NewsSting / New album: “The Last Ship” / Various CD formats explained
It seems all the rage these days to not release a studio album of new material for 10 years. First Suede, then David Bowie and now Sting.
Yes, the 61-year old singer-songwriter is finally following up 2003’s Sacred Love with The Last Ship, an album about a community impacted by the demise of the shipbuilding industry in the North of England, with Sting drawing on his real childhood experiences. “I’m telling my own story through the lives of other people”, he says. The songs were originally written for the musical The Last Ship which will debut on Broadway next year.
Formats explained
The album has been produced by Rob Mathes and will come in three different configurations: A 12 track standard CD edition and vinyl pressing, a 17-track 2CD deluxe edition, and a 20-track super deluxe edition which is also two-CD but features ‘special packaging’. Only Amazon in Germany actual list all the different CD variations at present. They refer to ‘3 bonus tracks’ on the super deluxe edition – what they mean is over and above the 17-track deluxe version! The super deluxe editions do seem to be exclusive to amazon in each territory.
The Last Ship will be released on 23 September 2013 on A&M/Universal Records.
Standard CD Edition [12 track]
UK Pre-order: The Last Ship
USA Pre-order: The Last Ship
GERMANY Pre-order: The Last Ship
Deluxe 2CD Edition [17 track]
GERMANY Pre-order: The Last Ship
Super Deluxe 2CD Edition [20 track – Special Packaging]
UK Pre-order: The Last Ship [Super Deluxe Edition]
USA Pre-order: The Last Ship [Super Deluxe Edition]
GERMANY Pre-order: The Last Ship [Super Deluxe Edition]
Vinyl
UK Pre-order: The Last Ship
USA Pre-order: The Last Ship
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I’m not a huge Sting fan but I like this suite of songs. It’s not very mainstream but then it does follow an album composed for the lute. He’s taken over the lead for the Broadway show based on the songs, so the project does look rather like it’s holed below the waterline.
There are some good tunes, lyrics and music steeped in the folk traditions of the north east. Can you provide any more information on what’s on the Super Deluxe Edition Paul? It doesn’t look too super according to your original post.
Well the new Sting album is out and as many above have guessed it is, in fact, crap. I think the days of Sting releasing anything worth listening is in the past.
Looks to be a superb release. Sting challenges himself, works hard at his craft, and long-time fans are rewarded with excellent, engaging, thoughtful music.
i think ten summoner’s tales is his best, i think it’s a perfect pop album, the soul cages, nothing like the sun and mercury falling were fantastic albums as well, i think dream of the blue turtles has lots of great songs, but it’s not as cohesive as an album and not as musically diverse as later sting albums, brand new day and sacred love were slight drop offs by sting standards, but were both great albums, sacred love took a couple listens, whenever i say your name is not a great sting song imho, and there are a couple other ‘meh’ songs, but i still think it’s a musically rich and diverse album with some great songs on it and don’t get why so many people dismiss it altogether, i’ve also enjoyed the albums he has released in the interim , yeah i would have preferred original proper albums, but i love stings music period and i thought labyrinth and winters night were beautiful, i’m glad he didn’t just abandon music altogether like bowie did, i do have a general distaste for musicals with a couple exceptions, but i’m looking forward to last ship with high hopes, i heard the song ‘the only life i know is in the shipyard’ and once again i am just in awe of sting as a songwriter, he is just an incredible lyricist
I’d almost rather have superb remasters than a new album (or one that’s not a standalone).
Paul,
The standard version has in fact 12 songs, the deluxe version comes with 17 songs, not 15 as mentioned in your article.
Some good songs on Soul Cages though?
Agree with Piotr. This album probably will be very boring. Hear some influence from Mark Knopfler (pretty boring his last 3 albums), Bruce Springsteen (Seeger sessions, but not in a good way as Springsteen did) & Soul Cages. Not good enough after 10 years waiting. ‘Nothing like the sun’ is his best work. Where is a deluxe editions of Sting catalogue, especially ‘NLTS’?
> ‘Nothing like the sun’ is his best work.
Or one of his weakest if you ask me. I like ‘Soul Cages’ best, followed by ‘Ten Summoner’s Tales’ and ‘The Dream of the Blue Turtles’.
There is nothing on Soul Cages that beat songs like ‘Be Still My Beating Heart’, ‘Sister Moon’ & outstanding Hendrix cover ‘Little Wing’. On Soul Cages best track is definitely title track (Soul Cages). Soul Cages is also very good album with some very good tracks (Island Of Souls, Why Should I Cry For You ? & When The Angels Fall) but ‘NLTS’ is much better. I hope that in the future all catalogue will be released in deluxe editions (especially 1985-1993 era). After ‘Ten Summoner’s Tales’ Sting lost his touch (except ‘Brand New Day’). Sting is very talented when he writes pop rock music, but I don’t like experiments like ‘Mercury Falling (‘except outstanding ‘Hounds Of Winter’), ‘Songs from the Labyrinth’ or ‘Symphonicities’.
I agree that Nothing Like The Sun is his best album. I’d put ‘Blue Turtles’ second and probably Ten Summoner’s Tales third.
Agree with you, Paul. For me, on fourth place comes ‘Soul Cages’ and then ‘Brand New Day’. Another part of his catalogue is not important.
I think this could be crap. I’m a big Sting fan and I wish he would go back to making pop music. His last great album Brand New Day is 14 years old!