Sting – They Dance Alone (Gueca Solo)
This is the Sting album with which I am most familiar – and I love it to this day. This song is well chosen for the moment – “no budget for your guns” – describing a dance of grieving which is sad, but not without hope. Sting’s infusion of woodwind instruments is seamless and supports the track well. It is beautiful.
Jeff Wayne – Horsell Common and the Heat Ray
A bit lighter fare 🙂
I was not aware of this record until the submitter mentioned it recently. This is a big ol’ pile of sci-fi/space/art rock that I can appreciate. It’s a bit wacky and at it’s prog length allows one’s mind to wander and “come back” – oh, the same song is still on. F-U-N, fun.
Sting- I love the Police and much of Der Schtingel’s (as we call him in our house) solo work. While this is not among my favorites from his catalog, this is a good one. I appreciate how his trots the globe in his songs; off the top he has French, Russian, Arabic and this south American representative. Nice use of winds and percussion. I love the “Hey, Mr. Pinochet” shout out and the imagery of the mourning dancers. I really dig the shift into the up tempo (samba? mambo? Hambone?) section near the end, though I could have used it a little sooner–dats a long song.
Jeff Wayne- Interesting “tune”. Sprawling and cinematic with a touch of weirdness. I liked the guitar at the beginning. Glad I got to hear it. Probably would not listen to the whole album.
On Sting – While not my favourite song by Mr Sumner, I do think i to be quintessential Sting as it combines a musicality with a social consciousness that boarders on the preciousness that made some of his later work a bit trying. Nonetheless, a nice tune.
On Jeff Wayne – I guess this was the week for the pop 45s? Can you imagine someone trying to edit this for one side of a 7 inch single? All this said, totally dig it.
Sting – I found it funny how the Jeff Wayne track was called out for longevity. I did not know sting did 7 minute songs. I enjoyed this, but the entire time i am listening to it I kept experiencing a family guy joke about sting. You only understand the last word of the line he sings. Very true with this one for me
Jeff Wayne – I had to submit something that even Ed had never heard of. My 9 year old son recently made me purchase this record for him. He’s also been asking for us to take him to England to see the show. It’s a great sci-fi symphonic prog rock concept album show. I felt this track really encapsulates much of the feel of the album. It does lack the Moody Blues influence of the Justin Hayward tracks. I really enjoy the waaaahwaaaah guitars and the musical sound effects. BTW this is the all time 40th best selling album in Britain
Sting: “They Dance Alone”
Chilean torture and desparecidos are worthy topics for a song, but this I have to say I think this song is kinda what people who hate Sting are talking about. Sincere though he might be, it just comes off pretentious. Couple nice turns of phrase in the lyrics, but the overall emotional impact isn’t there, and the tune isn’t terribly memorable. (for ways to handle similar material better, see Gabriel, P.)
Jeff Wayne, “Horsell Common and the Heat Ray.” I am a fan of Orson Welles’ infamous radio version of “WOW” and predisposed to people attracted to the source material that spawned it. I have no Idea who Wayne is and I had no idea this insane thing existed, but I kinda love this track. The haute-British reading of HG Wells’ dryly paranoid prose, the weird nagging riff (on what, banjo? glockenspiel?), the unexpected wah-wah guitar, even the ridiculous theremin-like sound effects. Yes, it probably goes on a bit long, but i’m glad i heard it.
They Dance Alone: There is a keyboard solo in a Live album of Sting’s I think called Bring on the Night that plays during When the World is Running Down that is phenomenal. For some reason my mind kept day dreaming to that album while listening to this song. Also made me remember how I haven’t enjoyed the pop energy and drums of a Police tune in a long time (queue up a playlist). This song was pleasant enough and seemed to reflect on some historical/sad event which I did not know the background on. I enjoyed (rather beautiful) but nothing pulled me in to really want to sink in deeper. I have heard this one before so it did give a certain nostalgic lift to the moment.
Horses Common and the Heat Ray: Just not sure what to make of this one. Dialogue reminded me of Vincent Price and Thriller, the music had interesting potential but never lifted off for me but I certainly did not give it a fair chance; only one too rapid a listen…I will return.
Sting – They Dance Alone (Gueca Solo)
This is the Sting album with which I am most familiar – and I love it to this day. This song is well chosen for the moment – “no budget for your guns” – describing a dance of grieving which is sad, but not without hope. Sting’s infusion of woodwind instruments is seamless and supports the track well. It is beautiful.
Jeff Wayne – Horsell Common and the Heat Ray
A bit lighter fare 🙂
I was not aware of this record until the submitter mentioned it recently. This is a big ol’ pile of sci-fi/space/art rock that I can appreciate. It’s a bit wacky and at it’s prog length allows one’s mind to wander and “come back” – oh, the same song is still on. F-U-N, fun.
Sting- I love the Police and much of Der Schtingel’s (as we call him in our house) solo work. While this is not among my favorites from his catalog, this is a good one. I appreciate how his trots the globe in his songs; off the top he has French, Russian, Arabic and this south American representative. Nice use of winds and percussion. I love the “Hey, Mr. Pinochet” shout out and the imagery of the mourning dancers. I really dig the shift into the up tempo (samba? mambo? Hambone?) section near the end, though I could have used it a little sooner–dats a long song.
Jeff Wayne- Interesting “tune”. Sprawling and cinematic with a touch of weirdness. I liked the guitar at the beginning. Glad I got to hear it. Probably would not listen to the whole album.
On Sting – While not my favourite song by Mr Sumner, I do think i to be quintessential Sting as it combines a musicality with a social consciousness that boarders on the preciousness that made some of his later work a bit trying. Nonetheless, a nice tune.
On Jeff Wayne – I guess this was the week for the pop 45s? Can you imagine someone trying to edit this for one side of a 7 inch single? All this said, totally dig it.
Sting – I found it funny how the Jeff Wayne track was called out for longevity. I did not know sting did 7 minute songs. I enjoyed this, but the entire time i am listening to it I kept experiencing a family guy joke about sting. You only understand the last word of the line he sings. Very true with this one for me
Jeff Wayne – I had to submit something that even Ed had never heard of. My 9 year old son recently made me purchase this record for him. He’s also been asking for us to take him to England to see the show. It’s a great sci-fi symphonic prog rock concept album show. I felt this track really encapsulates much of the feel of the album. It does lack the Moody Blues influence of the Justin Hayward tracks. I really enjoy the waaaahwaaaah guitars and the musical sound effects. BTW this is the all time 40th best selling album in Britain
I think both of these tracks benefit from a listen on headphones.
Sting: “They Dance Alone”
Chilean torture and desparecidos are worthy topics for a song, but this I have to say I think this song is kinda what people who hate Sting are talking about. Sincere though he might be, it just comes off pretentious. Couple nice turns of phrase in the lyrics, but the overall emotional impact isn’t there, and the tune isn’t terribly memorable. (for ways to handle similar material better, see Gabriel, P.)
Jeff Wayne, “Horsell Common and the Heat Ray.” I am a fan of Orson Welles’ infamous radio version of “WOW” and predisposed to people attracted to the source material that spawned it. I have no Idea who Wayne is and I had no idea this insane thing existed, but I kinda love this track. The haute-British reading of HG Wells’ dryly paranoid prose, the weird nagging riff (on what, banjo? glockenspiel?), the unexpected wah-wah guitar, even the ridiculous theremin-like sound effects. Yes, it probably goes on a bit long, but i’m glad i heard it.
They Dance Alone: There is a keyboard solo in a Live album of Sting’s I think called Bring on the Night that plays during When the World is Running Down that is phenomenal. For some reason my mind kept day dreaming to that album while listening to this song. Also made me remember how I haven’t enjoyed the pop energy and drums of a Police tune in a long time (queue up a playlist). This song was pleasant enough and seemed to reflect on some historical/sad event which I did not know the background on. I enjoyed (rather beautiful) but nothing pulled me in to really want to sink in deeper. I have heard this one before so it did give a certain nostalgic lift to the moment.
Horses Common and the Heat Ray: Just not sure what to make of this one. Dialogue reminded me of Vincent Price and Thriller, the music had interesting potential but never lifted off for me but I certainly did not give it a fair chance; only one too rapid a listen…I will return.