Sacred Love - Sting

Sting is someone who always seems to be newsworthy, even when he has not released any music for a while, in fact it is 2 years since his last album release. However, 2003 has been a pretty decent year in terms of exposure, and it saw him (at his children's insistence) work with Craig David on a reworking of 'Shape Of My Heart'. In October, he followed this exposure up with the release of this album. As usual, we have an artist who has a social conscience, ...
...the tracks that he writes. This album focuses heavily on trying to regain the balance in the world, and restoring people's faith, and it is clear that the driving force has been the events around the world since the fateful September 11th events, and the ensuing war in The Middle East.

'Inside' instantly reminds me a lot of the songs on 'Ten Summoners Tales'. It has a catchy chorus that builds up to a dramatic crescendo. The musical ... more

Sting is someone who always seems to be newsworthy, even when he has not released any music for a while, in fact it is 2 years since his last album release. However, 2003 has been a pretty decent year in terms of exposure, and it saw him (at his children's insistence) work with Craig David on a reworking of 'Shape Of My Heart'. In October, he followed this exposure up with the release of this album. As usual, we have an artist who has a social conscience, and this is apparent in most, if not of all the tracks that he writes. This album focuses heavily on trying to regain the balance in the world, and restoring people's faith, and it is clear that the driving force has been the events around the world since the fateful September 11th events, and the ensuing war in The Middle East.

'Inside' instantly reminds me a lot of the songs on 'Ten Summoners Tales'. It has a catchy chorus that builds up to a dramatic crescendo. The musical arrangement on this track is dramatic and truly beautiful without going over the top, and the inclusion of the gorgeous sitar alongside the accomplished keyboard playing is a definite plus point for me. It all sounds so clean and well put together. Not that Sting is afraid to take a risk, because that is something I would never accuse him of, but he does know how to strike a balance, and give magnificent end results like this opening track which showcases his vocal ability in the best way possible. He knows this arrangement works, and tends to stick to this blueprint for the rest of the album, just injecting changes of pace to stir things up a little.

'Send Your Love' begins with a real Spanish feel, which quickly turns into an up tempo song with an overiding Latin flavour. This is a song which could really go down well in clubs, as I am sure it is not mainstream enough to be rewarded with chart success if it was released as a single. It is further evidence (as if we needed it) that Sting can try out any genre of music and come up trumphs. He shows that although he is advancing in years, he still knows what certain sections of the record buying public want, and I am sure that his children have had a certain amount of influence in his decision to try this style of music, when previously it has been pretty dire attempts such as 'Demolition Man'

Sting must have started to enjoy working closely with other artists, as 'Whenever I Say Your Name' sees him joined by the magnificent Mary J Blige. This is my favourite track on the album, although he performed it on television this evening with a backing vocalist in the place of Mary, and some of the magic was missing in comparison to the original, which has a real feel of warmth about it, and every word he sings clearly comes from deep inside his soul, and the sentiment is apparent from the first word that is sung. There has been much speculation surrounding Sting's prowess in the bedroom, and it is songs like this which you can imagine he uses to set the right tone for the hours of tantric sex he has in store for his wife and he.

'Dead Man's Rope' is in the style that the title hints at, and whilst I normally detest all things country, this is a more soulful effort with a sprinkle of country in there for good measure. There are parts of the song where Sting almost starts to talk rather than sing, and this detracted from the song a little, which is a shame as I am sure this could have ended up sounding more polished, and sung from the heart, but instead the sentiment is empty, and the warmth that is there on many of the other tracks is sadly lacking here. It is not a filler, just a track that seems to lose it's direction mid way through the song, and then struggles to climb back to where it was before it all went wrong!

Never one to churn out soundalike tracks, Stings gives us a touch of spice, with the Asian influenced dance music with 'Never Coming Home'. It is a really bassy track with punchy percussion sections, which gives the track a really funky feel. It is slick, and I think it would do quite well if it was released as a single, as it has a certin edge to it, which is refreshing, and I am sure would be well received, and show the music listeners out there that Sting can be many things to many people, all depending on how you view his talent and interpret his music. Me? I think songs like this just radiate pure brilliance, and for a man who started off pretty low down the food chain in a suburb of Newcastle, he has done pretty well.

'Stolen Car' is a strange selection of subject matter. Here, Sting takes the place of a car thief, and sings about how he feels towards the people whose cars he steals. He sings it as if he is looking down on himself, but he sings as if what the thief believes makes sense. It is a bold and adventurous move to take, but one I can assure you pays off big time, as it will appeal to die hard fans just as much as it will to the middle of the road music lovers out there, because the music and the vocals are inoffensive, and an absolute joy to listen to in an almost lazy manner. By that I mean that you can sit back and just let the music play, or you can look deep inside for the inner meaning, and both ways are equally as enjoyable.

'Forget About The Future' looks at the brash methods that are used when disputes and wars break out, without even attempting to sort it out any other way. With this in mind, it will come as no surprise that this is a very melacholy song, which is as much about the subject matter as the jazz/blues style the song is produced in. It is a powerful message, which results in a powerful vocal performance where the emotions bubble just below the surface. The opening chords of 'This War' have a Led Zeppelin style to them, and I was dreading Sting trying to do this type of rock, as I have become so accustomed to him having a more laidback style that I thought this might be a step too far. I was quickly made to eat my words though, as this song is a triumph, and proves once again, that Sting is a highly talented musician, which I admit I should never have doubted. Given the title, it can come as no surprise that this is a topical song, and focuses on Sting's thoughts about the war in Iraq. It would have been very easy for him to sound as if he is preaching on this track, but he resists this temptation, and the song is very well balanced.

'The Book Of My Life' is another track to benefit from an Asian influence, mostly down to the mesmorising sitar playing by Anoushka Shankar (who I think is Norah Jones' sister), but the underlying feeling of the song is one of fear. Sting sings about how much he fears the future, and decisions that are left in the hands of people who do not always have the right intentions. 'Sacred Love' carries on the theme from the previous song, but this time the sitar playing is more prominent and much more noticeable than before. Saying that, the Asian mood is coupled with a soulful yet sassy vocal arrangement to provide us with a track worthy of carrying the album's title on it's shoulders.

The next track is a remix of the earlier inclusion 'Send Your Love', and I am sorry to say I absolutely hate it. It should have been left as it was. As I mentioned at the start of this review, Sting reappeared in the charts alongside Craig David, and at the same time, The Sugababes released an excellent version of the same track. Boosted by the interest and the success of the track, Sting has decided to include a new updated, more acoustic version of 'Shape Of My Heart' on this album. This is probably one of my all time favourite Sting tracks, and it evokes an emotional reaction from me each time I hear it, mostly due to the powerful lyrics which Sting wrote at a particularly difficult time in his life.

Final track is 'Like A Beautiful Smile', and it wraps up the album magnificently, and certainly leaves you wanting more, whilst also feeling satisfied at having just listened to something great. The cover of the album shows a very sultry looking Sting in black and white, and boy has that man aged well! He has been away a while, and he has spent that time wisely, as this album lives up to the highest expectations. He shows that he has lost none of his edge and can still create innovative material in what sometimes feels like a very stale market without going too far off the beaten track. There are no real stand out tracks here, and that is not because there are none good enough, but because they are all (bar the remix) amazing tracks which stand alone as brilliant pieces of music. 

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