Stung

I've always been, to some extent, ambivalent regarding Sting. I have nothing against Mr. Sumner, I have quite a lot of his stuff on my iTunes, but is it just me or did his best stuff come out ages ago? I mean, other than The Dream of the Blue Turtles (which derives its strength largely from Sting's willingness to sublimate his musicality in favor of true jazz masters like the brothers Marsalis) and My Funny Valentine: Sting At the Movies (a guilty pleasure which bears more than a passing resemblance to Rod Stewart's As Time Goes by: the Great American Songbook), none of his solo work truly resonates with me.

Here's an interesting article courtesy of our friends at Slate. Stephen Metcalf argues that Sting's musical contributions may have been limited since parting ways with Stewart Copeland, but he remains a charmingly dorky, decent, and thoughtful human being. Check it out.

Photo Credits:
Picture of Sting comes courtesy of Rhapsody Online.