I can't say that I was extatic when I first heard this news, but at the same time, I think it can be quite good and refreshing to hear something out of the ordinary. I'll definitely get the album and give it the chance it deserves.

I'm suitably intrigued. Will this be an all-instrumental recording?

check out sting.com:

"About two years ago Dominic gave me a gift that he'd had made for me, a lute, a sixteenth century instrument with lots and lots of strings and I sort of became fascinated with it and immersed myself in the lute and lute music. It reminded of an interest I've had for a long time - for almost twenty five years - in the works of John Dowland. John Dowland was a sixteenth century English composer who wrote songs for the lute. He was really the first singer/songwriter that we know of and so a lot of us owe our living to this man. Then we met this guy Edin Karamazov who is a Bosnian lute player and we started discussing Dowland and the idea came up of recording some songs of his for an album.

"That kind of frivolous idea became a reality and it's coming out in October on Deutsche Grammophon and I'm thrilled. It's a strange record, a delightful record and I think people will be intrigued by it, as I was, and it's one of those little side issues to your career that don't make much sense logically, but I've never been that logical anyway, so we'll see what happens. The album is voice and lute, there are a few four part harmonies that I sing and it's all music from the sixteenth century."

Edin Karamazov is the guy playing with Sting in the Gabriel's Message version of 2005:-)

For me as a Dowland fan, it is far better than any Kipper-induced records......:-)

Can't wait to hear the remixes :-

Thanks for the link, TarAncalime. I agree, anything Kipper-free can only be a positive move forward. It's an interesting move for him - the hardcore fans will snap the first copies up, the rest will eventually find their way to the cutout bin.

Still, I'm looking forward to it!

This will not be an all instrumental record.

And reading back that news article I was really impressed at something that passed me by the first time. Dominic MADE the lute?! I don't know about the rest of you, but I think it's pretty amazing that he actually made the instrument. Talk about a great and personal gift.

"...he'd *had* made..." :)

no idea about the lute album being a hit record, but it is likely that it could be a fair success with fans of classical and ancient music:-) and that is more important than some chart positioning. Most of them are fake anyway.....

oh....my mistake. i guess i read it pretty quickly and skipped over that one. oops.

oh, yeah, this is a very original idea, hope this new album sounds good! :)

I'd just like to watch the interview exclusive for members... :|

I welcome all 3 Sting´s new projects and the empty pockets of f*fans...(like me!)

Lola don´t worry any exclusivity will transpire when its hot!

DesertRedRose: Did you say "all 3"? The Lute album, next studio album 2007, AND???

LOL Sting1993 do u think I´m some sort of witch or what?

But I can always blame STING..for being That f* hard worker...he was working since a child (figure that!)...
But if you ask me...i always say that will be 3...and i give no f* reasons cause I don´t have any,but I like the POLICE being rea-labour-hated (this word exists?) Damn,this reminds me I just got fired from my translation work...oh well I hope there´s a Lute awarding...come again?¿

Remixes, lol brandnew!! Sting on lute - Club mix (featuring the Black Eyed Peas)!! ROFL!! :P

I find it pretty cool... :-

I'm excited about it. One thing he keeps doing is surprising us. I can't wait.

I see grammy all over this one too.

Ok you guys I'm a nerd and I love classical music and types of music like Sting is doing for this lute album so I'll buy it because I have stuff like that already. I'm sure there are other nerds like me in the world that will buy this stuff and you have to admit Sting fans and collectors will but it just because.
It ain't gonna hit #1 but that's ok. This shows his serious side about music.
And that just like a man he like to play with his toys.

By the way, what is the meaning of fmcc49 ?

....that's what I can the art of making people feel surprised without turning the evergoing 'surprises' into cliche.... It's one thing that no one would have ever thought of Sting doing that kind of twist.... and it's much more pleasing when upon second thought you ACTUALLY do think "..hmm.. I feel it's gonna sound nice and fresh for real..."
I'm really looking forward listening to what will be there... I love what Dominic does on his own, his solo albums and the Shapes album, because he does go into really interesting harmonies and melodies that feel both like something really new and have that vintage centuries-ago sound to it. He's the main man who got me really interested in this sort of experimentation with playing the guitar where the cutting-edge novelty sound meets and interwines with rich historical legacy of this insturment...... Sting's gonna delve into something close to it too, and lute itself sounds really nice to me.... aaaaand I guess that's why to a certain extent I anticipate something really good...

... one interesting thought has just crossed my mind..... That's an interesting contrast he's creating now - he's shooting up in the high-profile sell-out real-deal-energetic music ratings, he's now well accepted by the mainstream.... and at the same time he does the most low-profile thing one would ever do in his position as of now - to release an album of something chamber-like, more intimate and introspective....... Either the lute album is the way to offset the 'Sting misses the Police success and does all to come back to the top, and raving audience is all he's thinking about now' kind of speculations..... or in a more subtle way, it's something that would effect in 'hey, I saw that guy live the other day. He rocks, dude!.. I'm curious what that new strange album is about'..... sort of a sly way to expose broader masses to a kind of music they would never have listen too....... amusing thing to think of.......
Anyways, that's a sing that he's not ovely obsessed and sacrificing one musical thing for the sake of another now...... That's a kind of balance I want to attain in my own life one day... :)

That's "lute" ---------> http://www.lutesoc.co.uk/sounds.htm

I suppose its not that surprising really! I mean Sting does have a serious obsession with musical instruments of every shape and size! And he likes medieval stuff, he likes dressing up and pretending to be King Arthur - in like music videos i mean, lol, (eg - Freak the Mighty, & If I ever lose my Faith - kind of), he might do that in private too but thats up to him!! ;)

Yeah its nice have a little faith restored in that Sting does sometimes practice what he preaches - that 'music is its own reward'!! :)

Then he goes and plays for a 'Russian tycoon'! Oh well, nobody is perfect! :/



;)

When making chamber music records, then the lute is it's own reward. When makin' a cool half million off of a Russian Oligarch ...well, then the loot is it's reward...

Seriously chuffed with this news! So cool...

I hope he does do some vocals on this album cause it should be good.

brandnew: I have explained this before but it's been so long you probably
weren't brandnew yet LOL fmcc is me just me. I didn't pick a Sting relevant
name because I probably would have forgotten it if I use fmcc49 I'll always remember because it's just simply part of my name.

Yes Gonefishing he did say he is doing some vocals on the lute album.
Apparently John Dowland did also write lyrics as well as music.

thanks for the answer fmcc49... It was not a necessary question that's true. But Brandnew forgets pretty fast :-

my view> ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

I think Sting might be accompanying this album with a small intimate pre-Christmas tour.

This might be his shield before the ROCK album is released in spring 2K7, a shield to fend off the critics who will suggest that he sold out on the rock theme. I am sure this 16th century album which will be interesting, but it's is a prelude to the official Broken Music album.

Interestingly, the record label of the Lute album is not A&M, instead it's on "Deutsche Grammophon", a small label, they are not expecting this to go platinum, but come spring 2K7, I think the big release would arrive!

Personally, I was hoping for a live pre-Christmas DVD box set.

Yes, I didn't think about the concerts he could make with lute ! That would be fun !

Any ideas on what it's going to be called?
(I didn't pick up on any title but I also didn't read it very carefully)

Hey, Johnny give it a try! ;-))) Sting has been on "Deutsche Grammophon" before..with a narration in Claudio Abbado's Prokoview's "Peter and the wolf" in 1993:-) furthermore, "Deutsche Grammophon" belongs to Universal Records...

No title is given until now but I am sure it will be posted on sting.com!

"LUTE AND PILLAGE" !!

"LUTE AND BOOTY"!! ;-)

I doubt that Sting is deliberatly releasing this as a 'shield from critics', he doesn't give a d@mn what 'critics', or in fact his fans, think, lol, he just does whatever he wants to do and it usually pays off (no pun intended)!! :P
Huum.. yes, a short very intimate tour of the UK would be very nice indeed!! ;-)

If it's a combination of rock and roll (and jazz) using the lute that would be amazing. If it's just a lute...that's good to. I just hope he doesn't wonder too far from his roots.

The lute is part of his roots. It sounds like it's part of a lot of music's roots. Stings background is so diverse that he could do anything and it wouldn't be wandering too far from his roots in my opinion.

I will take it as a musical lesson, taking me to a place I haven't heard much about.

Back to Ma Roots

..dats what i'm sayin bredrin

Good title too.

LD, I hear you but I think Sting still wants to be popular, if not, why would he launch a 1 month Broken Music tour in the US so soon after the US critics tore up his Sacred Love summer tour? That and many other decisions he has made to me indicates he still wants to be popular and to be popular, you must care a bit about the fans and hope the critics don't tear you a new one.

I'm not reading too much into this release. It's clearly a bit of fun, a self-indulgent diversion that he can release under the mainstream radar. Phil Collins did something similar a few years ago when he did a festival tour with a big band (instrumental show, he played the drums). He released a live album which only fans sought out before it ended up in discount bins.

Bravo to Sting for trying something different, but honestly, would the average Sting fan seek out classical lute music if he wasn't involved? It's definitely not a calculated move, this is just for his own amusement.

I think it's partially that. But it is a supplement for fans to give them something while he works on an album of new material.

I'm sure he knows we are anxious to hear something new from him.

When your opening act has far more energy than you/your band have during your own act. When the audience begins to leave before you do an encore. When everybody is sitting during your show but had been on their feet because the opening act wouldn't let them sit :P When the sound quality of your show is "mud" compared to an opening act being clear...

You deserve to be heavily beaned by the critics.

BM tour he has more energy on the stage and the audience therefore reacts to it. The sound (granted that same Eugene show I question the drumming) is better. But I would have like to have heard more from this format before giving a complete opinion...

I look forward to this album ...

a lute album?

yeee friggin' hah.....

*bleh*

just what I need, a soundtrack to a Bath and Body Works store....

Gonefishing,

there is no question he has had a lot more energy on the BM tour. He must be enjoying it to, because it seems as if he's toured constantly since 2003, minus that 6 month break last year.

I wouldn't go as far as to say the quality was mud, at least at the venue I saw it at. But I would say there was a lack of energy that was missing. I think Sting new that, felt that, which is why he shook things up. He wanted to feel that energy of a new band trying to make it and such.

No one can fault him for getting into that rut, but they could fault him for staying in it. Which he didn't do. He made the change once the Sacred Love tour was over. Not only did he change, but he made this tour better than anyone could have ever imagined. So I'm only looking forward about what's to come.

I was trying to compare the sound quality of Anne's show vs Stings. A friend who went with me to the White River show had been to the Gorge show during Brand New Day.

Both of us walked into the White River show and expected "GREAT" sound quaility during his half of the performace (based on the sound quality of The Eagles when they had been at White River).

We both left feeling that the show had been a let down. Partially because of the lack of energy but mostly the sound quality. My best description now is it was like somebody had clogged the filters in my digital hearing aids. The sound wasn't crisp it wasn't clean and it was hard to seperate various parts of the music - something even with my loss I can do.

My wife had the same gripe - which was interesting to me

Not all U.S. critics tore up Sacred Love go back and look at some of them from Rolling Stone

By the Way you guys are cracking me up with the titles for this lute album.

fmcc49 is right. Many critics enjoyed the Sacred Love tour, and Sting made a great deal of money off it it too, so most fans we're not complaining either.

Given, I personally enjoyed the Broken Music tour the two times I saw it and I thought it was much better than the Sacred Love tour, but I also thought it was much better than any tour Sting has done, that I've seen (dating back to 91).

I agree that not everybody was bombing the show. There seem to be two different reviews that were constant.

Annie Lenox steals show version or Sting rocks the house. As I recall Seattle basically had both reviews or close. I guess my final whine on that show is that I had waited for what seemed like forever for him to come to the area and..

Who Stole My Loot Damnit

Johnny stole the lute and secretly replaced with a bass

Gonefishing stole the lute and replaced with a fishing pole

It's funny how people only seem to hear what they want to. If you liked Sacred Love you seem to hear the good reviews, if you didn't you only heard the bad ones. The reviews were mixed but like Plaster says there were quite a few good ones. Not everyone is The Police anal retentive.Did anybody see the BND shows I'm curious if they were
good or not.
Gonefishing tell Johnny to give back the Lute Sting might need it if he does a tour for this album.LOL LOL Or invite Sting to go fishing.

i draw the line there. no lute album, what the hell!

This is what I love about Sting. All his albums sound completely different. If Sting had written and developed some song that no one heard of there is a good chance you can tell which year it was produced and for what album it was going to go for. Sting has a unique but incredible ability to transfer his voice upon a multideminsional landscape of beautiful music ... from the screamin' Fallout days of The Police to his duet with Sheryl Crow, Always On Your Side ... he never ceases to amaze me with this broad music talent he has...

yes, like a fine wine he ages mercurially...

I got the DVD Possibilities. Herbie Hancock was amazed at Stings abilities,
literally telling him he didn't know he could sing like that. Sting replied
I didn't either. It was a great rendition of Sister Moon.

Fending off the critics was my conspiracy theory of the day.... he he...

Seriously though, I see this as just a small side project, the main release will be 2K7.

I would like to see a single released from this lute album, accompanied by a music video. And seriously - I would give anything to see that music video constructed in the same vein as 'Stolen Car', that is with half-naked ladies shaking it up next to Sting playing the lute. That'd be a sight for sore eyes, huh? Sting rocking it up in a club (with some lute music, no less!), and scantily clad 20-somethings diggin' and dancing in the background. I don't know, does the lute have sex appeal?

Oh my. Now I'll never get that image out of my head...

Wow, that is one of the funniest things I've heard in a while. I can actually picture it and it's hilarious!

Fmcc, I thought the BND tour shows were great as well. Sting opened with "A Thousand Years on two of the three times I saw him. The other time he opened with "If you Love Somebody". The set was good, similar to previous years.

I remember the BND tour also having some pretty good stuff. I don't feel like the the Universal Ampitheatre CD did the tour justice. It was a little better than that. Sting was more upbeat and the crowd was more into it at the show I attended.

I hope for my sanity that they distribute the album at Starbucks. That way I won't be able to leave my "second home" without it...

hey Fmcc49 race you to 1000 posts - we will then join Lady Dolphin and become members of the 1,000 post club.

What a lute er hoot that will be... :-P

granted by the time we get to the 1100 club Lady might be entering the 2,000 post club.

Yes I'm caffeinated right now...

Ok Gonefishing get ready get set go. Oops there goes Lady Dolphin
bounding for that 2000 mark THERE SHE GOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEESSSSSSSS.
I thought the Universal DVD was a bit under played but they were just starting out though.

I never saw a show from the BND tour live, but I do have quite a few live performances on the 'puter/on CD. Obviously the Universal DVD did not, in any way, do the tour justice. I'm not technically proficient, but even I can spot the obvious mixing problems consistent throughout. And is it just me or is Manu's drumming way, way too loud? In my ears at least, this ruins a dozen or so good songs. And to top things off, the drumming is boring. Very boring. Boring to the point of being soporific. Bam - bam - bam - cymbals - bam. Ugh. No, the show wasn't very good. It lacked energy, which seemed to have been drained out of the lineup. Still, there were a few redeeming factors. 'Fragile' and 'Message In A Bottle', I think, were both excellent. And there were a few scattered songs I liked a lot. As a whole, though, the show was not what I had anticipated. I wouldn't call it poor, but weak. Yeah, weak.

Contrary to this, I thought the Central Park show from '00 was great. The sound quality of the bootleg is obviously top notch, but that's not the sole ingredient in this stew of greatness. There's also an amazing level of energy and intensity surrounding the performance. Add to this several superb renditions of already great songs, and you've got yourself a winner. 'All This Time' and 'Moon Over Bourbon Street' are my personal favorites. It helps that Sting is in fantastic voice.

Of the other shows I've heard from the BND tour, I have conflicted opinions. Some are good, others unfortunately suffer the fate of the Universal show. There's something not quite right about the lineup, or so I think anyway, which affects my overall impression of the shows. They're quite capable musicians, and they occasionally did get it right, but there was something lacking. Again I stress that I'm not a musician, or techinally proficient, and know nothing of the specifics. I can only calls it as I's sees it, so to speak.

Christ, what was this thread about again? Way to travel far, far OT... Oh, right - the lute. So, how 'bout that lute, huh? That's...some instrument, don't you think?

Interesting thoughts TS...

There was a distinct difference in the sound of the Mercury Falling tour and the Brand New Day tour. Mercury falling as with all of Sting's previous tours had first class sound. I later learned that Sting hired a new engineer for BND. Not sure what happenned to the previous guy but whoever he was, I was always happy to see Sting live as I knew it was gonna be a great sound production.

After the BND tour, I felt like I was jipped by the sound mafia, the entire BND summer tour in the US was flawed by terrible sound, and Sting's vocals and bass were flat. For the first time, I wanted my money back. My first gig on the BND tour was near Palo Alto, and I asked the idiot engineer after the show, why did I not hear the backup singers "Scream", he screamed back at me, "why don't you apply for the job next time"!

Sting then started Sacred Love with a new engineer, rumors fly as to why he left in the econd leg of the tour, took another gig because of a previous commitment, was caught recording a show, who knows? Jim Ebdon did Sting an incredible job before leaving the set. He brought Sting the Dgi8 console and when he left, Sting's BND tour engineer could not use it so Annie Lennox's engineer took advantage of the digital board, and Sting's engineer went back to his favorite analog board. So then the nightmare returned, but what made it worse is Annie Lennox started sounding clearer and crisper than Sting as they used the digital board. The bad reviews then got worse until the crash at the end of the tour.

The biggest handicap with Sting's engineer is he cannot mix a bigger band, with keys, backup singers, percussion, sequence, etc, he SUCKs big time IMNSHO. Give him Broken Music, two guitars and drums and he is safer. Now, Sting's reviews are all blown out. It seems they fixed the flat vocals from the BND summer tour, wonder if it was all the bitchin? But imagine, I still was unable to hear Sting's bass clearly during his most important bass arranged song, Walking on the Moon, last month in Vegas. Even then with only 4 people on stage, he still sucks.

A perfect example of this guys limitations is listen to how loud Cheb Mami's vocals come in on the Universal BND concert, to believe they released that with all the flaws is amazing.

It was a Digi5 board, not Digi8,

For more information, check out http://livedesignonline.com/ar/show_business_every_stop/

"FOH sound man Jim Ebdon is using a DiGiCo D-5 board." That's the crisp and clear board that Annie Lenox's FOH (Front of house) engineer took over.

Very interesting Trini, I didn't know all of that. How do you notice all these things ? You're working as engineer yourself ?

OK fmcc and Gonefishing, i'll just be treading water until you're ready to join the club!! ;)

The Sting,

it's true that the Central Park is amazing. The strenght of this concert is there. It's an exemple that shows it doesn't need to be perfectly clear to be good. For exemple, I've never liked the "Grateful Dead" introduction by Sting in 1993 even if the recording of it is really clear. He doesn't have the energy of a Oslo 93 or Hildesheim 93.

I don't really know about engineering but I know that sometimes an audience recording can be ten times more explosive than all other soundboard recordings. I think about, for exemple, the "Uniondale 82" from The Police. It's a crazy sound, one of the most powerful concert of the Ghost in the machine tour, far more better than the Gateshead, even if it's clearly audience.

And about the BND tour, it's so strange as you said The Sting that the drum are so boring. Manu Katché is the worst soporific drummer that Sting had. And at the same time, he did a great job on the All This Time 2001.

Strange...

I work part time in the field, and when I enter a concert hall, it's the first area I focus on. If the sound sucks in the show, I focus even more. When that dude started mixing for Sting on the BND tour, Sting's sound and overall impact on stage went downhill. I attribute much of the slide to his engineer. Stings vocals were flat, his bass inaudible, Manu Katche sounded dead, the list goes on. The Nothing Like The Sun tour had a bigger band than the BND tour, and we had crsip sound throughout, this engineer has been a disaster. The shift of the Digi8 board to Annie Lennox's engineer after Ebdon was gone, I saw it with my own eyes, no one can deny it.

...Stop scolding Manu for no reason... Think ...Nothing Like the Sun and the Soul Cages albums when you once again blame him for each and every drummer's sin out there...

I don't mind the idea.

In fact I am still looking to buy his Prokofiev album.. did any of you buy that?

I raise some sort of drink to Trini for the explanation to the sound issues I experienced at during the Sacred Love Tour. I'd assume that it would be easier to mix using the digital boards - but what would I know.

The difference between Annies sound and the sound quality of Stings show was huge to me. Maybe some like the way the analog boards produce - I'd prefer the clarity of the digital. But I'm whinning like usual.

My favorite drumming from Manu is on Book of My Life. Not sure if you are referring to me, but I am not "scolding" the guy, whether the fact that he sounded dead on the BND tour was his fault or the engineer's fault, I am not sure. Keith Carlock did not have the impact he had at the beginning of the tour with the return of said engineer.

For more info on the board http://www.digico.org/DiGiCo-05/d5t.htm but whether it is an analog or digital board is probably irrelevant, once you have a good engineer. That digital board produced a clearer sound but a good engineer can rise above that. Interestingly, Jim Ebdon worked as Annie Lenox's engineer in 2003 http://bg.mixonline.com/ar/audio_road_notes_annie , he also worked with the Police back in the day, sad that he is gone. I was told he left for an Aerosmith tour, http://www.fohonline.com/issue/?di=0402&fi=prodprofile.txt , if you enter a Sting concert and see that dude on the left behind the board, know that you are in for a treat.

http://preview.mixonline.com/mag/audio_sting/

One more.... waaayy off topic but I like discussing this stuff...

http://www.mondiale.co.uk/tpus/vssep.html

Add9; If you were referring to me as the 'scolder', then I would like to say in my defence that I know nothing of drumming and that I was simply stating my opinion of one show.

Brandnew; I agree - audience can indeed sound amazing. It's interesting how the sound of a bootleg can make all the difference in the world, isn't it? And regarding Manu - yes, he does seem to have his ups and downs. I'm not a drummer, and I know nothing of drumming, but I know what I like at least. And with Manu I'm undecided.

...so many people took that remark on being the 'scolders' of Manu.... freudian slip?...:).... Anyways.... I actually wrote it referring to brandnew's post... Nothing personal, I just sort of hate this stereotype when lots of people put Manu on the bottom of the list of Sting's best drummers when he was behind the set on both '87 and '91 albums... Dominic Miller works with Manu on his solo albums and if you deny the guy any percussive creativity go and listen to Second Nature... TheSting said Manu seems to have ups and downs, but imho the intensiveness and percussiveness of the drumming is usually up to Sting's concept of what he'd like to hear in the end.

Plaster, I mean how he came to be known-rock-jazz music. That's what I grew to love his music for. I'm not ready for him to be Pavarati.

I guess we all get to have our eopinion thought regarding the Lute album. I don't see it as a Pavarati moment. I like the fact that Sting is continuing to grow as a musician and wanting to try something different.

He could play it safe and write songs like Every Breath You take till his face turns blue instead he is doing something that we might feel is foriegn to the rest of us.

And this thread used to be so much fun.

let's talk about the lute then...

I noticed something interesting yesterday. I was looking through some of Dominic's Fourth Wall notes, and Barock, which is now called Three Souls I believe was inspired by John Dowland, whose music Sting is going to be playing on his new lute album! Barock was one of my favorite demos Dominic generously gave his fans, and I'm really looking forward to Fourth Wall to hear final mixes of all these songs. If the music Sting's going to be playing on the lute album has any resemblence to Barock, it's going to be a great album. There's a lot of melancholy in Dowland's music, as was noted I think on Stingus' story. So we'll wait and see, but I'm getting more and more excited about this album.

...indeed, stingfan24... I'm of the same opinion on this one too. I've always felt good vibes from Dom's music and it seems to me the lute project would involve many of those influences of Dominic (in the end, that was him who presented Sting with that lute), as well as imparting a certain Northumberlandish sound to it (just like the horn in the beginning of Island of Souls)...

Sting and Dominic seem to have very good influences on each other's musical explorations. Sting gave Dominic a book of Bach partitias and we got Shapes. Dom got Sting a lute and we'll get....the lute album. I'm expecting some real good music.

Desertland,

I don't think you have to worry about him being Pavaratti or anything. The fact that his music has no boundaries makes him who he is. Music like this will challenge us...well, me anyway. He has done that to me many times before. I know this will be one of those situations yet again where his music will break down barriers and open my mind to other styles even more than he has already.

He's done wonders for my tolerance of music and expectation of others lyrics. I know he will continue to do so, and I look forward to it.

Just because he's doing this lute album does not make him Pavoratti like.
A whole lot of people like to listen to this genre of music and it ain't gonna be
a best seller, but because HE'S doing it, it may bring a wider audience to
this form of music. IT'S A GOOD THING. Besides what he's doing now isn't exactly Pavaratti now is it. Remember that little thing called the Broken
Music Tour. Got it Martha.

I think it's incredibly admirable that an artist of Sting's caliber is doing something like this. John Dowland's music has been a part of Sting's musical life for some time now, twenty five years I believe he said in one interview. I'm confident that Sting has picked out only the best to interpret on this CD. It is a distraction, in a way, for fans who are eagerly awaiting his next release. But I think it's more than that. It's a way to bring something different into the lives of many fans. I know it's bad to say, but if Sting wasn't making this album I would never have heard much, if any, of Dowland's music, regardless of how good it is. It's just not something I would seek out. Sting's job as a musician, in fact any musician's job, is to educate themselves in as many different styles as possible. It's really great than he's using his fame and fanbase to share this knowledge.

That's what I'm talkin about stingfan24, you just say it better.

D@mn i wrote a post here earlier and its disappeared, my internet's been acting dodgy!! :/ Well, in short, dito what Plaster said! lol! :)

it's still a lute... it's still sixteenth century music.


I don't know.

Nice review on things stingfan24. I wouldn't have gotten myself into the music of Nitin Sawhney unless I'd heard desert rose, and gone to the BND tour and I'm sure a hell of a lot of people wouldn't have thought about rai music except for sting... i just hate cliches so i'll stay away from the whole 'music with no boundries' and let him prove that!

Is Sting going to cover (the word „cover” sounds somewhat weird according to XVI century music XD) some of John Dowland’s songs, or will they be new Sting’s compositions inspired by Dowland? From the article on sting.com I understood it is the second option, but then again, my English isn’t that good anyway to put it gently, so I might be wrong.

I’m really glad Sting is going to record such an album – I always wanted to hear something absolutely noncommercial from him, something that he would do only for himself, and wondered what would it be and what would it sound like. So now I know.

Anyway, when I heard the news I instantly thought of the intro to “I was brought to my senses” – and if the new album is going to sound like that, I’ll be completely happy with it. I expect some romantic ballads I guess, something I won’t get tired of if it’s Sting who writes and sings them ;)

And here are some lyrics of Dowland:
http://www.lyricsdownload.com/john-dowland-lyrics.html

My thoughts... I'm completely disappointed. I'll by it and I'll check it out, but it's a FAR cry from what I was hopeing and waiting for. I think there's probably a reason this music hasn't been heard much since the sixteenth century.

Lol, ProbablyMe! Don't worry, Sting is bringing out a 'normal' album at the beginning of next year!! I think its cool thats he's doing something a little different on the side lines though! You never know ProbablyMe, you might hear it and instantly be converted to a 16th century music fan!! lol! ;)

Probably Me WELCOME back long time no see.

Fuchina, from what I understand the lute album is going to be just Dowland songs, no Sting original compositions inspired by Dowland.

Basically, he says he's a student of music. Always learning. So I see this as a tribute to one of his teachers.

Oh, I thought it would have some Sting written songs on there too! Thats a shame, well ya never know, he might add a little bit of his own stuff as well, I hope so!!

Oh. If they won't be Sting's original compositions then I'm slightly less entusiastic ;) But he might arrange them nicely I guess.. It will be kind of funny to hear Sting sing all that "thou" and "thy"...
And there's a chance he will add a few of his own songs in that style, as Lady Dolphin said..

Heck, maybe even one original. Who knows. I'm excited either way.

I really doubt there's going to be anything original on here. Any new songs will be saved for the new album, I'm guessing.

It seems to me he was saying it's John Dowling all the way. He may write some lyrics for a song but John Dowling had his own lyrics so who knows and
it doesn't really matter cuz most of the fan base is disappointed about no BMT
album.

But some of that fan base might not want a BMT album either. I'm on the fence in that regard. I want him to expand his music and in doing so expand my own experience with music.

I feel the same way Gonefishing. And there is always music to be found
for the BMT. If sting.com puts out the DVD like they say, well there you have it. Then I really wouldn't count on any BMT stuff being published otherwise.
I guess I want another Soul Cages like album but he's been there done that.
But I'd like to see something along those lines.

Me too fmcc49!! :) But i doubt very much that that will happen! Besides from the lute album, Sting is definitely still in his 'rocking out' mode, lol, I think we will see an album next year that has the Broken Music tour kinda feel to it! Thats what he said didnt he? That his next album may possibly continue the on Broken Music vibe!! And thats cool too!! :)
In fact, maybe we're not being too unrealistic fmcc49, i mean if the next album (not the lute one) does go along the Broken Music theme then surely that will be taking Sting back to his childhood (despite the fact that he won't take the Broken tour to the country he grew up in!!), and if he's thinking and writing more about his parents and earlier life then that won't be too far off the lines of the Soul Cages and Nothing Like the Sun, this is what im hoping anyway, lol! Then again, I don't think he could ever write another album which matches those standards, IMO! Don't get me wrong, I think Sting still has the ability to produce damn good music, its just that those are probably my favourite Sting albums along with DOTBT!! And like you say fmcc49, he's not gona go back to the place he was more than 15 years ago, you can't just repeat those feelings, and i guess Sting probably won't want to drag them up again either!! But ya never know, lol, not that I want Sting to be unhappy or anything!! :P Anyway, im being too fussy, and im rambling way too much, lol!

Im looking forward to hearing both albums, the lute is something completely different - and its nice to hear different things sometimes! But im more looking forward to hearing the 'normal' album since that will be all his own material (- well probably not all if you read that other thread, lol)!!

So what's gonna happen is he's going to do the lute album and it's going to inspire the new album, and what were gonna than get is "Broke n Lute"?

Thanks fmcc49 ;-)

Lady D. Don't give up yet maybe just maybe he'll still bring BMT to the UK.
You know the man never stops. At least for a couple of gigs. And I think you're right he still has the ability but I'm sure he has resolved all the
Gerry Springer issues in his life[or is it Jerry]. He said sometimes you have to be in soulful pain to write your best music. But I have great hope will get something great. But then I liked Sacred Love.
LOL Prob. God I'm glad your back.

Not meaning to upset anyone but only 22 more to go to break the 1k mark.
YES. I'll never catch up to Lady D. though. She's still young.

I'll want whatever album he puts out. I'm not hoping for this, or hoping for that. Thinking that way will just set me up to be disappointed. I know Sting will do exactly what he wants, and I wait for whatever he decides.

It would be cool to see him use primarily just two guitars, bass and drums. But I wouldn't object to seeing a few songs with more than that. Regardless, I'm purchasing it on the first day of release.

.... and you'll shoot right by me when I go on my fishing trip in early july if not sooner. Oh I wish the album was out now - dabnabbit.

Gonefishing Maybe

Plaster, who knows, maybe he'll prove my cynicism wrong.
Anyway, If I liked Mercury Falling, which I did, maybe I'll like his lute album. None the less, I hope few of the songs have a rock/jazz sound. Or perhaps it won't matter because he has a new album.

fmcc49-No it doesn't but Sting's music has become very tame lately. I don't think it's expecting to much if I hope for some of the original sound. BND was perfect! Don't get me wrong, I think the flute is beautiful.

I've dreamt about Sting last night (I just woke up 15 minutes ago)... Well, according to him personnaly : he doesn't have a clue on what's going to be the next album...:-

That's very funny brandnew. So if he doesn't know what does he know when?

Yeah go back to sleep brandnew and ask him some more questions! lol! ;)

It's crazy that in my dreams is the first thing I want to ask him (so I will have plenty of info)... I could have asked something else, I don't know, let me play with you the guitar section on your 1987 Buenos Aires concert.... For exemple ! For crying out loud, it was a dream. What did I ask that ???

Lute, a LUTE! What the fu*k has a lute got to do with Rock. I think the Sting
boy is losing some nutz. Not playing the UK or Ireland and recording and
releasing a Lute LP. He's off his rocker .

GET BACK IN THE GAME -> STING
WAKE UP!

He's 55 man, just give him some peace :-

"GET BACK IN THE GAME -> STING"...... what if he just doesn't want to play with you, dude?

And you're correct, lute has nothing to do with rock.... :) .... so.... is it a big problem for you?

I don't think Sting has ever really had much to do with ROCK, but thats just my opinion!! :P I do, however, agree that Sting must have some screws loose in his head for not starting the Broken tour where he was born and grew up!!

I don't understand the man, where is better then your own backyard to play. Lute, playing a lute!!!!! the problem is, I hoped that the next offering would be something to play in the car, or home. Not something to suit a tree huggers diner party. Lute, a lute!!! Cliff Richards would be happy with it.

"a tree hugger dinner party"?... dang it.... no comment, dude.....

...ha... well, if lute album wouldn't play in your car, i guess you better blame the sound system clarity.... or do something with the engine noise........

I agree with L,
he did rock with the debut of The Police. But after that, not really (just Soul Cages). But at the same time, he always had the rocking physical energy. He is strong and his music were not sleeping music.
Now, he's going to show us real sleeping music. But I'm excited to hear about his voice. He showed on "Beethlehem Down" that he has great skills today.

The Police Rocked, He is a Tree Hugger. and you might be surprised about the
lute music. I listen to Classical Guitar all the time it doesn't put me to sleep.

Desertland,

I disagree that Sting has been tame lately. He actually seems to be going in a different direction. Look at the broken music tour, especially the arrangement on Demolition Man. It rocks.

I think the Lute album is just that, a surprise. It won't be the direction he's going.

First of all, Fender, the lute album is just a side project before the new album comes along next year. Second, just because Sting's doing something different doesn't mean he's "off his rocker", as you put it. It's been said so many times before, but I guess it can be said again. Sting rarely, if ever, gives the fans something expected, and that's really the beauty of him as an artist. He's not afraid to experiment and try different things. The lute album is no different. It's something new and something that will expand the musical knowledge of his fans, or at least those who choose to give the album a chance.

I think the lute album is a good idea gives us some culture. LOL
I just broke my sintgus cherry.

Stingus Cherry sorry.

stingfan, I totally agree. I'm going to give it that chance, and love it like I do all of the rest of his music.

Wow, a whole album with lute music.That is going to be good workout music!! I leave for a few months and all the hoopla over Sting's new album is chamber music.Damnnnnn!!!! If he throws in a duet with Barbara Streisand,then I am there!

It feels good to be back with you nut cases,I mean Sting fans!

Interesting that I came in right when Stingnut1 was breaking his Stingus cherry and it was not a very pretty sight! Yuck!!!!!

I think HER cherry sounds much better or maybe not. LOL

Yes maybe yes. oops are we not supposed to tell our gender???
Ok who's got the lute. has Sting recorded this yet. You guys who don't like this idea can always lift his lute.

I touch no mans lute.

Again, just to clear things up, the lute album is just a side project. There is also going to be a brand new album of original Sting music coming out next year.

Brandnew you stole my dream.... Saturday night in some screwball dream I asked when his next "rock" album would be released and he said he had no idea. Then I asked him why a lute album - he replied about his personal growth in music - Trudy was in the dream - it was wierd to say the least.

I think we are all going nuts Gonefishing (but that's okay) ! That's why we have same dream the same nights :-

I'll be really scared if your dream has him about to climb a stair case when you asked him...

Hum... It was not exactly a stair Gonefishing. But it was an uphill. Strangely it was one I used to climb when I was a young boy (near my child's house)...

Boy that's not what I dream about when I have a dream about Sting.
I don't think I'm asking him anything.

LOL! Me neither fmcc!! ;-)

Right on Lady D.

there was the one I had where I begged him to sing my java song... he said no way in hell... but for some screwey reason he did let me sing message in a bottle... and i actually hit the right notes... I know I was halucinating at that part of the dream...

I guess singin wasn't on my agenda

I think for Sting, I could be gay... But just for him alright !

... that was not actually a revelation. more an enthousiastic note considering we're talking about dreams with him... ahem...

By the way, is there any men here who finds Sting attractive ? (I should make a topic with that, no ?)

... well, I guess I wouldn't mind looking a bit northumberlandish myself... :)

Ge gollly like I didn't know :P. I had one of (um) dreams but it involved councelor Troi STNG. Except I was Riker (which was fine and dandy with me) til my (um) wife poped into the dream.

This topic has "offically" gone off topic. What was it about again? oh the lute...

..... lute and.... and hearing our thoughts..... i guess.......

Back to that ole lute again I found the last few posts a lot more interesting
Counselor Troi huh at least it wasn't her mother.

Do we need to call Freud in here. May be he knows something about the lute.

But a betazoid mother enter the phase is um well 3 to 4 times more... your right however thank god it wasn't her mother...

I think it was 3rd season troi (which ever one had the blue dress)... not racing stripe hair wound up tighter than... oh well... I'm so dead.

Oh give me my lute cause I don't give a hoot
But just my luck I can't it today
or tomorrow
or ever cause well...
I'm lootless

Is that better than Footloose.

Was it just me that laughed at Fender54's quip??
Quote of the thread for me. Mr T style.

'I touch no man's lute.'
I pity the fool.
Quit your jibbi-jabba.

Dunt-dun-da
Dunt-duunt-da..

No I loved the quip. LOL

You guys are cracking me up!! If Sting knew he could turn straight men gay his ego would explode!! lol!! :D

I believe it would Lady D.

The lute album will be called : "Songs from the Labyrinth", according to Sting.com

It means... !... That I've won the "next album titles" because I've said that his next album would have the word "song" in it.

Where's the money ?

Great minds post alike Brandnew, i just started a new thread about that! lol! ;)

When did you say the album title would have the word 'song' in it?! lol!

Damn he didnt take my 'Lute and Booty' or Green's 'Lute and Pillage' suggestions!! :P

Look here, I'm not lying :

http://www.stingus.net/forum/threads.php?id=546_0_13_0_C

It was my first guess... (we are great minds indeed... my queen)

The way Sting says Dowland's music has been "quietly haunting" him for years definitely makes me excited about this album. I'm hoping the music is touching, heartfelt and....well, haunting, the lack of an original word.

I still can't wait for this album to come out. Loot, lute or nor loot. I like the fact that I'm going to get challenged by it..

I'm with you 100% on that, Gonefishing.

Also, Sting talks about putting in extracts of some letter in there....? I'm assuming it's something Dowland wrote, but I could be wrong. Either way, this album definitely sounds like something fresh. A labor of love, as Sting described it. Clearly this album's not being made with money on his mind. It's not expected to sell millions of copies, and that's perhaps one of the most appealing things about it. This kind of expectation, or the lack there-of, allows the artist to do exactly what he wants without having to compromise to meet sales. I am looking forward to this album more and more with each passing day.

I'm with you guys. It is quite exciting!

Whatever it is it sounds intersting and very, I'm just doing this to expand my horizons, I keep wondering if he is in a transition stage after the BMT.
Maybe he just wants to mellow. GOD I HOPE NOT TO MUCH.

I like the mellow Sting. I think he gets very reflective when he gets mellow.

I think next time, Dom should offer him an electric guitar... ( if Every gift an album)

I love mellow Sting too but I truly love the Rockin Bluesy Sting as well.

I was wondering early on why Dominic wasn't playing on the album with Sting, actually. I mean, this musician that Sting's playing with now, Edin Karamazov, sounds pretty amazing, but I love Dominic's style with the guitar.

stingfan24: this is an unusual project. It´s not a regular album. It´s something different - that´s why Dominic isn´t there.

Stingus just posted a tracklist of the lute album and I must say some of those titles sound very interesting.