Customer Reviews

Sacred Love

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I do like the SACD mix which I find quite intelligent, expanding the already multi-layered sounds quite unusually at times. Try as I might to find another reasonable point of reference, Sting really only compares to himself - which is enormous praise for anyone these days. That said, expectations are high and you can't help noticing that there is a huge difference to the integrity, simplicity and sheer force that some of his most original work with The Police and the early solo stuff had in spades. Who cares about SACD mixes where these hoped-for essentials are lacking? I can only guess that this truly gifted musician must be listening to people telling him how wonderful he is and that at some point he must have started to believe them (well, that's kinda hard to resist). Why follow your own path if retracing your steps by producing more of what you've already done is so much easier? Originality will of course go by the wayside and the result may seem sophisticated on the surface, but will lack substance and feel a bit careless underneath. On this album, great musicians end up collaborating on nothing truly exciting or new - that is, if you take the time to compare it to some of Sting's earlier work, in relation to which I'd like to rate it 2 Stars. A bloody shame, really.

Astonishing, how this man reinvents himself again and again - as do we all as we move through our lives. And then he is gracious enough to share that reinvention with us. This CD is truly remarkable, and could not have been produced by anyone else, or at any other time.

What in Sting's younger years was lush, passionate, often painful self-examination has become, in adulthood, intense, austere and very direct: here I am; take me or not. For those who complain that they liked previous work better and want more of the same, I disagree. It would be as sad were Sting to 'get stuck' at any point in life's progress as it would be for any of us to do so. "Sacred Love" is not "Soul Cages" again - such a production at this time of life would be so inappropriate as to seem grotesque: the Mick Jagger syndrome. This marvelous, difficult, uncompromising CD is, rather, the definitive voice of a thoughtful, intelligent, introspective 52-year-old. We should all be growing up so gracefully.

First things first: I love the music and song that Sting crafts. I've been a huge fan since the late 70's when I heard The Police's "Don't Stand So Close To Me" on a flight from Mumbai to Rome on the way back to Nigeria (I was in 3rd or 4th grade).

I've followed Sting's solo career with equel vigour from the very first time I heard "If You Love Somone..." and "Love Is The Seventh Wave" on BBC shortwave in West Africa. I've seen Sting 10 times starting with Nothing Like The Sun (I came to America in 1987) through the live ..All This Time promotional tour. I met him on one occasion at Sandstone in Kansas City and was front-row center on his BND promo tour in Chicago. My favourite two albums are DotBT and Soul Cages. Hehe, that's a tough choice because there's I really love nearly everything Sting has done.

I wanted to love this CD. I really did. I even tried. But it doesn't come up as compelling as his previous material. At least not to my my humble ears. I almost hate admitting that I don't like this because it makes me feel like a disloyal Sting fan, but in the interest of being honest, there you go. I purchased the Japanese import of the SACD and have listened to it maybe two dozen times. That's not to say it's bad; there are a few tracks that I like (as opposed to all of them) and some very solid hooks in some of the songs ("Stolen Car"'s "take me dancing" chorus jumps to mind). I like "Dead Man's Rope" and "Inside" a lot. The sitar in "Book Of My Life" is damn good too, but lyrically the song itself doesn't do anything for me.

I can't put my finger on it, but the music doesn't *move* me like nearly all of his previous material has. One thought: This might be because the music heavily electronic and sounds sterile (?). His live show on the upcoming tour might change my mind (that would be nice), but in the iterim it ranks as my least favourite Sting solo CD. Sorry, but there you go. If I find my opinion changing down the road, I'll be sure to let you know. Unfortunately, my opinion has gotten worse the more I listen. :(

Still, if you're a Sting fan, you know you can't pass it up. Anyone know if there are plans to release all the Sting music videos on DVD soon?

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy the CD (because I don't think you probably enjoyed this review ;). And for what it's worth, there's a lot of potential for a good live show here.

"Sacred Love" seems more than anything a time to try Sting fans' souls.

Sting has always been vulnerable to the charge of displaying more calculation than soul; a charge with occasional merit but usually less than suggested by the critics. Even when he seems to be showing off his (very ample) songwriting chops and production skills, there is nearly always an infectious melody and dexterous lyrics to redeem whatever excesses occasionally crop up. Intelligent pop is rare enough that other failings can be easily forgiven. And this is why Sting has such an avid fanbase, of which I count myself among the more devout. It's a shopworn phrase but many of us would buy the remix if Gordon Sumner just recorded his hairdryer.

Unfortunately "Sacred Love" seems to reinforce a trend on display over Sting's last decade or so of work. As his production values have increased and his experimentation with new genres continued apace, what often has been left behind is the arresting melodical construction that once made his reputation and his fortune. This was especially evident on "Mercury Falling" and it reemerges again on "Sacred Love" - both works with impeccable production, sophisticated and complex song structures (and of course time signatures), and thoughtful lyrics without delivering much that leaves a strong impression - while managing the curious feat of genre experimentation without real adventurousness. Ultimately it is difficult to argue with AMG's Stephen Thomas Erlewine's assessment that "Sacred Love" is "an album that puts sound over song or performance." My headline sums it up: it's got everything but great songs.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the leadoff single, "Send Your Love" which somehow forgot to pack any real compelling hook; and all the smart flamenco stylings of Vicente Amigo can't disguise its absence. Likewise the gospel-inflected "Whenever I say Your Name" manages to do little with Mary J. Blige, whose cameo, like Shankar's and Amigo's, is even trumpeted on the album sleeve track listing (a first for Sting). For all of the flak directed at the unexpected reemergence of Political Activist Sting on "This War," the real problem with the song is that its overly earnest but flat rockout guitar attack feels like a failed Woodstock homage; however banal some of his older politically-oriented statements might have been they were (at least) usually couched within compelling songs. Hey, Mr. Pinochet: you've sown a boring song.

A few songs do show signs of life, even on the first listen; i.e., "Never Coming Home," the oddly endearing "Stolen Car" with its catchy "take me dancing" chorus (it may seem a mere sequel to Brand New Day's transvestite saga "Tomorrow We'll See, but it is a smart one), and "The Book of My Life" - the last too long and ponderous but redeemed by its broad spaces and building melody. Too much of what remains, however, is too easily forgettable.

If all of this seems harsh it's only because Sting sets such a high standard in popcraft; and even Sting at his worst is a rewarding experience, especially on subsequent listens. "Sacred Love" does warm a little on the second go-round. It's just such a hollow entry next to the landmarks of his career: "Synchronicity," "Nothing Like the Sun," "Ten Summoner's Tales," or even "The Soul Cages" and "Brand New Day." After penning "Until" - quite possibly one of the very best singles he has ever written - for last year's "Kate and Leopold" soundtrack, the expectations were a lot higher than what comes across as an electronicized update of "Mercury Falling."

Call it a busman's holiday for an artist who's earned it. And hope for a return to splendor the next time around. Don't doubt that he's capable of it.

And either way I'll still buy the remix.

I think, despite the naysayers, this is one of Sting's best album's _ever_. Even if you don't agree with his politics on "This War", it should at least give you something to think about and ponder.

I have listened to this cd every day since it was given to me. I listen to the _entire_ cd,which for me is very unusual - I will usually pick and choose what I like better - yes, even on a Sting cd. I don't feel there is a weak song in the whole cd, which is not how I have felt about some of his more recent cds.

If you're looking for the shrieking punk of "Roxanne" or the simplicity of "Fragile", this is _not_ the cd for you. The music is lush and textured, sort of a tactile sensation for your ears. I recommend this cd highly.

Sting always surpassed my expectation. however, this time he seems to fall a bit short of my humble prospect.

the first impression was a sheer disappointment, i have to admit. only a few tunes successfully got into my ears, and the rest were simply circling around my head giving me a headache. many say the album's got better than BND, but to me it sounds worse. i'd say there's no distinctive concept or atmosphere, which has always been Sting's specialty, in this album. well, very much refined and fashionable tracks they are, but they simply don't feel like Sting. say, if you omit his still fascinating (but a bit weaker maybe?) voices out of the track, you may not be able to tell whether it is Sting's song or someone else's.

and there're minor problems that get on my nerve while listening, let alone the noise problem found in every version around the world(mine is Japanese SACD edition). personally i find the guest singer stands out too much, as if the album was not Sting's but hers. in addition, i sometimes bump into strange out-of-place electronic effects and sounds and become distracted and annoyed. use of electronically synthesized sound was a novelty in BND, but maybe i'm already fed up with it in Sacred Love.

nevertheless, some tracks are attractive: Deadman's Rope has got a slight trace of 'traditional' Sting, and Stolen Car is a chic song (which rather sounds and reads like Tomorrow We'll See Pt. 2) worth listening. and you may find the rest relatively good once you get used to the album after running the CD a few times - which, alas, has never happened to me before with Sting's previous albums....

after recently purchasing the every breath you take album of the police, I just had to buy the new sting album. and once again I was not disappointed. the recording is fabulous, especially in 5.1 surround sound the experience of his latest music trend is a lust for the ear.

Sacred love has a little of everything we like about Sting: funk, jazz, oriental, classic etc. Where Brand new day was a little chaotic and hard to get into, this is more together, has a romantic atmosphere to it and something mystical abou it. Sting-fans will not be dissapointed.

Sucks on so many levels, I don't know where to start. I swear there isn't a memorable song on the disc, and it's not a very good recording, besides! Sting's great voice is too far down in the mix and always seems to be right on the edge of distortion. Almost unlistenable on so many levels that it's no wonder the SACD is selling used for as little as $1.55!

Following his surprise "comeback" on 1999's BRAND NEW DAY, Sting disappeared for four years before releasing SACRED LOVE. Picking up on the success of guest musicians from the previous album (Farhat Bougallagui, Ste), Sting brought in Mary J. Blidge ("Whenever I Say Your Name"), Vincente Amigo ("Send Your Love"), and Anoushaka Shankar ("The Book Of My Life"), while venturing further into techno. The big problem with SACRED LOVE is that Sting seems to be focusing more on the sound of the music than the actual quality of the songs. This makes for an album that's a nice, moody listen, but lacks the punch of Sting's previous recordings. Though there's a wealth of enjoyable songs, only a few (the angry poke at George W. Bush on "This War", the sing-along tune "Like A Beautiful Smile") may be considered among Sting's best. In the end, though it's far from a bad album, SACRED LOVE is purely for Sting devotees.