Track Listing

1. Inside
2. Send Your Love
3. Whenever I Say Your Name
4. Dead Man's Rope
5. Never Coming Home
6. Stolen Car (Take Me Dancing)
7. Forget About The Future
8. This War
9. The Book Of My Life
10. Sacred Love
11. Send Your Love (Dave Aude Remix Edit Version)
12. Shape Of My Heart (from "...All This Time" session)
13. Like A Beautiful Smile

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #60200 in Music
• Released on: 2003-09-22
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Enhanced, SACD

Amazon.co.uk Review
Sacred Love arrives over four years on from Brand New Day and demonstrates that Sting--an artist often criticised for serving up slick yet soulless coffee-table precision--is now positively galvanised by soul. Symptomatic of an uncharacteristically intimate co-production job (courtesy of the man himself and Kipper), there's a degree of inclusive warmth here that's occasionally been lacking in his post-Police work. From the busy, insistent verbosity of spiralling opener "Inside", through "Whenever I Say Your Name"--a gospel-tinged, call-and-response collaboration with class-drenched Mary J Blige--and on to the sweeping Iberian soundscapes of "Send Your Love", Sacred Love compounds Sting's reputation as an authoritative singer-songwriter of incredibly broad stylistic scope.

Elsewhere, "This War" kicks along in a reasonable approximation of rock, "The Book of My Life" strokes its spiritual chin as Anoushka Shankar noodles dexterously upon an atmospheric sitar, and "Stolen Car" stretches credence to beyond reasonable limits as superannuated Sting tries on a little joy-riding for size. So there it is: a Sting album with everything, including moments of unexpectedly spectacular 5.1 Surround Sound, a clumsily unfortunate dance mix and a little bit of soul. --Ian Fortnam

CD Description
'Sacred Love' is the ninth album from Sting and his first in four years since the successful 1999 album 'Brand New Day'. The album is a mix of world music inspired adult pop rock and features a guest appearance from soul diva Mary J. Bligeon the track 'Whenever I Say Your Name'. The single 'Send My Love' is also included.

Customer Reviews

Good, but IMHO nothing close to his better material
First things first: I love the music and song that Sting crafts. I've been a huge fan since the late 70's when I heard "Don't Stand So Close To Me" on a flight from Mumbai to Roma on the way back to Nigeria. I've followed Sting's solo career with equel vigour from the very first time I heard "If You Love Somone..." and "Love Is The Seventh Wave" on BBC shortwave. I've seen Sting 10 times starting with Nothing Like The Sun through the live live ..All This Time promotional tour. I met him on one occasion and was front-row center on another. My favourite two albums are DotBT and Soul Cages. That's a tough choice because there's much in between that I really love.

I wanted to love this CD. I really did. I even tried. But it doesn't come up as compelling as his previous material. Not to my ears, anyway. I almost hate admitting that because it makes me feel like a disloyal Sting fan, but in the interest of being honest, there you go. I purchased the Japanese import of the SACD and have listened to it maybe two dozen times. That's not to say it's bad; there are a few tracks that I like (as opposed to all of them) and some very solid hooks in some of the songs ("Stolen Car"'s "take me dancing" chorus jumps to mind). I like "Dead Man's Rope" and "Inside" a lot. The sitar in "Book Of My Life" is damn good too, but the song itself sadly doesn't do anything for me.

I can't put my finger on it, but the music doesn't *move* me like nearly all of his previous material does. One thought: This might be because the music heavily electronic and his live show on the upcoming tour might change my mind (that would be nice), but in the iterim it ranks as my least favourite Sting CD. Sorry, but there you go. If I find my opinion changing down the road, I'll be sure to let you know. Unfortunately, my opinion has gotten worse the move I listen. :( Still, if you're a Sting fan, you can't pass it up. Anyone know if there are plans to release all the Sting music videos on DVD soon?

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy the CD (because I don't think you probably enjoyed this review ;).

Very Disappointing
I think Mr Kipper's involvement with Sting has made him lose his brilliant ability to write a melody. As a big Sting fan I looked forward to this album as Brand New day I thought was a step down from the excellent Mercury Falling. I heard of different musical styles and immediately thought of Nothing Like The Sun (in my opinion the best album i have ever heard). Well this is nothing like anything, sorry Sting. Sting has stooped so low as to embrace the common day durge of "dance" music. A star with his musical talents doesn't have to appeal to the kids just to make him look young, he does a good job of that without the music. The best track on it is Shape Of My Heart and that was on All This Time and it has been reduced to just over 2 minutes. Shoddy. There is even a use of the word suture to rhyme with future a la Brand New Day. Listen for the scratchy sounds like an old LP like one of the bad songs on Brand New Day. Other references to old songs, with tunes taken out make this a very disappointing album. I urge Sting to ring up Branford Marsalis and Hugh Padgham and get back in the studio and record some proper music. I've given it a second listen and will probably give it a third to see if I have missed a tune or a good song. Suck it and see what you think but don't expect the usual brilliance (up to Mercury Falling and the odd song on Brand New Day). I've only given it 1 star because 0 was not an option.

Sacred Love
Sting has once again given us a musical treasure. I have heard only 6 of the 13 tracks and as usual his lyrics are thought provoking and beautifully poetic. He combines different musical styles and makes them his own. Each song is completely unique. The musicians performances are superb. I would recommend this CD wholeheartedly.