Many people remember exactly what they were doing on Sept. 11. In Italy, Sting was preparing a concert for a small audience of friends and fans.
The concert was to be recorded and made into an album as a way of giving thanks to Sting’s fans.
Upon hearing about the terrorist attacks, Sting initially felt that the concert should be canceled. After meeting with members of the band, the decision was made to try to continue the show as planned.
America’s tragedy proved to be the emotional fuel needed to bring “…all this time” to life.
Fifteen tracks make up Sting’s latest effort. Sting chose the songs from those he had been performing on tour for the past two years.
The first song is “Fragile,” in which Sting sings about the frailty of life. His lyrics reflect the horrible reality of the attacks: “If blood will flow when flesh and steel are one/ Drying in the color of the evening sun/ Tomorrow’s rain will wash the stains away/ But something in our minds will always stay.”
With the addition of an acoustic bassist percussionist, cellist and trombone to Sting’s regular band, the sounds of the songs varied from jazzy with the trumpet and piano-laced “Perfect Love…Gone Wrong,” to blues-influenced in “The Hounds of Winter,” a song of love lost.
Other songs include the classics “Don’t Stand So Close To Me,” “Roxanne,” “Fields of Gold” and “If I Ever Lose My Faith In You.”
The album ends with “Every Breath You Take,” a song of sadness that Sting in a sense offers as comfort to the victims of Sept. 11. As the applause dies down after such an emotional song, it is evident that music can heal emotional pain and Sting’s voice provides a healing touch.
-Kimberly Hicks
