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. And, frankly, that's a bit of a relief after the oppressively somber The Soul Cages and the hushed though lovely, Nothing Like the Sun. Sting even loosens up enough to crack jokes, both clever (the winking litany of celebrity pains of "Epilogue [Nothing 'Bout Me]") and condescending (the sneeringly catchy cowboy tale "Love Is Stronger Than Justice [The Munificent Seven]"), and the result is his best solo record. In places, it's easily as pretentious as his earlier work, but that's undercut by writing that hasn't been this sharp and melodic since the Police, plus his most varied set of songs since Synchronicity. True, there isn't a preponderance of flat-out classics -- only the surging opener "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You," the understated swing of "It's Probably Me," and the peaceful allad "Fields of Gold" rank as classics -- but, as an album, Ten Summoner's Tales is more consistently satisfying than anything else in his catalog.
Having just MOGged about the new connection I made between the song "Young Folks" by Peter, Bjorn & John and a rising, mega-hot French actress, I started thinking about all of the musical associations that we make with significant people and events in our lives. And, since it's Toxic Tuesday at Mike the Knife's MOG page, I began to muse on what happens when the association goes sour. Like when ...
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By JOE McDONALDBEIJING (AP) - Customers in China of Apple Inc.'s iTunes online music store were unable to download songs this week, and an activist group said Beijing was trying to block access to a new Tibet-themed album. In Internet forums, iTunes users complained they had been unable to download music since Monday. That was a day after the Art of Peace Foundation announced the release of ``S...
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So I'm watching "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" the other night. It's TV auteur Aaron ("The West Wing") Sorkin's new behind-the-scenes dramedy set at a fictionalized late-night sketch comedy show a la "Saturday Night Live." It runs on NBC, Mondays at 10 PM -- at least for the time being. (The critics raved, but the ratings are middling despite crackling dialogue and great chemistry between Matt...
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In response to DLuebbert's post of a John Scofield and Pat Metheny video, Brittany asked about appreciating this kind of music. He gave a great answer about rhythm, and it's well worth the time to read.His response reminds me of a game I play with my kids, called "What time is it?" Most music is built up using rhythmic patterns that repeat over certain counts. Musicians speak of these as "me...
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STING lyrics
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Maybe its just me, but i've got this crazy idea that music critics (like most of the music today) is going downhill.Now i'm not trying to be a negative black balloon.. there are some great modern bands, but in all honesty, theres a lot of music today that is only half baked and with a little more effort, could be taken to that next level of creativity!ahhh but im doing the exact thing i set out...
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 "Ten Summoner's Tales")
