Song List
All This Time
I Miss You Kate
King of Pain (live)

Facts about "All This Time"
(Found at Sting's official site http://www.sting.com)
Original Release Date - December 31, 1990 included in the album "The Soul Cages"
UK single release date - January 12, 1991
Highest UK Chart position - #22
US single release date - February 2, 1991
Highest US Chart position - #5

The original CD single for “All This Time”, released in 1991, is a must-own for Sting collectors, and is also worth consideration by jazz aficionados. I found used copies available on Ebay and Amazon, but new copies may be very hard to get. I purchased my copy in 1991 when it was released, and I have not seen it in stores for quite a while. There are three tracks on this CD: the title track; an instrumental, “I Miss You Kate” and a live recording of the classic Police song “King of Pain”.

Most recently released as the title song of Sting’s “backyard concert”, performed at his home in Tuscany, Italy on September 11, 2001, “All This Time” began its ten-year journey to its current distinction when it was released on Sting’s third studio album, “The Soul Cages”. “All This Time” is one of those catchy pop tunes Sting releases every so often that gets your toes tapping at first, but reveals a deeper meaning with greater familiarity. From the mandolin riffs and the organ flourishes at the start, to the punchy guitars and Stax horns at the end, this song sounds so darn happy. Sting knows how to write a good pop song, and this is one of them. As with most of his work, the sound holds up fairly well over time, but the words are even more poignant:

(Excerpted lyrics)
“Blessed are the poor
For they shall inherit the earth
One is better to be poor
Than a fat man in the eye of a needle
As these words were spoken
I swear I hear the old man laughing
What good is a used up world,
And how could it be worth having?

And all this time
The river flowed
Endlessly,
To the sea.
All this time
The river flowed
Father, if Jesus exists,
Then how come he never lived here?”

The song deals with the death of a shipyard worker, and the questions in the mind of his son, Billy - a fictional stand-in Sting created to represent his own experience with his father. (To hear the entire tale from Billy’s perspective, you need to listen to all of “The Soul Cages”) Billy questions the need for religious tradition, and wishes for a more personal closure. Sting described the song to “Rolling Stone” in February 1991, concluding: “The song is a kind of black comedy. I'm not really anti-religious. I'm just poking some light-hearted fun and also asking pragmatic questions about it.” “All This Time” is black in the heart of its lyrics, but the ever-ironic Sting offsets his dark questions with a light and undeniably fun sound.

If you listen to the CD single in order, then “I Miss You Kate” sets the perfect mood to reflect on the deeper meanings of “All This Time”. Or, you can use it as it really must have been intended – an instrumental sound reminiscent of a smoky jazz café at 2 in the morning. Kenny Kirkland, Sting’s former keyboard player who passed away in 1998, is featured here, and Sting provides his skills on standup bass. Kirkland played a large part in the development of Sting's current jazz/rock fusion sound and this instrumental is a really nice example of their collaboration. All I can say about this song is – close your eyes, sit back and enjoy! I have not found much on the history of this song, but given Sting’s recording habits, this song may very well have started as a spontaneous creation during the recording sessions for “The Soul Cages”. The instrumental is available on other international versions of the “All This Time” single, but for collectors, this US release may be an easier disc to find.

The final song on the single is a live recording of one of the hits from The Police’s final studio album, “Synchronicity”. “King of Pain” is presented in concert long form here, taken from the “Nothing Like the Sun” tour in 1987 – 1988. My wife and I attended the Oakland, CA concert in March 1988, and my memories of this version of “King of Pain” don’t match the sound on this recording. Perhaps it was the adrenaline of being swept up in the live performance, or perhaps the band played particularly well the night we heard them – this recording sounds subdued for most of it’s nearly eight minutes, only really breaking free in the chorus near the end. The middle section features Branford Marsalis on saxophone for a nice change of pace and style. At this stage of his career, Sting was beginning to fuse jazz into his songs from the Police era, and Branford’s solo works towards this end. But the rest of the song does not retain the same feel, and the performance bogs down while rambling it’s way back to the chorus. Jazz lovers who have followed Sting’s work may find this version of “King of Pain” an interesting snapshot of his development as a solo artist, but the track does not amount to much more than this.

Overall, I would recommend this CD single to those who are serious about collecting Sting’s recorded works, as it is the only* place to find the wonderful instrumental, “I Miss You Kate”. Those who take a more intellectual approach to their collection may find this version of “King of Pain” interesting, but I’d recommend that track only for its historical significance, not the performance itself. The title song is always fun, and with the renewed interest brought on by Sting’s most recent rendition, is worth considering as an addition to anyone’s collection.

*"I Miss You Kate"*
Thanks to Epinions member DrFaustus for further info about "I Miss You Kate" - a portion of the instrumental appears in the background of the spoken section within "St. Augustine in Hell" from Sting's 1993 release "Ten Summoner's Tales"

My Sting Reviews

You Still Touch Me [Maxi Single]
I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying [Maxi Single]
Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot [Maxi Single]

Albums
The Dream Of The Blue Turtles
Nothing Like The Sun
The Soul Cages
Ten Summoner's Tales
Mercury Falling
Brand New Day
All This Time

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Reading or Studying