Sting - The Soul Cages

The somber, personal Soul Cages is a testament to Sting's strength as a storyteller. Each song creates its own dark, lonely world with recurring themes of sea, ships, and filial love. The album opens with the wistful, virtually mist-drenched "Island of Souls," a tale of a shipbuilder's son orphaned by an accident who dreams of the open sea. Later, that sea becomes a prison for a lovelorn sailor in "Why Should I Cry for You?" Throughout, Sting dispenses with the conventions of pop lyrical structure. Saxophones, oboe, and Northumbrian pipes reinforce the folksy feel of the instrumentation. Arguably the best song on the album, "Mad About You" is a mystical ballad about a king who has everything except the woman he loves. Grand, elegiac, and allegorical, Soul Cages stands as one of Sting's most downcast recordings, and one of his most compelling. --Courtney Kemp Amazon.com

Holds up surprisingly well

When this album came out, I remember being somewhat disappointed by it. I wanted ... more. But more than a decade later, it's the Sting solo album I find myself listening to more than any other.

Like nearly all of Sting's solo albums, this one has some songs that probably won't find heavy rotation. "When Angels Fall," "Island of Souls," and "The Wild Wild Sea" are too many dirge-like tracks for any one album, and none of them leave a particularly strong impression.

But when this album shines, it really shines: "All This Time," "Mad About You," and "Why Should I Cry For You" emerge as three of the most compelling songs of Sting's solo canon. "Jeremiah Blues" and "The Soul Cages" are very listenable - solid tracks. Sting's love of musical complexity is evident, but the "let's do something in seven time just because we can" attitude which infects some of his later work hasn't crept into his songwriting yet.

The result is an album which holds up beautifully when compared to any of Sting's solo work. If, perhaps, it's not going to get mentioned in the same breath as "Synchronicity" or "Ghost in the Machine," well, then we can lament that Sting wanted a break from Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland, but it's hardly a criticism of this album. June 8, 2008

Sting Paints on a Nautical Canvas of Despair

The Police emeritus beautifully paints scenes of despair and dreams of the sea on this moving and top notch album The Soul Cages. This album is a delicious meal which must be fully enjoyed in it's entirity, not just selected bites. The sumptious meal starts with Island of Souls with its swell of strings placing you firmly in the sea of Sting's world, next the foot tapping All This Time, an upbeat spin on burial at sea, followed by Mad About You - Classical meets rock, this is a splendid rocker about unrequited love. Jerimiah Blues (Part 1) is Sting's soapbox rock setting up the crest of the wave of songs, Why Should I Cry for You (Sting's paternal eulogy) which is both lyrically and musically breathtaking. A gentle guitar instrumental, Saint Agnes and the Burning Train is a very enjoyable respite which demands a glass of good wine as The Wild Wild Sea describes Sting's dream of black sails and stormy waters. The album closes with one of Sting's best songs, When the Angels Fall. As always, Sting has hand picked an excellent group of talented musicians to produce his vision with Manu Katche (drums), Kenny Kirkland (keyboards), Dominic Miller (guitars), Branford Marsalis (Saxophone), Kathryn Tickell (Northumbrian Pipes), Paola Paparelle (Oboe), David Sancious (Keyboards), Ray Cooper, Vinx, Bill Summers, Munyungo Jackson, Skip Barney and Tony Vacca (Percussion). Sting proves himself as a thoughtful writer and serious songsmith weaving poetic threads of nautical scenes of despair and nocturnal images to beautiful and tight as a drum music. This whole album is wonderful from start to finish and may possibly leave you a little wet. - Ciao October 27, 2007

Test of Time

Re-ripping all my old CDs... This is one that didn't stand the test of time. Gushing reviewers and rich tapestry of music aside, I can't remember for the life of me why I bought this album--one for the revolving filing cabinet.

April 10, 2007

Behold the master storyteller

I listened to this cassette on a walkman catching the bus to school. Read the lyrics to When the Angels Fall over and over again. Its quite unlike anything he did before or since and conjures up an epic story in each song, suiting Sting's unique vocals. This is an album that takes you somewhere when you listen and one that I'll always remember.
March 30, 2007

the great soul

I heard "the soul cages" 15 years ago. at that time I was 20 years old. Now I have the CD, and I'm 35. I still love this CD, I think it's the sting's best tape. January 18, 2007

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