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? DEAD MAN'S ROPE - A rolling acoustic guitar pattern is joined by percussion and a soft Sting vocal. By the drums come in, I realize that the feel is VERY evocative of "Why Should I Cry For You". The music during the "I'm just hangin' here in space" lends itself to quoting the line "Would North be true" from the Soul Cages track. It stands on its own, though. A very good song and it helps to have real drums supplementing the machine. Nice to hear "Walking In Your Footsteps"--it's been a while since we've had a nod to the past :-) Interesting to note that a new version has already been recorded for an upcoming film soundtrack. NEVER COMING HOME - Drum pattern #52, with a weird swirl treatment on Sting's voice. It's pleasant, but again I'm waiting for the live version. There's a groove in there waiting to grow up once it can get past the synth loops and sound effects. Nice to hear Jason's solo at the end. It's clearly a tease (it fades out after only a minute) for what's in store for the concert. Different key, but his end solo is played over the same chord progression as "When The World Is Running Down". STOLEN CAR - Musically and lyrically, this song/story sounds like it's happening directly across the street from the scene in "Tomorrow We'll See". It's a little too familiar, and a bit disappointing. Then, the chorus. This part is probably one of the catchiest Sting melodies I've ever heard, and tough to get out of my head. But somehow the overall song structure doesn't seem to fit. I don't buy the story being told by the lyrics--the verse and chorus seem like two separate incongurous ideas that have been forced together. But damn, that chorus is catchy. LET'S FORGET ABOUT THE FUTURE - Let's forget about starting songs with keyboard swirls. At first, it sounds like "Perfect Love Gone Wrong" again (with a splash of the "Consider Me Gone" guitar part). This is a decent and funky groove that is literally murdered by the drum machine. There's no life or variation in the drum pattern, so the song kind of plods along. There is a reward, though. If you can make it to 3:07, the special effects kick in and we're time-warped into a 1930's-style treatment of the song. It's pretty appealing and doesn't overstay its welcome. The song is pretty mechanical, though. It sounds assembled rather than performed. THIS WAR - POW!!!!!! Whoa, real drums! Hey, there's Dominic! Good Lord, Sting's playing bass! Wow, somebody's rocking out on the Hammond Organ! It's the sound I'd been missing. It's the sound of a four piece BAND. Oh wait, there's that same keyboard swoosh from the Brand New Day version of "Fields Of Gold" (which fortunately gets the hell out of the way, but still distracts here and there throughout the track). The band powers through this song, making it the only track on this CD relatively free of electronics. It's like a breath of fresh air and I like it more and more every time I hear it. The lyrics are timely, too. Wonder whom he's talking about...? THE BOOK OF MY LIFE - Another quiet instrumental intro, but mercifully it's not 100% synthesized. Tablas and hand cymbals punctuate the early verses and Anoushka Shankar gradually makes her presence known. Sure, it's basically the proposal Sting submitted to his publisher, but it's musically realized in a way that reminds me that he knows what he's doing. The sitar work is a wonderful treat. SACRED LOVE - Peter Gabriel would be proud of the world-groove intro. It lasts about fifteen seconds before a keyboard pulse effect signals the change into something more relaxed. Something more soulful. This is the Sting song I've been waiting for. Sting taps out a low bass line, holding on one note while Dominic caps the lyric lines with easy blues chords. Drums kick in on the second verse and we're off on a song that's got heart, soul, and the best feel-good vibe I've gotten from a recording in ages. The gospel singers come in as Sting starts throwing biblical references into the lyrics (the "Commandment" lines had me grinning). This song is everything I dig about Sting. It's positive, joyous, and uplifting. It's funky, too. My personal favorite and the one that's been getting the most play on my stereo (often at high volumes). It should be the album closer, but unfortunately all versions of this release are saddled with... SEND YOUR LOVE (DAVE AUDE REMIX) - I can understand wanting to echo the success of the "Desert Rose" club mix, but why would you include this on the standard album? If anything, this should be a b-side. It's an embarrassment and sounds hopelessly dated. Another laptop computer "masterpiece". Obnoxious techno ostinato pulse bassline, vocals drenched in chorus and echo, and swooshes a-plenty. The worst and most offending part is that the main riff from the original version is now badly emulated on a keyboard. Bonus points to the engineer who put a twenty second gap between "Sacred Love" and this track. At least I could enjoy the vibe of that song before this monstrosity exploded from the speakers. I like electronic music, but this is just ill-advised. Ugh. Next. SHAPE OF MY HEART (live from "All This Time") - I bought the Japanese release of "All This Time" specifically for this track, so I'm not sure why it's on this release. It was performed as an abbreviated version. The cello part makes it special, but it's out of place on this collection--especially sequenced where it is. If anything, it reminds me of what Sting's really capable of outside of the studio. LIKE A BEAUTIFUL SMILE - Music by Sting, lyrics by Shakespeare. This track sounds like an outtake from the "Nothing Like The Sun" sessions. The keyboard sounds (is that a duck?), the guitar, the drums, the backing singers, the production, it's like 1987 again! It's a fun jam, but not a lost gem like "The Pirate's Bride", "End Of The Game", or "We Work The Black Seam '93". Speaking of remakes... MOON OVER BOURBON STREET (Cornelius mix) - This is a new performance of the song, not a remix of the original. It's Sting, an acoustic guitar, bass, and some sort of percussion (maybe the guitar itself). However, Cornelius has cut the music up into a jerky stop-start pattern and drops pieces of it as another layer into the mix (guitar harmonics and acoustic guitar "scratches" are used to great effect). He relaxes the stop-start about 2 minutes in and you get to hear the track more or less as it must have been originally performed. The new arrangement doesn't really suit the lyrics, but it's still very classy. Perhaps it's best appreciated as what it is - an experiment, a diversion. It took a few listens, but it certainly grew on me. Worth the extra $. I don't want to sound like I'm let down by this record. If anything, I'm happy that my favorite artist can produce something that stands up on its own. I don't want something that's a carbon copy of a release I've already heard. What he's put out isn't necessarily what I'd expect, and that's good. What he's put out has me anxious to see how it can take it further and where he'll take it to. That's incredible, and that's why I love what he does. Bring on the tour! Brian www.project37.net -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ .