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Posted on 20061020 by MG

Dowland by Sting

Sting - Dowland
The new DGG album is finally out, featuring Sting singing Dowland accompanied by Edin Karamazov, whom everyone raves about.

Considering the spirit in which Sting recorded these songs ("For me, these are 17th-century pop songs, and that's how I perform them; beautiful melodies, fantastic lyrics, and brilliant accompaniment"), these two songs, the only ones I've listened to, aren't half bad, although, in this same vein, I preferred Maddy Prior (Steeleye Span).
Sometimes Sting sounds a little fake, in the sense that he seems to be trying to sing more controlledly than usual. Another thing I notice at times, especially in the first of the two tracks, is a certain contrast between Sting's unaccustomedness to this music and the naturalness of Edin Karamazov's sound, for whom Dowland is the most normal thing in the world.
Anyway, the impression I've formed so far isn't negative. In fact, thinking of it as a top ten album, I wish we had more albums like it.

One thing that bothers me, however, is the fact that, on the cover, Dowland's name is 1/10th the size of Sting's (and, incidentally, Karamazov's, who isn't exactly a banal supporting actor, is almost invisible). Don't say I'm exaggerating. Not even Abbado can afford it, and in any case he wouldn't even think of it.
I'm also frightened by the complete bullshit spewed out by the usual journalists whose fingers have long since declared secession from the brain. Today the Independent wrote: “Sting plucks lute composer from obscurity”.
Obscurity? Dowland is someone who's been performed for almost 500 years and is still plundered by songwriters.
I don't know about Sting.

Here is a playlist on youtube


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