If On A Winter's Night

[moonstone]

Along with a gazillion other things that have come out in recent months, I'm still keeping this on my birthday/christmas wish lists.

I'll probably like it, after all I loved Sacred Love except for some of the 'dropped saucepan' percussion.

[Kim]

Gio, I agree with you that he should be doing what is his passion, no matter what critics or fans say. He should follow his heart, and does, which is one of the things I love him for. I just wish I could go there with him!

I am watching the PBS performance now, from Durham Cathedral, and I do like it better than the cd. Maybe because it's in HD and the cathedral looks incredible, or because the man is working his usual voodoo on me with his visual self... Well, except for the beard, yuck. It's good to see Dom there again, and I always loved Kathryn Trickell's northumbrian pipes. I do like the traditional songs when he's not singing weirdly. I'm still not going to the NYC shows.

I don't know what the Sting.com crowd is saying about it because I haven't been there much lately.

By the way, Dom is now on Twitter! He's a nice guy; I'm on his e-mail list; he sends updates a few times a year and is a great story teller.

[good rabbit]

Yes, its snowing, so as promised TONIGHT i'm finally gonna listen to the CD + watch the DVD !

[BUGG]

[quote="Kim"]

I don't know what the Sting.com crowd is saying about it because I haven't been there much lately.[/quote]

You can't please all of the people all of the time, even at sting.com.

But most of us at least like it. In a poll of 436 fan club members,56% voted it Excellent, 26% Very Good.

[sockii]

Personally I'm glad I gave it a few listens before deciding to buy it or not. The answer has come solidly down in the NOT column.

[Shangeris]

Well, I think I'll buy it. It would the my first Sting record (my parents have a few LPs), and I just can't say not if it costs only 15€! And I also like Soul Cake. Don't know why, perhaps because it has been my earworm for a while..

[Divemistress of the Dark]

I'll probably buy it, too, and would have already were I not pinching pennies and budgeting for Xmas. I'd a lot rather he did this kind of traditional music than watered-down AOR classics of yesteryear (although I grudgingly admit to liking a few of those, 'Fields of Gold' in particular). Loved the lute record, seriously, and say what you will - the man can sing. And play the bass, which I reminded Mr. Dive during his groaning over the Roxanne version they played during the RRHoF thing. (We both could've done without the smooth jazz outro.)

[sockii]

I'll probably buy it, too, and would have already were I not pinching pennies and budgeting for Xmas. I'd a lot rather he did this kind of traditional music than watered-down AOR classics of yesteryear (although I grudgingly admit to liking a few of those, 'Fields of Gold' in particular). Loved the lute record, seriously, and say what you will - the man can sing. And play the bass, which I reminded Mr. Dive during his groaning over the Roxanne version they played during the RRHoF thing. (We both could've done without the smooth jazz outro.)

I actually enjoyed the lute record too (except for the spoken word bits). But this one? Not so much at all.

[conroy]

When I was watching the special last week, the parts I liked watching the best where when the camera focused on the musicians not named Sting. I wish I didn't have to buy a CD to which I'll probably never listen just to get the DVD.

[ltwoman]

Amazon is selling the DVD by itself: $15.

[BongoBoy]

I like it.

You have to be in the mood of course, by the fire.

I was surprised that there is drums and percussion in there, cool time signatures too.

Yea it's dark.

so am I and I have a shitty beard too.

Looking forward to the DVD part.

The DVD from the Lute album was great.

BB.

[luddite lady]

[quote="BongoBoy"]I like it.

You have to be in the mood of course, by the fire.

I was surprised that there is drums and percussion in there, cool time signatures too.

Yea it's dark.

so am I and I have a shitty beard too.

Looking forward to the DVD part.

The DVD from the Lute album was great.

BB.[/quote]

You do you and your facial hair a great injustice when you say your beard is comparable to Sting's. Having seen each from a respectable distance, I'd say Sting has an unequivocally shitty beard while you have a way cool Bongo-rific one.
There was a large article about Sting's album in Monday's Toronto Star. The piece is available on-line, but the internet version is mercifully missing a truly disturbing full length picture of Sting. How can I describe this? His shirtless hairy chest screams out from beneath an open overcoat, and he's wearing galoshes and these odd dress pants with track pants-type stripes down the side of the legs. Oh, and he's got a shitty beard. He looks like a very scary homeless man who relies on dumpsters for his wardrobe. The picture was taken by Bryan Adams. (Stick to the music, Bryan.) Apparently, the photo and article are excerpts of a larger piece that is in this month's Zoomer magazine. Zoomer is a relatively new Canadian magazine for the aging baby boomer on the go. The Star article mentions Tourzilla and I get the impression that the magazine would give a more detailed account. But I'm not ready to pick up the magazine just yet since I'm not quite old enough to be in its demographic and because I'm afraid of more scary Sting shots.

For what it's worth, here's the link to the article. Enjoy?
http://www.thestar.com/living/article/7 ... g-the-cold

[smax]

[quote="luddite lady"] He looks like a very scary homeless man who relies on dumpsters for his wardrobe.[/quote]





[quote="luddite lady"] (Stick to the music, Bryan.) [/quote]

I gotta disagree with that statement!

[smudge]

[quote="smax"]
[quote="luddite lady"] (Stick to the music, Bryan.) [/quote]

I gotta disagree with that statement![/quote]

I think you should reserve judgement until you have an opportunity to review his photographic work smax.

I haven't heard the whole record, and there is a great deal of Sting's songwriting (post-Police) which is incredible, so I feel mean saying this - but from what I have heard this is the sound of a person meandering through a musical culture which he hasn't explored too much before. That in itself isn't any sort of crime - on the contrary it has the potential to be magical. Making it dull is fairly inexcusable though. And I'm sorry, it seems dull. The arrangements are faultless, the execution is technically brilliant, but where is the soul?? I don't doubt it is there under the skin of the musicians, so why doesn't it come across? It makes me long for a new year's eve party where my dad, under the influence of a fair amount of 'good cheer', sang 'Weel May the Keel Row'. He's tuneless in the extreme when sober, and worse when tipsy, but the performance had heart.

In some things musical perfection is thrilling and uplifting (Palestrina springs to mind). But what I have heard sounds like a picture of a lovely human, airbrushed. I'm a big fan of musical cellulite and wobbly bits, so it doesn't work for me.

[policefan]

Apparently, the photo and article are excerpts of a larger piece that is in this month's Zoomer magazine.
I'm afraid of more scary Sting shots.

Ha, ha... I’ve never noticed this magazine until today. I grabbed it quickly while waiting in the line to the cash register. The picture were Sting is lying down with his stomach showing a bit and wearing leather pants (they actually looked like leather and not plastic ...lol ) was fairly pleasant.

Don’t mind if Bryan is taking those pictures.