Sting 25 Years

This collection retailed for $100.00 when first released in 1993. There has never been a better collection of Rock Classics - probably never will be, what with the difficulties of gaining clearances and gathering the best materials. The seven CDs are divided into the years covered: 1967-69; 1969-70; 1971-73; 1973-77; 1977-82; 1982-86; 1986-92. Enclosed in each CD is a booklet with a capsule history of the music and a complete artist/title list. All of which contain from 15 to 17 tracks, for a total of 110.

On the day that the second live album of Sting's illustrious solo career (and third if you count the Police's 1995 Live! set) was to be recorded in Tuscany, Italy, the widely respected singer/songwriter/bassist was beset with one of the world's worst horrors of all time. The show was to be recorded and broadcast live on the Web on September 11, 2001, the day of the World Trade Center tragedy. Instead of canceling it altogether, Sting went on with the recording (although the Web broadcast was scrapped except for a single song), resulting in the release of the 15-song All This Time, just two short months later. Featured are a trio of Police-era classics inventively rearranged ("Roxanne," "Don't Stand So Close to Me," and "Every Breath You Take") and renditions of many solo selections: an expansive "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free," "Brand New Day," "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You," and the poignant folk-like ballad "Fields of Gold."