by sockii on 16 Jul 2007 23:53
Regarding the whole Sting vs. Stewart thing, you know...I could write a freakin' essay on this subject.
I think both sides of the coin have their justifiable beefs. As has been pointed out (repeatedly), Sting's a bit of an easy target, certainly if you look in the media.
And yet, here's the thing. A lot of us who have been die-hard Stewart fans for years...it's not that we DISLIKE Sting or want to take away from what he's done, we just feel that for a very long, long time, the "other guys" haven't gotten anywhere near the credit they've deserved for their musical contributions (either in the Police or elsewhere).
Look at all the jokes in the media about this being the "retirement fund tour" for Stewart & Andy.
Listen to how many times radio announcers have--for years--introduced Police songs as being by "STING (and oh yeah, The Police)."
Raise hands if you're a Stewart or Andy fan who's had to hear someone say to you, "Oh, but Sting *was* the Police, wasn't he?"
For many, many years, as someone who was a fan long before the internet made it easier for us all to connect, I sure know I felt *extremely lonely* out there as a dedicated Stewart fan (and Andy fan too if not to the same extent). Even when I found and joined the xmission mailing list, one of the first on-line police fan communities back in the early '90s, at the time it was about 90% solo-Sting discussion with the occasional little blip about "the other guys" or something Police-related. So, you know, I tend to think that's why some of us have become a bit defensive and quick to jump on the Stewart bandwagon here to such an extent that it may--unintentionally, quite likely--take on an anti-Sting vibe at times.
I'll be perfectly honest, I've given solo-Sting a fair chance and for the most part it's just not my bag. As even Stewart has (more or less) said in some interviews, even as Sting's songwriting skills only sharpened through the years, he's surrounded himself with musicians who don't really thrill me and I don't think bring out the full potential of what he's written the way Stewart and Andy did. BUT that's Sting's choice, and obviously it's been enough to garner him a big following and fanbase all his own, even to an extent that I know there are more than a few solo-Sting fans who don't like his Police stuff at all.
So I try to stay out of the Sting-bashing because nothing can take away, for me, how much I love what he can do with Stewart & Andy, and if he's made stylistic choices since then I don't care for, so be it. But I do get upset when I feel folks are belittling Stewart & Andy and that may get me on the defensive, but it's something that stems more from many decades of feeling isolated in my fondness for their work than the current on-line fandom. I met a lot of extremely cool people from sting.com when I was in L.A. in February and I have no "beef" with Sting fans in general. Just don't begrudge "my guy" his due and I will do the same in return.
Last edited by
sockii on 17 Jul 2007 02:37, edited 1 time in total.
therefor I can not comment as to what is said about Stewart on there. Personally I adore Stewart. Admittedly though not for as long as these folks here. As I have mentioned on TPT I was a Sting fan first then The Police. Also admittedly I only recently have come to appreciate Stewart in my "older" years. I won't say I am old. 
I was blinded by my Sting devotion back in the day. So much so that I didn't fully appreciate the genius that Stewart is. I regret that. But it does not make me adore Sting any less. Just a new appreciation for Stewart albeit a bit delayed.
