After a three-year silence, during which she and her friend Julie Cypher had two children, Melissa Etheridge makes her come-back with Breakdown. Although still unmistakably rock, she sounds friendlier and more subdued on this album than on her previous work. Most notable song is Scarecrow (scarecrow). The lyrics are based on the 1998 murder of a gay student who was set on fire after being beaten up
… and tied to a fence. It was only 18 hours later that he was found by passers-by who mistook him for a scarecrow. She wrote Truth Of The Heart especially for her children. The other songs are mostly about desire, falling in love and broken relationships and the pain that goes with them. The emotion and passion with which Melissa Etheridge plays these songs is almost tangible, a beautiful record! (CK)more
