Sting - The Dream Of The Blue Turtles [180g Black Vinyl LP]

Leaving The Police behind, Sting built his solo debut, The Dream Of The Blue Turtles, around jazz musicians. Branford Marsalis brought saxophone, Kenny Kirkland played keyboards, Darryl Jones handled bass, and Omar Hakim took the drum chair. Their performances gave Sting room to move between Pop Rock, jazz-influenced songs, and reggae rhythms. He addressed political subjects alongside personal relationships, including freedom and the costs of conflict.

"If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" opens with an upbeat horn-driven arrangement and a refrain about giving a partner independence. "Fortress Around Your Heart" pairs a prominent guitar figure with lyrics about repairing a damaged relationship. "Russians" draws on a melody by Sergei Prokofiev for a warning about nuclear conflict, while "Moon Over Bourbon Street" follows a nocturnal character inspired by Anne Rice fiction, with Sting playing double bass on the recording. The arrangements span pop, jazz, and drama.

"We Work The Black Seam" addresses coal miners and energy policy, while "Children's Crusade" connects historical tragedy with modern drug use. Sting and producer Pete Smith recorded much of the album at Blue Wave Studios in Barbados. The 180g black vinyl record was cut at Abbey Road Studios and includes artwork replicating the original jacket. The album contains ten songs.

• Format: Vinyl LP
• Standout tracks: "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free", "Fortress Around Your Heart", "Russians", "Moon Over Bourbon Street"
• Pressing details: 180g Black Vinyl, Abbey Road Studios Vinyl Cut, Original Jacket Artwork
• Genre/style: Pop Rock, Jazz Rock, Adult Contemporary
• UPC: 082839375016

The brief instrumental title track offers another glimpse of the jazz musicians at work, while "Shadows In The Rain" revisits a song Sting first recorded with The Police. Both demonstrate the variety of his first studio album after leaving the band.

* The Spotify track list may not exactly represent the tracks and audio of this LP edition.

Track List:

Side A:

1. If You Love Somebody Set Them Free
2. Love Is The Seventh Wave
3. Russians
4. Children's Crusade
5. Shadows In The Rain

Side B:

1. We Work The Black Seam
2. Consider Me Gone
3. The Dream Of The Blue Turtles
4. Moon Over Bourbon Street
5. Fortress Around Your Heart