Ten Summoner's Tales [SHM]

by Sting

Overview

After two albums of muted, mature jazz-inflected pop, the last being an explicit album about death, Sting created his first unapologetically pop album since the Police with Ten Summoner's Tales. The title, a rather awkward pun on his given last name, is significant, since it emphasizes that this album is a collection of songs, without any musical conceits or lyrical concepts tying it together. And, frankly, that's a bit of a relief after the oppressively somber The Soul Cages and the hushed though lovely, Nothing Like the Sun. Sting even loosens up enough to crack jokes, both clever (the winking litany of celebrity pains of "Epilogue [Nothing 'Bout Me]") and condescending (the sneeringly catchy cowboy tale "Love Is Stronger Than Justice [The Munificent Seven]"), and the result is his best solo record. In places, it's easily as pretentious as his earlier work, but that's undercut by writing that hasn't been this sharp and melodic since the Police, plus his most varied set of songs since Synchronicity. True, there isn't a preponderance of flat-out classics -- only the surging opener "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You," the understated swing of "It's Probably Me," and the peaceful ballad "Fields of Gold" rank as classics -- but, as an album, Ten Summoner's Tales is more consistently satisfying than anything else in his catalog. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	03/26/2013
Label:	Universal
UPC:	4988005749871
Rank:	136939

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Sting   Primary Artist,Bass,Vocals,Harmonica,Saxophone,Lead Vocals
Eric Clapton   Primary Artist
Vinnie Colaiuta   Guest Artist,Drums
David Sancious   Guest Artist,Keyboards
Dominic Miller   Guest Artist,Guitar
Larry Adler   Guest Artist,Harmonica,Chromatic Harmonica
Guy Barker   Trumpet
John Barclay   Trumpet
Brendan Power   Harmonica,Chromatic Harmonica
Paul Franklin   Pedal Steel
Mark Nightingale   Trombone
Kathryn Tickell   Fiddle,Northumbrian Smallpipes
David Heath   Flute
Richard Edwards   Trombone
Simon Fischer   Violin
Kathryn Greeley   Violin
James Boyd   Viola
Sian Bell   Cello

Technical Credits

Sting   Producer,Recording Arranger,Arranger,Composer
Steve McLaughlin   Producer
Simon Osborne   Recording,Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Bob Ludwig   Mastering
Bill Withers   Composer
Kipper   Producer
Dominic Miller   Composer
David Tickle   Mixing,Digital Mastering
Eric Clapton   Composer
Hugh Padgham   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Jimi Hendrix   Composer
Martin Pradler   Engineer
Michael Kamen   Composer,Producer
John Alberts   Mixing
Ben Angwin   Mixing,Producer
Pete Lewis   Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Stoker   Mixing
Mark Mazzetti   Producer
Kevin Westenberg   Photography
Danny Quatrochi   Technical Assistance
Richard Frankel   Design,Package Design
Norman Moore   Design,Package Design
Donal Hodgson   Engineer
Andrew Bradfield   Assistant Engineer
Sztevanovity Dusan   Translation
Phil Hope   Mixing,Producer
David Foxe   Narrator