Nothing Like the Sun - Sting (CD 1987)

Instead of a prologue

Nothing like the Sun was the culmination of everything Sting had pursued over the course of the 80s, a true masterpiece. This was where every piece of the puzzle finally lay in its place, his political awareness, his maturity as a musician, his genius as a lyricist, yes the best band he d ever had, finally, his beautiful soul it all comes down to this: one of the 80s best pop albums.




Part 1: All that you can t leave behind


Sting has always been the kind of person to let his feelings show. As he himself admits, Synchronicity (the Police, 1983) consists almost entirely of songs about his life. Two years later his first solo album The Dream of the Blue Turtles (1985) finds him on a crossroad similar to where he and the Police stood in 1981 with Ghost in the Machine, before they went and recorded Synchronicity, their and Sting s masterpiece. In other words, twice in the 80s Sting had stood on a crossroad choosing a way to go. As a result, twice he d had albums that were interesting, ambitious, involving, yet all over the place. And twice the way chosen after such album has lead him to an absolutely inadequate expression of his artistic integrity, where his life and his music would become one, entwine, resulting in an album for all times. 1987. Nothing like the Sun is Sting s second true masterpiece.


That said, it surpasses Synchronicity. More about that later.


He looked beneath his shirt today
There was a wound in his flesh so deep and wide
From the wound a lovely flower grew
From somewhere deep inside


The album opens with LAZARUS HEART. Dedicated to his mom, it is instantly stunning. Manu Katche, who would be Sting s drummer ever since (thank Sting for keeping this guy) has this off-kilter technique combined with some sort of eastern flavor. The result every time is percussion of variable strength, yet in each and every case, be it barely audible ticking or steely spiking, it sets a Sting song apart from any other performer, and all of Nothing like the Sun is a prime example to that. Mino Cinely gives the song a nice touch with the vocoder effects, while Andy Summers, invited by Sting for this and the next song, proves he is a guitar wizard yet again.


He turned around to see his mother
To show her the wound in his breast that burned like a brand
But the sword that cut him open
Was the sword in his mother s hand


The opening two songs prove the mood is what Sting is after on this album. While that would be characteristic of the Artist on most of his subsequent releases (the Soul Cages, Mercury Falling, Brand New Day, Sacred Love), this was the first time Sting had had truly contemplative songs, ones that draw you in and envelop you, transcending all borders of distinction between music and lyrics. It s all one, and where Lazarus Heart was a tribute to his mom, BE STILL MY BEATING HEART is one of the most beautiful love songs ever written, a tribute to the Dream we all share.


Restore my broken dreams
Shattered like a fallen glass
I m not ready to be broken just yet
A lesson once learned so hard to forget


Again Andy Summers shines, delivering swirling ethereal chords, disintegrating the singer s dreams, melting them away in the nearness of Her, where Her burning eyes are all that remains. The song s got one of the best videos ever, beautifully becoming its content Sting stands at the entrance of a tunnel and the camera moves around him, until you see a silhouette of a girl on the other end a second, and her eyes fill the screen.


I sink like a stone that s been thrown in the ocean
My logic has drowned in a sea of emotion
Stop before you start
Be still my beating heart


There are things you cannot leave behind. Love for the ones who let you in this world, for the One you share this world with and also love for yourself. You ve got to have respect for yourself, some dignity, and ENGLISHMAN IN NEW-YORK is one of the best songs when it comes to describing the uneasy feelings of an alien. I ve a special relationship with this song, cause wherever I am in the States, here in Latvia, or even in Russia (I m a hybrid between a Russian and a Latvian) no matter how well I speak, I m never really one of the people living there. Funny how I feel best in America.


And you can hear it in my accent when I taaaaaaawk
I m an Englishman in New York

be yourself, no matter what they say


This is the first part of the album, ends here. Three songs and I already feel complete. In just three songs Sting touches every aspect of life, the ones that really matter. Now, as Englishman winds up to Branford Marsalis s sax, I feel it is time to introduce the band.




Part 2: In which Sting surpasses the Police


See, the Police had somehow managed to do so much being so few just the three of them. The Dream of the Blue Turtles was a good album, but it suffered when compared to the sheer musical brilliance of all five Police albums. Wisely Sting had decided to stay away from guitars on the Dream, and he still is very cautious on Nothing like the Sun. However, now he has a drummer able to rival Steward Copeland s legacy, and himself he still remains one of the best bass players in the world, as to the rest of the band assisting him with this album you may take a look yourself.


Kenny Kirkland: keyboards
Manu Katche: drums
Mino Cinelu: percussion, vocoder
Branford Marsalis: saxophone, bckgr vocals

Sting: bass, lead vocals, lyrics, music, acoustic guitar on Fragile



The above names may not tell you much, but they re all top notch musicians. Now for this album Sting also had a lot of guest artists, some of who were:

Eric Clapton: guitar on They Dance Alone
Andy Summers: lead guitar on Lazarus Heart and Be Still my Beating Heart
Gil Evans Orchestra: assistance on Little Wing
Ken Helman: the wonderful piano on Secret Marriage




Part 3: The rebel


Three politically aware songs follow, and Nothing like the Sun is the last Sting album where he sounds so sharp. Only 15 years later the recent political situation would make him write This War for the Sacred Love album, released last fall. As to the songs on Nothing like the Sun, in many ways they are the culmination of what started on Zenyatta Mondatta in 1980. What makes these songs so stunning, however, is that Sting doesn t sound sour here, like he did back in the Police days and rather surprisingly does on This War in 2003. On the contrary, this time around he lets the words flow with ease, and if his previous political observation more often that not was an angry scream, these here are tears. On Nothing like the Sun Sting mourns for the world full of violence.


HISTORY WILL TEACH US NOTHING is a upbeat reggae-ish bit about exactly what the title suggests. Wait, soon we shall get more somber. At nearly 7 minutes a tribute to the Pinochet regime victims THEY DANCE ALONE is the longest song on the album, yet somehow it was given a green light as a single. Percussion effects, coming periodically in between verses like soldiers stomp always bring the chills. Sting mostly sings in a subdued voice, but the sound is always stretched to painful heights on fathers and sons each time he mentions the victims in the chorus. Halfway through the song there s an amazing part in Spanish


Ellas danzan con los desaparecidos
Danzan con los muertos
Danzan con amores invisibles
Con silenciosa angustia
Danzan con sus padres
Con sus hijos
Con sus esposos

Ellas danzan solas
Danzan solas


The way this verse is sung by Ruben Blades, it is impossible to not be moved by. But the next song is FRAGILE, and, well, this is the epitome of the pain for the world. Played by Sting on acoustic guitar, an overall simple song becomes its title to the fullest extent and is the real culmination of all political commentaries this man has uttered in the 80s.


On and on the rain will fall like tears from a star
On and on the rain will say how fragile we are




Part 4: Nothing like the sun


Ultimately, however, this album comes down to one thing, ever so near and dear to Sting s fragile heart. Love. And that s what the next six songs are about.


WE LL BE TOGETHER is a wonderful pop bit with a touch of funk. STRAIGHT TO MY HEART again has a Latino feel to it, but unlike They dance alone is a celebration of love in blossom.


I ll be true to no one but you


ROCK STEADY is a herald to 10 Summoners Tales - for the first time Sting sings a love song as hilarious as here. SISTER MOON penetrates the darkest corners of your soul with its pale light, as Branford Marsalis paints the dreams of a lunatic with his saxophone brilliance.


Lying in a mother s arms
The primal root to a woman s charms
I m a stranger to the sun
My eyes are too weak
How cold is a heart
When it s warmth that he seeks?

You watch every night, you don t care what I do
I d go out of my mind but for you


The LITTLE WING cover is wonderful, with a double solo towards the end of the song one on guitar, and then Branford s saxophone. Finally, the two minute closer employs a beautiful melody for piano by Hans Eisler (a German composer who fled the country during WWII and had to hide from the Nazis for the rest of his life). SECRET MARRIAGE closes an album about life in a troubled world with a quiet song about something that can never be broken.


No debt was paid no dowry to be gained
No treaty over border land or power
No semblance of the world outside remained
To stain the beauty of this nuptial hour


The secret marriage vow is never spoken
The secret marriage never can be broken




Instead of an epilogue

Nothing Like the Sun is an album about a man in a troubled world. He has a luggage of memories he cannot leave behind. He is aware of his dignity and has come to terms with it. He sees the bigger picture of life going on around him everywhere and many issues make him cry. Yet there s something, ever able to take away the tears, disintegrate the pain, and this something is love. A life commentary, Nothing like the Sun is the album Sting had been writing over and over again, with different new sounds, but never quite wrote again.


Thanks for reading. I hope one day she will read it too.





More on Sting by me
The Soul Cages
10 Summoners Tales
Fields of Gold: The best of Sting - the Videos 1984-1994
Brand New Day
Inside the Songs of Sacred Love DVD

..by other folks
Andrew - Sacred Love
Simon - Sacred Love
Ticktockman - All This Time DVD
Andrew - Brand New Day
Tim - Mercury Falling
Andrew - Mercury Falling
Andrew - 10 Summoners Tales
Andrew - the Soul Cages
Andrew - Nothing like the Sun
Tim - the Dream of the Blue Turtles
Andrew - the Dream of the Blue Turtles



More on the Police by me

Regatta de Blanc
Ghost in the Machine
Synchronicity

..by other folks
Andrew - Outlandos D'Amour