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Overall Sting is pretty good. Sometimes I like him more, and sometimes less. I like some of his songs more than I can even describe, but as for entire albums of his stuff, I end up just not liking parts of it. "A Thousand Years" is a super song, but "Big Lie Small World" sorta irritates me. It's like, with "A Thousand Years" it's this poetic spiritual impressionistic panorama of love, or something like that, I'm not really sure what it is. But then other times, he lets himself be more cynical than mellow. It's a little difficult to describe. He's an English guy, and he's very European, which can be a good or bad thing.
I mean, I used to have a copy of "Ten Summoner's Tales", which I think I've misplaced, although I guess I did listen to it once or twice.... "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You" is a really really great song, even better than "A Thousand Years", sorta about all that dross, all the useless extra stuff, that takes away from love-- it's impossible to describe, but you can learn alot from it. (I think "I Am The Walrus" is also essentially about what sort of dross there is that can only take away from love.) Something about the album as a whole mildly irritated me, though-- something about the Chaucer reference rubbed me the wrong way. (Yeah, something about the Chaucer reference rubbed me the wrong way.) Sometimes it could even be a little jarring, I'm not sure if it was "Saint Augustine In Hell", but something like that. Something like that.
I remember once I wrote a review of Twilight that referenced ("A Thousand Years", I think) Sting-- they're both about love-- and there's something about them being so opposite that makes them easy to compare. Twilight is great for just exposing itself to ridicule (from snobs and violent people) for the sake of love, for love's sake, (like this girl I saw the other day who was wearing a shirt that said, 'verified belieber'), and the movie side of it is that simple passion, or, from the book, the first one, at least, that simple differentness of the two of them. But of course sometimes Twilight can be irritating for being *too much* of what it is-- too teen, too young, too immature. Sting has the opposite vices and virtues. His stuff is great for being about love, and somewhat sensual, and well, musical, but in this spiritual impressionistic way, like listening to a guy who's reflecting on things, on life, after having loved and experienced alot of love.
But then, sometimes Sting can just be worldly and decadent and sorta irritating like that.
At his best, he's very good, but it would be easy to list examples of his being a little boring, at the very best. Sometimes he just makes you want something more American, or at least more like some guy like Elton John, since not all English guys spend all their time at the UN.
Overall, though, it's not terrible, just.... average.
(8/10)
