Sacred Love

数年不见，已经过了天命之年的Sting显得苍老了许多，不过这张新专辑倒是来势汹汹，丝毫没有衰老之气，上来就排到了Billboard 200排行榜的季军位置，销量将近19万5千张，一扫过去两张专辑在美国本土的低迷之势，虽然超过了前两张专辑，不过这和他当年多次排名亚军的辉煌业绩相比依然是逊色了不少。 　　Sting的影响力早已不局限在音乐领域，他所受到的欢迎，从埃塞俄比亚饥民到富可敌国的商业巨子，甚至包括在亚马逊雨林中生活的动物们。这张专辑的复苏，似乎在向人们宣告，Sting依然是这个蔚蓝色星球上最出色最具有世界意识的歌星和歌曲作者。歌词的内容依旧保持了Sting一贯的高尚思想和说服力，音乐的旋律依旧优美并且富有张力，以及专辑所拥有的出色单曲。 　　单曲《Send Your Love》是Sting最典型的音乐，以及歌词，在这首歌中Sting似乎又重新找到了失去了几年的创作灵感和热情，并且重新拥有了宏伟的旋律做衬托。另外还有《This War》这样内容主旨鲜明的歌曲，与那些只会以骂人来发泄的说唱歌手相比，这就是完全不同的思想境界，而现在的音乐界，能有如此思想的艺术家已经越来越少了，取而代之的则是越来越多受到商业利益驱使的摇滚乐队和说唱歌手，以及他们那些肤浅并且不纯粹的“公益和世界性的思想”。 　　当然，专辑也含有一些商业色彩，邀请了三位歌星担任客串，包括Hip-hop女王Mary J. Blige，以及拉丁歌手Vincente Amigo和著名歌星Norah Jones的妹妹，印度裔女歌手Anoushaka Shankar，然而正是由于这些歌星的加入，使得专辑中的音乐更能体现世界性的概念和音乐特点，其中一些单曲包含了巴西和印度以及其他地区音乐的一些元素，不过其中有一些乐器的声音和旋律如果没有听习惯的话可能会让人比较难以接受。 　　对于许多Sting的歌迷来说，这张专辑与他前两张专辑的内容虚华相比，显然是更实际，更易于接受，音乐旋律上也重新找回了Sting商标式的气势宏伟的大旋律的感觉。不过人总会有衰老的，肯定有部分歌迷不会接受这位已经被历史沉淀为传奇的老艺术家继续他的热情，会认为他的音乐是催眠曲，但是Sting依然用自己的音乐诠释着自己的思想，证明了他仍然处在与他的传奇相符合的地位，而不止是生活在历史传奇背后的迟暮老头。(By CatCobain) Sting scored a moderate comeback success greater than most had imagined possible with 1999's Brand New Day, re-establishing himself as a viable commercial artist instead of merely settling for living legend status. Part of this success was due to "Desert Rose," featuring vocalist Farhat Bougallagui's careening cadences that garnered attention, particularly when they were showcased in a car commercial that kicked the album into high commercial gear. Sting picks up on this, adding three guest vocalists to the ten-track Sacred Love album (the 11th track is a remix of the lead single, "Send Your Love" — which happens to be better, since it eliminates the rather annoying Indian-styled hook) — Vincente Amigo and Anoushaka Shankar are paired with Mary J. Blige, who in this context is presented as a world music artist. None of the guests makes much of an impression here, but neither does Sting, since this is an album that puts sound over song or performance. Sacred Love is to Brand New Day what Mercury Falling was to Ten Summoner's Tales — a fussy, overworked stab at maturity, one that has impeccable craft but is obscured by its own meticulousness. It is professional to a fault, using its maturity and preciseness to obscure the fact that the songs don't really work. Sting isn't always hemmed-in, even ending "Inside" with a hysterical rant that makes him seem like a madman, but it has the effect of making the rest of the album seeming too deliberate and far from adventurous. It's far from a bad listen, nor is it embarrassing, but it's entirely too predictable, coming across as nothing more than well-tailored, expensive mood music, which is certainly far less than what Sacred Love could have been.