All-round good guy in a class of his own...
You can't accuse Sting of hiding his light under a bushel. The singing, acting, rain-forest-saving super-Geordie is certainly not one of life's underachievers. Sting's new al- bum Soul Cages is a case in point. Roundly rubbished by British critics the record is America's top seller, though some audiences have found its decorative bleakness a little hard to stomach on stage.
That whiff of indifference persuaded His Royal Stingness to reappraise the structure of his British dates.
The stellar jazz hands who graced 'Nothing Like The Sun' have been replaced by the streamlined talents of muscular drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and the sensational keyboards player David Sancious while the young British guitarist Dominic Miller enhances his growing reputation. They provided a potent brand of user-friendly pop fusion.
But Sting still can't help sounding like he's teaching 4b on occasion. He prefaced 'Mad About You' with explanatory notes and a Bible class and held a seminar before 'Roxanne'. "I last played here in 1979. Hands up everyone who was at that gig," demanded Mr Sumner.
Once detention was over there was much to admire. Sting's son-to-father song 'Why Should I Cry For You?' is a no holds barred heart-breaker and the industrial lament 'Island Of Souls', in the tradition of folk protest that produced Robert Wyatt's Shipbuilding, proves he can combine the acute ear of an Elvis Costello with the melodic flair of a Paul Simon when the fancy takes him.
Those who arrived hoping for some Police-styled sensual release were well catered for in the second half. No doubt the screams that accompanied 'King Of Pain' and 'Fortress Round My Heart' made an old man feel very happy. Sting may not be a convincing party animal but as superstar types go he's still one of the best.
(c) Evening Standard by Max Bell
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