Believe it or not, Sir Elton still did possess some of his mojo in 1984. He was no longer innovating, and the 80s production values feel stifling compared to his 70s work, but Breaking Hearts is overall a decent album. For a lot of the record, I wasn't sure if it would wind up being one that I would keep. Although opening track "Restless" has a catchy riff and chorus, it is also terribly generic. Some of the lyrics are embarrassing and sexist (see "Slow Down Georgie (She's Poison)" with its admonitions to stay away from divorcees) and a couple songs come off flat. But ultimately, the consistency of the record won out on me, with the last three tracks ("Burning Buildings," "Did He Shoot Her?" and "Sad Songs (Say So Much") being arguably the best on the album, and reminding of Elton's ability to thrive with both ballads and rock songs. Setting the flaws aside, most of the material is good, and I can't really quibble with that.
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