Recorded on 9/11/01 & dedicated to all of the lives lost on that day, Sting delivers new renditions of his classics with jazzy bass, world-beat rhythms, cellos and tender vocals. "Fragile" opens this 15 track set, and reeling in the events of that day, the words are heartfelt and wrought with meaning. "Don't Stand So Close To Me" gently glides into "When We Dance" and is hauntingly delivered with more warmth of feeling than ever before. Equally enjoyable are the reworks of "Roxanne" and "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You". Even his latest work "Brand New Day" has a brand new sound. Sting's creative rearranging brings some surprising twists to familiar songs and makes one wonder while listening, "why wasn't the song recorded like this originally?"... they are that good! Listening to this cd is an experience and makes us realize (to quote Sting) "how fragile we are".

Sting comes back with this live recording made on September 11 (he respectfully dedicates it to the victims of the tragedy). This time around he revisits tunes from all his periods (The Police, early and late solo material) but with a very jazzy feel to most of the songs.

What can be said about this album, that has not been said about Sting at some point? It's brilliant: he grabs his songs and virtually reinvents them, to the point where they sound almost like different songs. This is the case with almost all songs in this recording which, like all previous Sting works, is impeccably recorded and produced.

Particularly enjoyable I found his beautiful rendition of the Police classics "Don't stand so close to me" and "Roxanne" as well as the tracks included from his least popular album, 'Mercury Falling' and the mix of "A Thousand Years" and "PerfectLove... Gone Wrong," much in the same style of his earlier live double-album. Interesting results his Traffic-like version of his very own "If you love somebody set them free"... Grrrrooovy!!!! New tracks anyone? Yes! "Dienda" in the style of his interpretation of the Zappa song, "The Idiot Bastard song" which some lucky people were able to hear back during some sessions he played in Chicago several years ago.

Overall, one of those jewels that oughta become part of your musical collection.

Recorded on Sept 11, 2001, the song "Fragile" has a renewed meaning, and a perfect opening track. This live concert features some of Sting's best songs, reinvisioned with new arragements. Alive and fresh, even old classics like "Roxanne" and "Every Breath you Take" sound great. The standout track for me has to be "All this Time", sounding new and exciting. A must have for Sting fans and fans of music in general.

Sting had a real opportunity here. There's always been a division between "Police Sting" and "Solo Sting". With "All This Time", recorded just before his 50th birthday, he had a chance to reconcile both catalogs ... reinventing them into something more than either had been before.

This CD is just a few creative decisions away from being astonishing. The reinterpretation of "Fragile" takes a haunting song to an even more mature level. "A Thousand Years" is wonderful, with a jazzier groove than it's previous incarnation ... but then is unfortunately cut short into a medley with "Perfect Love Gone Wrong". While both "All This Time" and "If You Love Somebody" share similar energies (possibly due to the fact that these arrangements were created over a two week period), they both have room to breathe and eventually land on different personalities. "Brand New Day" takes on a bluesier vibe ... an interesting choice that works delightfully. And the swing finale to "Roxanne" brought an instant smile to this reviewer's face.

A disappointment is "Every Breath You Take" ... Sting's unplugged version from 1991 has much more soul ... this version is little more than an acoustic interpretation from Sting's usual live set. In addition, "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You" doesn't break any new ground ... especially in light of an inspired reading of "Don't Stand So Close to Me", which shows just how haunting a good melody can be. And kudos for cool surprises like "When We Dance" and "The Hounds of Winter".

A great CD to be sure ... but more imagination, along with the inclusion of "Desert Rose" and "Mad About You" (we saw them rehearsed on the A&E special) would have made it quite possibly THE defining moment in Sting's work.

What can I say about Sting's "All This Time" CD that hasn't been said by all the other positive fans here...it is a wonderful & moving experience. Once again Sting reinvents his classic tunes & brings new life to his more recent compositions. My particular stand-outs are, "Hounds of Winter" & "Moon Over Bourbon Street" where Chris Botti more than fills the shoes of the great Branford Marsalis...replacing the sax with his sensual jazz trumpet. And the interplay between Botti & trombonist Clark Gayton on "Brand New Day" brings a well needed spark to this somber affair. Plus the bluesy vocals of Katreese Barnes & Janice Pendarvis also add more adrenaline to the proceedings.

As a long time fan & I do mean long time fan, I first saw Sting & the Police at CBGB's in NYC the first time the guys played there...Stings music has been an important & very integral part of my life for all these years. I have always found solace in Sting's music & especially this CD in light of the circumstances in which the live CD was recorded. Sting was correct in choosing the more somber songs for the CD release over the more upbeat tracks the band were rehearsing on the A&E special & DVD release.

As a native New Yorker, who actually witnessed the attack & collapse of the Twin Towers from my art departments windows on that horrific day, I commend Sting & his band for going through with this unforgettable performance. It was so awful to see the attack live from my windows as the planes struck. It was surreal. Everyone in my office was crying. This devastating event in history is something that I will never forget & hopefully....neither will the rest of the world!!

As an Italian-American, who has visited Sting's newly adopted country numerable times, I feel Sting's home was the perfect tranquil setting for this subdued yet ultimately very powerful performance.

As the musicians(Chris Botti & Janice Pendarvis in particular) urged Sting on with; "YES we MUST play" ...I felt their sentiments exactly! NOT playing would have been like giving in to the terrorism of that day! The CD will ALWAYS mean a lot to me as both a Sting fan & a person who truly believes in the healing power of music.

Sting IS correct; "Nothing comes from violence." The Tuscany concert & his music in general, just proves that intelligence & the healing power of music are two VERY strong antidotes to the horrors of hate & terrorism.

Get this CD if your are a Sting fan & if you truly believe in the universal healing power of music!! My only complaint was that the US release omitted several excellent songs. One has to question the politics of A&M Records over that issue.