Most Helpful Customer Reviews
240 of 248 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Broken Music, October 27, 2003
When Sting announced that he was writing a memoir, like most people we thought that the book would focus on the life of Sting the rock star and of Sting the celebrity. After all, he has sold close to 100 million albums around the world, fronted the most successful band of the early '80s, subsequently pursued a solo career that has outstripped the success of his Police days in album sales, has been a long-time supporter of good causes raising some $18 million for the Rainforest Foundation, and is generally recognised as one of the most famous people on the planet. It was a no-brainer. Except that Sting is a self confessed risk taker. So perhaps we should not be too surprised that his memoir, 'Broken Music', is a product of that risk taking. Instead of opting for the easy route and focusing on the years of fame and success that would have guaranteed wide publicity and huge sales, Sting decided to tell us a much more interesting story. 'Broken Music' is the story of a boy growing to adulthood in an industrial city in northern England; of his relationship with his parents; of first love, lost love, his love of music and where these experiences eventually took him. As with most individuals, certain events from his childhood are not happy memories for Sting. The separation from his friends as a result of passing the "11-plus" exam that sent him to grammar school and the regular canings at school for trivial offences for example are still resented to this day. Like many families at that time, open displays of affection were uncommon in the Sumner household, and Sting is very open and honest in describing both the relationship between his parents and his relationships with each of them. Sting had discovered music at an early age through the family's piano and his parent's record collection and later with a battered old guitar donated by an emigrating uncle. His mid-teens saw him learning guitar licks from records, playing music with his friends at the local YMCA and attending Newcastle's Club a Go-Go, where he witnessed influential appearances by the likes of the Graham Bond Organisation, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and Jimi Hendrix. 'Broken Music' tells a fascinating tale about Sting's involvement with his early bands, Earthrise, The Phoenix Jazzmen, The Newcastle Big Band and Last Exit and of his time on a cruise ship with the Ronnie Pearson Trio. Relatively little has been known about this period, and to read it in Sting's own words is a real pleasure. The trials and tribulations of Last Exit - including their Spinal Tap propensity for losing guitar players in bizarre circumstances (to local pantomimes) - make fascinating reading, and fans of The Police will love the unique insight into the chance meetings that led to the formation of the band, and of the pivotal moments in the band's early days. 'Broken Music' (the title actually comes from a phrase his grandmother used to describe his early attempts at playing the piano) is a wonderful written memoir. In turns it is sad, wry, often very funny and always interesting. In retrospect it is no great surprise to find that someone with the ability to write lyrics as beautifully as Sting should be able to write so eloquently and descriptively in a longer form such as this. We found our attention gripped throughout its 300 plus pages and are firmly of the view that the risk of telling the story of Sting 'the man' rather than Sting 'the celebrity' was certainly one that paid off. It is a book that provides a genuinely insightful look at the events that shaped the person we hear on the radio and see performing for us on stage. If this is what Sting intended then 'Broken Music' is a complete success.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
58 of 61 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This Singer Can WRITE...., November 15, 2003
Having never been much of a fan of Sting's various bands(except for a few tunes from "Police"), I wasn't quite sure why I picked up this book to read, except that I had read a few reviews which made it clear it was NOT about his superstar exploits, which hold no interest for me. But if you want to learn about Sting, the boy, the man, the singer, AND the writer...it is an absolutely incredible piece of work. He takes you so intimately into his life growing up in a small town in Northern England and gives you an incredible portrait of someone who clearly remembers where he came from, and how that affected who he became...AWESOME reading! I'm going out today to buy one of his CD's too!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
63 of 70 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Insight into the man and artist..., November 14, 2003
It seems to be human nature to bring down those we perceive as successful people. In Australia we have a term for this habit - The Tall Poppy Syndrome. If the plant is seen to be towering over the rest of the crop, our first inclination is to cut its head off, bringing it down to an acceptable level along with the rest of us. The subject and author of this excellent biography is one of the most successful artists in the last twenty years. And its no surprise that the man has experienced some heavy criticism over this time, and the fiercest attempted decapitations have come from Sting's home ground, the British tabloids. Sting is an accomplished and award winning musician, lyricist, songwriter, poet, actor and a sincere environmental activist. He has more money than he knows what to do with, (somewhere in the vicinity of $ 200 million) and now at the crest of a new album, (Sacred Love) he publishes an autobiography, a memoir, about his childhood and musical journey to international stardom. Considering this man's incredible success, I went into the reading with a hint of trepidation, my tall poppy scythe firm in hand - would this memoir be a gloating exercise, another `success story' with the usual tired anecdotes and prosaic self-deprecating questions - "Why me? I'm just a regular guy like the rest of you." Let me just say that this biography was an enormous surprise and one exceptional read. The narrative begins with Sting's controversial experience in South America, where he ingested an ancient medicine, used predominately by a Christian syncretic group, known as Ayahuasca. He describes this experience in atmospheric detail and the various visions he witnessed during the religious ceremony. Sting's prose is quite accomplished throughout the book. For example, the actual scene from his religious experience: "The entire room seems to be gripped in this visceral struggle. Some writhe in their seats, others have clearly capitulated, open-mouthed and corpselike, while others seem calm and transfixed as if by beatific visions. Then, as a bizarre counterpoint to the call of the thunder, the retching begins." (P.9) This incredible experience irrevocably changed the man, and by his own account, he really hasn't viewed the world in the same way since. From this religious experience in the jungles of Brazil, he invites us to take part in a reflective journey about his childhood and his discovery of music. There is an irrefutable honesty in this book. His feelings about his friends, colleagues, lovers, parents and his response to the various deaths of loved ones, was at once moving and acutely sensitive without a hint of sentimentality. This is a book that all Sting and Police fans should read, as it reveals insights into the man and the artist in an honest, elegant and entertaining manner. A first-rate memoir.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
