Music : Sacred Love

Rating: - "Whenever I say your name, I'm already praying"
Sting's seventh studio album (2003) is a welcome addition to the collection. Here, an unconventional conventionality holds sway. It is replete with excellent lyrics, often to do with the subject of love and personal relationships - an area where Sting excels in songwriting and singing. We have songs of angry love, hopeful love, spiritual love, dead love, bitter love, strange love, and love of life. Religion in a variety of modes also features heavily: Sacred Love indeed! It is produced again by Kipper and Sting, this album possessing a good upfront sound.

Three of the tracks I can take or leave: `Stolen Car' is too contrived, whilst the production behind `The Book of My Life' simply doesn't cut it, despite the cello and sitar and the lyrics betraying a love of life. (Sting's autobiography was published in the same year.) `This War' is a U2-esque crowded rock song with an undisciplined guitar that does not accord with the discipline of the lyrics ("Make it easy on yourself. And don't do nothing.") Maybe this was intended, but the subject-matter loses its punch as a result.

Better are `Send Your Love' with its flamenco guitar and castanets, excellent lyrics ("There's no religion but sex and music") and insistent pulse; the soul-rock ballad `Whenever I Say Your Name' ("... I'm already praying"); the committed steady rock-beat of `Dead Man's Rope'; the electronic-rock sound of `Never Coming Home', closed by a solo jazz piano; the funky `Forget About the Future'; and the funky soul of the title track.

The best of the set is the opener, `Inside', with its mysterious beginning of hushed whispers. It later develops a powerful insistency betraying a breathless rage: "Love is an angry scar, The pain of instruction, Love is a violation, a mutilation, capitulation, Love is annihilation." Despite the fury, love on this CD still wins.

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Rating: - superb!!!!!!
If you like Sting, you won't be disappointed, a great album whether you listen to it at home or driving in the car, you will soon be singing the songs, thanks again Sting

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Rating: - Back to form!!
This CD is definitely a return to form from Sting. The quality of the writing is outstanding. A mix of Spanish, Arabic and dance influences - as well as his usual well observed, beautifully crafted love songs - this CD is well worth every penny.

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Rating: - Just
Sting is thoughtful, sensitive, imaginative - and such a talented,creative musician. All this shines through in Sacred Love. It takes a fewhearings before it grabs you, and then you realise how full of beautifulmelodies, innovative styles and insightful lyrics it really is. Astriking, uplifting and memorable recording.

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Rating: - Sell out!!!
I think Sting has sold out on this album. You can hear from the first note, that he's trying to be something he is not. For all us real fans who has been there with him from the start it is a dissapointment!
I know that all artists has to renew themselves to sell albums to a younger audience. but I really didn't think that Sting would become one of them. This "Pop sound" is not him at all, and I regret that I spend money on something as bad as this!!!