Review Summary: Tasteful, intellectual compositions performed ably by great musicians, with one of the all-time greatest singers at the head of the pack.
Sting has long seemed to be one of those artists that not everybody can 'get', if you know what I mean. Even The Police were highly divisive amongst rock fans, with some viewing them as a sort of apex within the scene, and others viewing them as derivative and lacking in nuance. I tend to agree with neither group, although I do enjoy their work tremendously; but despite this, Sting's solo work is, for me, a more cohesive and enjoyable body of work than the Police's efforts at large. A main complaint of fans is that his solo sound has been too 'adult contemporary' for their liking. This is a valid complaint, although not one that I can go with, as much because 'adult contemporary' is a sort of vague term as anything. Take Michael Buble, for instance. Is he AC? Is he jazz? Is he easy listening? You don't know, do you? Exactly. But what I do know is that Sting's music might better be qualified as 'rock jazz' than AC.
'Ten Summoner's Tales' is, far and away, his best solo album, both as a whole and for the sum of its parts. Released in 1993 and produced by Sting and the brilliant producer Hugh Padgham, the disc is a fusion of elements from pop, jazz, rock, country, classical and numerous other styles. No one track veers as far from the overall sound of the album as, say, 'Russians' did on 'The Dream of the Blue Turtles', although 'Heavy Cloud (No Rain)' comes close, so the cohesion of all the tracks is fantastic. The disc is a unified whole, with a single sound and aim; the song themes generally concern romance, and are written and performed in a similar vein.
Of the individual tracks, I think I would say that 'Seven Days' is my favourite, due to its odd time signature (5/4, which is a rarity to say the least), smooth vocals, witty lyrics and effortless drumming from legend Vinnie Colaiuta. Other highlights include 'Fields of Gold', which I knocked down a bit for repetitive lyrics, and for generally seeming like an ambient form of a song, although it's also very good. 'If I Ever Lose My Faith In You' is a highly jazzy, slick number; 'Saint Augustine In Hell' is marred by a dreadful spoken section but contains some fantastic lyrics and another great time signature (7/4); 'Love Is Stronger Than Justice' is his second-most successful experiment with country music ('I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying' from 'Mercury Falling' being the best); and 'Nothin' Bout Me' has the album's funniest lyrics, with a strong, almost soul influence. The fan favourite song seems to be 'Shape Of My Heart', which is a classic beyond argument, and that I know primarily for its absolutely brilliant Larry Adler harmonica solo and fantastic guitar lick.
All the melodies, which are among Sting's best, are played wonderfully by a band of the most capable musicians around. Longtime keyboardist Kenny Kirkland is temporarily replaced by David Sancious here, who adds largely tasteful synthesiser parts, with piano and organ as well; Dominic Miller blends guitar stylings from around the world for all his parts; and, most notably for me, Vinnie Colaiuta proves what a drumming monster he is by making the impossible sound effortless. Sting's bass parts sound fantastic, too, and he gets in on the harmonica action as well. His vocals are also at a high here, going from the sharp textures of 'She's Too Good For Me' to the mellower accents of 'It's Probably Me' with no effort, sometimes switching styles entirely in the middle of songs, like in 'Love Is Stronger Than Justice'.
Overall, this album has earned its place in my collection. Some of the songs are weaker than others, yes, and the sound of the disc isn't for everyone. Prepare for hari-kari if you're into the harder edge of the Police, but if you can deal with change, then you are doubly advised to check this disc out. Congratulations to Sting and company on such a fine effort. 5/5
