Sting has been recently quoted several times in the media saying he has "worked and expanded" the Police songs over the last twenty five years.

Word (some of which needs verification from Stingus) from those working on the tour is:

1) The Broken Music Tour convinced Sting that his fans preferred the "rock Sting" vs. the "world music" Sting. Thus, Sting realized he could monetize this demand with more dollars, pounds, Euros and the like by using The Police vs. doing it as a Broken Music Tour. [Remember the Broken Music shows were recorded for DVD and, then left in the vault. The real reason was Sting killed it because he was already thinking Police reunion.]

2) There is already tension in the trio because Sting is pushing re-worked versions of songs vs. Andy & Stewart who want to do it the old way. Specifically, Sting is pushing a slower speed on some of the bass lines and wants to extend Roxanne, slowdown Message and play live Voices/World Running Down together rather than separately.

3) Andy and Stewart do not want a greatest hits tour and are pushing (but not fighting) for Its Alright For You and a few other gems.

4) There will be backing tracks and electronically looped keyboard sequences for Walking In Your Footsteps and King Of Pain (when played).

5) There will be no new Police album, but there will be a few new songs distributed on the box set, a new greatest hits package, and via electronic e-music channels.

6) There will be 2 DVDs from the Reunion tour...one documentary and one a concert.

7) If the Tour pans out from a quality music standpoint, there may be a double live album sometime in 2008 featuring selections of up to 25 songs played throughout the tour.

8) After the Police tour, Sting will record a rock studio album with a new band. And this Tour will be marked as his 25th anniversary as a solo artist.

hmmmmmmmmm, the iceman commeth, ever see that movie? not bad

Am I missing something?..... Who are you, iceman? How come your 'scoops' are so 'inner'.....

btw, anyone for the latest scoope on David Hasselhoff?..... Or I can brief you on the tensions inside a mongolian 2nd league curling team......

<tumbleweed>

I imagine it is hard to curl in the Gobi Desert.

No, you can't imagine... the guys are stuggling with thirst, venomous snakes and fourwheelers frolicking in the dunes...

If some of that is true I might be glad Seattle is early in the tour.

By the time they get to Europe they'll be having three insulated bullet/drumstick/guitar-proof plexiglass cubes on stage every night

I booked show #1 figuring it could be a bloodbath down the road.lol

...or the Iceman melteth thanks to global warming :P.

I like the Voice/When the World is done the way they did it at the rehearsal / Broken.

4) I'd have to say duh.

Hasslehoff could be trying to get in shape for a Baywatch reunion :D

Back to the first question - iceman, who are you?

says Iceman... I'm the guy in that photo that nobody can figure out who I am and am always at every concert :D

Ducks and runs for cover back at Kipperrock I go

The Police ALWAYS extended Roxanne so how is that new?

I hope Andy and Stewart continue to fight for "It's Alright for You" and other rareties. Most of the songs on the setlist that are allegedly going to be performed during the tour are greatest hits, and those who have previously attended a Police and/or Sting concert have already heard these songs played live before. They've sold the tickets already. The Police can play whatever they want so they should reward the fans who want to hear the songs that rarely ever get played in concert. Sting said he is touring again "to surprise the fans." If he truly wants to surprise us, he shouldn't just continue to play the same old Police songs he has been playing as a solo musician for the past 20 years. We expect him to play greatest hits because that's safe for him and he can better control the band and the music that way. It would be truly surprising if he didn't rely on the same old format.

So mebody verify something. Iceman I know you have said before that you have inside info but can you confirm all of this.

I am right behind you Gonefishing!!!

I heard that Sting & Stewart are planning to have a mock "knockdown/dragout" fight on stage every night.

What a tough crowd! If I were not devoted to this website, I would react to the comments negatively. You all gave me some laughs.

So who am I? The potential answers...

a) Sting
b) Not Sting, but closely connected
c) The Riddler (from Batman lore)
d) Just a long time Sting and Police fan who happens to know someone at a particular music company where they hear the rumors from agents, A&R promotion for particular artists etc.

These postings are solely to share unconfirmed rumours and sometimes the stuff is logical (as Doctor Spock would say) and sometimes not.

[Keep in mind I was totally right about the Broken Music DVD and put it out there well before the end of tour. Remember some of you kept saying no way...and, then suddendly a special Irving Plaza show at the end to the tour to record a CD/DVD!]

By the way, it has long been rumoured that people who "know" Sting claim he views himself as a global brand. As such, he is always looking for the next move on the chess board.

He struggles between his artisitc desires and what is commercially viable. He took the Lute gamble because he had a Broken Music CD/DVD and/or a Police reunion in his back pocket.

He is very, very smart and never would fully gamble his worldwide appeal solely for a niche music project. [Notice Sting stated he expected the Lute project to fail commercially! A safe comment to buffer the unknown.] According to sources, Sting did not wake up and say I'm going to call Andy and Stewart.

This is all part of his "story". He always has a story after recording an album and starting a tour (i.e. Broken Music - - back to his roots. Sacred Love - needed to focus on what does an artist write and communicate after 9/11? Love. Soul Cages - images of ships and going back to his childhood etc.) The story is always based on what sparks him to write and is well crafted/honed as a well to sell the songs and stay above the fray of the competition. Nothing wrong with it...smart marketing.

The idea of the Police reunion was apparently sparked by the Broken Music Tour in 2005. Simply, Sting was overwhelmed by the fan's reaction to rock n roll Police classics not his global techno pop Sacred Love. (Yes, I thought Sacred Love was an excellent set of songs, but would have been better with different, non techno arrangements of Kipper.) Sting launched the BM tour because he was not happy with the Sacred Love sales and concert reviews. As the BM accolades poured in, rumour has it Sting realized he could capitalize on the entire Police catalog more profitably and expand his own brand if he reformed the Police for the grand finale. After this Police tour, Sting - again - will have re-affirmed himself as the #1 concert draw in a given year...he has not enjoyed this title in many years. And, his fan base will again have globally expanded dramatically. All in all...brilliant!!!!

Give Sting the accolades he well deserves. The truth we know is that Sting is an excellent artist and has the best "gut" for marketing along with Mr. Jagger and Madonna (who are the other major marketing machines in music.)

Only Sting and his inner circle really know the truth, but keep in mind the above comes from sources only one or two levels away. And in the end, who cares.....all of us are psyched and, any new music on the horizon is just pure bonus.


This ia great forum. Look forward to your comments.

Regards,

ICEMAN

errr.... b)...? Trudie is it really you?......

))

"According to sources Sting didn't wake up and say I'm going to call Andy and Stewart"..... lol..... what happens to a person if he's not waking up?

Thanks Iceman ! I always love your comments and look forward to others... I totally understand you and quite never believe the little stories he puts behind albums. As you said, he's brilliant. He's an artiste and a brilliant marketing man, it's his job. Making money and being famous is part of his job. He deserves to be at the top, he always tend to and that's good. And also, he's a responsible man, he knows what he has to do in order for his music to give work to people around him, to raise his family without any worries for them in the future. I respect that totally. And it's not in contradiction with artistic integrity.

I agree brandnew. And thanks Iceman! :D I'm psyched too!

hummm...nice,ice!
Anymore butter to put at Sting´s toast?

I guess they will do *end up wet*....
we all expect the ice to melt...i do think!

The only reason they didn't use the Broken Music DVD from Irving Plaza was the shoot didn't go as planned and no one was happy with it. Sting's record and attendance figures were decreasing on Sacred Love. He was getting his ass kicked by Annie Lennox on the US leg who he needed to co-headline with in order to get bookings in US ampitheatres. His back catalog is not selling much as well. Broken Music tour was a response to the widely negative reaction. He played in mid-size arenas across the US to an average of 6-7K. Musically, it may have been his best tour to date. He received the best critical acclaim of maybe any solo tour of his. He was becoming stale and was moving further away from what his largest audience wanted to hear. Now we have the reunion tour which will be the largest attended tour that he's been a part of, including Synchronicity. He never touched these numbers as a solo artist and he never will.

Well ,chunga you don´t need to exagerted ,poisening all the toast...
What do we have here is ...8 or 80!?

Talking about synchronicity..here is a nice video...with The Police *sick faces*
and looking for cure ,lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_4oYz2VpoM

I always thought Sacred Love bombed because of it's anti war theme and that because of this many US stockists refused to give it the marketing it deserves.. at least thats what the UK sources say...

wow, these police fans are vehement in their disregard or complete disdain for Sting's output during his solo career, aren't they? :) i know that all opinions are valid, yet to say that the simplistic and, on many occasions, sloppy broken music tour may have been his best tour "MUSICALLY" is extremely disrespectful to the extremely strong and sophisticated performances of the many world class musicians who had worked with Sting over the years.
it is interesting to witness this revival, rise and the probable takeover of this site by these police fans, who were once bored and embittered yet are now emboldened. their scorn for any slight sign of sophistication is apparent and it's almost a reverse elitism, isn't it? it really should be the whole 'more the merrier' thing around here, a warm welcome to all the fans who had paid little attention to anything other than guitarbassdrums, but doncha think that they are making it a little hard with their base and vitriolic remarks?

ICEMAN: thank you for your information.

There does seem to be a reverse elitism vibe on the posts.

No disdain for Sting here. I've seen every solo tour and have every album. I think he lost the fire after Ten Summoner's Tales. I didn't care for Mercury through Sacred Love and the shows were getting worse with each outing and Sacred Love at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield was downright depressing. He was going through the motions. People were walking out. There was not a memorable tune in the bunch that will stand the test of time. Just my opinion. He redeemed himself with Broken Music tour. Why? Because of the setlist and back to the bar bones lineup. Finally, the passion is back! I'm sick of the safe Sting material of late that you hear in elevators and supermarkets. Good to have you back Sting!

Personally, I think they have grown up a lot since the days of The Police... Back then, there were 3 egomanics who were striving for the spotlight. Now however, I feel that, as grown men, with their own careers behind them, that will have dissipated. Having said that, that tension could be a driving force.

Like so many, I too, unfortunatly, think this will become a "Greatest Hits" tour... Although only having been to see him on 2 tours (BND & Sacred Love), I feel that some of the B-sides would be a good addition.

Having said that, I can't wait for 8th September... Block A2 - bring it on!!

Ed

ICEMAN, you da MAN! Everything you wrote seems totally logical and following in Sting's footsteps. Brandnew said it well "As you said, he's brilliant. He's an artiste and a brilliant marketing man, it's his job. Making money and being famous is part of his job. He deserves to be at the top, he always tend to and that's good. And also, he's a responsible man, he knows what he has to do in order for his music to give work to people around him, to raise his family without any worries for them in the future. I respect that totally. And it's not in contradiction with artistic integrity."

Back to Iceman, anyone who thought the Lute project preceding this (or a full blown BM tour) is coincidence must be day dreaming. I love Sting for his artistic contribution, etc but Iceman is correct, he would never take too big a risk, even hooking up with the all black blue turtles band, if it failed, he had an excuse, he didn't even play bass (seriously though, that 1st solo album was a risk). Sting IMNSHO is the most complete artist out there but it is now very clear, he calculates his every move!

BTW, Who in their right mind really want to hear the song "It's Alright For You", what the hell was Stewart and Andy thinking?

Glarb, you want to see "sloppy", look at that new posted rehearsal footage on thepolicetour.com, sorry, I agree with Dr Baht, why are they putting this stuff out there? Stewart's timing ahhhhhhhhh.......

Don't care what anyone says, when the sound was right, the Sacred Love tour was awesome, very sad that an awesome drummer like Keith Carlock might not work with Sting again because of these negativity surrounding that tour. Carlock IMO was one of the top 3 drummers to have played with Sting, sorry, Stewart's not in the top 3.

I find it interesting that the musos on this forum who complain about Stewart Copeland's lack of skill say nothing about Sting's lack of skill. I'd say that Stewart and Sting are made for each other because they're more about style than skill. Their skills are suited for each other.

Obviously I think Sting is a GOD but I don't think he's the greatest musician. (Sorry!) When he surrounds himself with people like Dom, Josh and Vinnie they are WAY out of his league. And he knows it. I thought it was hysterical when Dom described Sting's timing as "dodgy" on the Sacred Love video. (I love Dom!) Plus, if you listen to Sting's bass playing he makes a lot of mistakes.

But to me this isn't a bad thing. I love Sting's bass playing because he writes the most incredible bass lines and his style is amazing. And, of course, his songwriting skills are out of this world (but that's another topic).

Precision drummers like Keith Carlock are fine but they're almost too fine; they're kind of boring. I couldn't recognize his style from any other excellent session drummer. When I hear Stewart, however, I think "Wow! That's Stewart!" I get the same feeling when I hear Dave Grohl, Travis Barker and Keith Moon. When you hear 'em you know it's them.

Like a lot of people here I am also a musician. I play guitar, bass and piano but I don't consider myself an expert. I guess I must be lame because I think Stewart Copeland is simply amazing. When he and Sting play together it's magic.

Amen Yobculture !

Right on, yob

iceman, will we ever get a chance to see the dvds recorded in Frankfurt or Irving Plaza?? For severals years there have been rumors odf a multi dvd boxed set being offered at Christmas by bestbuy........any chance?

Your DVD players will know what to play in the next 12 months :-) ...

6 pairs of eyes?lol

Oopps,sorry ...is Not about The Capitain's Jack Sparrow,No?
I say 3pairs of eyes then :)))

hey Trini, i did happen to hear the Police reunion at the Whiskey. Police Brutality indeed! :) but i am sure it will get better with rehearsals.
it is unfortunate that Carlock wasn't able to insert more of his own personal style into Sting's music. the material didn't really allow for much development plus he wasn't there to originally shape the songs during the studio sessions. he already had committed to work again with Steely Dan in 2005 so it seemed like a one shot deal from the very beginning. i also read that he will be appearing on Faith Hill's next disc, so i'll be looking out for that. and i tend to think that Carlock does indeed have a recognizeable sound: the snare is really tight to the point of 'pinging', the toms are tuned real high like a typical jazzbo and he favors a swing feel when he plays reggae rather than the normal reggae rhythm.
and sting shouldn't ever fret about being below any of his backing musician's league. he composes so that they can also create and that is his main asset. besides, ask any pro out there, Vinnie is way out of everybody's league :)

Watched the Police at the Whiskey again last night. Thought they sounded great. Can't stand Losing You really got grooving during the regatta de blanc jam.

To these ears Sting has never ever sounded better than he does with Andy and Stu.

And say what you want about Stu but he's got a style all his own. One of the few drummers whose sound is instantly recognizable.

Only about 800K people and counting want to hear the Police based on tickets sales so far. Who wants to hear Sacred Love again? About 80 people on this board. Draw your own conclusions.

Look at the Sacred Love setlist. The highlights? Nothing we haven't heard before and this band was his worse, overprocessed, crap! Even the Police songs he played were tired and the same ones as always. Tired! Tired! Broken Music and the Police is the write direction. If he continued along this path he might as well tour with Bryan Adams and Rod Stewart.

Send Your Love
Synchronicity II
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Dead Man’s Rope
We’ll Be Together (with Annie Lennox)
Seven Days
Fragile
Fields of Gold
Sacred Love
Englishman in New York
Whenever I Say Your Name (featuring Joy Rose)
Never Coming Home (snippet of When the World is Running Down…)
Roxanne (snippet of King of Pain)

Encore 1
Desert Rose
If I Ever Lose My Faith In You
Every Breath You Take

Encore 2
A Thousand Years

Part of Sacred Love concert review that I think sums it up. This was one of the first shows in Chicago with Vinnie Colaiuta on drums and even he couldn't help out:

"The unnaturally buff, artfully unshaven, peroxide-blond crooner used the show to launch his newest album, "Sacred Love," which finds him taking the coffeehouse pop of recent solo discs to the Middle East via the addition of an odd trance drone here, a little doumbek or tabla there, and some obnoxiously artsy video projections of naked belly dancers splashed up behind his eight-piece band as it performed.

New songs such as the album's title track, the VH1/adult contemporary single "Send Your Love" and the ponderously self-important political toss-off, "Let's Forget About the Future," are, in a word, dreadful -- tuneless, pretentious, overwrought and (despite the best efforts of master drummer Vinnie Colaiuta) positively leaden in the groove department.

With the exception of "Walking on the Moon," which opened the show and was ruined by a rendition that found it reconfigured as a cabaret ditty featuring only Sting on bass and vocals and pianist Jason Rebello tinkling behind him, the songs of the Police were by far the highlight of the two-hour set.

Nearly a third of the show was devoted to that timeless, energizing material: "Message in a Bottle," "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," "Synchronicity II" and of course "Roxanne" (which Sting offered almost as an apology for a truncated version of "Englishman in New York" -- apparently he forgot where he was for a minute, mistaking Grant Park for Central Park).

When you compare twee solo fare such as "Fields of Gold," "All This Time" and the new tunes from "Sacred Love" to these Police classics, you can't help but ask: Sting, what the heck happened? Perhaps if you spent a little less time on those marathon Tantric sex sessions that you brag about and saved a little of that energy for your current music, you'd still be an artist that matters.

I refuse to comprehend such 'reviewers' writings if their fantabulous journalistic talent allows for 'tantric marathon' cliches.

9xAMEN :)))

Ok ya'll just want to have a damn fight over this? Police fans on one side and Sting fans on the other?

We can meet out by the dumpsters during recess. No biting and no kicking in the balls.


But yeah, that Sacred Love tour wasn't too good imo.

what balls?

what is imo?

Who can write better lyrics and better music,puts yours hands up....
if not...hummm...(like Sting said to me once...shut up.

Imo - in my opinion.

what balls?<<

Ok no punching the ladies in the tits.

That better? :)

LOL

OK, this thread is beginning to run its course, but this has been one of the best conversation strings I've read on this forum in months. Great variety of opinions, rumors, intelligent musical discussion. Thanks to everyone here. Sting has great fans.

Yeah, let's DUKE it OUT!

TRINI, I WANT TO LISTEN TO "IT'S ALRIGHT FOR YOU," AND "OMEGAMAN," "DARKNESS," "BRING ON THE NIGHT," AND "MAN IN A SUITCASE," though my chances are slim to none. I have a small feeling that Iceman is Copeland himself. If it is you, Copeland, DO NOT RELENT FROM PLUGGING IN ANDY'S AND YOUR SONGS AND IDEAS FOR THIS TOUR. I AM PAYING TO SEE THE TWO OF YOU FIRST, STING SECOND.

Really thumper? I find it pointless, but its only my stupid opinion. I'm fed up with duality Sting-Police and if someone can defend songs like man in a suitcase.... well, why not behind my camel or sally? Let's face it: probably some Sting's stuff can be pretentious, but these songs are crap. Including some Sting ones from The Police era.

If Iceman is Copeland then please dye your hair.lol

I will dye my hair (LOL!!!)

The rumor is Police box set #2 (confirmed by StingUs), at least 3 dvds (see below), and some rareities put online via iTunes and the like. There might even be a special cd Best Buy version of whatever releases may occur. No one has come clean as to whether there will be any new 2007 Police songs.

Bottom line expect alot of the Police stuff in the vaults to come into the light. What exactly is not known at this time.

Re: Sting solo stuff, rumor is expect any dvds or cds of past solo concerts to wait until Sting records a new solo album. Then some of it will start to see the light as Universal/A&M is going to plan "yet to be determined marketing events" to celebrate Sting's 25th anniversary as a solo artist sometime around 2008 or 2009. The focus will be to monetize the Sting solo materials right off the back of the Police tour (which is expected to be a huge success.)

Keep in mind the Police Tour will end one year from now. Plenty of time to release and promote the Police box set, a new greatest hits album, some DVD's and then when the tour ends - - a possible Reunion Tour concert DVD, a separate documentary and possible a double disc live album with select concert highlights from 2007-2008. (Depends on the quality of the Police shows).


Not all is set in stone at this time but the marketing machine is starting to gear up. This is going to be big -- especially with Best Buy behind it. So expect more stuff (some of it repackaged older items, some new.)

StingUS anything you can say more ...without the record company jumping on your back?

thanks iceman:) BTW, is there any talk of a warmup gig prior to the 1st vancouver show?

Do not know.

Thanks for the info. Seems like this should be the job of Universal...!

Is there any truth in the rumour that all the Police shows will be recorded and made available as CDs (similar to what the likes of Pearl Jam and Peter Gabriel have done previously)? I'm guessing not if there are plans for an 'official' live album.

I read the same through the posting here. Have heard nothing. Will ask.

Iceman sure posesses the knowledge of lots of different info.....

So..... when will I win the lottery?

I'll give my vote on sastal's tracklisting. But may I just add: MASOKO TANGA, TRUTH HITS EVERYBODY, CONTACT, DOES EVERYONE STARE.

Surprised ? - well onetime a police man always a police man.

Cheers, and let the fun begin.

http://www.stingme.dk

THERE ARE NO CRAP POLICE SONGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If they are not great they are fun!!!!!!!!!!

Iceman is right about a new box set. At one time there was even a list of what was to be on it, but I think there are re-thinking that. They really need to add the GITM demos and maybe some other things like ONLY YOU!!!!!!!!!
PLEASE.

OMG I actually agree with Trini on something!!!!!! I am amazed.

noooo say it ain't so... Oh wait so do I :P

Well, I guess we Police fans can't have it all. Would love to hear "new" Police music, but seeing them alive is just as good.

"Behind My Camel" is a Grammy winner, so I'll leave the history books to judge that one. "Be My Girl (Sally)" is actually quite humorous, while "Man in a Suitcase" (a Sting song) couldn't have been more representative of The Police's travel-packed life during that time: Zenyatta being recorded with little time (one month) between Regatta and their last tour. To me it possesses a quintessential Police sound.

I believe that "crap" is in the eye of the beholder (or, rather, the ear of the listener). As far as I can remember: "de gustibus non est disputandum". Sting solo has produced far worse stuff than the above.

I suppose his new band won't be composed of Dominic Miller. He plays the guitar exceptionally well and he can play rock, right? What a pity!

I'd like to hear Canary in a Coal mine:)

woah, put on the brakes there sastal. it is indeed very true that "crap" is in the eye (or ears) of the beholder :) but did you actually write that Sting has written worse material in his solo works than 'camel' (which is actually a piece of music i do enjoy quite a bit since it sounds like fripp) or 'sally' or any of the other filler tracks written by Copeland or Summers?
wow, i was right, these die-hard Police fans are circling the wagons and becoming more and more emboldened each day. but i would be interested to read which tracks you'd consider to be 'far worse stuff'.

I give up. If you guys love Behind my Camel, then this is what you deserve. The fact it won a Grammy doesn't mean anything (can I remember you Sting won several more Grammies that The Police?) and it's a real weak song. If any other band have done it you would say it's crap. I'm not denying Sting hasn't done any crap, he did it, and a lot of it. But that doesn't mean ALL Police songs were great (written by Sting, Andy and Stewart).
My last post on the issue. :D

My Sting Crap List:

Russians
We'll be Together
Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot
You Still Touch Me
I'm so Happy Can't Stop Crying
All Four Seasons
Heavy Cloud No Rain
She's Too Good For Me
Nothing Bout Me
Brand New Day
Perfect Love Gone Wrong
Tomorrow We'll See
When We Dance
All for Love
After the Rain Has Fallen
Fill Her up
Send Your Love
Whenever I Say Your Name
Dead Mans Rope
Stolen Car
Forget about the Future
Sacred Love

My Police Crap List:
Mother (and even that has a sense of humor about it)

Your list is crap too chunga. "All For Love" was written by Brian Adams.
And some of those songs are great songs it's your taste that obviously leads you astray. Why do you guys even care about this. The Police vs Sting
is stupid. Sting is a genius and so is Andy, and you need to get over it and just relish in the reunion. And I will take you to the mat on "When We Dance" it is one of the most beautiful songs in the world. And anything from TST was GREAT!!!!

Sting is a genius, absolutely. Soul Cages was a great piece of work because it was a work of passion for him. After Summoner's tales around the time of his appearance in All For Love his music became comfortable, coy and clever without the emotional investment or at least that's the way it sounded to my ears. Look at the fire he had at the Police rehearsal, mistakes and all.

Chunga, to a proof that beauty truely is in the eyes of the beholder. How can you put Well be Together, Brand New Day, Let Your Soul be Your Pilot, and When We Dance on that list? Those are some of his best songs.

It's so great how we hear things so differently. Some of the song's on chunga's "crap" list are my favorites! An example of how we hear things differently: I absolutely HATE "Mad About You." HATE HATE HATE! Uh oh, I hear a collective gasp! Almost every Sting fan will disagree with me on this one but it's all a matter of taste, right? My wife thinks "Mad About You" is a work of genius but I can't stand it!

Here's my reaction to chunga's list:

Russians (like it)
We'll be Together (like it)
Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot (hate it)
You Still Touch Me (love it)
I'm so Happy Can't Stop Crying (er... I like it. kinda.)
All Four Seasons (LOVE IT!)
Heavy Cloud No Rain (Kinda like it)
She's Too Good For Me (Like it)
Nothing Bout Me (Love it)
Brand New Day (LOVE IT! One of my all time favorites!)
Perfect Love Gone Wrong (It's OK)
Tomorrow We'll See (It's OK)
When We Dance (Like it)
All for Love (DESPISE IT)
After the Rain Has Fallen (Love it)
Fill Her up (Not my favorite but it's the work of a mad genius)
Send Your Love (it's OK)
Whenever I Say Your Name (lame attempt at writing a hit but it has moments)
Dead Mans Rope (like it)
Stolen Car (like it)
Forget about the Future (not a bad song. it's OK)
Sacred Love (Like it)

The final verdict? We all hear things differently. We should just accept it.

I'm heading back to my rock... it might be dark but its safe.

Everything is in the ears of the beholder. If I was burning a best of CD of Sting tracks for someone who never heard his solo work this would be it:

Set Them Free
Children's Crusade
Moon Over Bourbon Street
Fortress Around Your Heart
Lazarus Heart
Englishman in New York
Little Wing (cover)
Fragile
Island of Souls
All This Time
Jeremiah Blues
Soul Cages
Fields of Gold
St. Augustine in Hell
Shape of My Heart
Something the Boy Said
Hounds of Winter
I Hung My Head
Valparaiso
Desert Rose
The End of the Game

"Everything is in the ears of the beholder." Absolutely!
That's why I'm defending your right to your opinion even though I disagree with many things on your list! You dislike "Brand New Day" but I absolutely love it! You like "Jeremiah Blues" but I don't (save for Dom's great guitar work at the end). I think it's great that there is a Sting song for everyone.

One person's trash is another person's treasure...

OK....I guess we can safely say that "Latest details" no longer applies to this thread.....Should we re-name it "Sting against the Police"....Maybe you guys should start your own thread.

"Fill Her Up" and "Send Your Love" (to name two) do not stack up to any of The Police stuff I mentioned. Sure, Sting won more grammies than he did with The Police, but he also spent more time on his own. Add to that the fact that The Police's grammies were not all about Sting's own ideas. Would you call "Regatta de Blanc," another Grammy winner, a filler tune as well? It must be a coincidence that most of my favorites (above) by The Police are fillers, then. And if grammies do not mean much, then I guess Sting's don't, either. Do I enjoy Sting's solo stuff? Of course! I just don't think he ever eclipsed the power of The Police. Many others share my opinion.

P.S. I have the same views about Paul Weller, though I don't mind his solo work.

I think Sting realized that he was going through a creative slump and the material was not connecting as it did through Summoner's tales. Sure Brand New Day was a hit, but there was a ton of marketing behind it with Comaq and Jaguar commerical. That marketing campaign was in response to the softer sales of Mercury Falling. Then after Brand New Day, Sacred Love came out and was his biggest commercial and creative dud to date. That would probabaly be agreed upon by most on this board. The live reviews were scathing. Sting finally came to grips with this as well. After his committments for the Sacred Love tour were over, he immediately got rid of the SL band and went on tour with an aggressive edge and a set that only covered material up to Ten Summoner's Tales. Doesn't that sound like Sting is in agreement with our assesments? Anyways, he is going through a great resurgence now that started with Broken Music, Labryinth (which I still haven't heard, not my thing but it was great to see him do something outside of the Kipper pop treadmill he was on) and now the Police.

I also think that the co-headlining tour with Annie Lennox for Sacred Love really had an affect on him. The majority of reviews on the US leg said Annie Lennox stole the show. I think it was the Boston Globe, not sure, but they had most of the review on Lennox and only a couple of paragraphs on Sting's performance. If I remember correctly, this was the first time he had to co-headline on tour with anyone in the US and to upstaged by her night after night really inspired him to make changes. She is a fiery performer. Just a theory.

to correct you on the facts, the Broken Music tour included performances of Hounds of Winter, I Hung My Head and Lithium Sunset, all from Mercury Falling and Desert Rose from Brand New Day.
and as far as opinions toward Fill Her Up, like yob I know it is the work of a mad genius :) and what a risky hybrid it is: to go from podunk country to a gospel flavored raveup (in a 7/8 time signature no less) to ending in a jazz fusion tag out coda is extremely daring for a so-called middle of the road adult contemporary pop star. in my opinion it was a look back to the successful genre bending songwriting from the ten summoners tales period and the lyrical tales that i have come to expect from the guy. and because of that, in my opinion, it far outweighs the lightweight two or three chord jams that lean heavily on the use of hey-ohs, yeah-ohs, das, dos, yo-yos, etc rather than actual words.

Fill Her Up is not my favorite Sting song but I really appreciate it for its creativity. I think glarbage described it well. I mean, how many completely different song styles can you put into one song? It's completely insane and it works! That's why I've never understood Sting's label as a "light jazz adult contemporary" artist. That's a terrible label. I don't know too many adult contempory artists who sing in the voice of a transexual prostitute (Tomorrow We'll See). His lyrics have always been edgy and his music isn't as "light" as it seems.

Man, I am so glad I'm a fan of both solo Sting AND The Police so I don't have to waste my time endlessly arguing about who is better. Who the f*ck cares?

It's all a matter of taste, isn't it. :)

Sure, the next time I hear the first two seconds of "country" masterpiece "Fill Her Up" before I skip to the next track on Brand New Day, I will remember the adult contemporary stroke of genius that makes it so great. Tell you what: I'll add it to my favorite James Taylor songs as well. Not!

P.S. Two- and three-chord jams are pretty much what rock is all about. Do you want to tell that to Bono or Brian May? Or, perhaps, about "Message" and "Next to You"? Any way you slice it, the power of "Regatta" beats "Fill Her Up" or "Send Your Love" hands down.

YES YOB YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN FOR A LOT OF US. WHO THE F--K CARES. LOVE IT ALL.

I will no back under the rock. Thank you very much.

yes! I agree yob and franny who the f--k cares! In Italian language chi se ne f***e!!!

Given the length of this thread, it seems many.

Lightweight can never be used the describe the music of the Police. Half of Sting's solo stuff, yes but not the energy of the Police. We can thank Mr. Copeland for that. The most recent Sting shows I was at and I've seen every tour the crowd would sit down for any solo stuff and jump with the Police stuff.

perhaps you may not be comprehending my usage of lightweight. in this case, not devoid of power, not lacking for energy. i mean lightweight as in typically shallow and frivolous as opposed to creating something deep and meaningful.
'gravitas' (another word i love to use when i have the chance to use it appropriately :). even when Sting writes the occasional run of the mill ditty, he will find a way to develop the track with a sophistication brought forth by the amazing musicians he chooses to surround himself with.
like I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying, which passes as a typical country song, is even tricky in that he uses atypical chords which vary throughout the shortened choruses as the song goes on, so that the chord structure is never repeated in any chorus. Dominic is especially brilliant on that one. those continuous melodic guitar runs. they shouldn't work but wow, absolutely genius. 'gravitas'

wow, this is my 1st post on this thread. I feel in fellow company reading this whole post/ thread. Damn intense.

STING (CREATIVITY) + THE POLICE (PASSION, EMOTIONAL INVESTMENT)= EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE, MAYBE STELLER NEW MUSIC

It's in its simplicity that The Police's music creates substance. By the same deifinition of "lightweight," U2's stuff would be shallow, yet it isn't. I strongly believe The Police were capable of the twists and turns described above. Obviously, that wasn't their destination. From the little I know, Dominic Miller played for The Pretenders, a band (one of my favorites) not exactly known for daring experiments. I doubt that Andy wouldn't have been able to step up to something more sophisticated; his Thelonious Monk work should be proof enough. And Stewart ventured into opera composition, not a genre known for its redundancy.

No offense, micra and fran, but some of us couldn't care less about Trudie's cleavage and black dress, or Sting's daughter's latest fashion photos. If that's what people want to ooh and aah about, I certainly won't exclaim "Who gives a d..n!".

ok, you are right sastal....
only a little thing though. I don't care THAT much about gossip, but yob comment referred to this dualism Sting/Police, not discussion on musical peculiarity. I envy capacity to understand if a drummer is a good one or not, and analysing the songs very deeply, but I am fed up with the constant dualism some put in all comments. Obviously Sting solo is different from Police.... you can like him or not, I personally dislike his last 2 studio pop album, but where is the sense to make a comparison? The Police NOW will with no doubt be different from The Police 1979. They must be. During 30 years men change, and musicians have to change, unless they are stupid. So it will be a nonsense doing a comparison between The Police before and after. People change. Musicians AND listeners. My enthusiasm for Police reforming has been dried out but all the criticism I read. Could we simply enjoy their reunion and judge their performance for what they are now? Peace.... :-))

and only another little example: it would be like trying to judge, observing a really smart kid at school, if, genetically and environmentally, mother or father were the most important. Who cares? We have a smart cute kid, just let him grow and forget everything else. The Police were a great band: all 3 musical members and several non-musical members deserve credit for this. But just leave one of them out, and you wouldn't have the same great group. This is only my opinion. :-))

i would never dismiss Summers as a player or as a creative force. his Earth And Sky is one of the strongest cds of this new century.
and i must be dense, because i don't get the logic of your link to the Pretenders as anything to do with Dominic's subtle creativity or lack of creativity (i.e. whenever he feels compelled to play a solo in the typical rock manner, he habitually throws in these sort of weedly-weedly-wee triads and thirty-second notes no matter which song it is :)
but i'm wasting posts, aren't i?
yee-aaayyy-yo-yo. is all i want to say to you. :)

The logic is simple: just because rock performers don't (or didn't, in this case) take the sophisticated route toward developing a song, it does not mean that they are (or were) unable to. I believe that The Police's music is meaningful as is ("Spirits," hello?), and that Copeland and Summers could have done with the song you mentioned as much as Sting's best bands post Police. I never said anything about Dominic's creativity, since I praised The Pretenders as one of my favorites.

P.S. The "yee-ay, yee-ay-yo" you love to slam won a Grammy, something "Fill Her Up" (with Jesus?) will never do, either for best country music single or anything else.

Oh, and Sting himself found it to be so shallow that he used it during his first Police rehearsal in 25 years.

Anyways,
it really doesn't matter 'cuz the Police are were and always will be a force to be reckoned with, and Sting of all people knows it,
This tour goes way beyond 1 person, or band,
there is sooo much excitement the world over that the 3 Policemen will be swept up like they never have been,
and I predict this positive experience will do more than any previous problems, fights arguments whatever,

cuz as Peter Gabriel sang in "Biko"- you can blow out a candle, but you can't blow out a Fire, once the flames begin to catch, the Wind will take it Higher

Coming along for the ride?

Cheers!

"it is unfortunate that Carlock wasn't able to insert more of his own personal style into Sting's music. the material didn't really allow for much development plus he wasn't there to originally shape the songs during the studio sessions. he already had committed to work again with Steely Dan in 2005 so it seemed like a one shot deal from the very beginning. i also read that he will be appearing on Faith Hill's next disc, so i'll be looking out for that. and i tend to think that Carlock does indeed have a recognizeable sound: the snare is really tight to the point of 'pinging', the toms are tuned real high like a typical jazzbo and he favors a swing feel when he plays reggae rather than the normal reggae rhythm."

I don't think Sting allowed for Keith to insert more of his personal style. Let's face it: he's wanted Stewart's sound this whole time without having Stew himself. I don't think it's any secret by now that Sting keeps a tight rein on his backing musicians, especially live. He's known for giving one "the look" when he's not agreeing with something they're doing. And, Dom is right. Sting rushes when he plays the bass and sings. Listen to "Heavy Cloud No Rain."

As far as the poor response to the Sacred Love tour and Sting looking like he was going through the motions, I've heard from reliable sources that that's Sting's attitude these days: he's not in it for the music anymore. Read all the posts about his marketing motives. Seems to corroborate. He's just in it for the money and the perks. I also think that he's trying to erase the bad vibes that came through about him from Andy's book and Stewart's film. If he's the one with the idea for the tour, then he's the hero in the end.

Of course, I'm there on June 26 at the AA Center, ready to rock, sing along and wear a grin on my face for about two to three hours. After that I'll be in line for the influx of Police releases and I won't hold my breath on what Sting does next.

And I will hold my breath cuz it's all crap

Where in the hell did you get the idea that there was a poor response to the Sacred Love Tour. It was in the top 8 of money making tours. You people need to look up your facts before spewing this BS Dane.

I get really tired of repeating this stuff.


Top Tours 2004

1. $87.4 Prince $61.04 69/96
2. 80.4 Celine Dion 136.33 1/154
3. 79.5 Madonna 143.59 14/39
4. 60.5 Metallica 57.39 76/83
5. 59.4 Bette Midler 99.12 61/66
6. 54.3 Van Halen 76.44 72/79
7. 50.8 Kenny Chesney 44.40 75/77
8. 50.1 Sting 66.84 73/83
9. $43.7 Toby Keith $47.83 74/75
10. 43.3 Elton John 158.22 11/60

source:
http://www.infoplease.com/ipea/A0931147.html

I'm reading Andy's book just now, and I don't find all this bad vibes. And please, don't start again this family riot. The Police were 3 and each one were important. As Andy says in the very own title of his book, if he hadn't catch that train everything would be different. For all 3 of them. And they must be grateful each others for this.

Someone ask why I wanted this year to be up, it's the utter garbage that comes out of Police fans mouths when criticizing Sting. The hatred of the man by Police fans is so in your face, it's totally disgusting. If Sting bowed and kissed Stewart's and Andy's feet, they would criticize that to. They just can't accept the fact that he deserves the accolade as the driving force behind the Police. Without Sting's songs, the Police would be a non entity. Just listen to the Ghost demos and tell me how grand a contribution Stewart and Andy really were. All artists write their best material near the beginning, it's proven fact throughout history, it just so happens that the Police got a ton of hit songs from Sting, that band had more hits in 5 years than any band in history.

yeah, just for example that little remark by another newcomer about how Sting has wanted Copeland's sound all this time. wow, what disrespect towards some of the finest drummers that we will ever be privileged to listen to. you're right, Trini, this year won't end soon enough in relation to the utter ignorance that is flocking to this website.
but uh, Trini, about that band having more hits in 5 years than any other....The Beatles? i would reckon their track record blows the Cops away by an extreme margin, don't they?

and personally, i wouldn't consider the stuff with the Police as the best material, just simpler, straightforward, peppier, poppier and more commercially viable for the masses at the right time.

Oh I love a good cat fight. But we really get tired of all the critisism Sting gets. I would agree all 3 were The Police but Sting was their shining star. And even Stewart would tell you that. And it's funny that a whole slew of musicians have worked and liked working with Sting, or they wouldn't come back so often.

"Tea in the Sahara" is poppier? "Invisible Sun" is peppier?

Nothing wrong with claiming that Sting gets the credit for the songwriting, which includes the hits. However, the arrangements were a team effort, especially on the first three albums.

Trini, my favorites from GITM are "Omegaman," "Darkness," and "ELTSDIM," which says a lot about Sting (not) doing it all on the album.

The Police sold out the Stade de France (cap. 70k) in record time. I don't think Sting alone could have done that. Obviously, these people want to see and hear more than just Sting.

I believe Micra said it best: "The Police were 3 and each one were important. As Andy says in the very own title of his book, if he hadn't catch that train everything would be different. For all 3 of them. And they must be grateful each others for this."

I would leave it at that.

Again I bring up the if the band had reformed on and off over the last 25 years would they be able to demand the prices they are getting for this tour right now. Its selling because they haven't been grouped together for what seems like eons.

If the tour went on and on like a Cher bye bye tour the ticket sales will drop rapidly or to a more normal level. Nothing against the band but I have agree is the year up yet?

I totally agree with you Gonefishing, If you saturate the market it dries up eventually. But we are all "HUNGRY FOR THEM" At this moment. I think Sting alone has sold out a few stadiums though. But with the economy as it is this says a lot for The Police. And yes it was a group effort. Andy had a lot to do with the arrangements. But some of the songs were written before The Police.

let's keep it real though. a large majority of the people buying tickets are in for the whole nostalgia factor. these are the same who will gladly buy up Genesis tickets because this is a trip back to their youth, a trip back to {{{THE 80's}}}, their high school years. the preppies who are now yuppies, casual fans who may have owned two or at the most three police discs, Synchronicity and The Singles. they are going not for so much for the music, but for themselves. to not only say they were there, but to glimpse a glance of their past. i know i sound cynical, but i know these people, you know these people. those who didn't get into The Police until Every Breath You Take and didn't gravitate towards a group like Genesis until Phil Collins gained such exposure at Live Aid. And U2, they just love U2 as well...***yeah, they are the best*** these folks own a copy of Joshua Tree and a Best of Collection. They are BIG FANS.
so OOOOHHHH the Police are getting back together, let's go honey.
ah yes $$ ch-ching. the clamor for nostalgia.

Yeah, I don't expect entire stadiums packed with the connoisseurs.

I kind of hated it when during the Broken gigs I appeared to be one (or at least one of ten or twenty people) who were sand along with Driven to Tears or Spirits and waiting for what and how is it going to be played in the middle of Roxanne. Most people "wheeeee"-ed when he launched into Desert Rose or Shape of My Heart. I was having my hardcore fan anger and frustration for the mankind :)
But then I thought that at least they're hearing what they would never do hadn't they come to the concert.

I'll try to add my contributin as one of the older fan on this Forum.
There is one thing to say: some people aren't old enough to know The Police from the beginning. I was at University when Reggatta was out and most of you went to kindergarden. That doesn't mean you couldn't get back in the past discovering how great those first 2 album was (and the next 3!). A lot of people know a band only when it become SO great to be on tv, on radio and on magazines just every day. This can explain why people scream for Desert Rose (well why not, I love t :D) but don't know anything about Spirits. I am that kind of person that when "discover" and fall in love with a musician want to listen to ALL his/her production for better understanding. But I deem we are a minority.
btw, I stop following Genesis when Peter Gabriel went solo.
p.s.: I don't like nostalgia, and I would never go to see a band just to live my teen-agers years again. But maybe this depends (as Sting once said about his own youth) by the fact that those years weren't that great.

I think it is impossible to say that had the police remained together for the past 25 years that they still would not be packing out stadiums.Its all hypothetical to say they might or might not have gone the same way way as cher as it is to say they could sell out stadiums like rem ,u2, or even oasis [in europe]BUT THE POINT IS THAT REM AND U2, ROLLING STONES STILL SELL OUT STADIUMS AFTER YEARS ON THE ROAD.I think we all know sting wanted a solo career,and with the quality of his music over the past 22 years im sure he could have writtain more great records for the police had he chosen to stay with them. Im personally convinced the police could still have been a super group over the last 22 years, selling out stadiums, still selling a lot of albums but this is not a critisism of sting,just a fact that the work he did with police was far more commertial to the mainstream record buyers.

The thing is nobody's opinion is wrong here. If The Police would have stayed together they probably would have stayed great. But a lot of psychological factors were taking place, I think the problem is that Sting didn't want to stay mainstream he wanted to do something different. And didn't think he could accomplish that with a 3 piece band. He came from jazz and it stayed in his blood. So he attempted to meld pop and jazz together and get it into the mainstream. It worked for the most part. He bridged the gap between jazz and pop and proved a point that we all needed to quit being musical snobs. I personally love him for being that inovative. And as much as I love The Police, his solo work is also uncomparable. His social awareness was at work as well ,and for that we should be greatfull!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Couldn't have said it better Franny49, I started off as a huge Police fan, got hooked from Regatta De Blanc, do one could have criticized the Police then. I still find it sad to see all the crap written about Sting for doing what he wanted and if they continued over the years, they would have imploded from Sting feeling trapped.

Oh yes, forgot about the Beatles but that brings me to my next beef with this tour, the obvious money factor. Auctions on Ticketmaster, highest tickets at $250 (ridiculous and I will not buy a >$200 ticket to see Sting or the Police, sorry), gold seat, silver seat packages, $100 fan club fee (with tickets to one show), it's all disgusting. Yet, I am happy they are making a killing but I hope they make the effort to sound good. Don't sound as unrehearsed as IMHO they did at the beginning of the Sync tour, at these prices they better sound good from the first show!

In the end, with the money involved, I am sure they will have the best sound system and lighting show, but I would have liked to see live backup singers instead of pre-recorded vocals. There are dynamics with live backups that can't be replaced. Just look at how good Dead Man's Rope sounded at the end of the Sacred Love tour in Japan with the new vocals from Joy and Donna.

I think the nostalgia bit is only part of the equation, as it would apply to seeing Sting solo as well, since he sings a number of The Police songs at his concerts. As much as I don't like the idea, there are not that many Police songs on this tour that will differ from those in Sting's past solo gigs (R, EBYT, ELTSDIS, KOP, MIAB, SITR, TITS, etc.). I know that if I went to see Sting for Sting's sake, besides the BND stuff, I would want to hear MOBS, EINY, or FAYH.

I wouldn't be surprised if the demographics at this concert were very mixed. Those same moms and pops who knew The Police back then have kids today. These kids grew up on the "Sting and The Police" CD, not "The Singles." I have seen them; I have met them, and they will be at the concerts.

As for the "nostalgic" U2 fans, you are WAY off on that one. U2 pack ALL their joints, and they pack them with classic fans and newcomers alike. ATYCLB is a dynamite album of theirs, and there was no nostalgia going on. I have seen them only once, would not go back again, and yet I am amazed at the massive following from all walks of life.

There a lot of brandnew Police Fans out ther for sure. I am amazed at the response by young people. But as for nostalgia, guess who has the money now. Those of you who grew up with the Police.

BTW I totally agree with Trini again OMG.

woah, hold on there. read the post again if you must, but my reference was to the many casual fans of bands as it related to 80s groups like the Police, Genesis and solo Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel, U2 , Van Halen (in that case they bought 1984 and not much more....by the way these folks most likely also bought Thriller :). if you saw their collection, it would be the musician's most popular disc and then maybe a best of compilation if the band released one years later.
and so now they had witnessed that wave of hype over the reformation of The Police, so they've just gotta go to be part of it all. because, you know, --------music defines their lives. :)

Was someone disagreeing with you glarbage. I'm lost.

sastal misunderstood my previous post. don't be lost, it's better to just ignore me at times anyhow :)

I didn't misunderstand anything. With all due respect, Glarbage clearly stated:

"...a large majority of the people buying tickets are in for the whole nostalgia factor... the preppies who are now yuppies, casual fans who may have owned two or at the most three police discs, Synchronicity and The Singles. they are going not for so much for the music, but for themselves."

I am venturing that a large portion of the ticket holders out there were hardly even born when Synch and The Singles were released. I would add that people who casually bought those popular '80s albums (Thriller, etc.) could care less today about dropping that kind of money on a concert. Either way, it is a marketing question that neither of us can answer categorically at this time.

As I read posts from others on The Police Tour site it is obvious that there are a lot of casual fans that have jumped on the bandwagon for this tour. But that's ok. If they go to a gig they will get a big surprize, that The Police were really good and still are. The more fans the better. It's those that pretend they know what's going on with the band that makes me laugh. Obviously. "They Know Nothin About The Police" I love it when people ask honest questions that how you learn something.

Just bringing the iceman *Vision into the future** again ;)