I think one of the reasons why I haven't posted my thoughts on the songs so far is that I find that having the tracks become available over an extended period of time, prior to the full album release, in a way takes away from the excitement and anticipation of getting the whole thing in my hands at once and listening to it straight through. I'm not complaining, and I'm not saying this is the wrong thing to do - it's just that for me, I like seeing how Sting's albums work as a whole, not just how individual tracks stand up by themselves. I have very distinct memories of listening to the Soul Cages for the first time and being somewhat bewildered, but growing to love it (on most days, it's my favourite Sting album). I remember trying to contain my laughter as I listened to Ten Summoners Tales on a Discman on a bench just outside the record store (I couldn't wait until I got home to listen to the disc). I remember shaking my head and smiling at the unexpected mid-song changes in Fill Her Up, and the shear thrill of the power, beauty, and tempo of Desert Rose...so I personally like the rush of all the newness at once. Also, the sound system on my computer, while good, is nothing like my home system, or my car system, so I feel I am not getting the full impact of the songs right now...that being said, here I my thoughts:

Whenever I Say Your Name - I have tried and tried and tried to like this, but I cannot stand it. It's the soul sound that drives me nuts. Mary J. Blidge, while a talented vocalist, does not appeal to me at all, and the multiple layers of voices I just find really cheesy. Disappointingly, I fear this song will be added to the very short list of songs on Police and Sting discs that I skip: Behind My Camel, Mother, and now, Whenever I Say Your Name. I will keep trying to like it, but I'm afraid, for me, it's probably a lost cause. Maybe when I see / hear it live, I will change my mind - I hope so!

Never Coming Home - Also amazing, in my opinion. The picking of the guitar strings reminds me of Bring on the Night, and I love the way the song is always driving forward. The way Sting uses simple lines to complete the images in my mind as the story is relayed is amazing: "The passengers ignore her just a girl with an umbrella", and "There’s the promise of the future in the creaking of the floor", for example. And lastly, Sting's uses of "you" and "your" in the first three stanzas and first refrain, followed by "she" and "her" in stanzas four and five and the second refrain, followed by "I" and "my", and finally "his" at the end of the song is just a brilliant way of telling a story from a constantly-changing perspective. And telling the story this way completes one's understanding of the situation in a way that telling the same story from one perspective only could never do - so simple, but so effective, and brilliant.