MY SONGS Special Edition

This review relates to the 2 CD deluxe edition. I recommend you make sure you get this version.luckily the artwork is fairly distinctive.I like to imagine A&M said hey Sting, its time for another best of compilation!(the "Fields of Gold" compilation treated 1984 as the start of Stings solo career, which would make 2019 the 35th anniversary)but, in my imagined version of the events, Sting said , no! i have a better idea! , and inspired by his explosive live band, he stopped by various studios in between tour dates and cut the recordings on disc 1.With the exception of the first 3 tracks which Dave Aud smothered in an electronic sheen thats exactly what it sounds like to me.Some deep background: Since he recruited Guitar Ace Dominic Miller and ex Zappa drummer Vinny Coliuta in 1990 Sting has been an exceptional live act , since then drummers , keyboard players and second guitarists have come and gone but Dominic Miller has remained Stings right hand man, creative partner and occasional co-writer. Miller is a truly remarkable and versatile musician able to serve up jazz, hard rock, folk or latin styles as required.If he didnt go to the expense of attending a concert John Q public only got an occasional glimpse of this band on FM concert broadcasts and the 5 live tracks on the 1993 Demolition Man EP.There was a low key release of a live DVD from 1999 , which got spotty distribution depending which country you lived in.I saw Sting in 2000 and it was a truly brilliant evening.in 2001 news of an impending live album reached us and i eagerly awaited a full length souvenir of the red hot Jazz/Rock/Funk steamroller i'd seen in Manchester , oh boy , was i disappointed!"All this time" was fussy re-arrangements played at a private show for a tiny invited audiencemy search continued, 1986's "Bring On The Night" was the sound of a man trying too hard to hide from what he did best, of course there were moments of brilliance from Kenny Kirkland but it was all too smooth and clean...the live juggernaut seemed to sag slightly with the 2003 sacred love tour but was well and truly restored with 2005's Broken music tourI remember seeing the first reports and reviews of the broken music tour online, i couldn't believe my eyes at the fantasy set lists and 2 guitar line up, i waited and hoped in vain for the tour to come to the UK but at least we got a view of this band on the live 8 tv broadcast playing Driven To Tears and it was truly everything i'd imagined.While A&M slept Bootleggers made hay with the extremely popular (with good reason) Warsaw 2005 show and the poignant Bataclan reopening with Henri Padovani's guest spotroll on 2019 and we finally have " My Songs"!skip past the first 3 Dave Aude produced tracks and you have the sound of a Rock Band playing live, there's tons of energy , like a very good Radio Session.the 1st half of Disc 2 (from German & Italian shows in 2019) is even stronger and the second half of disc 2, recorded in Paris in 2017 is pretty close to being a perfect live album

Double CD. Some songs are repeated live as well as studio. Bought mainly to pick out the few favourites but if you’re a Sting fan, you’ll like it all.

Absolutely love sting and his music. Took me back to my childhood to college to present day 💓💞💕

This is a great CD with Sting's career highlights 're-worked' and re-framed. It's also exactly how he played the songs live in Athens in October 2021 on his tour - which is beautiful.HOWEVER, the cd is funnily enough also a testament to the true greatness of Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers of the Police as the police songs here as wonderful as they are show what magic two brought to the band. The depth and complexity of those songs and original recordings is difficult to replicate(not that this was ever the idea of course) - and I really miss the 'spine' Copeland gave to those those songs with his incredible drums.Fab CD though!

Track selection

Not as good as originals

🥰

Since I got this cd I have not stopped playing it.I have never been a great fan of the police, listened in the pub that's about it, never felt compelled to buy any of their stuff. Since strong went his own way he has excelled.Got all his CDs and this is a bloody good rehash of hits.A artist whose not scared to diversify into different genres of music and bring his own tilt on it.Enjoy the cd for what it is and you will not stop playing it.As you can tell I love, get it and make you own opinion.