRC Data and P-MRC Data) is a provider of music and entertainment data. Established as a joint-venture in 2020, it brought together Nielsen Music, Alpha Data (formerly BuzzAngle Music) and Variety Business Intellige ...
.
Reception
''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' praised the record, calling it a "superbly well-crafted album. Armed with her sharpest material to date, the tightest band with which she's ever recorded, and an in-your-face sound, Etheridge
rocks even more passionately than on her previous smash, ''Yes I Am''...Under pressure to follow up a multiplatinum, milestone album, Etheridge has delivered the goods and then some. A new plateau for an artist who has set the pace for female rockers of her generation."
In their review, ''
Cashbox'' noted that "on this, her fifth album, Etheridge continues to demonstrate the consistency that has made her a superstar. The disc kicks in with the grinding rocker/title track, then settles into a groove of anthem-like rockers, such as “I Really Like You,” “This War Is Over” and the record’s best track, the engaging “An Unusual Kiss.” Her ballad skills are underrated, but as “Nowhere To Go” and the opening half of “Shriner’s Park” prove, she is just as talented in that medium. The bottom line is Etheridge is a
great singer with good songs, making every album a project worth embracing."
''
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
'' were more mixed in their review, stating that "Etheridge's challenge would be to grow as a writer, now that incessant touring and a string of good-but-not-great albums finally had brought her to the platinum threshold. ''Your Little Secret'' left the question about such growth open."
Track listing
All songs by Melissa Etheridge, except where noted
#"
Your Little Secret" – 4:19
#"I Really Like You" – 4:09
#"Nowhere to Go" – 5:53
#"An Unusual Kiss" – 5:21
#"
I Want to Come Over" – 5:25
#"All the Way to Heaven" – 4:54
#"I Could Have Been You" (Etheridge,
John Shanks
John Matthew Shanks (born December 18, 1964) is an American songwriter, record producer and guitarist. He has been a longtime session and touring member of the rock band Bon Jovi.
Early life and education
Shanks was born in New York City and m ...
) – 5:56
#"Shriner's Park" – 5:23
#"Change" – 4:37
#"This War Is Over" – 6:57
Limited edition 2CD set includes 4 track live CD
#"Come to My Window" – 4:01
#"No Souvenirs" – 5:00
#"Ain't It Heavy" – 4:20
#"Yes I Am" – 4:23
Personnel
*Melissa Etheridge – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, vocals
*
John Shanks
John Matthew Shanks (born December 18, 1964) is an American songwriter, record producer and guitarist. He has been a longtime session and touring member of the rock band Bon Jovi.
Early life and education
Shanks was born in New York City and m ...
– acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards
*Mark Browne – bass guitar
*
Kenny Aronoff
Kenneth D. Aronoff (born March 7, 1953) is an American drummer, best known for his work as a session and touring musician. He has toured and recorded with a wide range of artists throughout his career, including the Rolling Stones, the Smashing ...
, Dave Beyer – drums, percussion
Production
*Producers: Melissa Etheridge, Hugh Padgham
*Engineers: Greg Goldman, Hugh Padgham
*Assistant engineer: John Aguto
*Mastering:
Bob Ludwig
Robert Carl Ludwig (born December 11, 1944), is a retired American mastering engineer. He mastered recordings on all the major recording formats for all the major record labels, and on projects by more than 1,300 artists, including Led Zeppeli ...
*Post production: Cheryl Engels
*Art direction: Judy Troilo
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Singles – ''Billboard'' (North America)
Certifications
References
{{Authority control
Melissa Etheridge albums
1995 albums
Albums produced by Hugh Padgham
Island Records albums