thanx for all of this, bry. i don't believe it! someone badmouthing BND - besides me! and he lived to tell the tale - so far! bryan is right. the thing that draws me to music, personally, is MUSICIANSHIP. i look for it in every cd i listen to and am never more happy when i find it, be it in a drummer, a tuba player or a singer. to me, sting is one of the best musicians the world of popular music has ever had to good fortune to know. the musicianship of the police - well, i think we can all agree on that. further, the bands he has put together on his solo albums - the music the respective units have generated - had been fantastic. BUT THEN BND WAS RELEASED and sting, the consummate musician, seemed to forget about the "music" (and the songwriting too), putting together the most inferior studio/stage band he has ever worked with and, even more importantly, all but forsaking the bass. stop right here: that is not to say there are not some great performances on BND. but i find it to be the only album that sting has ever done - police or solo - where i can honestly say that there are holes in it - i cannot listen to it all the way thru. my only hope is that he gets back on the right track with SL - though i am beginning to doubt it (but am psyched that vinnie is back!) rich --- "bjacob@pop-server.nyc.rr.com" <bjacob@pop-server.nyc.rr.com> wrote:
Hi everyone,
I've had the Japanese version of the new album for a few days and wanted to share a few thoughts. I got into Sting's music when "The Soul Cages" was released and was blown away by the corresponding tour. To see the arrangements stripped down to a four piece setup and played by a TIGHT band was an educational experience in what music what all about. I'd picked up live recordings from different points in that tour and was floored. It was the first time I'd heard an established artist take chances and play with the song arrangements, allowing them to grow in different directions. It was an exciting tour, with appearances on MTV Unplugged and the Timothy White Sessions showing (teaching?) me what Sting was capable of doing, and inspiring me to try it with my own music.
Sting was clearly excited by this new band and its abilities as well, seeing as he took them straight into the studio for "Ten Summoner's Tales". Although the setlist for that tour was eventually locked down, the band still seemed able to keep the songs exciting for themselves. Sting showed off his quick thinking by doing things like occasionally dropping "Consider Me Gone" (which at the time hadn't been performed in years) into "Roxanne" or quoting "All This Time" (when none of the "Soul Cages" tracks were really performed on that tour) at the end of "King Of Pain". It kept things interesting, to say the least.
By the time we got to "Brand New Day", we were introduced to some new players. The dynamic Jason Rebello, who in my mind, is an outstanding and exemplary musician who brought a lot to the table. His solos were a highlight of the tour, and made "When The World Is Running Down" something to look forward to in the setlist.
And then, there's our friend Kipper.
Grr.
I wasn't blown away by "Brand New Day" and its synth-heavy arrangements. What happened to the organic feel of "Mercury Falling" and "Ten Summoner's Tales"? And where the heck was Dominic Miller on that album? It was the first Sting release that took a few listens to grow on me...or even get used to. Artists should continue to grow. U2 went off in a new direction in the late 90s with "Zooropa", "Passengers", and "POP". Those albums alienated a lot of fans, but they ultimately could be viewed as part of a musical journey. I wasn't wowed by "Brand New Day" as a whole, but some tracks were interesting. I'd give it a chance, as Sting never disappointed me in the live setting.
And he didn't! I caught the tour three times in NYC, and was able to attend a few Today show tapings and David Letterman rehearsals. The arrangements did grow on this tour, perhaps more subtly than in the past. My one complaint would be Kipper, who added nothing to the live sound. If anything, he distracted from it. Listen to recordings of "Fields Of Gold" from the later shows on that tour. Why oh why was there a keyboard SWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH in that song? C'mon, now...just shut up already!
Not that I totally despise Kipper. "The Mighty" is a great track. "A Thousand Years" is gorgeous. I liked the new version of "Fragile". But he is guilty of locking Sting's music down with computers and synth instruments. It CAN work. But when it doesn't...ouch.
But Sting delivered "All This Time" at the close of the tour. It's probably my favorite Sting release, as it encapsulates everything I love and respect about his music and skill as a writer/arranger/performer. The core of that band had been playing those songs in the same way for eons. For them to create the new arrangements in as short a time as they did (and still perform them with heart and soul on such a horrible day) will never cease to amaze me. It is, in my mind, a flawless recording. It certainly helps that it's more of an acoustic-based ensembled. The keyboards are limited, making the songs more organic. Making them more ALIVE.
And from that, we go to "Sacred Love".
It's a slightly stronger collection of songs than "Brand New Day", but it somehow feels...unfinished. I am really not thrilled with the presence of the drum machine, and am disappointed to hear it used so liberally throughout the album. I understand that Sting views his studio work as a "blueprint" for the live show, hence we already have a live DVD set for release next month. I'm already impressed and somewhat relieved by the clips I've heard. The songs are growing, and will definitely benefit from further exploration. "Sacred Love" feels held down by the robotic drum machines and synth bass. There isn't as much heart in this album. I miss the feel of the band communicating with each other through performance. Each track is mainly Sting and Kipper with scattered overdubbed contributions from the other musicians. It seems a wasted opportunity and most of the songs feel like they're tired. Some even feel already dated with the choice of electronic sounds. It's my humble opinion that the live recordings will stand the test of time longer than the studio version.
INSIDE - A swirling middle eastern sequence dissolves into Sting's vocal. This is a great choice for an opener, with its creeping and slightly menacing chord progression. The drum machine mercifully gives way to Vinnie Colaiuta (WELCOME BACK MY BROTHER), Dominic provides some dramatic chord flourishes, and Sting's vocals at the end are probably the most powerful thing I've ever heard him do--certainly on a studio album. Wow.
SEND YOUR LOVE - This song starts with a lot of promise, with Vicente Amigo playing a nice flamenco guitar intro. After listening to the video version for weeks, it's nice to hear the full intro verse. Sadly, the guitars seem to get lost in the mix and only add fills throughout the song. It's a nice enough groove, but it sounds like most of it was performed using a laptop computer. I was excited to hear the semi-acoustic version from the Sessions At AOL performance. That version was incredible, with Dominic actually playing a guitar solo (!) and Jason taking a great piano solo. This song will fly on stage.
WHENEVER I SAY YOUR NAME - 30 seconds of keyboard bleed before the song starts. A classic Sting arpeggiated acoustic guitar sets up the beginning for a beautiful ballad. Mary J. Blige is wonderful and the song takes some unpredictable (but comfortable) chord changes. There's a bit of a breakdown jam at the end, with the phrase "We'll Be Together" being thrown in. The drum machine and keyboards bury what's really a fresh and interesting take on the ballad structure. Can we have an acoustic version at some point? Please?
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