i feel i must tell you all that, despite 4 opportunities to see him while he is in new york this week, i just did not feel inspired to go see him. the reason? i had a suspusion that i might come out of the show having the same impressions that this reviewer did, in particular: "While by no means unenjoyable, the 20-song set featured nary a spontaneous moment over the course of two hours, in some ways resembling a cabaret-style revue that hardly scratched the surface of Sting's considerable back catalog..." "And while there's nothing particularly wrong with tracks like "Inside," the soulfully bopping "Forget About the Future" and the pretty, acoustic guitar-tinged "Dead Man's Rope," did the audience really need to hear nine songs from "Sacred Love?" It seems particularly hard to justify in light of the fact that solo albums like "The Dream of the Blue Turtles" and "The Soul Cages" were completely ignored, and even masterworks such as "Ten Summoner's Tales" mined for just two cuts." "But there was no mistaking the delight in the room when the band stormed through the Police's "Synchronicity II," which rocked hard even though the arrangement denied guitarist Dominic Miller a chance to solo." and, the best one of all: "One certainly has to respect Sting's unwillingness to simply play all of his biggest hits (or even to play them like their recorded versions). It is also refreshing that a 52-year-old artist can continue to appeal to an audience of all ages and to the fickle tastes of pop radio as well. But wouldn't it be nice to see Sting really delve into his repertoire, or even change the set list from night to night? It's the rough edges that truly reveal the man behind the music, and on this night, Sting seemed content to keep the good stuff hidden." sorry to you all... rich --- StingUs <frotri@panafonet.gr> wrote:
Sting / March 2, 2004 / New York (Beacon Theatre) Source: Billboard
Sting once referred to himself as the "King of Pain," but 20 years since the demise of the Police and the ascent of his chart-topping solo career, the artist born Gordon Sumner still exudes the kind of effortless charm it takes to woo the masses. One gets the impression that the man could write a symphony or record an entire album in 24 hours, without so much as pausing for tea in the garden of his country mansion.
That's all fine and good in the studio and on record, as evidenced by the fact that Sting has been more popular than ever since 1999's "Brand New Day" and its ubiquitous single, "Desert Rose." But the artist's utter professionalism walks a delicate line in a live setting, at times making it look too easy to the point of frustration.
Such was the case at the first of four shows last night (March 2) at New York's Beacon Theatre, as part of the tour in support of Sting's latest Interscope album, "Sacred Love." While by no means unenjoyable, the 20-song set featured nary a spontaneous moment over the course of two hours, in some ways resembling a cabaret-style revue that hardly scratched the surface of Sting's considerable back catalog (the ultimate tease: there were fleeting moments, but never full renditions of, "Walking in Your Footsteps," "We'll Be Together" and "When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around").
The evening began as Sting thwacked his stand-up bass on "Walking on the Moon," the first of many songs that have been transformed from their original incarnations into mature, jazzy arrangements. Doffing his jacket before "Send Your Love," the artist drew a loud applause from the female contingent in the house, then led his crack five-piece band through four consecutive songs from the new album.
And while there's nothing particularly wrong with tracks like "Inside," the soulfully bopping "Forget About the Future" and the pretty, acoustic guitar-tinged "Dead Man's Rope," did the audience really need to hear nine songs from "Sacred Love?" It seems particularly hard to justify in light of the fact that solo albums like "The Dream of the Blue Turtles" and "The Soul Cages" were completely ignored, and even masterworks such as "Ten Summoner's Tales" mined for just two cuts.
The crowd certainly did respond to some of the newer tracks, particularly "Whenever I Say Your Name," which featured a strong vocal performance from backup singer Joy Rose and drew a standing ovation. But there was no mistaking the delight in the room when the band stormed through the Police's "Synchronicity II," which rocked hard even though the arrangement denied guitarist Dominic Miller a chance to solo.
As the show wound on, Sting wove oldies like "I Was Brought to My Senses" (featuring an appearance by opening act Chris Botti on trumpet) and "Fragile" through the new selections, doing his best to maintain a range of moods and styles. But it was tough to get excited about the standard-issue Sting of "Stolen Car" (where he imagines himself as a car thief who channels the private lives of his victims) or "Sacred Love" (about "my two favorite subjects: sex and religion"). We've surely heard those before.
Indeed, the best moments came when the pace was peppier, especially an amped-up, sing-a-long-style "Englishman in New York," the eternal crowd-pleaser "Roxanne" (replete with reggae breakdown) and the foot-stomping "Never Coming Home," which closed the main set. On these tunes, Sting finally brought forth the rock and proved he could still produce great music in this motif if he really wanted.
The audience didn't leave its feet during the three-song encore of "Desert Rose," "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You" and "Every Breath You Take," the latter of which now seems so far removed from the Police original that it's like hearing it played by a cover band. Still, it was an appropriate high note to end on, but the upbeat vibe was upended when the band returned for one final song, the hushed, haunted "A Thousand Years."
One certainly has to respect Sting's unwillingness to simply play all of his biggest hits (or even to play them like their recorded versions). It is also refreshing that a 52-year-old artist can continue to appeal to an audience of all ages and to the fickle tastes of pop radio as well. But wouldn't it be nice to see Sting really delve into his repertoire, or even change the set list from night to night? It's the rough edges that truly reveal the man behind the music, and on this night, Sting seemed content to keep the good stuff hidden.
Here is Sting's set list:
"Walking on the Moon" "Send Your Love" "Inside" "Forget About the Future" "Dead Man's Rope" "Synchronicity II" "Whenever I Say Your Name" "I Was Brought to My Senses" "This War" "Fragile" "Fields of Gold" "Stolen Car" "Sacred Love" "Englishman in New York" "Roxanne" "Never Coming Home"
Encore: "Desert Rose" "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You" "Every Breath You Take"
Encore 2: "A Thousand Years"
-- Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
Cheers, StingUs-team www.StingUs.net
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