Barnes & Noble
When he decided to record his first live album in 15 years at his villa in Tuscany, Sting knew that the proposed date of September 11, 2001, would be memorable. Of course he didn't know just how memorable until news of the terrorist attacks against the United States reached Italy. While Sting initially thought about canceling and sending the select audience home, the former Police frontman decided to go ahead and dedicated the night to those who had lost their lives. The result is a singular concert experience. With a flamenco guitar intro and Sting's breathy crooning of lines like "If blood will flow when flesh and steel are one" (from "Fragile"), the intimate yet highly charged evening is underway. Sting and his new band conjure an eclectic mix of jazz and world-beat instrumentation that sounds miles away from the Police, even as they revisit hits such as "Roxanne" (reworked here from a contemplative torch song into a big-band number) and carry through to the title track of his recent Grammy-winning album, Brand New Day. The day's shattering events pump up the import of the performance, and even an unassuming pop ditty like "All This Time" is transformed into a gospel-powered testimonial. "Fields of Glory" receives a gorgeous acoustic reading, and the formerly spooky love ballad "Every Breath You Take" achieves a cathartic, triumphant velocity. The backing, including that of jazz bassist Christian McBride and Brazilian cellist Jacques Morelenbaum, is inspired, as the band rises to the occasion, summoning the strength to carry on. As testimony to music's gifts of comfort and inspiration, even under the most awful of circumstances, All This Time is truly timeless. Bill Crandall
Barnes & Noble
Weathering numerous changes in style over more than 20 years in the fickle kingdom of rock 'n' roll -- and even engineering a few of those changes himself -- Sting still reigns as a maker of classy, vital music. With ...All This Time he has released his definitive live statement. Recorded in Tuscany, Italy, at a special, intimate concert by Sting and a band of international virtuosos -- including reknowned bass master Christian McBride -- the album captures a reflective, revelatory rendering of the man's music. The centerpiece of the DVD companion to ...All This Time is the performance itself, which features innovative arrangements of such Police and solo-era classics as "Don't Stand So Close to Me," "(If You Love Them) Set Them Free," "Roxanne," "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You," and "Every Breath You Take." Bonuses include a making-of documentary, rehearsal footage, and additional songs not heard on the album. Tracks are as follows:
Fragile
1000 Years
Perfect Love Gone Wrong
All This Time
Hounds of Winter
Mad About You
Don't Stand So Close to Me
When We Dance
Dienda
Roxanne
(If You Love Someone) Set Them Free
Brand New Day
Fields of Gold
Moon over Bourbon Street
If I Ever Lose My Faith in You
Every Breath You TakeAll Music Guide
Sting scored a moderate comeback success greater than most had imagined possible with 1999's Brand New Day, reestablishing himself as a viable commercial artist instead of merely settling for "living legend" status. Part of this success was due to "Desert Rose," featuring vocalist Farhat Bouallagui's careening cadences that garnered attention, particularly when they were showcased in a car commercial that kicked the album into high commercial gear. Sting picks up on this, adding three guest vocalists to the ten-track Sacred Love album (the 11th track is a remix of the lead single, "Send Your Love" -- which happens to be better, since it eliminates the rather annoying Indian-styled hook) -- Vicente Amigo and Anoushka Shankar are paired with Mary J. Blige, who in this context is presented as a world music artist. Although Sacred Love is too meticulous, predictable, and focused on its own artistic maturity, it manifests professionalism, precision, and impeccable craft as an album of well-tailored, expensive mood music. ~ Steven Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide