Sting after the Police

[Minnie the Minx]

I recall really, really liking Dream of the Blue Turtles. I lost the record somewhere along the way and didn't bother to replace it so that says something though I don't know what.

[bobzilla77]

I remember hearing his first solo album with some interest, I liked Omar Hakim, sounded like he was trying to do something interesting. But I never could get that into it. Any of the later stuff I heard, I could get into even less.

Actually the one thing I liked was that song about the old man laughing at the sea. That one was pretty good in a kind of Paul Simonish way.

But the "hate" Coan mentions, I think is probably more from him being such a ubiquitous cultural figure, who is kind of sanctimonious and vain at the same time trying to represent people who choose the right thing. Like I bet he does the beauty treatments Gwyneth Paltrow promotes in Goop. He seems like the kind of guy that would pay a fancy spa $500 to blow essential oil steam up his urethra.

I remember my friend Ben talking about an interview he did at the time of one of those big benefit shows, and he had seen a report about this young girl who had been abducted or starved or executed or something, I forget, and he kept talking about how her story was so tragic and how she was such a beautiful girl. "So sad - this beautiful girl! Just gorgeous!"

And my friend Ben said, "Good thing she wasn't ugly, or Sting would have let her die in the street."

What does BCB think of a rock star who makes an all lute album? Is that cool and punk, because it's so weird, or is it pretentious and stupid?

[bobzilla77]

I did like the Police a lot, saw them in 82 and was bummed I had to miss their stadium shows in 83.

[Moleskin]

What does BCB think of a rock star who makes an all lute album? Is that cool and punk, because it's so weird, or is it pretentious and stupid?

Kind of cool. He liked these songs enough to want to learn to sing them. (Read an article about the lessons he had to sing the note.) Most/all of the music was played by a professional lutenist, though I think Sting had taken a few lessons in that too which led to some misrepresentations of the album.

I like that he was enthusiastic about this stuff, and wants to communicate it to others, even if I didn't like it much.

[yomptepi]

What does BCB think of a rock star who makes an all lute album? Is that cool and punk, because it's so weird, or is it pretentious and stupid?

Kind of cool. He liked these songs enough to want to learn to sing them. (Read an article about the lessons he had to sing the note.) Most/all of the music was played by a professional lutenist, though I think Sting had taken a few lessons in that too which led to some misrepresentations of the album.

I like that he was enthusiastic about this stuff, and wants to communicate it to others, even if I didn't like it much.

He's a cunt.

[Deebank]

Sting writes a nice enough tune but what I think his post-Police work demonstrates is how important Copeland and Summers were. They brought the edge and the interest.

I couldn’t be arsed with anything he did after the band split.

[bobzilla77]

What does BCB think of a rock star who makes an all lute album? Is that cool and punk, because it's so weird, or is it pretentious and stupid?

Kind of cool. He liked these songs enough to want to learn to sing them. (Read an article about the lessons he had to sing the note.) Most/all of the music was played by a professional lutenist, though I think Sting had taken a few lessons in that too which led to some misrepresentations of the album.

I like that he was enthusiastic about this stuff, and wants to communicate it to others, even if I didn't like it much.

OK I think I agree. Give him a little credit for going all the way with a unique idea.

[sloopjohnc]

IHe seems like the kind of guy that would pay a fancy spa $500 to blow essential oil steam up his urethra.

I think I'd pay $500 to not have someone blow essential oil steam up my urethra.

[Matt Wilson]

You always want to knock things before you've tried them, John.