The Soul Cages Explained

The Soul Cages
Type:studio
Artist:Sting
Cover:Thesoulcages.jpg
Released:21 January 1991
Recorded:April – November 1990
Studio:Studio Guillaume Tell (Paris, France);
Villa Salviati (Migliarino, Italy).
Genre:Pop rock[1]
Length:48:11
Label:
Producer:Hugh Padgham
Prev Title:Nada como el sol
Prev Year:1988
Next Title:Ten Summoner's Tales
Next Year:1993

The Soul Cages is the third full-length studio album released by English musician Sting. Released on 21 January 1991[2] it became Sting's second No. 1 album in the United Kingdom.[3] This was Sting's first album to feature guitarist Dominic Miller, who would become a regular collaborator.

It spawned four singles: "All This Time", "Mad About You", "The Soul Cages", and "Why Should I Cry for You?". Both "All This Time" and "Why Should I Cry for You?" were included on Sting's 1994 compilation album . The title track won the first Grammy Award for Best Rock Song in 1992.[4]

When the South Korean television series Running Man debuted in 2010, "Saint Agnes and the Burning Train" was used as the theme song for actor Lee Kwang-soo.[5] [6] His misfortunes in the show have given the song a comedic association with failure.[7]

On 15 January 2021, Sting released an expanded version of The Soul Cages to celebrate its 30th anniversary. Along with the original 9 tracks, this new edition includes 13 bonus tracks that consist of remixes, extended mixes, and a pair of songs sung in Spanish and Italian incarnations.[8]

Concept

The Soul Cages is a concept album focused on the death of Sting's father.[9] Sting had developed a writer's block shortly after his father's death in 1987; the episode lasted several years, until he was able to overcome his affliction by dealing with the death of his father through music.[10] The single, "Why Should I Cry for You", was written for The Soul Cages in 1989, and Sting has said that the rest of the album flowed quite easily after that first hurdle was overcome. Most of the songs have motifs related to sailing or the seas; Sting wrote in his autobiography, Broken Music, that his father had always regretted not becoming a sailor. There are also references to Newcastle, the part of England where Sting grew up.[9]

In an interview with Charlie Rose aired on 10 December 2010, Sting mentioned that he was working on a "mood piece", a musical project and book in collaboration with Pulitzer winner Brian Yorkey. The work would be based on an album he released many years ago concerning the loss of his father, growing up in Newcastle and witnessing the passing of the shipbuilding industry there. He admitted being scared of the prospect of pulling it all together but expressed confidence in it working out. This project has since been confirmed as the musical The Last Ship.[11]

Packaging

At the time this album appeared, the music industry was starting to shift away from using CD longboxes. Sting, a committed environmentalist, wanted to eliminate the amount of cardboard waste caused by the longbox. The original packaging was a fourfold cardboard case that could be modified to look like a longbox, and folded back into a jewel box sized CD package for home storage. In Germany, the CD was sold in jewel cases as well as longboxes. The cover painting was a commissioned work by the Scottish artist Steven Campbell.

Until the release of Symphonicities in July 2010, The Soul Cages was the only studio album by Sting not to feature a photograph of himself on the front cover, although he does appear on the back cover of both albums.

Track listing

All songs written by Sting, except "Jeremiah Blues (Part 1)" and "The Wild Wild Sea" written with Dominic Miller.

Side one

  1. "Island of Souls" – 6:41
  2. "All This Time" – 4:54
  3. "Mad About You" – 3:53
  4. "Jeremiah Blues (Part 1)" – 4:54
  5. "Why Should I Cry for You" – 4:46

Side two

  1. "Saint Agnes and the Burning Train" – 2:43
  2. "The Wild Wild Sea" – 6:41
  3. "The Soul Cages" – 5:51
  4. "When the Angels Fall" – 7:48

Personnel

Musicians

Production

Singles

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1991)! scope="col"
Position
Australian ARIA Albums Chart[12] 3
Ö3 Austria Top 40 Longplay[13] 3
Canadian RPM100[14] 1
Dutch Album Top 100[15] 1
French SNEP Albums Chart[16] 7
German Media Control Albums Chart[17] 1
Japanese Oricon Albums Chart[18] 4
New Zealand RIANZ Albums Chart[19] 4
Norwegian VG-lista Albums Chart[20] 2
Spanish PROMUSICAE Albums Chart[21] 4
Swedish Sverigetopplistan Albums Chart[22] 4
Swiss Hitparade Albums Top 100[23] 1
UK Official Albums Chart1
US Radio & Records AOR Albums Chart[24] 2
US Billboard 200[25] 2

Year-end charts

Chart (1991)! scope="col"
Position
Austrian Albums Chart[26] 26
Canadian Albums Chart[27] 10
Dutch Albums Chart[28] 30
French Albums Chart[29] 36
Japanese Albums Chart[30] 85
Swiss Albums Chart[31] 19
UK Albums Chart[32] 82
US Billboard 200[33] 46

Notes and References

  1. The Soul Cages. Browne. David. 1 February 1991. Entertainment Weekly. 27 August 2023.
  2. Web site: Gold & Platinum – Sting The Soul Cages. 4 May 2020. Recording Industry Association of America.
  3. Web site: Sting Top 75 Releases. https://web.archive.org/web/20110615110701/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/sting/ . 15 June 2011. Official Charts Company.
  4. Web site: 34th Annual GRAMMY Awards . 2021-11-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211106120442/https://www.grammy.com/grammys/awards/34th-annual-grammy-awards-1991 . 2021-11-06.
  5. Web site: 2016-10-05. Actor Lee Kwang Soo accused of having ruined a musical masterpiece. 2021-06-17. Koreaboo.
  6. Web site: 2016-01-28. The story behind Lee Kwang Soo's theme song in Running Man is pretty sad. 2021-06-17. Goody Feed.
  7. Web site: Don’t Walk, Run! 10 Reasons Why Lee Kwang Soo Is Absolutely Hilarious on "Running Man" . 2024-07-29 . soompi.com.
  8. News: "Sting Celebrates 30th Anniversary of The Soul Cages with Digital Only Expanded edition...". sting.com. 15 January 2021. 15 January 2021.
  9. Web site: Sting's 'The Soul Cages' Arrives in Expanded 30th Anniversary Edition . Paul Sexton . 2021-01-15 . UDiscover Music . 2021-11-09 .
  10. Web site: 'The Soul Cages': How Personal Tragedy Led Sting to an Artistic Triumph . Tim Peacock . 2021-01-17 . UDiscover Music . 2021-11-09 .
  11. News: Writing The Last Ship . Huffington Post . 6 May 2013 . 21 February 2014.
  12. Web site: Australian-Charts.com. Sting – The Soul Cages . Hung Medien. 4 May 2020. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121112152707/http://www.australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Sting&titel=The%2BSoul%2BCages&cat=a . 12 November 2012. Australian Recording Industry Association.
  13. Web site: AustrianCharts.at. Sting – The Soul Cages . Hung Medien . de. 4 May 2020. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140223041330/http://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Sting&titel=The%2BSoul%2BCages&cat=a . 23 February 2014 .
  14. Web site: RPM 100 Albums. Library and Archives Canada. 2 March 1991. https://web.archive.org/web/20140429080533/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.1454&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=mhe12pta2k83e08udtq66ot062 . 29 April 2014. 4 May 2020. RPM.
  15. Web site: DutchCharts.nl. Sting – The Soul Cages . MegaCharts . Hung Medien. 4 May 2020. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121020223946/http://www.dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Sting&titel=The%2BSoul%2BCages&cat=a . 20 October 2012 .
  16. Web site: InfoDisc : Tous les Albums classés par Artiste > Choisir Un Artiste Dans la Liste . fr . Dominic Durand. InfoDisc. 4 May 2020. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130506001015/http://www.infodisc.fr/Album_S.php . 6 May 2013 .
  17. Web site: Album Search: Sting. https://web.archive.org/web/20141129043153/http://www.officialcharts.de/album.asp?artist=Sting&title=The+Soul+Cages&cat=a&country=de. dead. 29 November 2014. de. GfK Entertainment. 1 May 2013. Offizielle Deutsche Charts.
  18. Web site: スティング-リリースミュージック . https://web.archive.org/web/20140429050015/http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/release/d/177781/2/ . dead . 29 April 2014 . Sting Release – The Soul Cages. ja. Oricon.co.jp. Oricon Style. 1 May 2013.
  19. Web site: Charts.org.nz. Sting – The Soul Cages . Hung Medien . Recording Industry Association of New Zealand . 4 May 2020 .
  20. Web site: NorwegianCharts.com . Sting – The Soul Cages . Hung Medien . VG-Lista . 1 May 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140306043830/http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Sting&titel=The%2BSoul%2BCages&cat=a . 6 March 2014 .
  21. Book: Salaverri, Fernando. Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002. First . September 2005. Fundación Autor-SGAE. Spain. 84-8048-639-2.
  22. Web site: SwedishCharts.com. Sting – The Soul Cages. sv. 4 May 2020. Hung Medien.
  23. Web site: Sting – The Soul Cages. HitParade.ch . de . Hung Medien. Swiss Music Charts . 4 May 2020. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121202121521/http://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp?interpret=Sting&titel=The%2BSoul%2BCages&cat=a . 2 December 2012 .
  24. Web site: AOR Albums. Radio & Records. 25 January 1991. 88. 10 May 2022.
  25. Web site: The Soul Cages > Charts & Awards. AllMusic. 4 May 2020.
  26. Web site: Jahreshitparade 1991. AustrianCharts.at. Hung Medien . 4 May 2020. de. Annual Hit Parade 1991.
  27. Web site: RPM 100 Albums (CDs & Cassettes) of 1991 . RPM . 21 December 1991 . 6 May 2020. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140408213817/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.1702&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=mhe12pta2k83e08udtq66ot062 . 8 April 2014. Library and Archives Canada.
  28. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Album 1991. nl . DutchCharts. DutchCharts.nl. 6 May 2020. Annual Statements – Album 1991.
  29. Web site: Les Albums (CD) de 1991 par InfoDisc . fr . PHP . InfoDisc. 6 May 2020. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141023052023/http://www.infodisc.fr/B-CD_1991.php . 23 October 2014. InfoDisc's 1991 Albums (CD) .
  30. Web site: Oricon Year-end Albums Chart of 1991. ja:1991年 アルバム年間TOP100. ja. 6 May 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20140721003633/http://www.geocities.jp/object_ori/1991a.html. 21 July 2014. dead. GeoCities. 1991 Album Top 100.
  31. Web site: Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1991 . HitParade.ch. Hung Medien. Swiss Annual Hit Parade 1991 . 6 May 2020. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131224100651/http://hitparade.ch/year.asp?key=1991 . 24 December 2013 .
  32. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20120111074744/http://chartheaven.9.forumer.com/a/complete-uk-yearend-album-charts_post21.html . Complete UK Year-End Album Charts Complete UK Year-End Album Charts . ChartHeaven . 6 May 2020 . 11 January 2012 . dead .
  33. Web site: Year-end Charts – Billboard 200 – 1991 . Billboard . https://archive.today/20121206023449/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/yearendcharts/1991/the-billboard-200 . 6 December 2012 . 1 May 2013 . dead .

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