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Every Sting & Police concert I’ve ever attended has been highlighted by the requisite Roxanne performance. In my view, Sting rarely deviates during his live performances from the track’s original arrangement. The performance mirrors the tension felt by a desperate youth, pleading and ranting to an impossible love, “Roxaaaaaannnnnne!”
I normally leave these concerts hoarse after he performs this angst filled ballad.
So, this morning I saw Sting and the Royal Philharmonic perform this classic, and was stunned by its new arrangement and Sting’s vocal restraint. Its new classical arrangement softly recalibrates the song by shifting the focus from the content in the lyrics to the melody. The juxtaposition is just as powerful as the original precisely because of its controlled passion, instead of its uncontrolled anguish.
Both singer and song have matured and aged, and evidently, this process has its musical benefits. Roxanne and its trademark rant has, at least during this tour, become a grown man’s humble yet persistent entreaty. Wow! Who ever said a grown man can’t be sexy?
If you are a Sting fan (or of early 80s music), this performance must not be missed!
Check out Roxanne’s makeover here:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/3041478/ns/today-toyota_concert_series/#/37149371
Wonder if Roxanne is still listening.
May 17, 2010