A full review will follow on:

http://www.stingme.dk

Cheers, Ken

humm''?????????????

StingDK how'd you get a copy so early anyways...

Im not a lute man

Sting made this record for his own pleasure - not for his fans.

I'd doubt that most you guys will like it, but we all knew what was coming - and face it Stings voice cant help him here.

He must have spend some time on it - insted of a "real album"

Cheers

Seems that Kipper Eldridge was the Sound Designer !

I'm also looking forward to listen to the entire album.
I love these kind of projects

But one thing : Today, NOBOdY can make an album for his own pleasure, the 3 (!) major company won't invest money in something that would not earn 150% minimum...
I guess Universal asked Sting to make a breack, after the fall of disc sales over the world, to open the curtain on a new Sting.
All is planned with Universal... Even if Sting can afford it, Universal can't (but they could...)

for the record, this is not a Universal project. the cd is being released on the esteemed 'classical' label Deutsche Grammophon. this label is also the home of Elvis Costello. another great pop musician, Joe Jackson, records his more experimental projects for Sony Classical.
it's great to see Sting finally join the realm of these challenging musicians as he takes a leap, defies convention and possibly alienates much of his audience. this is what great artists should all do at some point. dare the listener to expand their musical horizons beyond the usual constraints of pop music.
:) dk, i especially enjoyed your narrow minded review. that is one of the grandest examples i've ever encountered of projecting one's own perceptions on others with that line about doubting that most other fans will enjoy this new venture. spoken like a true pop music pedestrian, assuming that others are no more musically evolved than oneself. isn't it a delight in how fans can embrace an artist yet not be capable of comprehending the very sources of what has obviously influenced that artist in the first place? :)

I have not yet heard the album, but based on the reviews and sound samples on other websites...sounds like a pet project that only die hard collectors will care about.

Why couldn't Sting release this alongside a full new rock album?!

Going back to another thread...Sting is so detactched from his fans wants & desires it is becoming sad.

While I liked certain songs on Sacred Love alot, Sting missed the tea leaves on the musical part. Keep in mind, Brand New Day flailed miserably when it was launched. Remember, BND was not an instant success. Desert Rose - which "arrived" in clubs and the Jaguar commercial - helped propel the album. If it were not for Desert Rose...BND would have the same charting/album sales as Mercury Falling or Sacred Love. Simply, Sting ignored this fact when recording Sacred Love.


The bottom line is that Sting is commercially driven. Look at the drive for constant image management/publicity. He needs to sober up. If Miles were running the show... Sting would be forced back into hit writing mode. Not soundtracks and albums made his pleasure. Sting is acting soft and, now as an elder statesman for sophisticated listeners. I am afraid he is becoming like Paul McCartney - who turns out albums with not hits/hooks. The older fans love him ...the younger ....well only for the Beatles stuff.

Sting: It is time to go back to Broken Music or Soul Cages type of band. Focus on three to four minute pop songs w. catchy lines/phrases and heavy bass ...before your fan base continues to erode.

You still have too much left to share....we value it!

ice, you seem to be convincing yourself that your favorite "perfect little pop star of a man" should no longer strive to evolve throughout his career, or challenge himself and his audience. and all the while, you keep throwing in such contradictions: the pet project for die hard collectors and the detachment from fans' wants and desires on one hand and "the bottom line is that Sting is commercially driven" on the other. well, from what you stated earlier, one would logically conclude that the guy is no longer "commercially driven". so if this little "pet" project is out of the mainstream, which it is, then how can he be so much in the middle of the road? also, how can you claim that he is going soft, when he just spent the past years on a tour where he dredged up the pop rock style of his past (just like so many of his fans had wished for) and pretty much neglected the sophisticated style that he has developed naturally over the years? is anyone ever satisfied?
i knew this was going to start up as soon as the release date for the new project drew nearer. well, wah wah wah, here it begins. just because the guy isn't filling up discs with formulaic pop music that fits the tiny little stereotypical mold that his fans want to stuff him into, then they will go on the offensive and claim that he is detached and ignoring his fans. wah wah wah
honestly, i don't claim to have enjoyed every little musical move that Sting has made over the years, but i will give him some credit for branching out in any way possible. in my opinion, he hasn't done enough experimenting and if this is the first sign of an eclectic career to come, then i will entirely welcome such a move.

glargabe, I agree wholeheartedly. I cannot understand why fans keep on complaining and insisting that Sting go "back to his roots" and release a "rock/pop" album. The Broken Music Tour was a fine distraction, and a sound that many fans wanted to hear. You got it. I myself enjoyed it as well. But, as I've stated elsewhere, I do not wish to hear an entire album in the same style as this past tour simply because the musical complexity is not there. Sting's quote of the day on Sting.com is very appropriate response to this, I feel: "I think if I was happy to re-create the music I was making when I was 25 forever, and was not interested in developing a style, then, yeah, I should have retired by now. But I really feel that if I keep doing what I'm doing, it will get better in a natural, organic way. I am reinventing myself as I go along, without being terribly self-conscious about it."

Glarbage and Sting 24:

Appreciate your notes. Simply ...am torn and frustrated...I am a die hard and will buy anything Sting puts out...period. I liked Sacred Love quite a bit.
Book of My Life is off the charts. Like A Beautiful Smile and Inside are great.

I respect Sting for his trials and tribulations with new materials, styles etc.

But it is time to circle back to his rock & roll roots. When was the last time we heard a real rock song?...TST tour - She's Too Good For Me or St Aug In Hell?

No offense to anyone, but a lute album without a new pop album or BM live album in tandem?

What it boils down too...is live albums would help while he makes the experiments.


Hence the collection of live recordings?! LOL

Ya think he will play Bring On the Night on the lute? LOL

ice, being a Sting fan for the obviously lengthy amount of time that i assume you have been, why are listening to Sting to hear 'rock n roll' in the first place? would you consider Ten Summoner's Tales to be 'rock n roll'? maybe a better clarification is necessary, because when i think of basic rock n roll, i think of the stuff he did with the police.
in my opinion, his latest attempt at 'rockin out' was This War and that lead to a fairly awkward result. the sophisticated lyrics did not gel with the sixties style garage rock sound of the music. if that song is any indication, i surely hope that he doesn't use basic rock and roll as a foundation for his next cd. if going back and rehashing the sound of the police is in the plans for Sting, then i will be disappointed. if he does return to the sophisticated sensibilities of the Ten Summoner's Tales era, then i'd be all for that. but he'd have to bring in some better musicians. :)
as far as another live cd or dvd, it would be nice for certain fans to have an official recording of the BM tour since it was a nostalgia trip. but it's only been 5 years since All This Time and if he keeps up this pace between the large amounts of indiscriminant dvds and frequently releasing live albums, he'll devolve into an oldies act like the Stones or something.
and it is all for Universal to decide anyway. Grammophon is putting out Songs from the Labyrinth and Universal may want to have something out there that they could make money from. but Universal is hoping for a new studio album at some point next year. they may just be patiently waiting to promote the hell out of that.

Can't say I'm suprised by people saying this project is going to bomb as we close in on the release date. Yes the rice krispie tour.... um broken music tour was a success but I don't want that as a studio album regardless of who is brought in. I want him to explore and expand his musical boundary cause when he does - I end up doing the same. I watched the Sacred Love DVD again the other day - dang the DVD is much better than the album.

Of course in a year or so when the next studio album is done we will be back here complaining about what he should have done or not done. I'm just along for the ride and won't complain about the speed bumps - this time.... cause I know the Lute album is a "pet project"

I would like the energy of the nroken music tour but with the virtuosity of the soul cages ,a great conbination.

Ken,

I've only been a member of this Sting website for 2 weeks.

I've seen your site. I just zipped through it. Information I already know. Waste of my time.

Ken, so you got the music. Surprise surprise! It's out there. There will always be a way to get music that hasn't been released. I think you are a prick for rubbing your hack of music or whatever connections you had to get the new album in our faces. You are definitely a prick. And I'm pretty sure Sting doesn't like pricks.

As far as The Police and Sting, you don't get it. You haven't heard what's really said in their music. You don't get the undertones and messages. I don't worship Sting or Andy or Stew, but they've literally saved my life on many suicidal nights, given me insight on how to look at things differently and I swear that some of their music helps tone one's chakras. You probably don't know what that means either. Maybe you do. Do you want to brag some more. I feel sorry for you. Really sorry.

A very hurt, angry, prideful, possibly in the wrong for writing this email, Erin

PS Ken can you say you are the proud owner of the GSUMNER license plate for my car and the thrower of birthday parties for Sting for the past 8 years?

She's a hypocrite......

P.S.


Hello. Sting is experimenting. Erasure experimented with their last album and tour and kicked butt. Real, true, die hard fans don't stray from their "heroes".


Just shut up DK. I will smudge and smear by word of mouth electronically your website.

Sick.

Erin

LOL

Go ahead and enjoy the lute album.

I simply cant - that all.

Zeny, I don't think that Ken was rubbing the fact that he's got the lute album in anyone's face. I actually enjoyed reading his review of the lute album, and will reserve any opinions until I can hear it for myself. I enjoy the fact that Sting's experimenting, but that doesn't mean that the said experimentation will always produce great results. Some will like it, others won't. There is nothing wrong with disagreement. Just because we're all Sting fans doesn't mean that we need to worship every single musical note he produces. When the lute album comes out internationally everyone will get their chance to express how they feel about it on these boards. Ken was just the first to do so. It's good to hear that Sting's music has helped you through rough times. But just because somebody doesn't fall in love with something Sting does musically doesn't make them a traitor to Sting and the Police.

please, do not start "naming" each other, every fan is trying to provide input to each other, so thanks Ken, we have heard the album also and we were ... "ok" with it ... nothing special, just something nice as a Christmas gift.
Cheers and maintain the good spirit here.

How can I get a copy so early. I'd like to hear the album to. I'm missing out. I'll buy anything Sting puts out, and I'll usually enjoy it. I try for an open mind.

Zeny, that was the worst post I ever read here. You have obviously a problem and I bet that some other "suicidal nights" are coming up soon. Just relax and be cool. And: Don´t bore us with your aggressiv bullshit postings - thanks.

Just think. all this just because there is no live album/DVD comming out.

ac

not true ac, I'm excited about all Sting releases.

Today, you can listen to snipests of the album on Deutschegrammophon website
Some videos will come soon.

I got a ticket to the LSO gig next month from sting.com and am hugely looking forward to it. I believe that sting has recorded many of the jazz standards over the yrs but has no intention of putting out an album of them. He likes to play all kinds of music. This lute release seems to be another such project but the decision has been made to put it out there as a record. I'm very interested to hear it and am glad about it.

Remember, we are fans, not collaborators! Just wait to see what comes out, listen, and then, if the mood takes you, slag it off! If you think it's a crap idea, then don't let anyone give you grief. These are not sacred texts.

I'm gonna enjoy it though!

Thank you LISTING, I've checked the Sting.com site this afternoon and no music available!

Well, I just listened to the songs on the GRAMOPHON-Hompage. It is exactly as boring as I expected. If anybody out there is excited about this album, I guess than he/she even would even love it if Sting would record his burbs and farts. And believe me: I love Sting and his music and have more than 130 CDs... I´ll buy this one, listen to it once (maybe) and will put it back in my shelf.

Jasný, vole.

Já se na Songs From The Labyrint těšim. Takže vo co de? :)

sting1993: ty jsi stejně vůl, toho jointa z tebe cítím až sem :D
Labyrinth sooner or later příjde ke mně, takže vo co de :-)

Já si myslim :D Né, SFTL zkrátka ::ROCK

pan oliva je zřejmě Dolínkův kámoš..

Jo jo... Jen jsi nemusel jsi tu jeho přezdívku psát takhle veřejně, protože teď pochopí, že se mu smějeme :D Ale co, aspoň bude sranda.

Jen náš bývalý spolužák Stanislav Dolínek si může koupit kraťasy v Dieslu za 5 tisíc jen proto, že na ně má. A koupí se je, i když se mu nelíbí. Je to podobné jako s těmi cd.

já jsem se snažil to jméno zašifrovat a proto jsem ho napsal trochu jinak, pssssst. Doufál jsem že to nepochopí, jelikož je róra

Jo, máš recht. Tak psssst :D

I've seen the new version of cover to Songs from the Labyrinth [url=http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/2108/62634045703090fz7.jpg]

This is the cover of the Japan version!

ah ah ah great castaway!!!

ah ah ah great castaway!!!

ah ah ah great castaway!!!

I see, sorry not for Labyrinth. Japans have always more than normal people! :D

Yeah, I like it too!

Dcerka say:
jsem se dneska z legrace stavila v Bontonlandu u nás v Carrefouru a zeptala se, jestli budou mít Stinga. A takový hrozný cosmoboy hned: No jasně! A já na to: A seš si jistej? on: Jasně! já: I Když to bude hudba z 16.století? on: Promiňte, říkala jste Sting? Jsem myslela, že se počůrám...

Dobrý co? A pak mi řekl, že když je to Sting tak to tak na 99% budou mít.

a on že je 4 %

Dom55: great version, don't you think :DDD

Castaway: tak to jsem to sem mohla npsat sama, ne? Ale jo, jen si to přebírej... :-D
Jinak bomba, já se taky těším na Songs from the Labyrinth, takže vo co de volové???
::ROCK

Ale o těch 4 % už Dcerka nemluvila :D

jo, prej sto třicet cd. Já mám třeba sto třicet pooperačních jizev a taky se tim nechlubim :D

Ti co tady neumí česky, a že jich není málo, z nás teď musí mít hrozný stihy :D

Well, what about Songs from the labyrinth? I think it should be a great album. It´s clear that it´s not for all fans, but the bests will understand this music. It´s more deep, more simple and diferent.
Don´t be afraid of new things guys!!!

A teď jsi to pokazila angličtinou :D

To tedy jo a dobře jim tak!

hele vole kde mám trávu :DD

ti co neumí česky jsou tu stejně nudní(naprostá většina)

Dcerka: Thats absolutely right

takže vo co de volové :D

mimochodem, abyste věděli. Dřív... jsem hrál pinčes závodně!

Dcerka: I agree :)

Přesně tak. Česky mluvící menšina ::ROCK

Jinak by tu byla nuda. Hlavně, že sto padesát témat s obrázky. SFTL bude boží :)

castaway: Tak to jsi velkej náčelník! Stejně jako pan sto třiceti cédéčkový. Chudák, my si na něm hodně ujíždíme :D

O. má malý péro :DDD psstt

Tak teď ale ROFL :D :D :D

...yeah czech made

Zaspamovali jsme to tady jako prase :D Ale Songs From The Labyrinth vyjde a to je oč tu běží :D

yeah! Tož parádní pokec ::ROCK Tak nakonec dobrou :) Ať nás nevyrazí.

mně je kurva všechno jedno. všechny zabiju a podpálím metro. ale Song from the Labyrinth vyjde a budu mít 13 cédéček

A máš pravdu, kurva! Do hajzlu se vším. Unesu všem anglicky mluvícím členům fóra rodiny a budu požadovat výkupný v podobě bootleg nahrávek a DVD! A budeme mít sto třicet cdček jako pan "taková ta malá středomořská plodina, co se hodně dává do pizzy"