Such a beautiful and deeply moving song! Great storytelling by Sting! As soon as you hear the Northumbrian Pipes in the intro, you are instantly transported to the North-East of England setting of the song.
OMG Yes! This album is Sting's masterwork - it's the best single album he's done. I was overjoyed to see this here, thinking you were starting an album listen. Then I realized it's just a "favorite song" - PLEASE follow up and do the disk, you won't be sorry. This is a great opener that sets the mood, but this is a concept album - there's a story! I love every track, but this one is far from the highlight for me. And yes, you're right to contrast this with Gabriel - I think of this as Sting's one album Lamb Lies Down. The story, the songwriting, and arrangement and production, the performances - this is a masterpiece. The monotone approach is almost like a trance induction to draw you into the journey - it's just on the opener, it doesn't stay that way. There's such power, punch, subtlety, heart, and wisdom here.
...I love Sting's string of albums from the beginning to the last one... if I push it to which is his most comprehensive and atmospheric album, without any flaw at all, then that is 'The Soul Cages'. You could also call it his one most sophisticated concept album, as he is reflecting on his relationship with and saying goodbye to his father. Any recommendations for you after this, Justin? Well - listen to the whole album. Its fantastic, haunting, magical, from the first note to the last... 💖
Very good song! Sting is one of those artists whose voice has aged rather gracefully so he still sounds incredible live. “Seven Days” is a fun track with the great Vinnie Colaiuta doing some really crazy antics all over his drum kit.
Over three years passed between the previous album by Sting and this one. I loved the direction of the previous album (jazz influenced and American black musicians) and couldn’t wait to see how Sting would build on it. Instead, he went in this direction which I didn’t care for much at the time. Over the years, I’ve grown to like this album. My favorite Sting track is on this album, too. It’s called The Wild Wild Sea. To me, it’s more of a tone poem than a song and paints a vivid picture of sound to accompany the story. It’s one of my favorite guitar pieces. I interpret the song as the protagonist, who has grown into an adult, boards the ship traveling to the Island of Souls but it is deserted. During the journey he finds his father on board. I interpret the ending of Island of Souls as a daydream. The protagonist stands on the shore dreaming of a real ship that he and his father board to sail together for eternity without the distractions of the real world. I envision the ending as a view from the coast watching the ship sail off into the distance toward the Island of Souls with father and son on board.
This is imo a superb album ...His voice is beautiful on this Justin... Another great offering on Friday my friend ❤...I think you'll love this masterpiece Justin...I played this to death when this came out.. hope you'll do this same 🤘🤘🫶🫶
The other day I said to the wife, "Ohhh I'm burning after that hot curry last night..." and she said, "Ring sting?" and I said, "What's he gonna do??" 😁
Soul Cages is my favorite solo album by Sting. I loved it right from the start. I saw tour for this album. It was great. He explained each song before he performed it, so we got the context of each one. He took requests during the encore which was fun. I made him laugh when I yelled out Free Bird, but he said his new band were too young to play it properly.
Soul Cages is a great song. I saw him on this tour in VA at the Hampton Colosseum. This is a good album. I agree about the mono-rhythm being boring. He did that more later in his career.
His first great solo album. The previous two had been great sets of songs, but in The Sould Cages he had something to say. It’s a concept album based around motifs of the sea, sailors, and his unresolved feelings after the death of his father. As he stated in his autobiography, he had unfinished business with him. He’d watched his parents deal with his mother’s infidelity, and though they stayed together, his father was resentful of the life he had. He saw his father emasculated by the situation and without the emotional tools to confront his wife. They grew up in Newcastle on the river Tyne and Sting found the great hulls that the shipwrights constructed fascinating to see grow so large and then disappear to be fitted out elsewhere and never return, a metaphor he later made with his own life. His father had wished that he’d never settled down, and had gone to sea as a merchant sailor instead. He urged Sting to do this, too. So this album deals with deaths and priestly visits to the mourners and souls and the life and hazards and legends of the sea. I’d heartily recommend doing a full album reaction (not necessarily all at once), as it’s very deep and personal to him. Sting is somewhat elusive in telling personal details. You can hear him tell contradicting stories about things if you check out different interviews, but this album is one of his more vulnerable. Following this is Ten Summoners Tales, Mercury Falling (a great title) and then a great storytelling album Brand New Day in which he pretty much perfects his habit of imagining a situation and embodying a character in the conflict of that scenario. Sacred Love tries to recapture that and feels hollow to me by comparison. But then the fantastic bookend to The Soul Cages is there in his concept album The Last Ship, in which he confronts his own mortality as he realises there’s less days ahead than behind. It’s brilliant, confronting those scenes again of sailors and returning from journeys and love and death and father/son conflict (Dead Man’s Boots has some of his most passionate delivery ever). One thing to be aware of in The Last Ship. It’s got a vocal styling that seems jarring at first. We’ve grown very used to Sting having a very measured way of speaking and a somewhat cultured speech pattern. Those songs, however, are delivered with the clipped speech patterns of the Northerners, especially the working class. He’s more likely on this album to say ‘summat’ than ‘something’ or ‘naught’ rather than ‘nothing’. It may seem like he’s put on a mask, and feel a bit fake, but then you have to realise that he grew up in the working class poor areas of Newcastle, and if anything he’s probably dropped the mask he’s used for so long. In fact, for one song on the album he hints that this is precisely what he’s done, and that only in his private moments can he let his guard down and stop being the carefully constructed persona he’s created.
The comments are interesting for this one. Soul Cages is easily my favourite Sting album (even though I didn't like it at first), but it's definitely divisive. This song pretty much represents the general mood for that album, and if you're not digging it, the album is probably not for you. I completely get why some dislike it, as the whole album is Sting putting out some rather depressing and personal themes.
Woke up and drinking coffee, almost fell back asleep… kidding, a bit. Personal tunes can be more like a late night cry session, the meaning is more intense from the inside out than outside in.
Great song off of an underrated album that is certainly not for everyone as a lot of the songs Sting is dealing with death of his father. Sting's solo material varies in musical styles. It could be pop, jazz, lute music, or whatever his whim was at the time. I got his first 5 solo albums, but lost track after that. I don't think that Sting completely broke free of his former band like Peter Gabriel did. Sting concerts are filled with Police songs whereas Gabriel doesn't play a single Genesis song.
I rather like the tracks on this album and the next one (Ten Summoner's Tales), but I have to say that I preferred Sting with The Police. There's something depressing about the overall mood of Sting's solo albums and the lack of musical diversity. Besides, I've always felt that something was missing from his solo career, and it just so happens that for me it's the sound and influence of Andy and Stewart that's missing.
I'm surprised that you like anything from Gordon Sumner. His solo work lacks anything he once possessed with The Police. I also find him to be a bit of a d***.
This song moves me in a way I can’t explain. I’m sure it’s a bit autobiographical. Gordon Sumner was so desperate to escape the life and death that he was expected to line up for. He succeeded but what about the ones who couldn’t is what you feel is the sadness. Ironically in 10 years that industry would be gone and replaced by skilled workers on the dole.
Same here, I was disappointed on first listen. However, it's become my favourite Sting album. You just have to allow yourself to get into the themes and mood of the album.
Justin, "The Soul Cages" album is greatly underrated in Sting's catalog, bleaker...it was partly about the death of a parent, and the life he could have that they couldn't. The next track "All This Time" is much more up tempo, please continue with this album!
After two masterpiece records “The Dream of the Blue Turtles” and “Nothing Like the Sun”, as well as the excellent live album “Bring On the Night”, this one was a huge disappointment to me and I think for many of Sting’s fans…
Depressing yes and not something I particularly liked either but the percussive beat is clearly the hammers of the ship yard….? its integral to the atmosphere and that is actually the only thing I really liked.
Never liked Sting and this borefest was a good reason why. Changing tack, could you tell me if you are returning to Queen's 'A Day At The Races' sometime soon. Two tracks in, both greatly appreciated by your good self. It's a fine album, so getting back to it would be a sensible move. Here's hoping! 🤞
Great musician, great song, A hug.
👋🏻
@@Nidels great album too
Such a beautiful and deeply moving song! Great storytelling by Sting! As soon as you hear the Northumbrian Pipes in the intro, you are instantly transported to the North-East of England setting of the song.
Check out "Why Should I Cry For You?" form this album. Beautiful melody and lyrics and powerful vocals. My favorite song form the LP.
OMG Yes! This album is Sting's masterwork - it's the best single album he's done. I was overjoyed to see this here, thinking you were starting an album listen. Then I realized it's just a "favorite song" - PLEASE follow up and do the disk, you won't be sorry. This is a great opener that sets the mood, but this is a concept album - there's a story! I love every track, but this one is far from the highlight for me. And yes, you're right to contrast this with Gabriel - I think of this as Sting's one album Lamb Lies Down. The story, the songwriting, and arrangement and production, the performances - this is a masterpiece. The monotone approach is almost like a trance induction to draw you into the journey - it's just on the opener, it doesn't stay that way. There's such power, punch, subtlety, heart, and wisdom here.
I'm off to the see the great man in June this year supported by the very talented Alison Moyet, can't wait
Shiver me timbers; what a deep dark atmosphere Sting creates. Beautiful.
...I love Sting's string of albums from the beginning to the last one... if I push it to which is his most comprehensive and atmospheric album, without any flaw at all, then that is 'The Soul Cages'. You could also call it his one most sophisticated concept album, as he is reflecting on his relationship with and saying goodbye to his father. Any recommendations for you after this, Justin? Well - listen to the whole album. Its fantastic, haunting, magical, from the first note to the last... 💖
This is a great album, in fact the first 4 Sting albums are all just top tier
Very good song! Sting is one of those artists whose voice has aged rather gracefully so he still sounds incredible live. “Seven Days” is a fun track with the great Vinnie Colaiuta doing some really crazy antics all over his drum kit.
Over three years passed between the previous album by Sting and this one. I loved the direction of the previous album (jazz influenced and American black musicians) and couldn’t wait to see how Sting would build on it. Instead, he went in this direction which I didn’t care for much at the time. Over the years, I’ve grown to like this album.
My favorite Sting track is on this album, too. It’s called The Wild Wild Sea. To me, it’s more of a tone poem than a song and paints a vivid picture of sound to accompany the story. It’s one of my favorite guitar pieces. I interpret the song as the protagonist, who has grown into an adult, boards the ship traveling to the Island of Souls but it is deserted. During the journey he finds his father on board.
I interpret the ending of Island of Souls as a daydream. The protagonist stands on the shore dreaming of a real ship that he and his father board to sail together for eternity without the distractions of the real world. I envision the ending as a view from the coast watching the ship sail off into the distance toward the Island of Souls with father and son on board.
Manu Katche is brilliant on this album. The perfect drummer for Sting, in my opinion.
This is imo a superb album ...His voice is beautiful on this Justin... Another great offering on Friday my friend ❤...I think you'll love this masterpiece Justin...I played this to death when this came out.. hope you'll do this same 🤘🤘🫶🫶
Thanks Neil! Hope you're well!
I'm well my friend, hope you two are good,and you had a lovely Xmas .🫶🌲
The other day I said to the wife, "Ohhh I'm burning after that hot curry last night..." and she said, "Ring sting?" and I said, "What's he gonna do??" 😁
Buh Duh tisssss.
Soul Cages is my favorite solo album by Sting. I loved it right from the start.
I saw tour for this album. It was great. He explained each song before he performed it, so we got the context of each one.
He took requests during the encore which was fun. I made him laugh when I yelled out Free Bird, but he said his new band were too young to play it properly.
Soul Cages is a great song. I saw him on this tour in VA at the Hampton Colosseum. This is a good album. I agree about the mono-rhythm being boring. He did that more later in his career.
His first great solo album.
The previous two had been great sets of songs, but in The Sould Cages he had something to say.
It’s a concept album based around motifs of the sea, sailors, and his unresolved feelings after the death of his father. As he stated in his autobiography, he had unfinished business with him.
He’d watched his parents deal with his mother’s infidelity, and though they stayed together, his father was resentful of the life he had. He saw his father emasculated by the situation and without the emotional tools to confront his wife.
They grew up in Newcastle on the river Tyne and Sting found the great hulls that the shipwrights constructed fascinating to see grow so large and then disappear to be fitted out elsewhere and never return, a metaphor he later made with his own life. His father had wished that he’d never settled down, and had gone to sea as a merchant sailor instead. He urged Sting to do this, too.
So this album deals with deaths and priestly visits to the mourners and souls and the life and hazards and legends of the sea.
I’d heartily recommend doing a full album reaction (not necessarily all at once), as it’s very deep and personal to him.
Sting is somewhat elusive in telling personal details. You can hear him tell contradicting stories about things if you check out different interviews, but this album is one of his more vulnerable.
Following this is Ten Summoners Tales, Mercury Falling (a great title) and then a great storytelling album Brand New Day in which he pretty much perfects his habit of imagining a situation and embodying a character in the conflict of that scenario.
Sacred Love tries to recapture that and feels hollow to me by comparison.
But then the fantastic bookend to The Soul Cages is there in his concept album The Last Ship, in which he confronts his own mortality as he realises there’s less days ahead than behind. It’s brilliant, confronting those scenes again of sailors and returning from journeys and love and death and father/son conflict (Dead Man’s Boots has some of his most passionate delivery ever).
One thing to be aware of in The Last Ship. It’s got a vocal styling that seems jarring at first. We’ve grown very used to Sting having a very measured way of speaking and a somewhat cultured speech pattern. Those songs, however, are delivered with the clipped speech patterns of the Northerners, especially the working class. He’s more likely on this album to say ‘summat’ than ‘something’ or ‘naught’ rather than ‘nothing’.
It may seem like he’s put on a mask, and feel a bit fake, but then you have to realise that he grew up in the working class poor areas of Newcastle, and if anything he’s probably dropped the mask he’s used for so long.
In fact, for one song on the album he hints that this is precisely what he’s done, and that only in his private moments can he let his guard down and stop being the carefully constructed persona he’s created.
Beautifully written insights Sean.
@
Thank you.
The comments are interesting for this one. Soul Cages is easily my favourite Sting album (even though I didn't like it at first), but it's definitely divisive. This song pretty much represents the general mood for that album, and if you're not digging it, the album is probably not for you. I completely get why some dislike it, as the whole album is Sting putting out some rather depressing and personal themes.
This album didn't click with me when it came out, but it has deepened for me since then. Dark, sad, almost too much pain in there to listen to often.
Woke up and drinking coffee, almost fell back asleep… kidding, a bit. Personal tunes can be more like a late night cry session, the meaning is more intense from the inside out than outside in.
Very tru David
You got your David Sancious for the day with this track!
@
Sure mellowed out… no transformation here.
Great song off of an underrated album that is certainly not for everyone as a lot of the songs Sting is dealing with death of his father. Sting's solo material varies in musical styles. It could be pop, jazz, lute music, or whatever his whim was at the time. I got his first 5 solo albums, but lost track after that. I don't think that Sting completely broke free of his former band like Peter Gabriel did. Sting concerts are filled with Police songs whereas Gabriel doesn't play a single Genesis song.
His most personal album. Masterpiece
Probably his best album, ‘Island of Souls’ is the scene-setter but the sublime ‘All This Time’ is the scene-stealer!
So Justin, any chance you can make Jon and Vangelis's album 'Short Stories' part of your Long Song Saturday listening?
I rather like the tracks on this album and the next one (Ten Summoner's Tales), but I have to say that I preferred Sting with The Police. There's something depressing about the overall mood of Sting's solo albums and the lack of musical diversity. Besides, I've always felt that something was missing from his solo career, and it just so happens that for me it's the sound and influence of Andy and Stewart that's missing.
I'm surprised that you like anything from Gordon Sumner. His solo work lacks anything he once possessed with The Police. I also find him to be a bit of a d***.
No bag pipes in this song I'm afraid. He used saxophone, oboe and Northumbrian smallpipes
I am no expert, but I haven't heard bagpipes either, at least no typical scottish ones. Thanx for manifesting this for me.
This song moves me in a way I can’t explain. I’m sure it’s a bit autobiographical. Gordon Sumner was so desperate to escape the life and death that he was expected to line up for. He succeeded but what about the ones who couldn’t is what you feel is the sadness. Ironically in 10 years that industry would be gone and replaced by skilled workers on the dole.
Favourite songs are so subjective. I bought this album when it came out and remember being really disappointed with it.
Same here, I was disappointed on first listen. However, it's become my favourite Sting album. You just have to allow yourself to get into the themes and mood of the album.
I do have more than just one album which I did not like after the first listening, but which became favorits over time.
i think its the best album
I like his 57th and 9th album better. Also his 4th and 6th.
Justin, "The Soul Cages" album is greatly underrated in Sting's catalog, bleaker...it was partly about the death of a parent, and the life he could have that they couldn't. The next track "All This Time" is much more up tempo, please continue with this album!
I had this Cd … but I couldn’t get into it… depressing Sting , Sounds digital and cold… 1991… it was
After two masterpiece records “The Dream of the Blue Turtles” and “Nothing Like the Sun”, as well as the excellent live album “Bring On the Night”, this one was a huge disappointment to me and I think for many of Sting’s fans…
A depressing dirge I did not care for. And that percusive beat that pervaded the whole tune.... very annoying, just added salt to the wound.
Depressing yes and not something I particularly liked either but the percussive beat is clearly the hammers of the ship yard….? its integral to the atmosphere and that is actually the only thing I really liked.
@scifimonkey3 I get it, but for me, that beat was more grating than atmospheric. I couldn't get past it.
Never liked Sting and this borefest was a good reason why. Changing tack, could you tell me if you are returning to Queen's 'A Day At The Races' sometime soon. Two tracks in, both greatly appreciated by your good self. It's a fine album, so getting back to it would be a sensible move. Here's hoping! 🤞
That would be nice.
@pentagrammaton6793 Dug your joke by the way. 😄
@@Owlstretchingtime78 😆
Yes yes yes please.
The ageing Hipsters are in agreement again here. Bravo! 👏 👏
Very samey, monotone vocal, got boring very quickly.
Is he responsible for anything truly impressive post Police? Just my opinion, but i know i've heard nothing!
I also had this impression, it starts interesting but it does not fulfil the expectations after that. There are much better Sting songs.