The Dream of the Blue Turtles

Sting had a lot to prove on 'The Dream of the Blue Turtles', his first post-Police effort, and with it he confirmed that he was up to the task of establishing a distinctive identity as a solo artist.

Instead of replicating his reggae-tinged Police style, he ventured into new realms, hiring top drawer American jazz musicians like Branford Marsalis, Kenny Kirkland and drum monster Omar Hakim to accompany him on the kind of harmonically sophisticated (though decidedly non-jazz) tunes he'd begun working on towards the end of the Police's lifetime - and for which he'd hinted at on 'Synchronicity'.

There's still a touch of reggae on the open-hearted "Love is the Seventh Wave", and even a funked-up version of the formerly abstract Police tune "Shadows in the Rain", but most of the material here (except the pop smash "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free") are the kind of literate, adult-friendly sophisto-pop that would become a template for his subsequent solo recordings.

"As I recall, 'The Dream of the Blue Turtles' was about the 3rd actual CD I ever heard. I remember quite clearly listening to it in my bedroom on my brother's portable disc-player, which was the equivalent to a CD Walkman back then, but was around about the size of a shoebox. Anyway, I spent many hours listening to this album, whilst pouring over the lyric book and generally just digging it immensely.

There are ten classic pop songs here on this record. Standouts for me include the opening cut "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free", which was Sting's repentant follow-on from "Every Breath You Take"; the Caribbean tinged, "Love is the Seventh Wave"; "Russians", where he makes specific comments about the Cold War, et al; plus such wondrous pieces of music like "We Work the Black Seam Together", "Consider Me Gone" and the salient album closer, "Fortress Around Your Heart"... All impart a very distinct & illuminating vision of this most poetic of pop heroes.

Sting has gone on to release numerous other great solo efforts, but it is this initial recording that, naturally enough, defined his style. It's a sound that is quite different from what he'd previously achieved within The Police, being a distinct progression in terms of both the artist's writing & delivery, but which still continues to this day to pay a respectful homage to that earlier part of his career. Do check out 'The Dream of the Blue Turtles' if you get the chance, as it still sounds great all these years later - especially this re-mastered edition."
-MARTY (08/01/2008)

Personnel:
Sting (vocals, guitar, bass); Branford Marsalis (saxophone, percussion); Frank Opolko (trombone); Kenny Kirkland (keyboards); Danny Quatrochi (Synclavier synthesizer, background vocals); Darryl Jones (bass); Omar Hakim (drums); Eddy Grant (congas); Dolette McDonald, Janice Pendarvis, Pete Smith, Elliot Jones, Jane Alexander, Vic Garbarini, The Nannies Chorus, Rosemary Purt, Stephanie Crewson, Joe Sumner, Kate Sumner, Michael Sumner (background vocals).