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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
From one spin of The Dream of the Blue Turtles, Sting's first solo release, it's obvious that for him there would be life beyond the Police. Teamed with a band of top jazz players, he presents his musical visions that had gone unrealized while he was still constrained by his former ensemble. In style and subject matter, it's a decidedly diverse collection of songs and the playing is excellent throughout. The love songs are mostly focused on endings or escapes, and it's quite possible to interpret much of the imagery in reference to the bitter breakup of the Police. Sting's concern with history and politics is in evidence: he makes a father's plea for sanity and restraint in the nuclear age, takes up for the U.K.'s much-abused coal miners, and relates the savage stupidity of World War I to the destructive effects of adolescent heroin addiction. Songs that seem elaborately constructed and recorded contrast with others that are presented as one-take jams. Seen as a whole, The Dream of the Blue Turtles is eclectic, ambitious--sometimes pretentious--but altogether worth owning. --Al Massa
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I can't believe it's been 15 years since I bought my first copy of this album on vinyl, but what doesn't surprise me is how great it is even today. Every song tried something new and started introducing jazz overtones to a 15-year old kid who was straight rock-and-roll. Not only is the music great, but this has to be far and away one of the best collections of lyrics ever written. Where else do Anne Rice, William Shakespeare, and Sergei Prokofiev come together with a white former punk and his all black jazz band? Anyone?
The Police were great for taking New Wave and mixing it with reggae and jazz to create something completely unique. Sting took it to the next level and, if you look closely at the lyrics and liner notes, took what was just a vacation from the Police and forged himself a solo career. I don't think he's ever been able to re-create the greatness of this album (although Nothing Like The Sun is close) simply because it wasn't intended to do anything but be fun and different. When the Police broke up, he suddenly was forced to think of himself as a solo artist and I think that hurt him in the long run. Going back and listening to Dream of the Blue Turtles is a pleasure that doesn't go away.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
With the release of "Dream of the Blue Turtles" in 1985, Sting embarked upon a new musical direction. This was a definite break with his style with The Police, but Sting has a way of recycling his music. In one way he was getting back to his jazz roots, but in another way he was heading toward the mainstream adult contemporary genre that he occupies today.
Sting also hired a crack band of young jazz pros, including Omar Hakim on drums, Darryl Jones on bass, Kenny Kirkland on keys and Branford Marsalis on saxophone. Sting switched from bass to guitar, but did perform the very cool double bass line on "Moon Over Bourbon Street."
"If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" is a Motown-style song with lyrics that transcend the usual love song, focusing more on the freedom in the relationship.
"Love is the Seventh Wave" has a world music feel and is a plea for everyone to get along.
"Russians" finds Sting getting a bit preachy, but this Cold War era tune has a haunting (borrowed) classical bent and ticking clock and well-intentioned message.
"Children's Crusade" is a sad ballad about the loss of generations of young men in WWI, first to the war and then to the addiction to morphine. Fast forward to 1984 and the image resonates as another generation is lost to heroin.
"Shadows in the Rain" is a revised Police song, with the classic intro of someone shouting 'wait, what key is it in!' and some outstanding drums. This is a great rock/jazz combination.
"We Work the Black Seam" is a complex tune the invokes the difficult life of coal miners, but also digs into the past and the future of energy and what it means to the focal character.
"Consider Me Gone" uses home metaphors about a relationship gone south, backed by a cool swing beat.
"The Dream of the Blue Turtles" is a the most 'jazzy' piece on the disk, a keyboard led instrumental where the musicians get to break loose and have some fun.
"Moon Over Bourbon Street" is Sting's ode to Anne Rice's 'Interview With the Vampire' and features some very cool lyrics like 'I've the face of a sinner but the hands of a priest.' Very cool double bassline and haunting sax work by Marsalis.
"Fortress Around Your Heart" paints another complex picture of relationships, this time using kind of a mainland WWII metaphor as the basis for the issues between this couple.
Sting also hired a crack band of young jazz pros, including Omar Hakim on drums, Darryl Jones on bass, Kenny Kirkland on keys and Branford Marsalis on saxophone. Sting switched from bass to guitar, but did perform the very cool double bass line on "Moon Over Bourbon Street."
"If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" is a Motown-style song with lyrics that transcend the usual love song, focusing more on the freedom in the relationship.
"Love is the Seventh Wave" has a world music feel and is a plea for everyone to get along.
"Russians" finds Sting getting a bit preachy, but this Cold War era tune has a haunting (borrowed) classical bent and ticking clock and well-intentioned message.
"Children's Crusade" is a sad ballad about the loss of generations of young men in WWI, first to the war and then to the addiction to morphine. Fast forward to 1984 and the image resonates as another generation is lost to heroin.
"Shadows in the Rain" is a revised Police song, with the classic intro of someone shouting 'wait, what key is it in!' and some outstanding drums. This is a great rock/jazz combination.
"We Work the Black Seam" is a complex tune the invokes the difficult life of coal miners, but also digs into the past and the future of energy and what it means to the focal character.
"Consider Me Gone" uses home metaphors about a relationship gone south, backed by a cool swing beat.
"The Dream of the Blue Turtles" is a the most 'jazzy' piece on the disk, a keyboard led instrumental where the musicians get to break loose and have some fun.
"Moon Over Bourbon Street" is Sting's ode to Anne Rice's 'Interview With the Vampire' and features some very cool lyrics like 'I've the face of a sinner but the hands of a priest.' Very cool double bassline and haunting sax work by Marsalis.
"Fortress Around Your Heart" paints another complex picture of relationships, this time using kind of a mainland WWII metaphor as the basis for the issues between this couple.
Not a weak song in the bunch, and it actually gets string in the second half. A definite must have for your collection, and excellent introduction to Sting's solo work.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
When Sting's first solo album came out in 1985, there was a lot of buildup, hype and even NERVOUSNESS!--even from fans, music critics and fellow artists. Can Sting do well on his first album away from the Police? Will it have many hits? Can he continue that momentum? I can say that he has and this debut has been responsible for a lot of his solo success the past two decades. It sold over 3 million copies, a huge seller during '85 and early '86! It's pop, but with a surprisingly jazz touch that fit quite well on mainstream radio. My favorites are If You Love Someone, Set Them Free, Russians and others. I especially love Fortress Around Your Heart and its adventurous landscapes--I actually play that more than the larger hits he had from here. As always, Sting is a dynamic songwriter and he is in top form when it comes to the lyrics of these songs. So if you have been more into Sacred Heart of 2003 and his more recent songs, please make an effort to get this stellar album that he made in 1985. One of his finest works to date!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
magnificant
It can't be a coincidence that a band's and/or artist's first release is often hard to surpass in later releases. Read more
Published 19 months ago by P. A. Schaeffer
If You Love Someone... Sting
I love the song "Dream of the Blue Turtles", it's so cute. And Branford Marsallis guests on thius album.
Published 20 months ago by wyndeez
We Need Deluxe Editions Of This & "Nothing Like The Sun" Already!
Great album for sure; I'm a big fan of them. I collected all the 12" singles/ 45's & VHS tapes at the time and there is a great amount of music waaaay out-of-print. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Rustyn L. Birch
Flight of the bumblebee
Still sounding crisp after all these years, this assuredly composed and produced solo disc canceled, for all but the most gnashing of punk-rock purists, any doubts of Sting... Read more
Published on May 18, 2009 by IRate
A nice start to Sting's solo career
I bought this CD for a friend of mine, but I already knew its contents because my father has the LP version. Read more
Published on April 26, 2009 by J. Verwer
By a long shot Sting's best album--a must-own album for anyone's...
In many cases, the artist's debut album is often one of their weakest albums. Sure, it's good (most of the time), and it's good because you can hear how the artist started and how... Read more
Published on April 13, 2009 by Johnny Boy
an audiophile's dream (AUDIO MASTER PLUS SERIES) AM+
I am not going to talk about how good this album is because it is indeed VERY GOOD and you can read all the reviews here. Read more
Published on December 2, 2008 by insoc
His first solo effort was his best...
I bought this on LP in 1985 and finally updated to CD and it has never gotten old. True, this sounds a lot more like the later songs of the Police than the Sting releases of late,... Read more
Published on July 6, 2008 by R. Knight
Sting's first album is passable, with naive lyrics
Sting's first album after leaving The Police was a reasonable commercial success, assuring himself a solo career, at least for some time. Read more
Published on November 22, 2007 by Andres C. Salama
After today... Consider Me Gone
This has always been my favorite Sting solo album, partly because it doesn't really feel like a solo album. Read more
Published on September 26, 2007 by M. J. Lomenzo
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