Never Enough (Melissa Etheridge album)

Never Enough is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released by Island Records on March 17, 1992. As of 2010,^[update] the album has sold 997,000 copies in the United States alone, according to Nielsen SoundScan.^[6]

Never Enough
Studio album by Melissa Etheridge
Released	March 17, 1992
Recorded	1992
Studio	A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA
Genre	Rock
Length	45:15
Label	Island[1]
Producer	Melissa Etheridge, Kevin McCormick
Melissa Etheridge chronology
Brave and Crazy (1989) Never Enough (1992) Yes I Am (1993)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Entertainment Weekly	B+[3]
Q	[4]
Rolling Stone	[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[1]

Reception

Billboard called the album her "most mature effort yet, venturing into new stylistic and lyrical territories. The first single, "Ain't It Heavy," is already strong at album rock radio, while dance gem "2001 " Etheridge's most adventurous composition to date - promises to cross over from rock to pop to dance audiences. All-out commitment from label bodes well for the singer's third and strongest album." ^[7]

Cashbox awarded the album their 'Pick of the Week', stating that "a more mature Melissa has returned with her third album...the 10-cut LP kicks off with the current single, "Ain't It Heavy," and is full of good rock 'n' roll as well as the funky, danceable "2001," and the very poignant "The Letting Go" which features Melissa alone, accompanying herself on piano. ^[8]

in their review, Allmusic stated that "lyrically, it seemed to be the singer's most personal album yet...It was a risk to issue a record like Never Enough after a three-year hiatus and into a market that might have expected "Bring Me Some More Water." Etheridge's choice of a single was even more gutsy. "2001" sounded nothing like anything she had done before. Guided by stuttering, synthetic percussion and a guitar line reminiscent of the Edge's postmodern squawk on U2's "The Fly," "2001" was simultaneously one of the album's coolest and craziest songs. It further indicated Etheridge's maturation as a songwriter and helped make Never Enough her strongest statement to that point. ^[9]

Track listing

All tracks written by Melissa Etheridge, except where noted

1. "Ain't It Heavy" – 4:20
2. "2001" – 4:36
3. "Dance Without Sleeping" (Etheridge, Mauricio-Fritz Lewak, Kevin McCormick) – 5:40
4. "Place Your Hand" – 3:24
5. "Must Be Crazy for Me" – 3:43
6. "Meet Me in the Back" – 4:02
7. "The Boy Feels Strange" – 4:31
8. "Keep It Precious" – 6:13
9. "The Letting Go" – 3:05
10. "It's for You" (Etheridge, Kevin McCormick) – 5:41

Personnel

• Melissa Etheridge – vocals, acoustic, electric guitar and 12-string guitars, piano
• Mark Goldenberg – electric guitars
• Steuart Smith – guitars
• Kevin McCormick – bass, high-strung guitar, backing vocals
• Scott Thurston – piano, keyboards
• Mauricio-Fritz Lewak – drums, percussion, backing vocals
• Richard Gibbs – keyboards on "It's For You"
• Ian McLagan – Hammond organ and piano on "Ain't It Heavy"
• Dermot Mulroney – cello on "Place Your Hand"
• Debra Dobkin – percussion on "Keep It Precious"

Production

• Arranged and produced by Melissa Etheridge and Kevin McCormick
• Recorded by Gabe Veltri
• Mixed by Kevin McCormick and Gabe Veltri; assisted by John Aguto, Greg Goldman and Randy Wine
• Mastered by Stephen Marcussen
• Art Direction by Norm Ung
• Photography by Dennis Keeley

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1992) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[10] 8 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[11] 7 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[12] 17 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[13] 12 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[14] 34 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[15] 12 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[16] 12 UK Albums (OCC)[17] 56 US Billboard 200[18] 21 Canadian Album Chart[19] 19 European Albums (Eurotipsheet)[20] 25

Year-end charts Chart (1992) Position Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[21] 57 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[22] 71

Singles – Billboard (North America)

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1992	"Ain't It Heavy"	Mainstream Rock Tracks[23]	10
1992	"Dance Without Sleeping"	Adult Contemporary[24]	24

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[25]	Platinum	100,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[26]	Gold	50,000^
United States (RIAA)[27]	Platinum	1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.