Compare Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984-1994

Early in his solo career, defined himself as a man of taste, choosing to work with musicians instead of rockers. Inevitably, this meant he walked the thin line between sophisticated and , but he did it with grace from 1985's to 1993's . Unfortunately, doesn't illustrate what a deft trick he pulled off with that quartet of albums. Naturally, concentrates on his hit singles, just like any other greatest-hits collection, but 's material sounds surprisingly tame in this context. Sure, there is a number of great songs here -- enough to state his case as a fine songwriter or to satisfy his casual fans. Still, these songs are safe choices and all share a similarly tranquil quality, which means the collection itself becomes a little monotonous. Nevertheless, performs the necessary service of rounding up all of the big hits -- and an alternate version of -- and offering them on one disc, which is reason enough to make it worthwhile, even with its flaws. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine