This came out in 1999 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Heartfelt heartland rocker Melissa Etheridge’s sixth CD is her first in three years — and more importantly, her first as a parent.
Predictably, she’s mellowed a little — Breakdown favours tapestries of acoustic guitars, sweeter melodies and slower tempi over arena-rock crunch. On the downside, there’s nothing here with the instant appeal of hits such as Bring Me Some Water or Come To My Window. But what it lacks in commerciality it makes up in new emotional depth. Along with the lullabye Sleep and the parental advice of Truth Of The Heart, Etheridge offers up one of her most empassioned songs to date, an ode to murdered gay teen Matthew Shepard called Scarecrow. It’s the kind of song plenty of artists could (and do) try to write — but only a mother could truly understand.
