STING : LIVE IN BERLIN

  1. A Thousand Years
  2. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
  3. Englishman In New York
  4. Roxanne
  5. When We Dance
  6. Russians
  7. I Hung My Head
  8. Why Should I Cry For You ?
  9. Whenever I Say Your Name (with Jo Lawry)
  10. This Cowboy Song
  11. Tomorrow We'll See
  12. Moon Over Bourbon Street
  13. The End Of The Game
  14. You Will Be My Ain True Love (with Jo Lawry)
  15. All Would Envy
  16. Mad About You
  17. King Of Pain
  18. Every Breath You Take
  19. Desert Rose
  20. She's Too Good For Me
  21. Fragile
  22. I Was Brought To My Senses (Intro)

Label : Deutsche Grammophon / Cherrytree Records

Venue : O2 World Arena, Berlin, Germany

Recording Date : September 21, 2010

Length : 125 minutes

Release Date : November 22, 2010

Review (AllMusic) : Recorded on September 21, 2010 as Sting was smack dab in the middle of his Symphonicities tour, Live in Berlin - available as a CD/DVD set, a Blu Ray, and a condensed single-disc CD - offers further orchestral reimaginings of Sting’s songbook, retaining a healthy chunk of the songs on the 2010 album Symphonicities and finding room for other highlights from his past, both obscure and quite familiar (“Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” “Russians,” “King of Pain,” “Every Breath You Take”all pop up on the video). Compared to the studio album, the symphonic flourishes don’t seem quite as overwhelming -- the attention is drawn to Sting and his songs, not to the orchestrations - and the show is paced expertly, turning Live in Berlin into a bit of sophisticated comfort food for longtime Sting fans.

Review (CL Tampa Bay) : As I mentioned in a previous concert review, just the thought of Police tunes squashed into a symphonic mold nearly made me nauseous. All I could hear in my head were Lawrence Welk-versions of “Roxanne” and “King of Pain,” and it seemed ludicrous that these versions of classic Police songs could ever find a favored place in my music collection. To prepare for the concert, I even listened to as much old Police as I could find in an effort to indelibly etch the memories of those versions into my head. This, I thought, would help me recognize my favorite songs somewhere amidst the violins, cellos, harps and horns. As it turned out, I’d forgotten about the genius of Sting’s musical talent, and all that pre-concert listening was completely unnecessary. The Symphonicity tour featured some of the best Sting and Police songs as presented with the combined talents of Sting and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra (under the direction of Maestro Steven Mercurio). The result was fresh and unique versions of songs like “Every Breath You Take,” “She’s Too Good For Me” and even the trademark Police hit, “Roxanne.” While the traditional framework of an orchestra can come off as somewhat stale and stuffy, Mercurio had the ensemble rocking out and even pulling off some cool, choreographed dance moves. The result was a very laid-back concert experience that allowed even the most jaded fans to shed their preconceived notions of what to expect, and actually enjoy the evening.