At 72, Sting still performs with the hunger of a young man trying to prove himself (as if he had anything left to prove), and Sting 3.0 LIVE is that living, breathing, proof. The 17-time Grammy winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer returns with a stripped-back, sharpened-up live collection drawn from his recent Sting 3.0 tour.

Originally released as a Record Store Day exclusive earlier this month, that special edition 2-LP set featured unique cover art, numbered copies, and a full slate of freshly recorded live takes on Sting’s classics. Now, with the general wide release, fans everywhere can get their hands on a CD and vinyl version featuring the first nine tracks from the RSD version. The standard edition pares it down to the essentials, spotlighting the key performances that hit the hardest.

Front and center is the revelatory “Be Still My Beating Heart,” a live version never before released by Sting, finally getting its due with an emotional performance. Elsewhere, the collection runs the gamut of his solo legacy and Police-era favorites, but it’s all delivered in the leaner, meaner "3.0" format - Sting on bass and vocals, backed by longtime drummer Chris Maas and guitarist Dominic Miller. The trio setting forces every note to hit harder, the grooves to go deeper, and Sting himself to shine even brighter.

If Sting once built his legend on immaculate studio craftsmanship, here he lets the imperfections fly, in the best possible way. And it’s no surprise that he opted to reframe his classics rather than simply relive them. He’s long been a chameleon, moving from punk and reggae to jazz and orchestral pop, always one step ahead of the field. There’s a sweatiness in the basslines, grit in the vocals, and that unmistakable tension of three musicians stretching every song in real time. It’s a reminder that Sting, ever the chameleon, still knows how to surprise. Though the RSD edition gave the diehards a few deeper cuts and exclusive artwork, the general release of Sting 3.0 LIVE keeps the essence intact. This is Sting as he is now - completely in command.