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Sting - TEN SUMMONER'S TALES (1993)

Tom Benton | North Springfield, VT USA | 08/06/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Having vented his sorrow over his father's death through THE SOUL CAGES, Sting returned more upbeat and playful than ever on 1993's TEN SUMMONER'S TALES. Widely regarded as Sting's best album, TEN SUMMONER'S TALES - the title being a pun on Sting's surname - is a collection of ten songs, each telling a story, as well as a prologue ("If I Ever Lose My Faith In You") and an epilogue ("Nothing 'Bout Me"). This was destroyed on the US and Canadian releases, as the "Prologue" was dropped from the title of "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You" and one of the album's finest songs, "Everybody Laughed But You", was inexplicably omitted. Sting has never been better either lyrically or musically; these songs are at once funny and very powerful. "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You" and the beautiful "Fields Of Gold" are the album's classic songs, but every song is wonderful, particularly "Seven Days", "Something The Boy Said" (which would have made a fine Police song), "Shape Of My Heart" (featured in the end credits of Luc Besson's LEON), "Saint Augustine In Hell" and the highly amusing "Heavy Cloud No Rain". Though it still can't surpass its predecessor, THE SOUL CAGES, TEN SUMMONER'S TALES ranks directly behind it on the list of Sting's finest solo work."