Sting: Inside - The Songs of Sacred Love (2003)

Overrated and overhyped

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

According to keyboarder Kipper's statement on this DVD, the original studio album took 1 year to complete. Unfortunately this "effort" can be heard in most songs resulting in a completely over-produced album. (The songs just don't "breathe" and tend to suffocate under the sheer weight of too many layers of sound...)This DVD is the complete opposite: All the songs were re-arranged in view of the coming Sacred Love tour and recorded during rehearsals and live performances in front of a test audience. It is the sparseness of the new arrangements that revealed the beauty of the songs. "Dead man's rope" for example has such an emotional impact that I was wept when I first heard this new version of the song. The arrangements on this DVD are so subtle and refined - it is beyond belief...It was a wise decision to do the recordings without the use of a large drum kit and to add some percussions by the marvellous Rhani Krija instead.After having listened to this DVD dozens of times I still discover new aspects and subtleties and get the occasional shiver down my spine (which is so rare in music nowadays). I am all struck by Stings compositional finesse, how he always puts some twists and changes in his songs - both harmonically and lyrically - and how he does tell a story...Compared to the test concerts on this DVD the Sacred Love concert in Zurich/Switzerland was a disappointment. Any subtleties that remained were obliterated by the sonic range of the drum kit and a band that played way too loud. Just what Sting tried to avoid in the first place (according to the interviews on the DVD) was jettisoned. With one exception: Joy Rose performing Mary J. Blige's part in "whenever I say your name" was pure salvation and better than the original recording.I highly recommend this DVD and discourage anyone from purchasing the inferior CD...10 / 10

This concert film was shot at Sting's Malibu house and the Mayan Theater in L.A. It features most of the songs from Sting's new album performed in a much sparser, seemingly more improvised manner. This is particularly evident on "Never Coming Home" which actually sounds better than what's on the album. However I do have my pet peeves about it:A) Kipper. The guy is great and crazy talented, but the sound that he puts into Sting's music makes it sound cold. Sting sounded best in about 1992 with "The Soul Cages" and Kipper has screwed up Sting's music with his synthesizers, programmed drums etc. etc. etc.B) Where's Manu Katche? This drummer is one of the best ever and is for some reason not here. Sting even said he dropped drums and drummers because they were too loud in rehearsal, and brought in Kipper's drum pads. Thank God Sting brought Manu back for the greater portion of the Sacred Love tour.C) Electronic piano. Undoubtedly the most talented player here is Jason Rebello, so why in the world would they put him on an electronic piano and continue to credit him as playing "piano?" To paraphrase Kevin Murphy, That's like putting gin in grape juice and calling it wine.Overall though, even with these problems the film is good. 7.5/10