THE POLICE

From the very beginning the Police trio were very unique. Consisting of Sting (born as Gordon Sumner) on bass guitar and vocals, the more-or-less leader of the group who was certified to be a teacher by the time of the bands' first album, Steward Copeland on drums, and Andy Summers on guitar, the band was a tight unit that embraced punk, reggae, and pop with their sound. They certainly were the most musically gifted of all the new wave and punk bands to come out of the late 1970's, as for one, Copeland is a virtuosic drummer whose precise and tricky style could have guaranteed him a spot in any great progressive rock band. Sting and Summers are no slouch either at their instruments - they were a perfect counterpart to the stiff, yet highly energetic playing of Copeland, and were both equally vital to the bands cool sound as much as him.

The magic that this powerful combination could produce is already apparent on this first album, although it wouldn't be until their next release that they would be able to sustain the energy throughout the entire record. Still, this album is a fairly exciting start and does boast several really strong Police cuts, including the Rock staples "Roxanne" (the most immediately memorable number with its' chunky reggae beat and great, whiny vocals) and "Can't Stand Losing You" (another highly addictive tune with a catchy chorus), as well as "So Lonely", which has a warm and steady reggae beat, energized choruses, and excellent vocals by Sting (gotta love the vocal stylings towards the end when he goes "I feel a-low, so lo-lo-lo, so-lo-lo-lo, so-lo-lo-lo lonely" - at least something like that hehe).

The energetic and hooky rocker "Next To You" is also great; this could possibly be the band's most convincing rocker, as well as a great pick to open up the band's first album and career. The rest of the record is a little bit less worthwhile, but definitely not uninteresting. "Truth Hits Everybody", in particular, is a decent rocker due to its' fun, punky verses and slightly off-kilter chorus, while "Born In the 50's" is an alright little rocker. On a more humorous note, "Hole In My Life" has some enjoyably corny lines and a fun beat, "Peanuts" while fairly normal cracks me up when Sting screams "PEANUTS!" a few times at the end because it actually sounds like he's yelling out the word 'penis!' (does anybody else notice this?), and "Be My Girl-Sally" is a song about a blow-up doll (it really is only good for a few seconds but the sheer corniness of the spoken-word part should gain a laugh or two). Closing off the whole album is the experimental "Masoko Tanga", which is a good sparsely-arranged work-out, although not one of the better tunes on here, or a great closer. While not as tasteful or otherworldy as the following albums, Outlandos D'Amour is a very decent and fresh offering from one of the most influential new wave acts ever.

OVERALL RATING: 7

HIGH POINTS: Peanuts, So Lonely, Can't Stand Losing You, Next To You. LOW POINTS: Be My Girl--Sally.

Now this is quite an interesting and exciting way to start off a career. Everyone knows that The Police were one of the most unique rock bands ever, and right off the bat they proved their worth to the music world. Their debut happens to be the most punk-oriented approach to their influential sound, and combining that style with reggae and pop elements is an approach that, more often than not, strikes gold and remains fresh, exciting and highly energetic throughout these 10 songs. And there probably couldn't be a better song to kick off their career with than the thrilling punk rocker "Next To You", which has really fast verses and a fantastically catchy harmonized chorus to begin things on a high note. There's nothing like a good combination of melody and energy to get things going...

Of course, the other songs on here don't exactly stay on that same path - the next song "So Lonely" immediately shows off the reggae influence of the sound, with Sting appropriating Bob Marley's vocal style over Andy Summers' guitar line in the verses and adding a poppy vocal hook and great bassline in the verses. Plus, his vocal workout towards the end of the tune, though slightly overlong, is a wonderfully entertaining way to round it out. Then "Roxanne" actually tricks the listener into thinking they're hearing another reggae number (see comment below), when it's actually a really friggin' memorable tango, lyrically centering on a prostitute, no doubt helped by the convincing vocal workout and top-notch melodies throughout. Maybe it gets slightly repetitive, but that hardly takes away from the song much.

"Hole In My Life" is another much more groove-based tune, and the groove it rides on throughout most of the song is quite fun and bouncy, although it's a bit longer than it should be. The melody is definitely one of the catchiest and quirkiest on the album, though, and that counts for something. And besides, "Peanuts" closes side one on a fantastic note as perhaps my favorite out of the punkier tunes on here and arguably even my favorite on the album as a whole. Sure, maybe there isn't all that much to it, but the energy level is high enough (with great work from the rhythm section throughout), the refrain is fast and entertaining, and it also features a bizarre appearance of some sort of bizarre saxophone part and Sting hysterically screaming out... 'PEANUTS!!!' as it fades out.

Side two also starts on a really nice high with another hit "Can't Stand Losing You", which musically begins as basically a slower version of "Roxanne", but I actually prefer this one, as the melody is just a bit stronger overall (and distinct enough, especially that chorus of 'I guess you'd call it cowardice!'), the lyrics are amusing, and it's of course catchy. It also has a great directness to it, just like the following two tracks. "Truth Hits Everybody" has such an effectively simplified punch to it that makes it just as enjoyable of a listen as the other punkish songs on here, and the nostalgic "Born In The 50's" might have a bit of a lyrical arrogance to it, but it's also arguably the most intense and hard-hitting song here, and Sting really gives it his all vocally, so that makes it all worth it.

Of course, not all is perfect on this album, and the last two songs here do keep Outlandos just from reaching even more spectacular 9 heights. "Be My Girl--Sally" actually starts off fairly well as a glorious, if simplistic, punker, but the flow gets all broken up by a spoken portion by Andy Summers about a blowup doll, and it's really corny and aggravatingly obvious filler that's just stupid beyond words. Oh well - at least the portion of the song itself isn't that long, and the worldbeat flavored rhythm of the closing "Masoko Tanga", while not exactly all that great, does at least have interesting instrumental textures and reggae styled vocal tones, so it's mildly enjoyable. A quite outstanding and entertaining debut as a whole, though, despite the presence of a little filler and some slightly unnecessary moments.

OVERALL RATING: 8.5

HIGH POINTS: Peanuts, I Can't Stand Losing You, So Lonely, Roxanne, Next To You. LOW POINTS: Be My Girl -- Sally, Hole In My Life.

You could say the first album by The Police displays their revolutionary sound, finding an infectious blend of punk, pop and reggae. However, it's a bit underdeveloped, hardly exploring the band's full musical potential. The record is more straight-forward than most of their proceeding work, and lacks much of the atmosphere and synthesized textures contained on their later albums. Nonetheless, Outlandos D'Amour sits about at the band's usually high standard, mainly due to its power and large quantity of great songs. The rhythms are funky and driving, and the melodies are wonderful. A couple of the tracks are lackluster, but they're overshadowed by numerous, undisputed classics.

In fact, half of the songs on here could qualify as the best, I suppose. Personally, I will lean toward "Peanuts." It may be a fairly simple hard rock tune, but it's perfectly executed for being just that, and it may represent, the best of all, what this record is all about - a melodic, uncompromised attack. I especially love the way the song starts out, with the drums, then bass, then crunchy guitar building upon each other. And the way Sting could scream the verses back then was nothing short of remarkable. Another one of my front runners for favorite Police song is the scattering "I Can't Stand Losing You." Not only is the music superb, but the no-self-esteem break-up narrative is amusing, too. I can never resist to sing along to this one: "You don't ever want to see me again/Your brother's gonna kill me and he's six feet ten."

"So Lonely" delicately taps during the verses, then explodes into a riffy, sing-along refrain - nice dynamics here! The empathetic ode to a prostitute is certainly catchy, as is Sting's pompous Baby Boomer anthem "Born In The '50s." The latter is a tad obtuse ("We were the class they couldn't teach/'Cause we knew better!"), but if that chorus doesn't have a HOOK, then nothing does. And what a grinding, punky opener "Next To You" is! So, there are many incredible tracks on here. To the contrary, "Be My Girl -- Sally" is textbook filler with a listless poem, and definitely the low point of the album (although when the band actually PLAYS, it's kind of catchy). "Hole In My Life" is an awkward marriage of rock and reggae, and I can't understand why so many fans think so highly of it. As for the largely forgotten "Masoko Tanga," I actually enjoy this one, and I think that it at least hints at the band's later, atmospheric work. A very solid debut, even if I can't rate it THAT high, because it doesn't represent the band's full range as musicians all that well. With that said, it's still a hell of a lot of fun to listen to.

OVERALL RATING: 8

[email protected] (J DEFABIO)

COMMENTS

"ROXANNE" IS NOT A REGGAE SONG. It's a TANGO. Why doesn't anybody understand these important things?

REGGATTA DE BLANC (1979)

(Rich Bunnell's review)

After the mega-success of "Roxanne," the Police found themselves in that oh-so-annoying position where they had to write a sophomore set, but simply didn't have enough time to do it amidst their newfound popularity and promotion for the debut album. The result was basically a clone of the debut, only with a meaty, toughened-up sound and an overall stronger set of melodies, if you ask me. The punk ravers "No Time This Time" and "It's Alright For You" are already superior melodically to any of the raves on the debut (and more energetic to boot) but that's just scratching the surface.

The album also netted the Police their first really -huge- radio standards in the driving rock song "Message In A Bottle" (a #1 UK hit with a memorable "I'll send an S.O.S. to the world!" refrain) and the sparse, textured reggae tune "Walking On The Moon" (which contains some of the most effective guitar fills Andy Summers ever laid down). "Bring On The Night" and "The Bed's Too Big Without You" are the band's first attempts at ballads, and they're both well-harmonized, catchy, and gorgeous (and Sting named a probably-crappy solo concert album after the former). The instrumental title track might seem like filler on first listen, yet subsequent listens reveal what could possibly be the definitive Police song, going from a rumbling, pounding intro to a soaring finale. Just wonderful.

This album marked the first songwriting contributions of drummer Stewart Copeland, and all three of them show a sense of humor that Sting or Andy would never think of pulling off. "On Any Other Day" is the most obviously humor-oriented of the three, telling the story of a man's dysfunctional family ("My wife has burned the scrambled eggs/the dog just bit my leg/my teenage daughter ran away/my fine young son has turned out gay") and though it might come off as a novelty tune to some, the melody really KICKS. His bouncy "Does Everyone Stare" is also a real winner, and "Contact," while probably the weakest song on the album, still manages to captivate me somewhat with its buzzing, plodding rhythm. Overall, for me this is the Police's definitive album, showing all of their best distinguishing traits over the course of eleven songs, and definitely the one to get if you only have one. Ah, who'm I kidding. You're probably still gonna get Synchronicity. Your loss...

* OVERALL RATING: 10 *

Released less than a year after their first album Outlandos D' Amour, this is the album that converted many people into Police fans (including me - though years later obviously). The first one may have been pretty damn good, but considering how original, inventive, and fresh everything sounds on here it's no wonder that this was the album that threw the band into super-stardom. It's evident from the first few seconds of the opening track "Message In A Bottle" that the Police's sound is already incredibly focused; the drum-work and splashes of guitar that open the tune give the song an immediate edge, Sting's Bob Marley-influenced vocals are amazingly confident, and the whole piece is crisp, energetic, and self-assured.

The pure enjoyment doesn't stop there though. Throughout this versatile record, which ranges from serious and inventive tracks from Sting like "Walking On The Moon" to hilarious off-the-wall cuts from Copeland like "On Any Other Day", Reggatta De Blanc is fun, well-rounded, and rarely boring. I can remember back in the mid-nineties as a fourteen year old when I first got this album, and just enjoying the hell out of it while playing Super Nintendo at the same time. I may have tired of my Super Nintendo years ago, but I'll never get tired of this. As far as the two big hits go, the aforementioned "Message In A Bottle" and "Walking On The Moon" are classics. As the centerpiece of this album, the latter track is simply out of this world and possibly the greatest Police song ever. After a highly memorable introduction, the band orbits into an ultra-sparse and atmospheric tune which not only emphasizes on the talents of each band-member (and I really mean that), but really makes you feel like you are on some cold, distant planet.

As great as this track is though, the three minute instrumental title track, a rhythmically slick and energetic rave-up, is really the defining song of the album. This piece of white reggae (something only the Police can do fantastically) starts off innocently and pleasing enough, but as the vocal yells come in and get faster, the song's rhythm gets faster and faster until finally a climax is reached and the band breaks out into a wonderfully fluid jam. The part where the bass becomes high in the mix during the fade-out of the tune is awesome too. Successfully following that track is the punky and potently energetic "It's Alright For You", a fast rocker that contains shouting vocals by Sting, captivating and sharp jamming, and a completely driving, almost streamlining guitar solo that is just too cool.

The band lay down some more neat rhythmic grooves on "Bring On The Night" (an elegant tune with a reggae beat and good contrast in moods) and the simple, repetitive "The Bed's Too Big Without You", which doesn't have much to it essentially, but is just so addictive with its' nice bassline and all. A Police album isn't a Police album without Copeland's corny songs though - there is a special charm to his songs that give the band a lighter edge at times. Sting was reportedly annoyed by the stuff his bandmate would bring in the studio (which explains why most of Copeland's tracks end up on the second side of this album minus "It's Alright For You"), but who cares, his songs are catchy, melodic, and usually fun at the same time.

Opening up with the line 'the others are complete bullshit' "On Any Other Day" is the strongest of the Copeland cuts on here, as it is convincingly played, and has a very catchy and memorable melody. Meanwhile, "Does Everyone Stare" (this one opens up with a great little piano melody that segues neatly into a more produced tune) and the weird "Contact" (the weakest of the three but its' ambience is neat) are a little more on the poppy side of things. As if still in a bit of a Copeland mood Sting contributes the closer "No Time This Time", a great little hooky rocker that has great drumming. One of the only minor gripes I have with this album is that the track "Deathwish", while entertaining musically in the fast parts, has no real hook or melody and is too stiffly-arranged. Besides that (mostly) throwaway cut though, the rest of Reggatta De Blanc is fresh and inspired - Zenyatta Mondatta may have had more hits on it, but this is the album that virtually defines what the band is about. Great.

OVERALL RATING: 9

HIGH POINTS: Walking On The Moon, Reggatta De Blanc, Message In A Bottle, On Any Other Day, Does Everyone Stare, The Bed's Too Big Without You. LOW POINTS: Deathwish.

The Police begin focusing their early, punkier spirit even more here, and despite the fact that the album itself was very quickly recorded, the end result is spectacular. The energy level is still there just about as much as ever, but this time, it's accentuated by a really interesting atmosphere (a strangely mysterious, almost nighttime mood that fits the album cover well), even better melodies and more focused songwriting, and of course incredibly creative musical ideas and band tightness that elevate the best of these otherwise fairly simple tunes to damn near classic status. What's really strange is how underrated Reggatta tends to be by quite a few people (though not really web reviewers) - they say has even more of a lack of memorable tunes and that the hits vastly overshadow a bigger sea of filler than before. I really can't figure this out.

Of course, the smash hits on the album are awesome, no question about that, and they're probably the most worthy songs here, in fact. "Walking On The Moon" is simply mesmerizing and otherworldly, with Andy Summers hitting a perfect chord in his oh so distinctive guitar tone over a great bassline, plus the general feel of the melody, lyrics and music really, really gives off the aura of something spacey - it's just incredible. In contrast, "Message In A Bottle" goes on a somewhat faster and energetic pace, with an amazingly catchy hook, incredibly tight playing (check out that complex as hell opening guitar lie!) and the trademark 'reggae' vocals from Sting at their best.

As for the other more energetic tunes on here, although it wasn't exactly a hit, the title track really deserves special mention - it's damn close to being my favorite instrumental song of all time, and as said above, really defines the band. The breakaway jam that rises out of the gradually building chanting and rhythm is just criminally awesome, and it's extremely well structured and exciting. Then there's the somewhat punkier "It's Alright For You" can easily compete with any similar song from Outlandos - the vocal melody is fast and fun, it's musically exciting and unique - what else needs to be said about it? In the closing track "No Time This Time", meanwhile, it's actually Andy Summers' guitar part that's played at exciting speed, and the drumming by Stewart Copeland is definitely among his best work.

Speaking of Copeland's songs, besides his collaboration with Sting on the aforementioned "It's Alright For You", he also contributes three tunes to the second side, and although they are usually dismissed as novelty songs, to my ears, they're all pretty much great. "On Any Other Day" is really a lighthearted masterpiece, with a great bassline and overall groove and rapidly-sung melody in the chorus to go along with some humorous lyrics, and "Does Everyone Stare" is extremely cool the way it goes from an underproduced piano melody portion with Copeland on vocals to a more fully formed great pop song where Sting takes over on vox - plus the melody here might be one of the best on the album! The shorter "Contact" also has interesting production, with a rumbling bassline over Sting's booming vocals contrasting a faster chorus, and it's good. Very good.

There's also two other sort of 'ballads' on here in the bass-heavy groove of "The Bed's Too Big Without You" and the interestingly paced, very beautiful "Bring On The Night", both of them successful. The former is especially worthwhile, despite the fact that it's extremely simple, but boy is it very captivating throughout its' length, and the latter fits the feel of the album quite well in its' mood and elegant chorus melody. So out of all these tracks, that leaves "Deathwish", the sole weak song on the whole thing (i.e. the one I can understand 'filler' accusations for). It certainly isn't awful like "Mother" or anything, but the melody is a lot less captivating than anything else here, and the groove it aims for gets slightly tiring after awhile. Even with that track, though, Reggatta De Blanc is, on the whole, a near masterpiece, and an extraordinarily unique, well played record. Go get it now to start your Police collection!

OVERALL RATING: 9.5

HIGH POINTS: Message In A Bottle, Walking On The Moon, Reggatta De Blanc, The Bed's Too Big Without You, Does Everyone Stare, On Any Other Day. LOW POINTS: None.

Even though it was recorded in a hurry, The Police managed to come up with an even stronger set of melodies for Reggatta De Blanc than the debut had. The result became the most consistent they would ever sound on record. The production is also fuller and more muscular than before, and the band expand upon their sonic palette a little, adding some ballads and a small amount of piano and synthesizer to their repertoire. But the most impressive sign of growth is that Reggatta De Blanc has an ATMOSPHERE, and a dark, wintery one at that. Ignoring the trendy reliance on synths (for a New Wave act) for now, the band create the mood here primarily through their skillful chemistry, developing a massive sound with merely Sting's intricate basslines, Stewart Copeland's jazz-schooled drumming and Andy Summers' ringing guitar tones. In other words, the signature Police sound really comes together on this album - most of these songs are well-written to begin with, but the way the trio performs them makes them all the more effective and intriguing.

But now, let's talk about the songs themselves. And now that we're on the subject of the songs, ooooohhh man, are these songs ever awesome. The FM radio classic "Message In A Bottle" is here of course, in all of its darkly melodic glory. What a perfectly energized way to start off the album this is! The other one I'm sure you've heard is "Walking On The Moon," a spacey reggae ballad with some very memorable guitar chords and a gorgeous vocal melody over the verses. Equally as impressive as those songs is the instrumental title track, which builds up gradually, then explodes into an extremely driving jam at the end, highlighted by that ripping guitar riff. "The Bed's Too Big Without You" is pure repetition, but completely mesmerizing (probably a reason so many consider it a highlight of The Police's career). The Copeland-penned "Does Everyone Stare" is a nice little bouncy piano tune, and a twisted love song ("I never noticed the size of my feet/Until I kicked you in the shins"). The song is real catchy, and a personal favorite of mine. I also love the drummer's "On Any Other Day," which is kind of a novelty, but a convincing rocker anyway.

The other songs aren't the highlights that the aforementioned ones are, but still quite good. "It's Alright For You" is a catchy punk anthem that brings to mind the first album; "No Time This Time" rocks mercilessly, showing off Copeland's fast hands and Sting's loud tenor. "Bring On The Night" is another reggae ballad with dark verses and an uplifting chorus that sound very different, but they complement each other. The semi-instrumental "Deathwish" comes off somewhat incomplete, but it grooves well enough to meet my seal of approval. The weakest track is probably "Contact," which has a rugged structure; even here, though, the drumwork is fantastic, and I don't mind the song. With even the "lesser" tracks being enjoyable, Reggatta De Blanc is one tight record. What is more, it's the best album by one of the most important New Wave outfits. My opinion can be controversial, because the record isn't as musically diverse as the next three; the band still haven't developed the synthesized element of their sound yet. But their chemistry as a unit is all there, and they can construct an atmosphere on that simple foundation. So buy this CD IMMEDIATELY if you haven't already, it's phenomenal.

* OVERALL RATING: 10 *

ZENYATTA MONDATTA (1980)

(Rich Bunnell's review)

On this album, the Police appeared to be attempting to quiet down their sound and experiment in the studio a bit, in contrast to the rough rock of the previous two albums. The result was their most experimental album to date, but also the one that netted them their first US chart hit in the memorable "Don't Stand So Close To Me," a song with both controversial lyrics about a teacher-student sexual relationship and a really catchy chorus to boot. Two other radio hits were netted from the album in the pretty typical Police rock of "Driven To Tears" (which basically takes the bassline of "On Any Other Day" and builds a non-novelty song around it) and "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da," which is quite a bit less mindless than its title and chorus might suggest. Would a mindless song have a lyric like "And my eloquence escapes me/then logic ties me up and rapes me"? Yeah, right.

The rest of the album is pretty experimental. "Bombs Away" and "When The World Is Running Down, You Make The Best Of What's Still Around" are fairly conventional and catchy (in spite of what the title of the latter might suggest) but the rest ranges from experiments in ska-rock (the radio hit "Canary In A Coalmine" and "Man In A Suitcase," both practically the exact same song) to dreary, boring synth landscapes ("Voices Inside My Head," "The Other Way Of Stopping" and "Shadows In The Rain," which was covered in a superior pop version on Sting's first solo album).

The album's most controversial song (in a non-lyrical sense) is the Andy Summers instrumental "Behind My Camel," which won the Best Instrumental Rock Performance Grammy over other contenders like Rush's "YYZ". Personally, I like the song -- it's a bit ugly and doesn't really hit the mood it reaches for, but it's so self-consciously monolithic that it works. There's no way in hell I'd buy an Andy Summers solo album, however. So despite the inconsistency, this album netted the Police their first real chart success, and what the hey -- it's a pretty good album. It doesn't rise to the heights that the first couple did, but those albums set some pretty tough-to-beat standards, so it's great that the Police did as well as they did under the circumstances.

OVERALL RATING: 8

Opening with the incredible single "Don't Stand So Close To Me", a song that led certain people to question whether Sting ever had sexual relations with any of the pupils he taught during his teaching career back in the day (he denied all accusations), this album starts off in a very classic way. This memorable tune, which starts up with the fade-in of a synth before that distinctive Police guitar comes in, is a reggae-ish pop-rocker that achieves classic status with its' top-notch lyrical matter and high-pitched vocals, unbeatable and very catchy chorus, and the slick energy propelled by the drums and splashes of guitar. Now, the album continues to run like a classic on the rest of side one, which I think is arguably the strongest single side on a Police album. Sure, Reggatta De Blanc may be a better album overall, but the really great songs are more scattered throughout on that release, while on here they are all concentrated in one spectacular string.

This holds true as "Driven To Tears" and the neatly long-titled "When The World is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around", which immediately follow the opening track, are no less than minor masterpieces on their own. While they both contain the same dreary, nighttime mood and are virtually copies of each other instrumentally, they both have irresistible grooves (especially "When the World...") that could go on for awhile and not get boring, and Andy Summer's new-waveish guitar riffs that come in the forefront of these two and many of the other songs on here add needed texture. The latter track is probably stronger (who cares if it repeats the same phrase over and over again.. its so damn fun and catchy), but "Driven To Tears" with its' slowed-down choruses, contains a stunning guitar solo halfway through that is exciting and keeps up with the experimental edge of the album.

"Canary In a Coalmine" is a fast little joyous pop-rocker that comes across as a very fun novelty tune, and "Voices Inside My Head", while the weakest of the first seven tracks, still holds up better than the other instrumentals on here. Overall it's a kind of insubstantial piece of music, but the vibrato effect of the guitar, neat atmosphere, and distant vocals do make it a somewhat intriguing listen. Stewart Copeland then saves the day with the rhythmically fast pop song "Bombs Away", which has a really humorous chorus..' bombs away, but we're ok... bombs away, in old Bombay' and fine melody to boot, while another highlight comes in the interestingly titled "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" (I think virtually everyone that has written about this album has made mention of the song's title), which is a well-structured pop song with a shimmering guitar-sound and very passable melody.

At this point then is where I have a few minor problems with Zenyatta Mondatta -with the exception of the ska-ish "Man In A Suitcase", a short and very upbeat cut with a decent instrumental break (this track is actually among the most enjoyable of the tunes on here due to its' bounciness, although not nearly the best), the other three tracks come across as filler. 1980's best instrumental (well... er maybe... I don't think I really know any other instrumentals from this year though) "Behind My Camel" is dreary at best and annoying at worst, while the other instrumental "The Other Way Of Stopping", despite an enjoyable melody, doesn't really progress or develop into anything. "Shadows in The Rain" on the other hand just doesn't have any good ideas - just a few scattered sound effects here and there. Once again though, It's not that the filler is bad, or even mediocre, it's just that with the sophistication that the band had at this point, you would think that they could come up with something a little better. Maybe? Otherwise, Zenyatta Mondatta is a pretty great album. Maybe just a few more Copeland numbers would have been good.

OVERALL RATING: 8

HIGH POINTS: Bombs Away, Don't Stand So Close To Me, Driven To Tears, Canary In A Coalmine, De Do Do Do De Da Da Da, When The World Is Running Down You Make The Best Of What's Still Around. LOW POINTS: Shadows In The Rain.

In many ways, this is the most defining and comprehensive Police album, and one that has reached almost mythical proportions in the web-reviewing community. As far as an influence goes, this seems to be the release that a lot of musicians (particularly in the modern punk and ska scene) point to as a defining, epochal moment. The sound is also somewhat more diverse than usual, containing not only the trademark pop songs, but lighthearted excursions into ska and reggae and stuff like that, plus extended mood pieces, and one amazing vibe throughout the whole album. Simply put, this is one of the quintessential examples of a transition album, as the band moves from the 70's to the late 80's, and the overall tone is just otherworldly and timeless - it has this unexplainable, almost clear, but yet it still has traces of murky and mysterious, atmosphere that evokes to me a very early morning type of mood.

So where exactly do I stand on the album in terms of quality? Well, I can tell you that around half of it completely rules in ways I can't even imagine, at least. You might be familiar with the opening classic "Don't Stand So Close To Me" and its' accompanying fade-in, utterly genius 'sounds obvious, but it's not' verse melody and catchy pop chorus, but the following three songs are just about as great. "Driven To Tears" in particular has a great bassline and is probably the best example of that timeless vibe Zenyatta has in terms of its' sound, and the way the song shifts from verse to chorus just sounds completely breathtaking. The pretentiously titled "When The World Is Running Down, You Make The Best Of What's Still Around" is another chiming masterpiece - more typical of what we've come to expect from the band, but ungodly catchy anyway.

As far as the remainder of the highlights go, there's also an amazingly entertaining and playful ska-tinged classic "Canary In A Coalmine", which has equally memorable and catchy Summers guitar parts and a fun vocal melody, and a deceptively trite song in the form of "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" that is anything but - witness that beautifully constructed hook, guitar part, and actually quite well-thought out lyrics that dominate this one. But my favorite, however, is probably Stewart Copeland's funny anti-war novelty tune "Bombs Away" - I'm not joking. The lyrics are not only hilarious, but the melody is top-notch, and most notably, the playing of the band is incredibly cool. Sting's bass playing in particular during the verses just smokes, Summers throws in this extremely kickass repeating, swaying guitar part, and besides writing the lyrics, Copeland's playing is arguably at his peak. Mindblowing stuff.

When discussing the other songs, unfortunately, this is where I get off the Zenyatta bandwagon, a little (sorry George Starostin, Andrew R. and Mike DeFabio). There are still five other songs here, and quite frankly, none of them are that exciting. They're not really bad, but I can't really find much in them that grabs me anywhere near as much as the highlights. For one, "Man In A Suitcase", while not a "Canary In A Coalmine" rewrite, is still a little too ordinary and merely decent ska tune, only without a lot of the undeniable charm and melodic power of its' predecessors. Andy Summers' Grammy-winning instrumental "Behind My Camel", meanwhile, might be my favorite of the instrumentals and/or mood pieces, but that's not saying much - the repeating guitar/synth part that drives the song may be somewhat memorable and dramatic, but it doesn't really go anywhere to be that substantial to be great.

Likewise, the other three songs in this vein aren't too great either. Particularly unexciting is "Shadows In The Rain", which admittedly does have intriguing lyrics and really weird guitar noises in the background, but that groove it has just does not sustain enough interest for 5 minutes at all. "Voices Inside My Head", coming after the first four song stretch, is also disappointing, especially since it seems to me like a decent interlude track stretched out twice as long as it deserves to be (that repeating guitar line really grows on you, though). As for Copeland's "The Other Way Of Stopping", it's bouncy and groovy, with a curious sound to it, but I wish they would have ended the album with something more exciting. Regardless of these complaints, though, the highlights and overall sound here are overwhelming enough for me to award this album a 9 - it might be heavily inconsistent, but the best material (and there is a lot of it) truly ranks up there with the guys' best, and that says a lot.

OVERALL RATING: 9

HIGH POINTS: Don't Stand So Close To Me, De Do Do Do De Da Da Da, Bombs Away, When The World Is Running Down You Make The Best Of What's Still Around, Voices Inside My Head, Canary In A Coalmine. LOW POINTS: Behind My Camel.

This is the album where The Police expand on all sides, adding synthesizers to the unique power trio formula they perfected on their sophomore outing. With a bigger overall sound, the band indulge in a variety of stylistic experiments: there are more of their standard, echoy rockers, some light and perky pop songs, and some ambitious instrumental mood pieces. By consequence, they pretty much abandon their fierce punk attack. But this is the quintessential Police record, the one that best represents what they sound like. It's damn good, although it has consistency problems that I'll get to.

About two thirds of the time, when the album is good, it's incredible. It's the pop and rock tunes here that are among the best songs The Police ever laid to tape. "Don't Stand So Close To Me," one of their most memorable singles, kicks things off appropriately enough with that tense fade-in that stays around for the first verse, before the chorus leaps on you like a night prowler. Next is the somber "Driven To Tears," a light rocker that emphasizes the rhythm section. This song has a fluid build-up from verse to chorus, and it's very smooth and pretty. "When The World Is Running Down You Make The Best Of What's Still Around" is similar, a repetitive groove that is a little tougher, and more captivating, than the previous track. I love the vocals during the verses, how they're sung in a somewhat "rapped" manner. "Canary In A Coalmine" bounces delightfully, and features some catchy rhymes by Sting: "Now if I tell you that you suffer from delusions/You pay your analyst to reach the same conclusions." Stewart Copeland's political-minded "Bombs Away" might be the single catchiest song they ever did - that heavenly synth line in the background is the crowning touch, especially when you hear it alone with the drums at the beginning. Andy Summers' guitar solo here is great as well, the way it whips around like a mosquito, very unpredictable. Then there's "De Do Do Do De Da Da Da," a song that seems lightweight on the surface, but really isn't; the lyrics are fairly deep, and the sleepy verses are a nice contrast to that poppy chorus.

Most of the rest is quite a bit different. It's still good, but not that accessible, and it can take some time to get into. What I'm talking about, of course, are those four spacey, instrumental Art Rock jams, most of which pad out the second half. Actually, I LOVE "Voices Inside My Head." If these other concoctions were this hypnotic, and built upon themselves this well, then Zenyatta Mondatta would be another 10. The way Summers' guitar rings in and out behind the smooth rhythm sucks me in every time, and it's joyfully startling when the boys shout, "CHA!! CHA!!" Unfortunately, I do NOT like "Behind My Camel" very much, which is just the same slow, dreary, synth-honed riff repeated over and over. This won a Grammy? Over Rush's thundering "YYZ"?! Get outta here. The quietly chiming "Shadows In The Rain" is just sort of "there," and not that memorable. Sometimes I don't mind these two tracks, but on other occasions they're respectively irritating and boring. "The Other Way Of Stopping" is okay, if only because it packs more power, and it creates a dark atmosphere.

In the end, I can still reward Zenyatta Mondatta an exemplary rating because of the great artistic ambience the album achieves. Even the mostly-instrumental half creates a rainy mood that is somewhat compelling, and the band's chops are EXTREMELY polished throughout. However, the "mood pieces" (if you will) remain a little uneven, even after you get a feel for them. So, my apologies to some, but my best judgment tells me that this is NOT the best Police album, and not the impeccable classic that some claim it is. Having said that, it is there most tastefully diverse, and the best moments are among the greatest in the band's career, so, by all means, don't hesitate to buy it.

OVERALL RATING: 9

GHOST IN THE MACHINE (1981)

(Rich Bunnell's review)

Following the commercial success of their bizarre, schizophrenic third album, the Police didn't logically go on to produce a more straightforward set for mainstream consumption - instead, they just moved on and produced an even weirder and more schizophrenic album. Heralding a famously cryptic cover with the three band members' faces encoded in LCD (and probably tripping on LSD too), this was easily the most critically controversial album of the band's career. The facet of this album that turns most people off is that it's split into three distinct genres: happy pop music, dark slow dirge-like numbers, and bizarre horn-laden time-signature-deprived funk.

The most famous song off of the album is in the first camp, the hit single "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," a Carribean-flavored piano pop tune with a catchy, jovial chorus -- easily one of the best songs they ever did (though I really wish the vocals weren't so buried in the mix). The album's three other singles were from the second camp, the hypnotic, repetitive "Spirits In The Material World" (which just might have the catchiest chorus that Sting ever wrote) the dreary, wonderful synth wasteland "Invisible Sun" (which features an opening countoff which is too cool-sounding for words) and the lesser-known but still quite good "Secret Journey."

The funk songs are perhaps the most controversial of the bunch, as none of them really follow any sort of rhythm or song structure (especially the awful, aimless "Demolition Man") and don't really sound right coming from Sting's mouth (especially when he's manically showing off his mastery of French in "Hungry For You," easily the weirdest song on the album). The only real Police classic from this bunch is "Too Much Information," which I personally think sounds like the band doing game show music, but I'm just weird. It's a catchy song.

In spite of its utter schizophrenia and aimlessness, I still really dig this album. Andy Summers' "Omegaman" is a forgotten classic, with distinctive, trademark driving verses and a chorus which manages to make ugliness sound gorgeous, "One World (Not Three)" is a bit stupid but still catchy, with the lyrics showing Sting actually displaying reverence for his bandmates (and we all know where that led) and Copeland's "Darkness" is a pleasant, soothing way to end a truly bizarre listening experience. Lester Bangs referred to this album as "a really hooky album," and though I can see where he was coming from, it's obvious that what he really meant was "hooky compared to White Light/White Heat," because it's probably the band's least-accessible album. It's still a very catchy and fun album, once you get used to it.

OVERALL RATING: 8

After three French-named albums in a row, The Police decided to go for a change and title their fourth album Ghost In The Machine. Mainly inspired by the rapid technological changes that were taking place during the new wave and post-punk period, this release, in many ways at least, is a hell of a departure from Zenyatta Mondatta released the year before. The most obvious difference is that this album is glittered with lots of horns, synths, funky rhythms, techno-beats, and the like - on first listen it almost sounds like another band has taken over the Police. The record also has the distinction of being the most arranged and overproduced release from their small catalog. So depending on how closely you identify with the early Police sound, it surely can leave you feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all, or it just may sound messy, like the band has gone bonkers. It might even seem like the band has lost their identity amongst a sea of horn-laden funksters. But have they?

Well, not really. The band had plenty of intelligence to begin with, so when they did come around to trying something new they were able to integrate the influences into their sound with enough style and grace as to avoid falling flat on their faces. The album isn't a total success - several cuts on here are lame in comparison - but as a whole it is rather enjoyable and rewarding. The first two cuts stick out like a sore thumb as they are the main hits of the bunch; the repetitive "Spirits In The Material World" with its' staccato synth notes and memorable chorus, and the piano-led "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" (the strongest tune by far), a heavenly-produced tune with a great melody and tinkling fade-out, are clearly stand-out tracks.

"Invisible Sun", the next most well-known track, has quiet pop verses that go in good contrast to the bleak choruses (I especially like the line in the second verse that goes: 'looking like something that the cat brought in'), while Andy Summer's "Omegaman" is a minor gem on here with its' melted blending of guitar and vocals on the distinctive and unforgettable chorus. The experimental funky tracks, in turn, are the hardest to chew on out of the bunch. While they are definitely a little too cluttered-sounding to say the least, tunes like "Rehumanize Yourself" (a fairly accessible number with catchy and humorous vocals) and "Too Much Information" (this one has fast-paced vocals and that familiar 'Cha!' sound found after each chorus) are pretty decent.

"Hungry For You" and "Demolition Man" in retrospect, are a little weaker, and probably the two tracks that sound the least like something the Police would do on an album. Able to throw some people off, these weird, sax-n-horn infested tracks are kind of enjoyable to listen to after several plays though. Things start to wane a little by the time of "One World (Not Three)", a tune led by ska-tinged saxophones and world-beat rhythms that has all the ingredients, but is a tad repetitive. Appearing two tracks later, "Secret Journey" is just ok too. Last but not least is Copeland's closing "Darkness", which although sounding like a melding of his previous tunes (it sort of sounds like a cross between the melody of "Bombs Away" and the production of "Contact"), it has such a relaxing and curious mood to it by way of the treated pianos and up-front bass, that I like it quite a bit. The experimentation of the album has mixed results, but overall this is a very worthwhile purchase from band.

OVERALL RATING: 7

HIGH POINTS: Invisible Sun, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, Spirits In The Material World, Rehumanize Yourself. LOW POINTS: Demolition Man, Hungry For You.

After seemingly creating their defining statement in Zenyatta Mondatta, it was definitely understandable that The Police would want to try their hand at experimenting a little, and indeed, this album has all sorts of embellishments that weren't previously met on earlier albums, like a healthy dose of synthesizers, horns, and all sorts of experimental textures thrown into the mix. But the main complaint many people have against this album is that the earlier Police sound already established is barely anywhere to be found, and these additions to the mix nearly overrun their spectacular playing. While I won't deny that they do seem to lose a bit of their earlier distinctiveness with the new styles explored (a considerable dose of pop, funk and dirgey material), by no means has the actual songwriting quality gone down the drain. In fact, judging by the opening trio of hits alone, this is the best album of all time.

Okay, maybe not, but the first three songs here are all huge Police classics that are easily as good as anything on Zenyatta, if not better. The opening "Spirits In The Material World" first introduces the synths to us (interplaying with the fantastic bassline quite nicely), with a simplified, but extremely catchy chorus that counts as pure synth pop paradise. Then we get the most well-known song here, the even more infectious "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic". I don't know if I've ever had a song stuck in my head longer than this one, and for good reason - the piano-laden verses and the uptempo Caribbean-tinged chorus both have melodies of the absolute finest quality, and it's so much fun to listen to. But the best on the album, however, has to be the positively chilling "Invisible Sun" - the slow count-in to start the opening verse produces an eerie effect the remainder of the song builds on. The dreary atmosphere is the perfect opportunity for Sting to throw in one of the most awesomely cold and distant vocal melodies in existence, not to mention the slow guitar line Andy Summers throws in adds to that effect.

Unfortunately, from this point onward the album can get a bit difficult to get into. I can certainly understand how some people can be attracted to the overall sound here, as it is a neat one, but the big problem I have here is that many of these songs are a bit too underdeveloped in terms of structure and melody. For instance, it seems like the only thing the funkster "Too Much Information" has to offer is its' decently fast-paced, but overly repetitive, chorus and those yells of 'CHA!' again, and that very repetitiveness ensures that the otherwise wildly entertaining horn-filled reggae of "One World (Not Three)" wears thin by the end. And it's really difficult to me to find anything interesting that goes on in "Demolition Man" that merits its' 5:58 length other than a "Driven To Tears" ripoff bassline and cluttered sounds over a near-melodyless funk groove. Why is it that the songs that least deserve to go on the longest do?

But hey, not that there isn't anything to praise in the last eight songs here - in fact, besides "Demolition Man" (which, although some would argue, is my pick for the worst song they ever did, even more so than "Mother"), the only other one that doesn't really do much for me is Sting's ridiculous attempt at singing in French on the dumb and awkward horn-flavored "Hungry For You". There's one song from this stretch, in fact, that I love in the fast-paced masterpiece "Rehumanize Yourself", whose quirky nature, extremely entertaining bassline and first rate pop melody is positively addictive as hell. To a lesser extent, the moody "Secret Journey" is also somewhat good - regardless of its' haunting synth intro, it's the most Police-like song on here, with the typically tight instrumental interplay and care for well-written melody in the fine chorus on display.

Finally, rounding out the album are contributions from Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland, respectively. Although a little underlong, "Omegaman" manages to take a potentially ugly guitar tone and make it sound attractive in the context of the chorus, plus the odd phased solo section and punkish verses are pretty exciting, while the closing "Darkness" is quite a bit more peaceful than its' title might suggest, especially with the easygoing melody and the atmospheric vibe to the instrumentation. Judging by the album's schizophrenic unevenness from song to song that make it perhaps the band's weakest and most unfocused effort, such a song is very relieving at the end. Regardless of the flaws, though, just like with Zenyatta, there are a number of fantastic (and at the very least, interesting) songs to make Ghost on the whole a worthwhile, often successful, diversion from the earlier style.

OVERALL RATING: 7.5

[email protected] (Pat D.)

COMMENTS

"Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" kicks ass. Enough said. I cant get over the nearly perfect snare tone Stewart has on that track, and i guess the record. I cant remember anything, since I actually owned this album when i was like eight, and have since lost it.

SYNCHRONICITY (1983)

(Rich Bunnell's review)

The fifth and last Police album bears an extremely polished sound compared to that of any of the four previous ones, and along with it, a newfound affinity for slow ballads. In fact, each one of the three major hit singles (and boy, were they hits!) falls into that category. First and foremost is the band's most famous song of all time, the lyrically-misinterpreted stalker's tale "Every Breath You Take". The slow-burning, aching ballad topped the pop charts for two months and has been overplayed almost to the breaking point, but it should say something that the song still holds up today as well as it does (in spite of the tepid 1997 Puff Daddy remake).

The other two hits are of similar quality; "King Of Pain" features a dynamic, shifting arrangement and a soaring chorus, while "Wrapped Around Your Finger" is a sweeping, haunting track which is probably the closest that the Police got to the sound of Sting's solo work. The other two songs that always garner all of the praise are the two title tracks, and they deserve it -- the first one is a repetitive, driving rocker with a repetitive synthline and a time signature too weird for words, and the second one (the more famous) is a driving, chaotic, epic rock song with almost freeform verses and bizarre lyrics about factories and Scottich lochs. Also of note, at least, if you're me, is the soothing, rolling light jazz of "O My God," a truly overlooked and/or underrated song. Nifty little tune, and I can't really figure out why people deride it like they do.

Beyond those six songs, however, the album is a bit patchy. Sting's "Walking In Your Footsteps" is cute, but the melody is rather generic and the lyrics (about dinosaurs) a bit too retarded and distracted. His "Tea In The Sahara" is an okay ballad, but nothing special (especially coming after the three hits, which deliver one of the greatest one-two-three punches in album history). However, the two songs written by the other members are utterly awful. Andy Summers' atonal "Mother" sounds like "Behind My Camel," only with louder, more annoying Arabian instruments and an absolutely irritating vocal performance (Summers' only, thankfully), featuring Andy shouting out the lyrics like he was constipated in several different ways at once. Copeland's "Miss Gradenko" is better by comparison, but it is still a rather under-developed, trite song which sounds more like a blueprint of a song than an actual finished product.

Thus, with four rather forgettable tracks but six keepers (seven if you count "Murder By Numbers," a neat, jazzy Summers-written tune on the CD release that almost makes up for "Mother"), this is definitely the band's least consistent album, and one that perfectly displays all of the tensions that led to their breakup, but it's to the band's credit that it's more enjoyable and consistent than most swan songs.

OVERALL RATING: 7

Wow. With tracks ranging from awful to completely amazing this is one hell of an inconsistent album. In terms of inconsistency it's right up there with John Lennon's Double Fantasy and Creedence Clearwater Revival's Willy And The Poorboys. In Synchronicity's case it's because this is mainly a singles album; the four or five radio classics on here are no less than some of the best material from the band, while the other five (or six if you count the extra track "Murder By Numbers") are some of the least-known, and/or most notorious of the bands catalog. The worst of these tracks, as you probably have already guessed, is Andy Summer's highly annoying and irritating "Mother", a three minute piece of crap that has such badly-sung and banal lyrics like 'Well every girl that I go out with becomes my mother in the end...', complete with horrendous screams and weird musical backing. I used to actually like this track for whatever reason when I was younger, but now I have come to my senses. It really is quite bad.

Fortunately, the next weakest tracks are just mediocre at worst. "Tea In The Sahara" is supposed to give off an atmosphere of a camel walking in the desert, but since nothing really happens in the desert, this tune suffers a bit - the arrangement is too sparse and the atmosphere is simply non-existent. I'll give the tune kudos for its' catchy chorus though. Meanwhile, "Walking In Your Footsteps" does have a semi-enjoyable and catchy chorus, along with a neat jurassic production, but as a whole it is a rather cornily-written and insubstantial cut that I can only see as filler at best. Next few up on the list, is the enjoyable spy-melody of "Murder By Numbers", which is an afterthought of sorts on the album (it sure is a sigh of relief coming after "Tea In The Sahara"), Copeland's melodic "Miss Gradenko" (despite sounding like he's recycling the same kind of melody over and over, this ditty is just as fun to listen too as most of his other Police tunes), and the forgettable "O My God", a typical tune from the band that sounds good when it's on.

On the verge of breaking up at the time, the creativity of the Police was still very high though, as evident by the two "Synchronicity" tracks and the three singles in a row on side two (where the real meat of the album lies). Sting comes to the forefront with his classic ballad "Every Breath You Take", an emotionally-sung ballad with a stream-lined guitar sound that speaks many words, while the great title track, which is based on a jarringly creative and very quick-paced synth-line that just kicks, is very engaging.

As fantastic as that track is, "Synchronicity II" is even better. The atmopshere, lyrics, and hauntingly distant melody (especially on the 'Many miles away...' part) make this track a true classic. The two other top and never-to-be-beat highlights are "King Of Pain" and "Wrapped Around Your Finger", which are skillful, imaginative, and richly atmospheric at the same time; the latter in particular with its' wonderful synthesizer line and guitar fills is endearing. The band sure had come a long way in the five albums that they did together over the course of five years. Not their strongest album by any means, but the band never topped the skillful production values and utter sophistication that are found on the best tracks of Synchronicity.

OVERALL RATING: 7

HIGH POINTS: Every Breath You Take, Synchronicity II, King Of Pain, Wrapped Around Your Finger. LOW POINTS: Mother, O My God.

It might not have been obvious at the time, especially since the band apparently had thoughts of getting back together after taking a break following the album's tour, but looking back on it, Synchronicity quite obviously seems like a swan song for the band, and a prelude to Sting's often less-than-respected solo career. It certainly seems like such a long way from when they started out, as by now, the instrumentation almost has an 'adult contemporary' tone to it, with Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers (both limited to only one contribution each here) almost seem like afterthoughts in the wake of Sting's control of the band. But fortunately, he was still at a great stage in his songwriting powers, so the material here often hits tremendous highs (particularly in the singles). It's just that the album as a whole is a bit... inconsistent.

Side one in particular has a few underwhelming and flawed spots here, the worst of which is Summers' notorious contribution "Mother", a musically twisted, Eastern sounding thing whose atmosphere might not be that bad (though it is somewhat ugly), but his awful paranoid vocal wails completely ruin any potential it has. "O My God" isn't really that much better - it sounds like an utterly dull and bothersome jazzy cross between "Driven To Tears" and "When The World Is Running Down...", only without much of a melody at all, and "Walking In Your Footsteps" at least has a semi-interesting atmosphere to it, like you're in the Jurassic period or something, but that melody is just way too obvious, and combined with the lyrics, it just sounds like a bit of a throwaway.

Fortunately, that's pretty much the extent of my major complaints on side one, as it also features a few other winners. Copeland's contribution "Miss Gradenko" is probably more of a joke song, but it's a highly underrated and snappy two minute one, with a catchy hook of its' own and a great bassline in the chorus, and both "Synchronicity" tracks that open and close the side kick - "I" is a highly exciting rocker driven by marimba in the verses and the instrumental break, plus a great power chorus, and "II" is pretty darn close to being the shining moment of the album - the lyrics are a really intriguing insight into the very concept of 'synchronicity', and the way Sting takes a Scottish vocal intonation on them is so neat. Plus, the overall melody and completely captivating structure of it rule (especially the 'many miles awaaaaaaay...' part).

The stretch right after side one, though, is really what made the album the most popular Police effort ever, and probably the sole reason why it gets somehow ranked as one of the best records ever made. These tracks might embody the 'adult contemporary' sound the most, but they're good, and in the case of the first three of them, great. The major hit "Every Breath You Take", regardless of its' overplay, just edges out "Synch II" as my favorite here, as its' intimate, moody guitar part is one of the most timeless ever put to tape, that melody is just completely beautiful, and the lyrics are a well-written observation on stalking people despite being misinterpreted by most of the general public.

In tone, "King Of Pain" and "Wrapped Around Your Finger" might sound at home on adult-oriented radio, but they'd hold up better than most anything that's played there. The former song in particular has several equally awesome melodies, a wonderfully atmospheric tone, and beautiful lyrics, and the latter's great, tasteful use of beautiful synth work, well-written melody, and excellent romantic mood guarantee it a place among the highlights. I've also come to think of the final song on the regular album, "Tea In The Sahara", as quite a good one despite my initial review saying it was too high on the dull scale - the chorus may be somewhat bland, but the verse melody and lyrics are well-developed and hypnotizing enough to make up for it. While inconsistent as usual, Synchronicity stands as an excellent swan song that has only gotten better with time in my listening experience, enough for me to raise the grade to low 8. Give it a shot, particularly for side two's gems and the "Synchronicity" songs.

OVERALL RATING: 8

HIGH POINTS: Synchronicity II, Every Breath You Take, Synchronicity I, King Of Pain, Miss Gradenko. LOW POINTS: None.

I'm going to risk some of my credibility as a reviewer here, but I think The Police came closest to mastering their Art Rock tendencies on Synchronicity, my second favorite album they did after Reggatta De Blanc. The record is a little unbalanced, perhaps, with two sides that sound a little different from each other. But "inconsistent"? I'm not so sure about that. On a continuity basis, I enjoy this album, from start to finish, about as thoroughly as the first two. Some of these songs might come off a little awkward and undone at first (especially on side one), but most of this stuff really grows on you eventually. And the album as a whole has this enticing, spooky, withdrawn feel about it that I just love.

Side one kicks off with "Synchronicity I," a fast, maniacal rocker with a multi-note xylophone part; very energetic, and definitely a highlight. The concept of the opener returns at the end of the side with "Synchronicity II," which is my favorite song on here, and one of my favorite songs the band ever recorded. It seems impossible not to get caught up by this grand epic, with its driving riff during the verses and absolutely soaring chorus: "Many miles away something crawls from the slime at the/Bottom of a dark Scottish lake!" I also love "Miss Gradenko," a short, echoy rocker with a great hook. "O My God" works well as a simple groove tune in the mode of "When The World Is Running Down," and the prehistoric "Walking In Your Footsteps" is a nice atmospheric song with lyrics that compare the extinction of Dinosaurs to the plight of modern man. The only weak song on the album is the noisy, Arabian-tinged "Mother," which I don't necessarily hate myself - Summers' vocals are dreadful, but funny (unintentionally), and the background music is okay.

Changing the mood from the engaging progressive feel of side one, the second half opens with the beautiful ballad "Every Breath You Take." This song deserves its immense classic status, and radio overplay hasn't hampered it one bit for me. The rest of the album follows suit with this more laid-back number; if there is any similarity with the first side to be found, it's that the lyrics and general tone of the music remain creepy and introspective. "King Of Pain" is also a high point here, especially during those tasteful call-and-response verses. "Tea In The Sahara" is almost TOO mellow, paving the way for Sting's boring solo career, but it's saved by a gorgeous melody and demented lyrics: "But he'd never return/So the sisters would burn/As their eyes searched the land/With their cups full of sand." I'm not as fond of "Wrapped Around Your Finger," which just takes forever to build up - but at least when it DOES build up, the effect is climactic. "Murder By Numbers" features more disturbing lyrics set to a rudimentary melody. So, I'm probably a little too generous when it comes to Synchronicity, but the overall effect of the album sounds very impressive to my ears, and I love it to death. One of the greatest swan songs ever by a major rock band.

OVERALL RATING: 9

[email protected] (Pat D.)

COMMENTS

[email protected]

Yeah its the worst Police album but its still good. Did anyone mention the other big hit "Synchronicity II"? Man this is the best song on the whole album with that cool little guitar riff. "Tea in the Sahara" is really cool too. I'm really getting sick of "Every Breath You Take", its a far worse song then "Wrapped Around Your Finger" I'll give this a 7. Thank god the band broke up or Sting would have dragged them so far down.

That No 1 Yanks dude hit it right on the head. Synchronicity II rules. Fantastic ambient guitar playing by Summers. And unlike Metallica's unbelievably lame sequel to Unforgiven, this followup beats the hell out of the original, while not even sounding remotely alike.

[email protected] (Rich Bunnell)

I don't think "Synch" and "Synch II" can really be linked in the same way as the two Metallica songs. Whereas "Unforgiven II" was a sequel, "Synch II" is the second part of a thematically-connected pair of songs. And though II is definitely better, it doesn't "beat the hell" out of I, an utterly awesome song.

LIVE! (1995)

(reviewed by Nick Karn)

HIGH POINTS: Can't Stand Losing You (on disc 2), The Bed's Too Big Without You, Fall Out, Synchronicity I, Walking In Your Footsteps. LOW POINTS: Spirits In The Material World, So Lonely (on disc 1), King Of Pain.

The concept behind The Police's first posthumous live album is a fairly interesting one, but one whose potential isn't quite realized. Basically, it's a collection of two shows (each one given a disc apiece) that showcases how the band developed from their early, punkish sound (captured during a Boston concert on the Reggatta De Blanc tour in late 1979) to the adult contemporary Synchronicity sound (an Atlanta show, by which time the band has backing vocalists joining them on stage). Needless to say, the differences between both eras here should be obvious - during the first show, the 'punk' styled songs like "Next To You", "Peanuts" and "Truth Hits Everybody" are done at a much faster (and shorter) pace than before, which works pretty well, and the grooves like "So Lonely" and "The Bed's Too Big Without You" are extended. But four years later, the performances of new material seem much more like faithful copies of the originals, yet there are some surprises on stage.

As you might have guessed, I prefer the approach of the first disc in general. Like I said, the punkish stuff has great energy, not to mention there are two non-album tracks here, one of them a big highlight. I'd say "Fall Out" is just as good if not better than those similar-styled songs on Outlandos, with a really fast-paced vocal delivery that works as a tight, catchy machine on stage, though "Landlord" has a vocal melody and feel a bit too close to "Next To You" for me to see it as a great song all its' own, even if still good. As for the Reggatta De Blanc songs, for some reason there's only four of them here (maybe the album just came out at the time?). There's not really any revelations in the routine performances of "Walking On The Moon", "Bring On The Night" and "Message In A Bottle" (except to reaffirm their greatness!), but the aforementioned "The Bed's Too Big Without You" is transformed into an awesome nearly 9 minute epic, with all sorts of subtle guitar, vocal and drum fills throughout to make it a a simply hypnotizing experience - one of the best on here.

Of the other songs, nine out of ten songs from Outlandos are here (only "Masoko Tanga" is absent) - some of them almost as effective as before (the faster songs and "Born In The 50's") and a couple weaker ("Hole In My Life" suffers a little from annoying audience interaction, and "So Lonely" has a dreadful stretched out coda that turns a classic song into a near awful one). As for the other ones, while "Be My Girl--Sally" is still dumb (especially as a friggin' encore - why??), it's at least improved somewhat since the "Be My Girl" part benefits quite a lot from the live energy, and the "Sally" part just sounds more ridiculously exaggerated and almost funny (since I can just imagine Andy Summers on stage standing there like a complete dork doing that monologue). And "Can't Stand Losing You" takes the brilliant move of inserting the "Reggatta De Blanc" instrumental in the middle, though it isn't quite as cohesive or powerful as it is on disc 2.

Speaking of that second disc, this is a bit more of an unnecessary affair. This time, it's Synchronicity that gets overrepresented (all the Sting penned tunes are here, which means eight of the songs - no "Mother" though!), with only two songs from Zenyatta (a "Don't Stand So Close To Me" with more prominent synths, and "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da") and just one song from Ghost. But unfortunately, it's a butchered song from that album - take "Spirits In The Material World" and imagine it driven by guitar instead of synth. Then imagine the chorus with annoying backing vocals, and normal singing in the verses. Doesn't work, does it? No, and in fact, it's very unconvincing. Some of the Synch songs aren't any more necessary, either - "Every Breath You Take", "Tea In The Sahara", "Synchronicity II", and "Wrapped Around Your Finger" are nearly indistinguishable from the originals, and "King Of Pain" turns into yet another crappy audience interaction piece, only dumber. Sounds pointless, doesn't it?

Fortunately, the rest of the disc works better. We have the bassline of "O My God" being transformed into the "Day Tripper" riff (sort of), a tighter, faster and probably even superior "Synchronicity I", a "Walking In Your Footsteps" where the 'Jurassic-era' atmosphere is even better and the backing vocals give the songs an epic effect, a great moody buildup in the middle of "Roxanne" led by Summers, the brilliant fusion of "Can't Stand Losing You" and "Reggatta De Blanc" done to its' full and so exciting energetic potential, and two more faithfully done classics overlapped from before ("Message In A Bottle" and a thankfully not overdone and disasterous "So Lonely"). And there's your live album. I can't really give it any higher than a solid 7 because of the superfluous and weak performances and the overrepresentation of the first and last albums, but it still presents The Police as an exciting and professional live band. And it's worth it for some of the stage banter on here (ex: Sting: 'I feel so... I feel so lonely!' Copeland: 'I'm not surprised!') Get it when you've had your fill of the regular studio albums.

OVERALL RATING: 7

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COMMENTS

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As a Police freak (pretty rare to find one these days), I cant believe what i m reading! So lonely live on disc 1 is the quintessence of The Police of the early years : the sense of improvisation, the use of the silences, the cohesion on stage are at their best. Plus Andy Summers' licks and solo are simply awesome. God, i need to listen to it ! and Bring on the Night too!

SOLO ALBUMS/SIDE PROJECTS

STING

REVIEWS:

Ten Summoner's Tales

TEN SUMMONER'S TALES (1993)

released by Sting

(reviewed by Samuel Fassbinder)

Well, the great pun in this album title is that Sting's real name is Gordon Sumner, which doubtless means we can his ancestry to some "summoner" in the Middle Ages in England. A summoner, at any rate, was someone whose job it was to serve summonses, to demand the appearance of suspected lawbreakers at court. In short, a summoner was a sort of cop. (Which makes sense of "The Police," no?) At any rate, the reference to the "Summoner's Tale" goes back to the Canterbury Tales, a set of tales supposedly written by Geoffrey Chaucer (1344-1400) and originally told in a language we call Middle English (it was close to Modern English, tho' not at all the same thing). In the Canterbury Tales, the Summoner who tells the Summoner's Tale is a corrupt and sleazy cop, working for the Church. The reference to the Middle Ages is strengthened by the cover art for the album -- Sting poses in a medieval castle with a white horse like some Hollywood actor in a historical movie.

The plot of the Canterbury Tales is that a group of pilgrims gets together and tells tales; there is a Summoner's Tale in there, but we never hear the Summoner's Tale past the introduction, however, because the Summoner immediately starts to quarrel with the Friar. So, what we read of the Summoner's Tale is about a friar who goes to Hell, and asks (after being shown around by an angel) why there are no friars in Hell, because he sees no friars there. The friar is then shown the Devil's rear end, and at that point twenty thousand friars are suddenly pooped out of the Devil's butt. At any rate, nothing in Sting's Ten Summoner's Tales is quite that crude, and some of it professes a moral integrity that Chaucer's characters just didn't have. If you want great literature that takes risks, read Chaucer; if you want slick pop with a few ancient allusions, listen to Sting's Ten Summoner's Tales.

At any rate, this album has its moments of black humor, though the first song, "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You," is not one of them. The song is a confession of cynicism and faith "in you" -- the best line is "you could say I'd lost my belief in our politicians/ They all look like game show hosts to me." The MTV video is wretched, don't watch it. "Love Is Stronger Than Justice," about a guy who kills his six brothers, is more like it, a black song with a corny country-rock melody. "Fields Of Gold" is pure sentimentality, but Sting pulls it off without too much gooeyness or sugar. Semi-acoustic guitar, synthesized strings.

"Heavy Clouds No Rain" is about an ancient topic, meeting one's fate; a song with some real gems of black humor, all sorts of references to astrology and kings and farmers and Louis XVI, all praying for rain. Only rain will save them, but it never rains. Rock band with organ and electric guitar solo in the middle. "She's Too Good For Me" is Sting complaining about some girlfriend who doesn't like anything he does, "but ohhh, the games we play..." against a boogie beat. "Seven Days" is Sting playing the part of a guy who has to compete with a bigger and stronger man for the love of a girl. The bridge, where he sings of delaying the inevitable moment of confrontation, is more good black humor.

"Saint Augustine In Hell" -- well, Augustine of Hippo (354-430) was a famous Catholic bishop and religious writer of the era of the fall of the Roman Empire in the west, whose struggle to remain celibate was the dramatic aspect of his "Confessions." I guess there's something of that in this song, there's also a touch of Augustine's belief that almost all of his fellow human beings were destined for eternity in Hell. Augustine, with his superseriousness and tastes in religious philosophy, is doubtless more of a model for Sting than Chaucer, though I have no idea what jealousy (the theme of the song) is supposed to do with Augustine. There's a kooky vocal interlude in there, spoken by Vincent Price (!) playing the Devil.

"It's Probably Me" is Sting singing about how "I'm your only friend," another piece of sentimentality that Sting pulls off. "Shape Of My Heart" is about playing cards as a metaphor for something else, once again Sting professes some kind of moral integrity. Sting makes it sound as if he's casting Tarot or something, when he's just singing about playing cards. "Something The Boy Said" is a song about soldiers marching off into some deserted land of the dead and dying. "Nothin' 'Bout Me" is Sting's response to the world of surveillance that engulfs him as a popstar, that the world can "know nothin' 'bout me" even though it's all collecting data about him. Funny song, great male chorus.

Yeah, I know that the real-life Sting is an egomaniac, I read all the comments about "Stink" in Music Babble, but look, maybe that's his role -- remember his part in that "Dune" movie, as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen? At any rate, in Ten Summoner's Tales he lightens up enough to produce an album of enjoyably slick crafted pop. The tunes are all catchy, whether they're atmospheric light pop ("It's Probably Me," "Fields Of Gold," "Shape Of My Heart") or jazz-rock-pop (most of the rest). Another cool thing about Ten Summoner's Tales is that some of the songs are in odd times ("Saint Augustine In Hell" for instance), yet you'd hardly notice because they're so slick. Frankly, I don't have anything bad to say about this record.

* OVERALL RATING: 10 *