Blow it?

[Mrs. Gradenko]

Wow, you all have dirty minds! lol

I was reading over at Stingus, and some of them are afraid a reunion won't live up to their expectations, what they were like all thoes years ago.

Do you think it could ever be as good? Better? Is it even fair to compare?

That got me thinking... can Sting handel Rock anymore? The Broken Music tour (what I saw) was crap (such a disapointment!). Will he ruin the whole thing?

[PhilippeC]

Hi,

Honestly, I was quite disapointed with their last single in 1986 (and I was expecting a new album when the newspapers reported they were back in the studio)... It was worst when I heard this "De do do do '86" version!!! BUT, Stewart wasn't really there and it's sure no drum machine can replace him. We also have to remind the situation at this time.

I still believe that if The Police were so popular, it's probably because of Sting's songs, but also because Stewart and Andy were there to re-arrange his material, without speaking of how great musicians - and composers - they are.
It's also possibly the reason why, to my opinion, Sting's albums aren't as good as The Police's albums, if you except his first one: it seems there's noone to tell him when the songs are not good. I can easily imagine the people around him always telling: "Oh, Sting, whatever you do is just the perfec thing to do!". Of course it's not and he now needs some clear advice to make good music again. This is why I think it can be as good as before. That's just my theory, even if people have changed after more than 20 years. But those 3 guys aren't ordinary people, so everything remain possible, doesn't it?

[sockii]

Just my 2 cents...

I don't think things would have gotten this far (IF the rumors are true ) if the guys weren't confident they could pull it off and pull it off well, so I'm not worried. I don't think it's fair to compare the situation in '86--as well as for the Hall of Fame performance in 2003--to what may be going on now, given what was going on both of those times to create far less than ideal situations.

Living up to expectations? Well, I've never had any expectations for a reunion because I never truly believed it would happen. I love how some people are, I guess, already arguing about whether it will be any good or not before we've heard a note (once again, why I avoid the stingus boards as a rule...)

[bella]

I actually enjoyed the Broken Music tour. I mean, it was definitely a STING thing and not like The Police, but it was still good.


As for Stew, Andy and Sting's performance chops now? I think they will bring it....and bring it real good.

[BongoBoy]

It will be great!

WHY?

because if you watch the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame video from 2003, they were really good.

Imagine with full rehearsing and some new arrangements.

IT WILL BE GREAT!!!.

I mean...it's Stew, Andy and Stingo?

What else do ya need....except an audience!!!
Cheers.

[ceebab]

I noticed this on Sting.com too. Someone was saying that they were expecting the boys to be all over the place and jumping around as they did in their youth.

I basically answered that if you expect them to act like 20 years olds, then yes, you probably will be disappointed.

However, if your expectations are to see 3 accomplished musicians play well together again, I think your expectations will be met.

I also think it's crap that they are just now starting to rehearse. I would guess that they have been playing together informally off and on for a while before the rumors even started, mostly to answer some of the questions we have for themselves. (As in, will they play the songs the old way, will they play any solo stuff, will they play new songs, etc.)

[Wombat]

I don't think having a selfsame performance would benefit anybody. What would be the point? If that's what you would like you may as well listen to a bootleg and close your eyes.

Just seeing the guys on stage again would be smart. They could be playing chamber music for all I care. Some fifties rock n roll stuff would do the trick, too. Which film was the one where we see a snippet of Sting and Andy playing 'Guitar Man.' Was it 'Around the World'?

As long as the drums on 'Message' remain the same I will be thrilled with whatever they do.

Wombat

[Divemistress of the Dark]

Having seen Stewart play with Oysterhead last summer, I can tell you there's not much to worry about as far as them not rocking. FWIW.

[jedsoon]

I'm with Nicole. This is all just icing on the cake to me. There was a time when i ACHED to see the Police and NEEDED to see them live, or do something else together. A long time ago i learned to appreciate them just as much as individuals and in Stewart's case, dare i say more. I will enjoy and appreciate whatever we get now, because i was convinced for a long time i would never see it anyway.

On what to expect in a set, i fully expect they will regurgitate all their hits and sprinkle those with lesser known tunes (like Masoko Tanga!!), but i doubt they stray much from the repertoire. But i could possibly see them tackling some of the solo material, but if they go that way i'm betting only Sting's songs will get any consideration. New songs? I'm not looking for any.

It will certainly be *different* than it would have been over 20 years ago, but to suggest that it won't be as good is pretty subjective. There are a LOT of ways to define good, imo.

[Divemistress of the Dark]

Well, it won't be the *same*, but would we really want it to be? (I'm imagining the blog entry Stewart may yet still write about the entire experience...)

I don't think it will be a senior-citizen experience, like they'd just stay up there and tepidly cover the "hits." Hell, ALL these guys have been actively writing new compositions for the past few decades...it's not like anyone hung up the guitar (or in Stew's case, the ProTools) once the Police called it quits.

I AM hoping it won't be only Sting's material that gets covered. To do so would really be a disservice to fine records like XYZ and Orchestralli.

[conroy]

I, too, would like to see them tackle 50's guitar rock. If they do solo stuff, they should do the song Stewart did with Onyx for Skipped Parts called "Do the Shark." It's a well crafted song with great surf guitar licks. I would also love to hear Sting sing "Don't Box Me In."

[bella]

As music lovers, don't we want to see our favorite musicians grow and mature with age? I surely wouldn't have wanted The Beatles (well if I were around when they first started) to have played the same songs they started with for their entire existence. Therefore, I don't want to see The Police try to recapture their youth, but to have the music reflect them as they are now; yes, older and wiser. Comfortable with themselves and each other. Just having a good time with each other and a few million fans.

[jedsoon]

I don't mean to suggest it's going to be a "by fogeys, for fogeys"-type of event. I'm just expecting them to a)acknowledge what's going to be overwhelmingly expected of them by the world at large and b)keep it interesting to themselves as the accomplished musicians they are.

We the fanbase certainly appreciate the intervening works. But most of that material is unknown to the general population. They wanna hear Roxanne and Every Breath You Take, which is not to say that i don't, but how much of that audience is going to sit up and take notice when they start playing Love Is The Strangest Way or, heaven forbid, they start playing "just some music with no SINGING?!"?

And if it would be a disservice to Stew and Andy, well, doesn't that basically characterize the Police collectively anyway? It was always Sting's writing getting the push and he's the one who has stayed more in the spotlight since then.

I'm not saying it's fair at all, just hazarding a guess as to what's likely to happen IMO. Here's hoping I'm proved wrong! Hey, the Eagles did it, so who knows?

[jedsoon]

Waitaminute... Stewart guested on an Onyx album?

(heads to amazon)

[jedsoon]

Aha! It was Vinx, not Onyx. Do The Shark appeared in the film Skipped Parts, a Drew Barrymore pic from 2000. Can't find any info on an actual soundtrack release, but that's unfortunately typical.