Sting Soul Cages

Ten Summoner's Tales is the fourth solo studio album by the English rock musician Sting. The title is a combined pun of his family name, Sumner, and a character in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, the summoner. Released in 1993, it explores themes of love and morality in a noticeably upbeat mood compared to his previous release, the introspective The Soul Cages released in 1991 after the loss of both his parents in the 1980s. This album contained two US hits; "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You" reached No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and "Fields of Gold" reached #23. Ten Summoner's Tales was shortlisted for the 1993 Mercury Prize. In 1994, it was nominated for six Grammy awards, winning Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance ("If I Ever Lose My Faith in You") and Best Long Form Music Video. It did not win Album of the Year, Record or Song of the Year.

After two albums of muted, mature jazz-inflected pop, the last being an explicit album about death, Sting created his first unapologetically pop album since the Police with Ten Summoner's Tales. The title, a rather awkward pun on his given last name, is significant, since it emphasizes that this album is a collection of songs, without any musical conceits or lyrical concepts tying it together…

Ten Summoner's Tales is the fourth solo studio album by the English rock musician Sting. The title is a combined pun of his family name, Sumner, and a character in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, the summoner. Released in 1993, it explores themes of love and morality in a noticeably upbeat mood compared to his previous release, the introspective The Soul Cages released in 1991 after the loss of both his parents in the 1980s. This album contained two US hits; "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You" reached No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and "Fields of Gold" reached #23. Ten Summoner's Tales was shortlisted for the 1993 Mercury Prize. In 1994, it was nominated for six Grammy awards, winning Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance ("If I Ever Lose My Faith in You") and Best Long Form Music Video. It did not win Album of the Year, Record or Song of the Year.

Falling somewhere between the pop sensibilities of Ten Summoners Tales and the searching ambition of The Soul Cages, Mercury Falling is one of Stings tighter records, even if it fails to compel as much as his previous solo albums. Though he doesn't flaunt his jazz aspirations as he did in the mid-80s, Mercury Falling feels more serious than The Dream of the Blue Turtles, primarily because of its reserved, high-class production and execution. Building from surprisingly simple, memorable melodies, Sting creates multi-layered, vaguely soul-influenced arrangements that carry all of the hallmarks of someone who has studied music, not lived it.

Sting - The Living Sea: Soundtrack from the IMAX Film (1995) {A&M Records 540 350-2}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 313 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 125 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 56 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1995 A&M records | 540 350-2
Stage & Screen / Rock / Pop / New Age / Instrumental

I now feel somewhat deprived at not having seen this IMAX movie as of yet as if the soundtrack is anything to go by, it must be fantastic. I bought this CD purely because of Sting's name on the label and was pleasantly suprised to notice that the music herein differs from anything I have heard from any of his studio albums. Many of the songs seem to be in a similar vein to "St. Agnes and the burning train" from the Soul Cages and it is good to see the original album version included along with Fragile. The entire album is full of relaxing ocean music with a twist of some of Sting's earlier work interspersed for good measure.

Sting’s “right and left hand,” Dominic Miller, yet again proves that he is a top-notch guitarist. Produced by the legendary Hugh Padgham (The Police, Genesis, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel). Dominic Miller has worked continuously with Sting since they recorded The Soul Cages over 20 years ago! Features Mark King & Mike Lindup (Level 42), Ian Thomas (Eric Clapton), and Jason Rebello (Sting). On tour with Sting in North America through Summer/Fall 2010.