Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984-1994 - Sting (CD 1994)

I don't generally care for compilation or 'greatest hits' albums, but this one is an exception.
Being something of a purist I tend to feel that if you actually like a group or singer you should listen to the songs in the context in which they were intended to be heard, i.e. in the order the artist arranged them on the album. Of course I realize that a lot more care is taken with some albums than with others, so in some cases this sentiment is based less on the feeling that we need to respect the work the artist put into arranging each song for the best effect (since some albums are certainly just flung together around one 'hit quality' song) and more on the fact that darn it, I have a conservative streak and I like to have things stay the way they were when I first heard them!
Don't mess with my Beatles albums! And leave the Moody Blues alone!

So, as I say, I generally scorn greatest hits albums, the usual exception being if it's a band or artist I don't really like ALL that much. If you only like a few songs, they're semi-likely to be the ones everyone else likes too, and therefore to be collected in one 'best of' album. I'm thinking here particularly of a tape of the Mamas and the Papas best hits. I have nothing against the Mamas and the Papas, but they're not someone whose various recordings I'm likely to go out and collect one by one for their own merits, so a collection of their biggest hits, some of which I quite enjoy, fulfills my needs very nicely. Likewise, Madonna's 'Immaculate Collection' is usually sufficient to satisfy my occasional need to hear Madonna.

Having explained all that, I have to say that in this case the formula fails...I like this collection even though I also like Sting in general and own two others of his albums, both of which I like and enjoy on their own.
What can I say...I'm inconsistent.

I got this album on a whim from one of those mail order music clubs, and wasn't terribly familiar with Sting at the time (I got the other albums later after forming a liking for him...possibly that explains why I still like this album even though it offends my purist instincts). I used to put it on shuffle repeat and play it for hours at a time.
There's something about the wide variation in the songs, from the melancholy "Fragile" and "They Dance Alone" to the perky "Englishman in New York" and "That Cowboy Song," to the rousing 'hit' sounds of "Fortress Around Your Heart" and "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You" to the somber quality of "Russians," that makes it easy to listen to this CD a lot without getting bored. Especially on shuffle repeat, where you never know what song is coming next, it makes great background music for working around the house, studying Russian verbs, etc.

Sting, to me, has so many different sounds (not everyone agrees; one of my sisters theorized that being at a Sting concert would be 'like being trapped in an elevator with a bunch of screaming people') that he's always interesting to listen to. He changes tone so smoothly from political complaints to ballads to sad little love songs.

I really like the way all the different songs in this collection go together. Nothing really stand out and makes you think "why did they put THAT on here?" All the songs fit together, and follow each other well whether you listen to them in the order they're arranged, or shuffled. I also like the variety of the songs included and think whoever did the main compiling did a good job; they put in the songs you'd expect, the ones you still hear on the radio sometimes, but also included some that probably weren't huge hits but that are just good songs.

And, of course, for those wanting an explanation for this review title, just look at that cute (half) face on the cover! He looks like a pixie or something. I do wish the liner notes included lyrics for the songs, but one can't have everything.

As another possible con I would note that those who tend to find Sting monotonous (like my sister) won't get anything here to really change their minds. He definitely has a certain style which some people find tiresome. "He just sort of drones on and on" is a complaint I've heard. And it's true he does tend to sing in pretty much the some voice all the time. I guess he's just a taste some have and some don't. If you don't, this album won't change anything, because they're all very 'Sting' songs, with his usual slightly hoarse, mellow-sounding voice. I personally like this, but others should be warned.
If, on the other hand, you sort of like Sting but not enough to collect his various albums individually, this is an excellent way to have enough of him around to satisfy those occasional cravings.

In closing, let it be known that consistency is not one of my primary characteristics, and also that I endorse this album as a means of quelling a fierce hunger for Sting at any time.