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Broken Music: A Memoir
by
Sting
Having been a songwriter most of my life, condensing my ideas and emotions into short rhyming couplets and setting them to music, I had never really considered writing a book. But upon arriving at the reflective age of fifty, I found myself drawn, for the first time, to write long passages that were as stimulating and intriguing to me as any songwriting I had ever done.
And...more
And...more
Hardcover, 352 pages
Published
October 28th 2003
by The Dial Press
(first published 2003)
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Mariel
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Don't stand so close to me
This is Sting's life before he put on a sweater and stung the world with the ghost hit making machine that was The Police. Before he was a twat who hated on Stewart Copeland's short shorts he trudged through fifty feet of snow to get to school- Wait, that was my grandma's depression memories/guilt trips (Me: "It didn't snow in Louisiana!" *whop!*). Sting has the push to the top of dung heap of life mentality still. Still, I'm still team Stewart (the short shorts). I
I don't find ...more
I don't find ...more
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Broken Music by Sting. I'm stood looking at the bookshelf, wondering what to read next. Maria pulls a book off the shelf, hands it to me and says: "You know how you think this bloke is a wanker? Well, read this and you'll know it for a reason!" Sting is a wanker! No ifs, buts, maybes about this - Sting is a wanker. Often I enjoy (auto)biographies but in this case I didn't. I hung on 'til the end because, well because I liked the Police and (truth be told) I do like some of Sting's solo...more
A dazzling, lyrical beginning, with Sting showing himself to be a master of metaphor and pacing, extraordinarily well-read and articulate. Second half, however, was uninspired, as though he rushed to finish a publishing deadline. But worth the read, overall. Reinforces the theory of the single-minded dedication and focus seen behind so many success stories, the 10,000 hour premise of Malcolm Caldwell in The Outliers. It also gave me an idea of the back-breaking, soul-crushing work of mu...more
I first thought maybe I'd try to write a review without commenting on Sting's music, but frankly, it would be stupid to even try. You're unlikely to read this memoir if you don't know who Sting is, and unless you've lived in a movie theatre and think he's only a bit player in a few flicks, you're likely to read this book (or not) based on his music.
What I found most interesting, though, is that this book is a lot like his music ... occasionally brilliant, mostly just okay, and somet...more
What I found most interesting, though, is that this book is a lot like his music ... occasionally brilliant, mostly just okay, and somet...more
i picked this book up at a book swap, because i've been an unabashed Sting fan since i was in junior high. that's who this book is for -- Sting/Police fans; i think that if you're not a fan, this book won't make a lot of sense and will just ramble along as a tale of one hardworking musician's bloody-minded determination to be just vaguely successful.
what i loved, always, about Sting, was his amazing musicianship, both as a lyricist and as a musician unafraid to meld and mix and experiment...more
what i loved, always, about Sting, was his amazing musicianship, both as a lyricist and as a musician unafraid to meld and mix and experiment...more
I don't hate or love Sting, like so many others seem to. I think he is a very talented musician and his ambition cannot be denied. I have always vaguely considered him to be arrogant and a little pompous, but what rock star isn't? However, I have to admit I really enjoyed this book. I like the way it isn't perfect grammatically, how he switches back and forth with tenses, how it isn't exactly chronological and that he doesn't spend much time talking about the famousness of the band once it r...more
First, I have to confess the crush I have had on the man since the early 80's (when I actually was a schoolgirl). This feeling, however, has only grown as the years have passed. I mean really, how often do you get references to Homer and Nabakov in popular music? Plus he practices yoga and is sexier now than when he was younger. In the light of this confession, I may not be completely objective about this book. I loved it though! I do typically like rock and roll memoirs, but this one is of the ...more
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Gosh Gordy, you really had a rough life as a kid but who didn't in England after the war? Who would have imagined you grew up dragging milk cans to doors at dawn while smelling the salt air?
Actually a well written book with an unassuming tone of gratitude for fame and glory in the rock world. Sting comes across here as a regular bloke with a bent for family life. It was very interesting to read about his early years as a journeyman musician in the sea side dance halls and how har...more
Actually a well written book with an unassuming tone of gratitude for fame and glory in the rock world. Sting comes across here as a regular bloke with a bent for family life. It was very interesting to read about his early years as a journeyman musician in the sea side dance halls and how har...more
Come on Sting, get to the bit about Tantric sex!! I do find it extremely amusing that if nothing else, Sting will be remembered for his claim about eight hour sex sessions, and I can't wait to see how, or if, he addresses it in this book. At the moment, I've only just started reading it and am already wondering when he will give us his explanation…………
Well, he didn't. He meets Trudi, and bins his wife for her, but the book stops short of going any further than when Sting's career - and sex l...more
Well, he didn't. He meets Trudi, and bins his wife for her, but the book stops short of going any further than when Sting's career - and sex l...more
I have witnessed this artist in many guises since The Police, his foray into solo pop, jazz and most recently classical in the exploration of the great Elizabethan Lutanist John Dowland. That Sting has written a memoir of his childhood and youth pre-The Police was no great surprise, however while I have always been impressed by his lyrics, I was most impressed by his writing in this book. Its poetic and thorough in form and honest (shows some of his emotional warts) and heartfelt (regrets over h...more
I have been a big fan of Sting for some time, which is why I read this book. I was pleased to see that his song writing ability did transfer well to prose. While I am not sure a non fan of Sting would enjoy learning about his background as much as a fan, his writing style is very readable. This autobiography only goes up until his success with the police, but he regularly projects into the future to say how some event or other lead to later success, songs, experiences or failures. I think we ...more
Another 'before I was famous' memoir, and this one is very well-written. Sting uses his development as a musician as the thread that holds all of his vignettes together, desribing what was going on in his life that brought him to his first guitar, for example, or the community of friends he finds during his time as a touring jazz musician. The book ends just before The Police become famous. A great read for those interested in what it's like to be a working, not-famous musician on the road, and...more
I truly love whatever Sting decides to set out to do - I am the quintessential fan. My mother found this at the Habitat for Humanity book table, and read the first page. Since it took place in Brazil, she figured she had to get it for me. I didn't care what he wrote about; just wanted to read the writings of a poet and musician whom I adore. Fantastic story of his life and how he became the man he is. I heartily recommend it to anyone who is a fan, or an artist, or musician, or Brit, or an...more
Very good indeed. More important, it's one of the very few musical biographies written but the author himself, instead of using a ghost writer.
Which is exactly the problem, sometimes - Mr. Sumner is occasionaly trying too hard to show his writing skills and in doing so slipping towards purple prose.
That aside, it's an involving and at times even mysterious read - there is lots to be read between the lines, lots of pain, some shame, and, rather unexpectedly, lots of self-deprecating ...more
Which is exactly the problem, sometimes - Mr. Sumner is occasionaly trying too hard to show his writing skills and in doing so slipping towards purple prose.
That aside, it's an involving and at times even mysterious read - there is lots to be read between the lines, lots of pain, some shame, and, rather unexpectedly, lots of self-deprecating ...more
If you like The Police and or Sting, you'll LOVE this book. I think anyone will like this book if they are inspired by music. This book takes you through Sting's life growing up and his family's background. then how he discovers music and uses is as an outlet. Then it tell his life growing up (told by him...) and eventually to when he forms The Police with Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers. This is a great story and very well written in shows a really cool background to Stings life and those he ...more
Tom
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Recommends it for:
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Being a long-time fan of the Police and Sting's solo stuff, my initial enthusiasm for this memoir was obviously biased.
However, as any fan of Sting's songwriting will observe, his best songs have a magnificent poetry to them that move the listener deeply--and provide an addictive rhythmic cadence that only a true master can provide. Much of Sting's prose enchanted me this same way. After reading his book, I am more convinced than ever that he is a self-made genius, a man who from th...more
However, as any fan of Sting's songwriting will observe, his best songs have a magnificent poetry to them that move the listener deeply--and provide an addictive rhythmic cadence that only a true master can provide. Much of Sting's prose enchanted me this same way. After reading his book, I am more convinced than ever that he is a self-made genius, a man who from th...more
Now you all know what a cheese I am and how much I like Sting, that I sat through this whole book. It covers Sting's memoirs from his childhood through young adulthood and writing and recording "Roxanne" with the Police, which put him on the cusp of stardom. I enjoyed the snippets of real poetry in his prose, which reminded me of his song lyrics, especially in his descriptions of his childhood and his parents' relationship. However, sadly, Sting's a better songwriter than author. A lot...more
I found the first half of this book an enjoyable, quick read, while the second felt as though it dragged on, with no end in sight. Sting writes well, lyrically (of course!), and emotionally, but I felt as though that emotional involvement was somewhat lacking the nearer to the last page this book got. I found all of the names confusing and the events repetitive as Sting tried to become a star. With more emphasis on his childhood, and less on every single bar he ever played in, I would have found...more
Very interesting trip through his childhood growing up in Newcastle, slowly building jazz and lounge career, and then abrupt change into the reggae- and punk-influenced rock of The Police. I was impressed until the end (read: mainstream success), at which point the book became a jerky series of bullet points spanning twenty years. I would rather have seen him finish at the release and surprise success of "Roxanne". I would certainly give the first ~250 pages four stars, but I just coul...more
What a topical piece of crap. He glossed over everything of any importance. The writing was cumbersome: by the third page I decided he either had just gotten a new Thesaurus, or was trying to prove how smart he is. Poorly written, and none of the stories you truly care about go anywhere. It was good to hear how the song "Roxanne" came to be-he should have shared more of his music creation/inspiration if he couldn't come up with anything else.
Great book to read for any Sting fan. Sting's way of writing is so descriptive and not boring. I felt like I was there at any given moment he was writing about. This book mainly covers Sting's life before The Police and he writes alot about his first band "Last Exit"
I had the honor of meeting Sting at Best Buy this past December...it was just a CD signing but meeting him was the greatest "musical" thing to ever happen to me...
I had the honor of meeting Sting at Best Buy this past December...it was just a CD signing but meeting him was the greatest "musical" thing to ever happen to me...
Not much int he book about the Police after they became successful mega stars. 90% of the book is about Sting's childhood and early life working day jobs and in bands before the police. After getting through the first chapter, which I didn't like, I settled in and found it to be a relaxing read. Not great but comfortable. I would have to google the bands and names Sting mentions to know who they are...
I can honestly say I did not want to like this book, but I loved it. Sting has an eloquence in his language that is both dirty-street-wise and angelic. A true Shakespearean. He is vividly honest in his critique of self, sometimes cruelly so. We feel his aching for lost family and the smack of choices in life and their inevitably consequences. A fascinating, cautionary tale of fame and fortune
This book gives a interesting insight to the mind behind all the deep and meaningful lyrics we have heard for more than a centry...he opens up to let you see were those deep feelings and were he comes with the expression of humanity which he carries with him in his music. What a colorful picture of who and how he became the man he is...nothing short of remarkable and inspiring
He's a much better writer than I expected, and he tied some of his songs in with his stories nicely. A lot of the stories dragged out for too long, though. The picture on the cover (of him wearing the bumblebee-like sweater that gave Gordon his nickname) is worth the price of the book...even though I borrowed it from my friend's mom...
I liked learning more about Sting. I was able to give some of his pretentiousness and unlikeable public behavior a pass because of what he went through before he became "big and successful". I enjoyed learning about the struggle and the climb - and getting some insight into the person, not the persona. A really good work if you want to round out your knowledge of the inner workings or building blocks of the band the Police (and potentially musicians in general) on their rise to star...more
There were more than a few moments in this book where I felt that Sting was a bit pretentious and arrogant. There were other times when I was actually bored by the book and still other times when I felt that his writing was too flowery, like he was an amateur writer trying to articulate his feelings in the most over the top way possible. However, all that being said, I think this is an overall well written book with absolutely brilliant moments. Sting is a surprisingly good writer and the book i...more
Sting is one of my favorite musicians. It is a toss up between him and John Mayer, as to who wins my heart; guess I'll just split it down the middle. I really liked Sting's autobiography. I liked his writing "voice". It was infectious. I even caught myself speaking that way a few times. Thank you Gordon. I love you.
Valerie
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RS
Sting is my favorite musician of all time. I love his lyrics, voice, and stage presence. Having this book actually written by Sting himself, in his own words, was like sitting there right with him and listening to him tell a story about his life. I loved hearing about his childhood, growing up in England and his priveledged education he recieved. His use of language is beautifully breathtaking, just like his songs. I loved the way this book ends, with this etheral story of a missing girl. I enjo...more
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Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, CBE, universally known by his stage name Sting, is a Grammy Award-winning English musician from Wallsend in Newcastle upon Tyne. Prior to starting his solo career, he was the principal songwriter, lead singer and bass player of the rock band The Police. As a solo musician and member of The Police, Sting has sold over 105 million records, and received over sixteen Gram...more
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“For to sit in a room full of books, and remember the stories they told you, and to know precisely where each one is located and what was happening in your life at time or where you were when you first read it is the languid and distilled pleasure of the connoisseur.”
—
3 people liked it
“The alley is a pitch for about twenty women leaning in doorways, chain-smoking. In their shiny open raincoats, short skirts, cheap boots, and high-heeled shoes they watch the street with hooded eyes, like spies in a B movie. Some are young and pretty, and some are older, and some of them are very old, with facial expressions ranging from sullen to wry. Most of the commerce is centred on the slightly older women, as if the majority of the clients prefer experience and worldliness. The younger, prettier girls seem to do the least business, apparent innocence being only a minority preference, much as it is for the aging crones in the alley who seem as if they’ve been standing there for a thousand years.
In the dingy foyer of the hotel is an old poster from La Comédie Française, sadly peeling from the all behind the desk. Cyrano de Bergerac, it proclaims, a play by Edmond Rostand. I will stand for a few moments to take in its fading gaiety. It is a laughing portrait of a man with an enormous nose and a plumed hat. He is a tragic clown whose misfortune is his honour. He is a man entrusted with a secret; an eloquent and dazzling wit who, having successfully wooed a beautiful woman on behalf of a friend cannot reveal himself as the true author when his friend dies. He is a man who loves but is not loved, and the woman he loves but cannot reach is called Roxanne.
That night I will go to my room and write a song about a girl. I will call her Roxanne. I will conjure her unpaid from the street below the hotel and cloak her in the romance and the sadness of Rostand’s play, and her creation will change my life.”
—
2 people liked it
More quotes…
In the dingy foyer of the hotel is an old poster from La Comédie Française, sadly peeling from the all behind the desk. Cyrano de Bergerac, it proclaims, a play by Edmond Rostand. I will stand for a few moments to take in its fading gaiety. It is a laughing portrait of a man with an enormous nose and a plumed hat. He is a tragic clown whose misfortune is his honour. He is a man entrusted with a secret; an eloquent and dazzling wit who, having successfully wooed a beautiful woman on behalf of a friend cannot reveal himself as the true author when his friend dies. He is a man who loves but is not loved, and the woman he loves but cannot reach is called Roxanne.
That night I will go to my room and write a song about a girl. I will call her Roxanne. I will conjure her unpaid from the street below the hotel and cloak her in the romance and the sadness of Rostand’s play, and her creation will change my life.”
