Rocktrospectiva: The Fairly "Breaking Hearts" Turns 40

 

Released on 18 June 1984, "Breaking Hearts" was the 18th., studio album by English musician Elton John, it would be the last album to feature all core members of the Elton John Band line up, Davey Johnstone, Dee Murray, and Nigel Olsson, making four top 40 singles "Sad Songs (Say So Much)", "Who Wears These Shoes" and "In Neon", and finally the top 5 in the UK "Passengers".  

"Breaking Hearts" was also the first album to not feature a string or horn section on any track, and one of the two records that features the unofficial member Ray Cooper. The album was built it from the success of his previous album "Too Low For Zero", Elton John retained his classic quartet, and reunited with Bernie Taupin in order to attempt a musical resurrection of their early-to-mid 70's sound, although this is on his most consistent efforts during his half decade on Geffen Records between 1981-1986.

 

The album has nice tracks, focusing on the hits "Who Wears These Shoes" and the top 5 "Sad Songs (Say So Much)", a confident and joy song that Elton still performs until now, both are truly massive, but you have some others like the oftenly over look track such as "L'il Refrigerator" a truly rocker, "Restless" is one of the most heavy and groovy track on the record, "In Neon" is a fine track and the reggae-dub influenced "Passengers" in one of the best tracks well-deserved to be played in Adult Contemporary radio format, and finally the underrated "Breaking Hearts "(Ain't What It Used To Be)", but the majority of the LP is indistinguishable from much of his mid 1980s and early 1990s catalogue. 

 

The new technologies available for Elton John helped a lot, it was total change, they had drum machines that recorded everything inmediately, so practically it tooks no more than two weeks to finish the record, the album finally consolidated the success of the previous "2 Low 4 Zero" elevating Elton John to an upper echelon on the charts all over the world.

Breaking Hearts Track List: 

 

1. Restless
2. Slow Down Georgie (She’s Poison)
3. Who Wears These Shoes?
4. Breaking Hearts (Ain’t What It Used To Be)
5. Li’l ’Frigerator

6. Passengers

7. In Neon
8. Burning Buildings

9. Did He Shoot Her?

10. Sad Songs (Say So Much)