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Thread: Dream Of The Blue Turtles - Sting

  1. #1

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    Default Dream Of The Blue Turtles - Sting



    The debut album for the former singer-bassist of the highly successful rock group The Police, Sting's "Dream Of The Blue Turtles" showcased another yet brilliant drummer, Omar Hakim, formerly of Weather Report, Miles Davis and David Sanborn amongst others. Quite frankly, I don't think Mr Sumner has ever had a dud drummer play with him....if your boss is a very proficient bassist and renown vocalist, as a drummer you better be delivering the goods, and Omar did that on here by the spadeful.

    Shedding a lot of the former reggae/rock touches of The Police's sound (although that resurfaces on "Love Is The Seventh Wave") Sting went for decisively a musical turn around and returned to his jazz roots of his pre-Police days, surrounding himself with jazz musicians Branford Marsalis on sax, Kenny Kirkland on keyboards and piano, Omar Hakim on drums, and Darryl Jones on bass (Sting stuck mostly to guitar on this album and subsequent tour), all of these guys had worked with jazz giants Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis, Art Blakey and Elvin Jones. Sting's great vocal deliveries were also ably backed by Janice Pendarvis and Dolette McDonald, who had worked with people like composers Laurie Anderson and Phillip Glass. This album spawned a number of hits for Sting's fledgling solo career, especially "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free", "Fortress Around Your Heart", "Love Is The Seventh Wave" and "Russians". The title track even won him a Grammy nomination for best jazz instrumental category in 1985. But there is no "filler" track on this ten song album, every track works as an individual unit as well as part of a very strong album, with lyrics covering the pains of relationships, to metaphors about war, to discussions about coal miners facing difficulty in the nuclear age to Sting's tribute to the vampire story writer Anne Rice and everything in between. Quite an eclectic album, and in my opinion, still one of his strongest to date. Definitely a must to get if you want to get into Omar Hakim's style of playing.
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  2. #2

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    Default Re: Dream Of The Blue Turtles - Sting

    One of my all time favorite albums. The vinyl version was packed up for storage years ago, yet the digital version is a mainstay on my i-pod. I love Omar Hakim's drumming on this album. I believe he was instrumental in the development of the Zildjian K Hybrid line of cymbals.

    Your review of this album (showing my age) is absolutely spot on. Thanks.
    PDP MX Series Drums, Zildjian A Custom cymbals, Tama Simon Phillips Gladiator Signature snare, Roc-N-Soc throne.

  3. #3

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    I haven't listened to this in a long time. In fact I don't have a digital version---yet. iTunes, here we come.

    I liked Omar Hakim's work with the Very Tall Band (Ray Brown, Milt Jackson and Oscar Peterson) too.

  4. #4

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    Just an all time great album. I saw Sting on this tour freshman year in college and it was just an amazing show. Of course it doesn't hurt to have hugely talented jazz players back you up!

    As you said, not a bad song on this album, but two songs stand out for me. Consider Me Gone and Shadows in the Rain. Both are amazing songs, but I can honestly say there isn't ever a time I hear this version of Shadows in the Rain and don't love it. It's one of my all time favorite songs, period.
    Jesse

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    I have never travelled down to this section of the forum. I still listen to this on cassette which shows my age, but the album itself is still timeless. Yes Kaos, those two are definitely the drum show tracks, and I agree there is not a bad song here. As much as i found Gordon pretentious in the past, he certainly made his mark ( as well as his money ).
    click to see my kit re-veneer/finish
    http://www.drumchat.com/showthread.p...168#post379168

  6. #6

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    Bump!!

    Oh man, I haven't thought about this album for so long Drumble. This really takes me back man.
    Omar's playing is spot on (as always) and the talents of Daryl Jones and Mr Marsalis - just wonderfully inspiring.
    "Fortress around your Heart" and "Russians" were probably the stand out tracks for me.
    Thanks for taking me on a stroll down memory lane bud.
    Tama Rockstar & Paiste User and Abuser......

  7. #7

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    Default Re: Dream Of The Blue Turtles - Sting

    not a track on the album but a burner featuring those key players. taken from 'bring on the night' a live feature which boasts more than a few tracks from blue turtles. killer.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_9OUSrBuTc
    Last edited by onegourd; 11-27-2012 at 12:08 AM.
    don't put off till tomorrow what you can put off today

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