Sting: Bring On the Night

It is about time that this ground-breaking video finally made it to DVD, making it even more of an audio and video treasure. I can still remember the first time I saw the special on A & E almost 20 years ago. I had lost track of Sting and his wanderings after he had left the Police, and wasn't quite sure I wanted to find him anyway given the negative publicity (and my own disappointment) surrounding his departure from what is still regarded as one of the best rock groups of all time. Unsuspecting, while lounging on my back porch I flipped through the cable channels and stumbled onto the program as it had just begun. For the next 2 hours I became mesmerized.The project was an unprecedented undertaking at the time, recording a band not only in live concert but through the whole process from inception to rehearsal to performance. The concept was as risky as it was revolutionary, especially for Sting who had everything to lose by not only gambling on a solo project, but by making this effort so accessible in such a unique manner to the viewing public. In its form and feature, it was also a prototype for what would become "reality" TV, long before there was such a category.Beginning with location shots of the band in rehearsal at a French castle just outside Paris, we get an impressive portrait of Sting shaping a new musical ensemble: he lays out the rudimentary form of his original compositions, then brings them to life, gently but confidently directing his very talented charges, mostly accomplished African-American jazz players, through the complex arrangements, allowing for their contributions along the way. What becomes abundantly obvious, beyond his now-and-again reserve and arrogance, is Sting's finely-tuned sense of artistic expression, complemented by his technical knowledge of the medium. He knows what he wants and how to articulate it. In addition to the picture of music and musicians coming together, there are unpredictable and insightful interviews with Sting and other members of the band spliced strategically into the body of the video. Apted's editing is excellent in these instances and rather spectacular overall. At times he even synthesizes the scenes from the concert performance of a song with those at practice, the two segments pieced together as one without missing a note or beat. We also are provided usually unseen glimpses of the band's manager, Miles Copeland, ensuring that peace reigns among the musicians while securing the preparations and publicity for their debut. We are fortunately not subjected to tantrums, petty arguments or catty exchanges, so typical of today's reality TV content, but we do see banter among the members and several spontaneous moments. The camera also, perhaps dubiously, follows Trudy, Sting's wife, to the hospital where we witness her giving birth to their son Jake. The event actually occurred while this was being made, and it is still part of the footage.The "Bring On the Night" video culminates in the live concert. Not surprisingly, despite playing unfamiliar music with an unorthodox mix of instrumentalists in front of an SRO French (that's non-English) audience in Paris, Sting brings the house down. The finished songs are both well-polished and exciting as is their performance, which is near flawless. He finishes the evening with an encore of a few selected Police songs, including "Message In a Bottle" which he sings alone on stage - while final credits roll. The show removed any lingering doubts in my mind, low those many years ago, that the lad from Newcastle is indeed a musical genius. Now in this digitized format, it sounds and looks better than ever and is as inspiring as it was two decades before.

...the best dvd-release of Sting (so far anyway) besides, of course, the fabolous and fan-dedicated "All This Time" from 2001. They share some similarities, the behind the stage/the performance-"mixed" footage, or easier said; we are invited to see parts of the rehearsal, parts of the show, and there are interviews with all the musicians with Sting in the lead. The main difference is; this whole consept behind the 1985-release (and tour) of the "Blue Turtles"-material was the big risk Sting was taking being a settled artist, but with this new sound, style and (not least) the musicians he'd hired things indeed could have ruined his reputation and carreer. As you very well know, it didn't! He recieved standing ovations from audiences all over, and became a hit also as a solo-artist. Me myself, well, being a Sting-fan mainly, and not of Police -let's just say that I'm not surprised. Sting is one, if not the one, of the most talented composers and performers (including the musician he has and still works with) in the world today, and this release is another proof of that. I am so happy "Bring On The Night" finally has been released in this format. The sound is superb, the picture too -so let's throw away the old tapes now and really enjoy this!If you have a capable system, see it in DTS -the drum-opening on "If you love somebody...", it's like being there!Sting somehow becomes, ironically, an "early" Eminem (not that I compare them at all, they far from share much of anything else, but) the fact that they were both the only white in their black groups and collegues, Eminem with rappers. Sting theming up with these talented jazz-musicians, and of course, this inspired his composings and performances. Not that it's jazz, actually it is hard to catogorize any of Stings' music. It's kind of "continental". But a lot of the improvisings naturally goes over into jazz. And in 1985 the band was facing a lot of shared opinions about their project. (like Eminem had to face until he convinced his audiences, and that's the similarity I find.) But this was before the final result. Sting convinced as well, and from here it has mostly been "going uphills" for my favorite artist.Let me add to this that Stings' early influences take roots in jazz, and he was playing with jazz-musicians in the early days of his life. You can read about this in his biography "Broken Music". Recommended by the way!"Bring On The Night" is very inspiring, and interesting that way. Sting is not the only reason for this, the interviews and opinions and presentation of the band is also "very new", and presents the project in a way I'd never thought of it before. You get respect for they opininons on the music business none of them see themselves as a part of, it's all about the performing and the love of the music. You realize this, and I especially enjoyed the interviews with Branford Marsalis. Also it is funny to see their unserious sides between the rehearsals, and the way they make fun of Sting in friendly ways.This is the kind of release that makes you wish you could be the artist if just for a day, and it puts a smile on your face long before the credits start to roll.Here's another reason why I am a fan!

Great album, just Sting doing what he does brilliantly at his best, and with stellar musicians along for the ride.

I was very pleased to see "Bring on the Night" released on DVD. I remember seeing this movie in the theaters many years ago and always wondered why it hadn't made it to digital, but no more! The viewer can ignore the "dramatic" subtext of the movie ("Can Sting, risking his career, make it as a solo artist playing with jazz musicians?"; I think that the answer was never in that much doubt)that they try to establish through a series of interviews with Sting and others. Sting is overly stiff and didactic (and, frankly, boring!); the only guilty pleasure is seing Miles Copeland (his manager) run roughshod over evryone who is not Sting. This movie is about the band and the music that they create. All of the band members are exceptionally strong; you can see and feel the pleasure that they get from playing with each other (check out Omar Hakim's smile as he solos in the middle of "Burn for You"). The set list draws from (for me) Sting's best solo work and some tasty new arrangements of Police hits (the plaintive "Message in a Bottle" stands out). But the best thing in this movie is the FUNKY jazz groove that the band adds to Sting's compositions. Check out the extended jams on "Consider Me Gone" and "Bring on the Night." In short, if you want to see and hear musicians playing great songs WITH, not against or over, each other (listen to Branford Marsalis' sax support the melody and the message of "Fortress Around Your Heart"), check out this movie.

Such a great film about an even greater band. It‘s so much fun watching those musicians playing together and having a lot of fun. When watching the movie at some point you begin to feel like you yourself are a member of the band. The camera shows all those little smiles and glances between the bandmembers which also show how their relationships grow throughout the movie. I think I‘ve hardly ever seen a band with such great coordination and sense of rhythm and I could watch it a thousand times just to analyse their fascinating playing.

Bello

昔ＬＤで持っていたが、もう一度見たくて購入した。傑作ＤＶＤ。

I think if I am not wrong thé first solo album of sting and in thé interview he gives thé reason of that album wich is an essay with some black musicians that have some jazz back ground. It aińt bad at all.It is film in a castle rent for practice and you see Sting present on thé birth of is first son. Plus other extras..

It was a pleasure to see this film again, some 25 years after the first release.The dvd was in a perfect state and perfect quality.