Vancouver Show vs. Recorded Versions: Tempo and Key Changes

[blueboy]

I think Sting may have an ulterior motive with the new arrangments though, and is trying to bring more of the Police fan base over to "Stingworld" when this is all over and done.

[DirtyMartini]

Thanks for the info, guys. Glad to hear the key changes (even with the problems at the time) -- much improved. Though I still wish DSSCTM had both the lower and upper sections. (And the chorus sounds way off -- but again, aforementioned problems. *ahem*)

Now about that ending to CSLY . . .


I'm not ready to jump onto any conspiracy bandwagons just yet, but I do still wonder about Sting's key change choices. He's got the pipes -- why temper 'em?

Maybe if STEWART plays fast enough, he can force Stingo into a higher register?!?

[matthewstr]

I downloaded the audio from 5/27 and I was pretty shocked by how low and slow the whole thing was. Even if the tempos are exactly the same as the albums, they still sounded much slower, so I guess it's an energy thing more than just the tempo. Of course, that was the rehearsal and it alll sounds a bit tentative. Not to totally rip on them, but I was a little frightened by a lot of what I heard from that show. I don't like the way Synchronicity II has the solo-Sting style half-time drop outs in it. That really kills the momentum of the song. Don't Stand should be one of the rocking highlights of the show but it currently sounds like an invitation to hit the food, beer shack, bathroom, tshirt hut etc. Would someone please tell Sting to play the entire bass line to Walking On The Moon and tell Andy to play the straight upbeats?! That song is gloriously simple as is, why mess with it? On the bright side, Bed's Too Big has a great new guitar part in it and that new video of Magic in it's original key sounds way better, so I'm hopeful that they get all of this straight before I see them at Dodger Stadium in three weeks.

[Wait and See]

Found the ending of the same performance from the 30th:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5oX-njIKxs&NR=1

Only sounds like the slightest bit of a strain for him, and I'd be willing to bet some of that is just having not sung that way for a long time. It makes a huge difference. The song sounds right.

>>>I think Sting may have an ulterior motive with the new arrangments though, and is trying to bring more of the Police fan base over to "Stingworld" when this is all over and done.<<<

I don't think it's a conspiracy. I think he's just slid into a comfortable midrange over the years on his solo material and isn't sure he can still do it the way he used to.

[blueboy]

I'm not suggesting that Sting's motives are sinister in any way. But it is no secret that he is primarily concerned with his own well being in the long run.

Before this reunion, there was a clear distinction between "The Police" and "Solo Sting". After the newer Stingified arrangements, and most likely even more so after an unplugged album, the lines will be blurred somewhat.

I just hope he keeps Kipper far away from The Police.

[Wait and See]

I don't know. I think it is pretty obvious to everyone at this point, including Sting, that whatever his merits as a solo artist, the Police exist on an entirely different level. There are just certain combinations of musicians that produce something special, and they're one of them. The whole being greater than the sum of the parts, etc.

I think they're all in the process of adjusting. Here's an (almost) full version of "Magic" from 5/30:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMUzkfAq0hc

If you focus on Sting's singing, he hasn't sounded like that in 25 years. His "solo thing" is just a different style of music.

[Wait and See]

Alright...I compared a show from 1980 in Beziers, France against the recordings. The first number in BPM is the record, the second is the live show:

Don't Stand - 141/151
Walking on the Moon - 144/161
Deathwish - 180/193
Fallout - /215
Bring on the Night - 110/115
De Do Do Do - 146/163
Truth Hits - 164/201
Bed's Too Big - 182/192
Driven - 160/175
World Running - 122/142
Message - 154/162
Roxanne - 134/154
Can't Stand - 144/175
Next to You - 174/215
So Lonely - 164/190


So they averaged about 20 BPM faster than the records back then, and the ones they really sped up were the "punk" songs. That's one thing missing from this show IMO-- Truth Hits and Next to You ought to played at Mach 10.

[New Zealand Promoter]

great work! now we just need the bpm's of all the applicable songs from the present live set. that we have: bpm for studio, live in '80 and live in '07....

[Wait and See]

I didn't list the numbers in the first post, but the ones with "no change" were identical to the recording, and the ones with "faster" or "slower" were all about 10-15 BPM in that direction-- except When the World is Running Down, which was something like 180 BPM if my memory is right.

Keep in mind that all of these are ballpark numbers, because the tempo fluctuates pretty dramatically in most of their songs. Not sure why...

Seriously though, Stew's penchant for speeding up during the choruses is a big part of what makes the songs breathe. The tempo of Next to You on the record is all over the place, and it sounds awesome.

[Philip]

IT'S FANTASTIC TO hear the mighty andy summers and stewart super man trying new things. One can clearly hear it as a trio. The arrangements are not only serving the singer. Thanks sting for keeping it so significant as a 3 piece.

And One can hope that they will do more and more experimentations and even improvisations on scene.

In a way, one still feel they are only playing at 60% OF THERE CAPACITIES. Don't you think so ? There are 40% left. This guys are able for a lot of new sounds.

Key changes, tempo changes, strange harmonics, puls, rhythm and beats… ok, please take risks… and refresh our ears.

Amen, Alleluia, etc !! & merci

[Laz]

EVERY LITTLE THING SHE DOES IS MAGIC in the original key on the 30th?! Ok, where the hell is that 5/30 bootleg?! Now, I'm REALLY dying to hear this show!!!

Laz

[Wait and See]

So far this is the best we've got:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMUzkfAq0hc

Edmonton:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMJog9MA6I4

[matthewstr]

The youtubes of Edmonton sound way better than the previous shows. I haven't busted out the metronome but they have much more energy and sound a bit faster.