Sting - Live in Berlin

Tue 8th Feb, 2011 in Music Reviews

Alec Baldwin warned on 30 Rock: “On your Wedding Day, don’t hire Sting for the musical entertainment. He will insist on playing jazz versions of Police songs.” Thankfully, none of that is on display here.

Former The Police vocalist Sting has always been one for plugging the old favourites over the performance of new material. With his latest release, Sting performs live with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra in Berlin, and the era of the 80s comes flooding back, awash with the sound of orchestrated symphony.

The performance opens with If I Ever Lose My Faith In You, and nothing has changed for Sting. Despite being in the business for what seems like an eternity, Sting’s voice has remained unchanged throughout time, it’s still as strong as ever. An early highlight comes with An Englishman In New York, a timeless classic opened to the sound of clarinets, and backing pianos, as is Fields of Gold.

Banter between songs leaves Sting recollecting about his childhood, helping his father deliver milk to homes, and the silence of the streets inspiring him to make music. The somber moments revealing a bond between Sting and his father the encouragement to ‘go to sea,’ and in Sting’s interpretation, have an exciting life. The inspiration behind Why Should I Cry For You? is revealed to be a tribute to his father, who never said much, but always wanted the best for his son.

The upbeat groove comes through in All Would Envy, trumpets ablaze, while the classic Shape Of My Heart steals the limelight, only to have King Of Pain well and truly takes the title of best track. While it is insanely popular among Sting fans, this rendition of the song is well and truly something else. Inspiring, beautifully sung and brilliantly re-arranged to fit the mood of the concert.

This may be a classically arranged album, the hints of rock n’ roll are hidden in the undertones of the performance. A finale of Fragile is performed acoustically, reminding us that behind the sounds of the symphony, these were classic songs penned by a man and his guitar, to be remembered and enjoyed for time and time again.

A two hour long DVD accompanies the release, and features more songs than the CD, such as Roxanne, Every Breath You Take and Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic. Surprisingly, his big hit Message In A Bottle is absent from both the CD and DVD, but it’s omission doesn’t exactly dampen the release.

The biggest flaw, is that each songs transition is disjointed by an obvious gap in sound, skipping to the next. It breaks the flow of the album. Regardless, what we have here is a fantastic addition to the Sting catalogue.