Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Released:
October 26, 2009
Label:
Cherry Tree Records
Rating:
Styles:
Christmas
Adult Contemporary
It's no secret that Sting is a serious man, so it's only logical that his holiday album -- his first new music since the Police reunion, not that it really matters -- is a serious endeavor, thank you. No niceties for him, no comforts of carols; he favors formal over familiar, writing madrigals, not ditties. The austerity here is genuine, not affected, and the cerebral nature of the album is gently fascinating. [This edition includes the bonus track "Blake's Cradle Song" as well as a DVD presenting "The Genesis of 'If on a Winter's Night...' in six chapters."]
If on a Winter's Night presents an arc of songs that conjure the season of spirits, the eerie silences of the snow; days of solitude and reflection for some, a time of re-birth and...
Back to the topSongs from the Labyrinth (Asia/Australia 2008 Tour Edition)
Review by James Manheim, All Music Guide
Released:
October 10, 2006
Label:
DG Deutsche Grammophon
Rating:
Styles:
Classical Crossover
Casual pronouncements are made every so often that the lute songs (the lute is a plucked stringed instrument, an early cousin to the guitar) and madrigals of Elizabethan and Jacobean England were the popular music of their day. And Sting, who alludes to the likes of Vladimir Nabokov in his lyrics, is hardly uneducated in the legacy of fine arts, and he has a certain cerebral, inward sadness that matches the dominant mood of English music around 1600 well enough. Thus some might easily have thought it would be a short leap from Sting's own music to the lute songs of John Dowland (1563-1626). But the leap is anything but short, and Sting gets credit for having thought out fully the problems in making it. It is not just the issue of what pianist Katia Labèque, one of the classical musicians who introduced Sting to Dowland's music, called his "unschooled tenor" -- Dowland's songs are not really difficult. It is the great divide between rock (and other traditions ultimately rooted in Africa) and the European tradition: speaking in generalities, the former prizes "noise" -- sound extraneous to the pitch and to the intended timbre of an instrument or voice -- as a structural element, whereas in the latter it is strenuously eliminated. Sting's voice has plenty of "noise." The listener oriented toward classical music will object to its being there; the rock listener, noting that Sting is singing very quietly, may wonder why there isn't more of it.
Why, then, does this album work well on the whole? The short answer is that Sting took 20 years to think about how to interpret the refined melancholy of Dowland songs like "Come, Heavy Sleep." His booklet notes tell the long story of how he happened to make this album, and it's quite an interesting one, involving a "labyrinth" of encounters with Labèque, with the Bosnian lutenist Edin Karamazov, who performs on this album, with a friend who gave Sting a lute inlaid with a labyrinth design based on a pattern in the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France (Sting later reproduced the maze in his garden at home), and finally with a Swiss voice teacher who schooled him in pitch precision and the occasional octave run. Sting constructs two crossover points between this temporally remote music and his popular audience. First, he intersperses the songs with selections from Dowland's letters. This has surely been done before, at Elizabethan dinners and the like, and for modern listeners it has the beneficial effect of situating Dowland's music at the center of the social and political life of its time. Sting's second crossover point is more radical: he replaces the melody line in a few of Dowland's verses with multitracked harmonies, apparently consisting entirely of his own voice. These sections appear rather randomly, but they do break up the texture in a way that suggests an additional dimension of modern perspective.
Sting passes a key test for vocal music of any kind: he understands and means what he is singing. The real gloomfests among Dowland's songs -- like "Flow My Tears" and the final "In Darkness Let Me Dwell" -- lose none of their power in Sting's performances. And he brings something of his own sense of humor to the lighter ones; a certain smirk in his reading of "Come Again" suggests that he is aware an audience of Dowland's time would have heard the line "To see, to hear, to touch, to kiss, to die with thee again" as a sexual allusion. He sounds like himself, even while purging rock's blues-based treatment of pitch from his singing; he also takes a few turns on the large archlute. And Karamazov proves an ideal collaborator, creating a sharp, edgy tone that stands up to Sting's rough voice. In making Dowland's songs his own, Sting has accomplished something that really has never been done before, and perhaps he'll show some of his own fans that Renaissance music is more than an accompaniment for silly jousting competitions -- it is a labyrinth that leads us toward the roots of our own culture. [Deutsche Grammophon issued an Asia/Australia Tour Edition in 2008.]
Track #
Track
Time
Composer
1
Walsingham, song arranged for lute, P 67
0:38
Dowland
2
Can she excuse my wrongs, for 4 voices & lute (First Book of Songs) [Fi
2:35
Dowland
3
Letters (correspondence with family and friends)~"Right honorable: as I
0:40
Dowland
4
Flow, my tears, fall from your springs, for 2 voices & lute (Second Boo
4:42
Dowland
5
Have You Seen but a White Lily Grow? for voice & lute
2:35
Johnson
6
Letters (correspondence with family and friends)~"...Then in time passi
0:32
Dowland
7
The King of Denmark, his Galliard, for lute, P 40
3:01
Dowland
8
The lowest trees have tops, for 4 voices & lute (Third Book of Songs)
2:16
Dowland
9
Letters (correspondence with family and friends)~"...And accordinge as
0:55
Dowland
10
Fine knacks for ladies, for 4 voices & lute (Second Book of Songs)
1:50
Dowland
11
Letters (correspondence with family and friends)~"...From thenc I went
0:24
Dowland
12
Work(s)~Fantasy
2:42
Dowland
13
Come, heavy sleep, for 4 voices & lute (First Book of Songs)
3:45
Dowland
14
Forlorn Hope, fantasie for lute, P 2
3:07
Dowland
15
Letters (correspondence with family and friends)~"...And from thence I
0:28
Dowland
16
Come again, sweet love doth now invite, for 4 voices & lute (First Book
2:56
Dowland
17
Wilt thou unkind thus reave me of my heart, for 4 voices & lute (First
2:40
Dowland
18
Letters (correspondence with family and friends)~"...After my departure
0:29
Dowland
19
Weep you no more, sad fountains, for 4 voices & lute (Third Book of Son
2:38
Dowland
20
My Lord Willoughby's Welcome Home, for lute, P 66
1:34
Dowland
21
Clear or cloudy sweet as Aprill showring, for 4 voices & lute (Second B
2:47
Dowland
22
Letters (correspondence with family and friends)~"...men say that the K
1:01
Dowland
23
In darkness let me dwell, for voice, lute & bass viol (A Musicall Banqu
4:16
Dowland
24
Fields of Gold, song
3:36
Sting [1]
25
Message In A Bottle
5:40
Sting [1]
26
Have You Seen but a White Lily Grow? for voice & lute
International star Sting has sold millions of albums worldwide, including the original 2006 release of Songs from the Labyrinth which has sold over 250,000 copies in the US alone. ...
Sting scored a moderate comeback success greater than most had imagined possible with 1999's Brand New Day, reestablishing himself as a viable commercial artist instead of merely settling for living legend status. Part of this success was due to "Desert Rose," featuring vocalist Farhat Bouallagui's careening cadences that garnered attention, particularly when they were showcased in a car commercial that kicked the album into high commercial gear. Sting picks up on this, adding three guest vocalists to the ten-track Sacred Love album (the 11th track is a remix of the lead single, "Send Your Love" -- which happens to be better, since it eliminates the rather annoying Indian-styled hook): Vicente Amigo and Anoushka Shankar are paired with Mary J. Blige, who in this context is presented as a world music artist. None of the guests makes much of an impression here, but neither does Sting, since this is an album that puts sound over song or performance. Sacred Love is to Brand New Day what Mercury Falling was to Ten Summoner's Tales -- a fussy, overworked stab at maturity, one that has impeccable craft but is obscured by its own meticulousness. It is professional to a fault, using its maturity and preciseness to obscure the fact that the songs don't really work. Sting isn't always hemmed in, even ending "Inside" with a hysterical rant that makes him seem like a madman, but it has the effect of making the rest of the album seem too deliberate and far from adventurous. It's far from a listen, nor is it embarrassing, but it's entirely too predictable, coming across as nothing more than well-tailored, expensive mood music, which is certainly far less than what Sacred Love, All Music Guide
Sting scored a moderate comeback success greater than most had imagined possible with 1999's Brand New Day, reestablishing himself as a viable commercial artist instead of merely settling for "living legend" status. Part of this success was due to "Desert Rose," featuring vocalist Farhat Bouallagui's careening cadences that garnered attention, particularly when they were showcased in a car commercial that kicked the album into high commercial gear. Sting picks up on this, adding three guest vocalists to the ten-track Sacred Love album (the 11th track is a remix of the lead single, "Send Your Love" -- which happens to be better, since it eliminates the rather annoying Indian-styled hook) -- Vicente Amigo and Anoushka Shankar are paired with Mary J. Blige, who in this context is presented as a world music artist. Although Sacred Love, All Music Guide
Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Released:
November 20, 2001
Label:
Universal International
Rating:
Styles:
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Contemporary Pop/Rock
Alternative/Indie Rock
Album Rock
Soundtracks
Film Music
Adult Contemporary
Standards
Sting scored a moderate comeback success greater than most had imagined possible with 1999's Brand New Day, reestablishing himself as a viable commercial artist instead of merely settling for "living legend" status. Part of this success was due to "Desert Rose," featuring vocalist Farhat Bouallagui's careening cadences that garnered attention, particularly when they were showcased in a car commercial that kicked the album into high commercial gear. Sting picks up on this, adding three guest vocalists to the ten-track Sacred Love album (the 11th track is a remix of the lead single, "Send Your Love" -- which happens to be better, since it eliminates the rather annoying Indian-styled hook) -- Vicente Amigo and Anoushka Shankar are paired with Mary J. Blige, who in this context is presented as a world music artist. Although Sacred Love is too meticulous, predictable, and focused on its own artistic maturity, it manifests professionalism, precision, and impeccable craft as an album of well-tailored, expensive mood music. [This edition includes the bonus track "Shape of My Heart."]
Sting scored a moderate comeback success greater than most had imagined possible with 1999's Brand New Day, reestablishing himself as a viable commercial artist instead of merely settling for living legend status. Part of this success was due to "Desert Rose," featuring vocalist Farhat Bouallagui's careening cadences that garnered attention, particularly when they were showcased in a car commercial that kicked the album into high commercial gear. Sting picks up on this, adding three guest vocalists to the ten-track Sacred Love album (the 11th track is a remix of the lead single, "Send Your Love" -- which happens to be better, since it eliminates the rather annoying Indian-styled hook): Vicente Amigo and Anoushka Shankar are paired with Mary J. Blige, who in this context is presented as a world music artist. None of the guests makes much of an impression here, but neither does Sting, since this is an album that puts sound over song or performance. Sacred Love is to Brand New Day what Mercury Falling was to Ten Summoner's Tales -- a fussy, overworked stab at maturity, one that has impeccable craft but is obscured by its own meticulousness. It is professional to a fault, using its maturity and preciseness to obscure the fact that the songs don't really work. Sting isn't always hemmed in, even ending "Inside" with a hysterical rant that makes him seem like a madman, but it has the effect of making the rest of the album seem too deliberate and far from adventurous. It's far from a listen, nor is it embarrassing, but it's entirely too predictable, coming across as nothing more than well-tailored, expensive mood music, which is certainly far less than what Sacred Love, All Music Guide
UK edition of 2003 album includes three bonus tracks, 'Send Your Love' (Dave Aude Remix), 'Shape Of My Heart' (live from 'All This Time' session), & 'Like A Beautiful Smile' (exclu...
Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Released:
September 28, 1999
Label:
Polygram
Rating:
Styles:
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Contemporary Pop/Rock
Alternative/Indie Rock
Album Rock
Adult Contemporary
By the late '90s, Sting had reached a point where he didn't have to prove his worth every time out; he had so ingrained himself in pop culture, he really had the freedom to do whatever he wanted. He had that attitude on Mercury Falling, but it was too somber and serious, everything that its successor, Brand New Day, is not. Light, even effervescent, Brand New Day feels like little else in Sting's catalog. Not that it represents a new beginning, contrary to what the title may promise. The album is not only firmly within his tradition, it sounds out of time -- it's odd how close Brand New Day comes to feeling like a sequel to Nothing Like the Sun. Musically, that is. The sparkling, meticulous production and the very tone of the music -- ranging from light funk to mellow ballads to the Lyle Lovett tribute "Fill Her Up" -- are of a piece with Sting's late-'80s work. That's the main thing separating it from Ten Summoner's Tales, his other straight pop album -- well, that, and the levity. There are no overarching themes, no political messages on Brand New Day -- only love songs, story songs, and, for lack of a better term, inspirational exhortations. This is all a good thing, since by keeping things light he's managed to craft an appealing, engaging record. It may not ask as much from its audience as Sting's other '90s efforts, but it's immediately enjoyable, which isn't the case for its cousins. Brand New Day doesn't boast any new classics, and it does sound a little dated, but it's well-crafted, melodic, and has a good sense of humor -- exactly the kind of record Sting should be making as he embarks on the third decade of his career. [The Japanese release includes a bonus disc featuring enhanced content.]
Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Released:
September 28, 1999
Label:
A&M
Rating:
Styles:
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Contemporary Pop/Rock
Alternative/Indie Rock
Album Rock
Adult Contemporary
By the late '90s, Sting had reached a point where he didn't have to prove his worth every time out; he had so ingrained himself in pop culture, he really had the freedom to do whatever he wanted. He had that attitude on Mercury Falling, but it was too somber and serious, everything that its successor, Brand New Day, is not. Light, even effervescent, Brand New Day feels like little else in Sting's catalog. Not that it represents a new beginning, contrary to what the title may promise. The album is not only firmly within his tradition, it sounds out of time -- it's odd how close Brand New Day comes to feeling like a sequel to Nothing Like the Sun. Musically, that is. The sparkling, meticulous production and the very tone of the music -- ranging from light funk to mellow ballads to the Lyle Lovett tribute "Fill Her Up" -- are of a piece with Sting's late-'80s work. That's the main thing separating it from Ten Summoner's Tales, his other straight pop album -- well, that, and the levity. There are no overarching themes, no political messages on Brand New Day -- only love songs, story songs, and, for lack of a better term, inspirational exhortations. This is all a good thing, since by keeping things light he's managed to craft an appealing, engaging record. It may not ask as much from its audience as Sting's other '90s efforts, but it's immediately enjoyable, which isn't the case for its cousins. Brand New Day doesn't boast any new classics, and it does sound a little dated, but it's well-crafted, melodic, and has a good sense of humor -- exactly the kind of record Sting should be making as he embarks on the third decade of his career. [The Japanese edition features a bonus track ("Windmills of Your Mind") and an enhanced multimedia track called "Epk"]
Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Released:
March 12, 1996
Label:
A&M
Rating:
Styles:
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Adult Contemporary
Soft Rock
Contemporary Pop/Rock
Alternative/Indie Rock
Album Rock
Falling somewhere between the pop sensibilities of Ten Summoner's Tales and the searching ambition of The Soul Cages, Mercury Falling is one of Sting's tighter records, even if it fails to compel as much as his previous solo albums. Though he doesn't flaunt his jazz aspirations as he did in the mid-'80s, Mercury Falling feels more serious than The Dream of the Blue Turtles, primarily because of its reserved, high-class production and execution. Building from surprisingly simple, memorable melodies, Sting creates multi-layered, vaguely soul-influenced arrangements that carry all of the hallmarks of someone who has studied music, not lived it. Of course, there are many pleasures in the record -- for all of his pretensions, Sting remains an engaging melodicist, as well as a clever lyricist. There just happens to be a distinct lack of energy, stemming from the suffocating layers of synthesizers. Mercury Falling is a record of modest pleasures; it's just not an infectious, compulsive listen. [The 1996 edition included one bonus track.]
Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Released:
March 12, 1996
Label:
Universal Distribution
Rating:
Styles:
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Adult Contemporary
Soft Rock
Contemporary Pop/Rock
Alternative/Indie Rock
Album Rock
Falling somewhere between the pop sensibilities of Ten Summoner's Tales and the searching ambition of The Soul Cages, Mercury Falling is one of Sting's tighter records, even if it fails to compel as much as his previous solo albums. Though he doesn't flaunt his jazz aspirations as he did in the mid-'80s, Mercury Falling feels more serious than The Dream of the Blue Turtles, primarily because of its reserved, high-class production and execution. Building from surprisingly simple, memorable melodies, Sting creates multi-layered, vaguely soul-influenced arrangements that carry all of the hallmarks of someone who has studied music, not lived it. Of course, there are many pleasures in the record -- for all of his pretensions, Sting remains an engaging melodicist, as well as a clever lyricist. There just happens to be a distinct lack of energy, stemming from the suffocating layers of synthesizers. Mercury Falling is a record of modest pleasures; it's just not an infectious, compulsive listen. [A Japanese version added a bonus track.]
Track #
Track
Time
Composer
1
Hounds of Winter
N/A
N/A
2
I Hung My Head
N/A
N/A
3
Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot
N/A
N/A
4
I Was Brought to My Senses
N/A
N/A
5
You Still Touch Me
N/A
N/A
6
I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying
N/A
N/A
7
All Four Seasons
N/A
N/A
8
Twenty Five to Midnight
N/A
N/A
9
Belle Dame Sans Regrets
N/A
N/A
10
Valparaiso
N/A
N/A
11
Lithium Sunset
N/A
N/A
Back to the topFields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984-1994 (Australian Bonus Tracks)
Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Released:
November 08, 1994
Label:
Polygram
Rating:
Styles:
Contemporary Pop/Rock
Alternative/Indie Rock
Album Rock
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Adult Contemporary
Soft Rock
College Rock
Early in his solo career, Sting defined himself as a man of taste, choosing to work with jazz musicians instead of rockers. Inevitably, this meant he walked the thin line between sophisticated pop and adult contemporary, but he did it with grace from 1985's Dream of the Blue Turtles to 1993's Ten Summoner's Tales. Unfortunately, Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting doesn't illustrate what a deft trick he pulled off with that quartet of albums. Naturally, Fields of Gold concentrates on his hit singles, just like any other greatest-hits collection, but Sting's material sounds surprisingly tame in this context. Sure, there is a number of great songs here -- enough to state his case as a fine songwriter or to satisfy his casual fans. Still, these songs are safe choices and all share a similarly tranquil quality, which means the collection itself becomes a little monotonous. Nevertheless, Fields of Gold performs the necessary service of rounding up all of the big hits -- "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free," "All This Time," "Fortress Around Your Heart," "They Dance Alone," "If Ever Lose My Faith in You," "Fragile," and an alternate version of "We'll Be Together" -- and offering them on one disc, which is reason enough to make it worthwhile, even with its flaws. [The Australian edition boasts several more tracks than the standard edition.]
1999 remastered import edition of this 'Best Of' collection features 3 additional tracks along with five tracks that don't appear on the US version, 'Fragil' (Portuguese Version)...
Back to the topFields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984-1994 (UK)
Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Released:
November 08, 1994
Label:
A&M
Rating:
Styles:
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Adult Contemporary
Soft Rock
College Rock
Contemporary Pop/Rock
Alternative/Indie Rock
Album Rock
Early in his solo career, Sting defined himself as a man of taste, choosing to work with jazz musicians instead of rockers. Inevitably, this meant he walked the thin line between sophisticated pop and adult contemporary, but he did it with grace from 1985's Dream of the Blue Turtles to 1993's Ten Summoner's Tales. Unfortunately, Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting doesn't illustrate what a deft trick he pulled off with that quartet of albums. Naturally, Fields of Gold concentrates on his hit singles, just like any other greatest-hits collection, but Sting's material sounds surprisingly tame in this context. Sure, there is a number of great songs here -- enough to state his case as a fine songwriter or to satisfy his casual fans. Still, these songs are safe choices and all share a similarly tranquil quality, which means the collection itself becomes a little monotonous. Nevertheless, Fields of Gold performs the necessary service of rounding up all of the big hits -- "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free," "All This Time," "Fortress Around Your Heart," "They Dance Alone," "If Ever Lose My Faith in You," "Fragile," and an alternate version of "We'll Be Together" -- and offering them on one disc, which is reason enough to make it worthwhile, even with its flaws. [Universal's U.K. edition was released in 1994.]
Track #
Track
Time
Composer
1
When We Dance
N/A
N/A
2
If You Love Somebody Set Them Free
N/A
N/A
3
Fields of Gold
N/A
N/A
4
All This Time
N/A
N/A
5
Englishman in New York
N/A
N/A
6
Mad About You
N/A
N/A
7
It's Probably Me
N/A
N/A
8
They Dance Alone (Cueca Solo)
N/A
N/A
9
If I Ever Lose My Faith in You
N/A
N/A
10
Fragile
N/A
N/A
11
We'll Be Together
N/A
N/A
12
Nothing 'Bout Me
N/A
N/A
13
Love Is the Seventh Wave
N/A
N/A
14
Russians
N/A
N/A
15
Seven Days
N/A
N/A
16
Demolition Man
N/A
N/A
17
This Cowboy Song
N/A
N/A
Back to the topFields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984-1994 (Argentina Bonus Tracks)
Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Released:
November 08, 1994
Label:
Polygram
Rating:
Styles:
Contemporary Pop/Rock
Alternative/Indie Rock
Album Rock
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Adult Contemporary
Soft Rock
College Rock
Early in his solo career, Sting defined himself as a man of taste, choosing to work with jazz musicians instead of rockers. Inevitably, this meant he walked the thin line between sophisticated pop and adult contemporary, but he did it with grace from 1985's Dream of the Blue Turtles to 1993's Ten Summoner's Tales. Unfortunately, Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting doesn't illustrate what a deft trick he pulled off with that quartet of albums. Naturally, Fields of Gold concentrates on his hit singles, just like any other greatest-hits collection, but Sting's material sounds surprisingly tame in this context. Sure, there is a number of great songs here -- enough to state his case as a fine songwriter or to satisfy his casual fans. Still, these songs are safe choices and all share a similarly tranquil quality, which means the collection itself becomes a little monotonous. Nevertheless, Fields of Gold performs the necessary service of rounding up all of the big hits -- "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free," "All This Time," "Fortress Around Your Heart," "They Dance Alone," "If Ever Lose My Faith in You," "Fragile," and an alternate version of "We'll Be Together" -- and offering them on one disc, which is reason enough to make it worthwhile, even with its flaws. [The Argentine edition boasts several more tracks than the standard edition.]
Import edition of 1994 'Best Of' collection features three more tracks than U.S. version including five that don't appear on the U.S., 'Fragile' (Portuguese Version 'Fragildad')...
After two albums of muted, mature jazz-inflected pop, the last being an explicit album about death, Sting created his first unapologetically pop album since the Police with Ten Summoner's Tales. The title, a rather awkward pun on his given last name, is significant, since it emphasizes that this album is a collection of songs, without any musical conceits or lyrical concepts tying it together. And, frankly, that's a bit of a relief after the oppressively somber The Soul Cages and the hushed, though lovely, Nothing Like the Sun. Sting even loosens up enough to crack jokes, both clever (the winking litany of celebrity pains of "Epilogue [Nothing 'Bout Me]") and condescending (the sneeringly catchy cowboy tale "Love Is Stronger Than Justice [The Munificent Seven]"), and the result is his best solo record. In places, it's easily as pretentious as his earlier work, but that's undercut by writing that hasn't been this sharp and melodic since the Police, plus his most varied set of songs since Synchronicity. True, there isn't a preponderance of flat-out classics -- only the surging opener "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You," the understated swing of "It's Probably Me," and the peaceful ballad "Fields of Gold" rank as classics -- but, as an album, Ten Summoner's Tales, All Music Guide
Track #
Track
Time
Composer
1
If I Ever Lost My Faith in You (Prologue)
N/A
Sting [1]
2
Love Is Stronger Than Justice (The Munificent Seven)
N/A
Sting [1]
3
Fields of Gold
N/A
Sting [1]
4
Heavy Cloud No Rain
N/A
Sting [1]
5
She's Too Good for Me
N/A
Sting [1]
6
Seven Days
N/A
Sting [1]
7
Saint Augustine in Hell
N/A
Sting [1]
8
It's Probably
N/A
Sting [1], Kamen, Clapton
9
Everybody Laughed But You
N/A
Sting [1]
10
Shape of My Heart
N/A
Sting [1], Miller
11
Something the Boy Said
N/A
Sting [1]
12
Nothing 'Bout Me (Epilogue)
N/A
Sting [1]
13
If I Ever Lose My Faith in You (Enhanced CD Video)
Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Released:
March 09, 1993
Label:
Universal Distribution
Rating:
Styles:
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Adult Contemporary
Soft Rock
Contemporary Pop/Rock
Alternative/Indie Rock
Album Rock
After two albums of muted, mature jazz-inflected pop, the last being an explicit album about death, Sting created his first unapologetically pop album since the Police with Ten Summoner's Tales. The title, a rather awkward pun on his given last name, is significant, since it emphasizes that this album is a collection of songs, without any musical conceits or lyrical concepts tying it together. And, frankly, that's a bit of a relief after the oppressively somber The Soul Cages and the hushed, though lovely, Nothing Like the Sun. Sting even loosens up enough to crack jokes, both clever (the winking litany of celebrity pains of "Epilogue [Nothing 'Bout Me]") and condescending (the sneeringly catchy cowboy tale "Love Is Stronger Than Justice [The Munificent Seven]"), and the result is his best solo record. In places, it's easily as pretentious as his earlier work, but that's undercut by writing that hasn't been this sharp and melodic since the Police, plus his most varied set of songs since Synchronicity. True, there isn't a preponderance of flat-out classics -- only the surging opener "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You," the understated swing of "It's Probably Me," and the peaceful ballad "Fields of Gold" rank as classics -- but, as an album, Ten Summoner's Tales is more consistently satisfying than anything else in his catalog. [A Japanese version added a bonus track.]
Track #
Track
Time
Composer
1
If I Ever Lose My Faith in You
N/A
N/A
2
Love Is Stronger Than Justice (The Munificent Seven)
Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Released:
1986
Label:
Polydor
Rating:
Styles:
Contemporary Pop/Rock
Alternative/Indie Rock
Album Rock
College Rock
Sting really got carried away with the idea that his supporting crew for Dream of the Blue Turtles was a real jazz band, and technically, he was kind of right. He did pluck them straight out of Wynton Marsalis' backing band (thereby angering Wynton and emboldening his anti-rock stance, while flaring up a sibling rivalry between the trumpeter and his saxophonist brother Branford -- a veritable hat trick, that), and since he was initially a jazz bassist, it seemed like a good fit. At the very least, it seemed like a monumental occasion because he documented the entire development of the band and the making of Dream with a documentary called Bring on the Night, releasing a double live album as its soundtrack just a year after the debut hit the stores. The live album feels like a way of showcasing Sting's jazz band and jazz chops. Most of the songs run around five minutes long and there are no less than three melodies, two of which marry an old Police number with a tune from Dream. Arriving as a second solo album, it can't help but feel a little unnecessary, although the loose, rather infectious performances show what Sting was trying to achieve with his debut. [Polydor's 2006 reissue included a bonus DVD.]
Track #
Track
Time
Composer
1
Bring on the Night/When the World Is Running Down You Make the Best of
11:41
Sting [1]
2
Consider Me Gone
4:53
Sting [1]
3
Low Life
4:03
Sting [1]
4
We Work the Black Seam
6:55
Sting [1]
5
Driven to Tears
6:59
Sting [1]
6
The Dream of the Blue Turtles/Demolition Man
6:08
Sting [1]
7
One World (Not Three)
11:10
Sting [1]
8
Love Is the Seventh Wave
4:19
Sting [1]
9
Moon Over Bourbon Street
5:38
Sting [1]
10
I Burn for You
4:41
Sting [1]
11
Another Day
5:22
Sting [1]
12
Children's Crusade
4:54
Sting [1]
13
Down So Long
6:25
Sting [1]
14
Tea in the Sahara
N/A
Sting [1]
15
Bring on the Night/When the World Is Running Down Make the Best of What
2 CD set includes a bonus DVD (NTSC/Region 0). When Sting embarked on his solo career, he didn't throw his tenure with the Police out the window; on this live double album from his...
Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Released:
1986
Label:
A&M
Rating:
Styles:
College Rock
Contemporary Pop/Rock
Alternative/Indie Rock
Album Rock
Sting really got carried away with the idea that his supporting crew for Dream of the Blue Turtles was a real jazz band, and technically, he was kind of right. He did pluck them straight out of Wynton Marsalis' backing band (thereby angering Wynton and emboldening his anti-rock stance, while flaring up a sibling rivalry between the trumpeter and his saxophonist brother Branford -- a veritable hat trick, that), and since he was initially a jazz bassist, it seemed like a good fit. At the very least, it seemed like a monumental occasion because he documented the entire development of the band and the making of Dream with a documentary called Bring on the Night, releasing a double live album as its soundtrack just a year after the debut hit the stores. The live album feels like a way of showcasing Sting's jazz band and jazz chops. Most of the songs run around five minutes long and there are no less than three melodies, two of which marry an old Police number with a tune from Dream. Arriving as a second solo album, it can't help but feel a little unnecessary, although the loose, rather infectious performances show what Sting was trying to achieve with his debut. [The album was also issued in an enhanced version.]
Track #
Track
Time
Composer
1
Bring on the Night/When the World Is Running Down You Make the Best of
Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Released:
1986
Label:
Universal Distribution
Rating:
Styles:
College Rock
Contemporary Pop/Rock
Alternative/Indie Rock
Album Rock
Sting really got carried away with the idea that his supporting crew for Dream of the Blue Turtles was a real jazz band, and technically, he was kind of right. He did pluck them straight out of Wynton Marsalis' backing band (thereby angering Wynton and emboldening his anti-rock stance, while flaring up a sibling rivalry between the trumpeter and his saxophonist brother Branford -- a veritable hat trick, that), and since he was initially a jazz bassist, it seemed like a good fit. At the very least, it seemed like a monumental occasion because he documented the entire development of the band and the making of Dream with a documentary called Bring on the Night, releasing a double live album as its soundtrack just a year after the debut hit the stores. The live album feels like a way of showcasing Sting's jazz band and jazz chops. Most of the songs run around five minutes long and there are no less than three melodies, two of which marry an old Police number with a tune from Dream. Arriving as a second solo album, it can't help but feel a little unnecessary, although the loose, rather infectious performances show what Sting was trying to achieve with his debut. [A Japanese version was also released.]
Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Released:
1986
Label:
A&M
Rating:
Styles:
Contemporary Pop/Rock
Alternative/Indie Rock
Album Rock
College Rock
Sting really got carried away with the idea that his supporting crew for Dream of the Blue Turtles was a real jazz band, and technically, he was kind of right. He did pluck them straight out of Wynton Marsalis' backing band (thereby angering Wynton and emboldening his anti-rock stance, while flaring up a sibling rivalry between the trumpeter and his saxophonist brother Branford -- a veritable hat trick, that), and since he was initially a jazz bassist, it seemed like a good fit. At the very least, it seemed like a monumental occasion because he documented the entire development of the band and the making of Dream with a documentary called Bring on the Night, releasing a double live album as its soundtrack just a year after the debut hit the stores. The live album feels like a way of showcasing Sting's jazz band and jazz chops. Most of the songs run around five minutes long and there are no less than three melodies, two of which marry an old Police number with a tune from Dream. Arriving as a second solo album, it can't help but feel a little unnecessary, although the loose, rather infectious performances show what Sting was trying to achieve with his debut. [A&M reissued the album in 2005.]
Track #
Track
Time
Composer
1
Bring on the Night/When the World Is Running Down You Make the Best of
When Sting embarked on his solo career, he didn't throw his tenure with the Police out the window; on this live double album from his Dream of the Blue Turtles tour, he reworks som...
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