In this 1991 dark classic, Sting is anything but the pop-star hunk. The Soul Cages stars Sting the storyteller. And while a couple of songs (All This Time and Mad About You) are cleverly catchy and move along at a brisk pace, most of the album’s cuts are solemn and slow. It’s more like picking up a historical novel than listening to a rock album. Sting’s imagery of the working poor toiling for life in the shipyard or on a fishing vessel (the theme is decidedly nautical) is vivid and interesting. These tales chronicle the despair felt by real people – probably his ancestry -- over the ages. An emptiness over the loss of his own father, referenced by When the Angels Fall, likely provided the spark for this quality, though melancholy, effort. In any case, this is an intelligent collection of songs and it provides a stark contrast to the flashy Sting who has, unfortunately, worn out his welcome (anything after Ten Summoner’s Tales is totally forgettable).

The title song, The Soul Cages, is a genuinely heavy number that easily could become your favorite Sting song ever. You definitely want to turn this one up. Island of Souls and The Wild, Wild Sea are also strongly interlocked into the story line.

Don’t buy this one to dance to. You may hate it actually. But I’m guessing that most of us have heard enough mediocre albums in our life. The Soul Cages is different. In the great Cream classic White Room, Eric Clapton writes of “black roof country” as he references the coal mining regions of Britain where you suffocate in body and spirit. Sting’s hell on earth is Newcastle, a harbor town where you work yourself to death and never escape your fate. Despite its’ somber mood, this CD is fascinating. Enjoy this artist at the height of his creativity.  GD