THE POLICE
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Albums reviewed:
1978 – Outlandos d'Amour (8+)
1979 - Reggatta de Blanc (6+)
1980 - Zenyatta Mondatta (8)
1981 - Ghost In the Machine (9+)
1983 - Synchronicity (8+)

So few people realise how much of a progressive rock inspired band The Police really were... Copeland, the drummer, having played with Curved Air, Summers, the guitarist, fooling around with a late shape of The Animals and later collaborating with Robert Fripp, prog-rock grandaddy, himself. Maybe that's where all the special guitar effects Andy Summers uses come from. Notice how clever he is with his guitar, of course, he doesn't make it a point to show it off. On the music video DVD there is an extra where you can see him fooling around with the effects he does on some songs, and it's so prog-geeky. Aaanyway. And then there's Sting, who is a very talented bassist, and actually can sing while playing those odd bass beats (I'm always half confused by this ability). He also writes most songs, what a great songwriter.

The first Police album is much more "raw" than the other ones, but still feels as if it's been thought over in most songs. It starts randomly with an average punk-rock sounding tune, just because they had to, and then goes into the intelligent reggae inspired new-wavey pop that we instantly recognize. The reggae thing is a bit of a scam. Yes, songs like Roxanne, So Lonely and Can't Stand Losing You have a definite reggae twist to their verses, but they really explode in their chorus, which are just great rock anthems. So Lonely and Can't Stand Losing You are somewhat similar sounding songs because of that phenomenon. I have a hard time choosing a best one, but Can't Stand Losing You is so quirky that it must win. The guy just lost his girlfriend, and he loves her so much, and she's sending his LPs back, scratched, and he's too full of himself, and you want to tap your foot or yell cyclical chorus that goes "I guess you'd call this cowardice, but I'm not prepared to go on like this; I can't, I can't I can't stand losing you!" then "you can call it lack of confidence ... etc..." and finally you realise what this is really about in the "I guess you'd call it suicide, but I'm too full to swallow my pride! I can't I can't I can't stand losing you...". What makes me love The Police so much I think, is how many minute details there are in wonderfully simple pop songs. The best example is Roxanne, most likely their most well known song. So many little blips and bounces exactly where they should be, a crystal clear production, a wonderful hi-hat, and please Roxanne, stop being a prostitute, he can take care of you... It's a ballad, is it? Rooooooxanne... Roxaaaaanne! A classic. Some of the songs are a bit forgotten, like the weird uncertain Born In the 50s rant. Yeah, like any baby boomer was looked over... Hehe. Still, for a hard edge, Police fan wannabes should look here. Their most hard hitting songs are present on 'Outlandos d'Amour', but there is still fine construction in pieces like the almost instrumental Masoko Tanga, a bass guitar/hi-hat fest. A great great great album. Most Police albums were... This here is probably the establishment of the foundations they would use to upgrade their sound to new levels of complexity.

Simon Lac, February 3rd 2006

 

I must be alone in the world to find this "white reggae" titled album to be the most boring Police album. Is it supposed to be "dark" and "subtle"? I can see that it's trying to be more mature than the debut, but let's face it, it's just not as fun and diverse. Yes, I think that's the problem here; diversity. Even if The Police is supposed to be that very recognizable New-Wave-Reggae band, they usually tend to have a diversity of "fun" types going on on their albums. Here, not so. 'Reggatta de Blanc' is very constant in mood, and that's just not what I'm looking for when I listen to The Police. Even the most popular hit single, the great Message In a Bottle, seems to be lost in the drone of the album. It's still one of the highlights mind you. None of the songs feel like the great anthems you have on the rest of the discography! Even when you sing "messaaaage in a booooottle", it's not as fun as what I'm used to... So I suppose you could defend the album as the most "atmospheric" Police album. Well that's fine except I'm not too sure what the atmosphere is supposed to be. Is it the simple dusty feel of Reggatta de Blanc? That one won a... Grammy I think... for instrumental of the year; sorry but no. Maybe then it's supposed to be the, again, dusty feel of It's Alright For You? Maybe those two songs sound exactly the same eh? Yeah! And while I usually am interested by Sting's babbling, here, he sounds bored. And when you finally escape from the general "mood", you get the highlights; Bring On the Night for instance DOES create the atmosphere I THINK they were aiming for, listen to that beautiful guitar picking and you'll know what I mean. And of course it merges into that great reggae moment that we've all been waiting for. Deathwish sounds subdued, and has interesting guitar work, again, atmospheric, but doesn't manage to grab my attention very much. Again, Sting is bored. Most of the rest of the tracks follow this pattern of frigid half-hookless Police music. Hit single Walking On the Moon is among the exceptions because it's REAL atmospheric reggae, and features an uplifting mood changing chorus. Also, Copeland's Contact stands out, using a fun guitar line and constant beat, it gets two thumbs up for TRYING something else. Admittedly, the "my wife just burned the scrambled eggs, the dog just bit my leg..." part of On Any Other Day is a good hook... Still, I was disappointed by 'Reggatta de Blanc', needless to say. Still a worthy listen once in a while, and you might have a different opinion.

PS: I'm trying to revert back to writing slightly shorter reviews. One of the reasons I stopped the previous site was the length of reviews and there I go starting to write overlong crap again! Long reviews often = long descriptive stuff that doesn't really describe.

Simon Lac, February 12th 2006

 

Isn't this one of the worse album covers of all times, for an acknowledge classic anyway? This is horrible to look at. In any case, 'Zenyatta Mondatta' is an improvement. A lot of songs are, MEMORABLE, which is more than we can say about 'Reggatta de Blanc'. The most well known, the dangerously pedophile-themed Don't Stand So Close To Me is a good example of that, featuring that wonderful Copeland high-hat everywhere and a superb hook harmony. And that's done even with a considerable amount of experimentation on the guitar. The album features a series of jabs at instrumental music that do not do much for me. Again, one of them unjustly won a... Grammy (?)... for instrumental of the year. I think it was Voices Inside My Head, arguably the better one (nice groove). 'Zenyatta Mondatta' was the first Police album I bought, and I found it good enough to get other Police albums, but I do not agree that it is the huge masterpiece it's made to be. One thing for sure, it is the most "uplifting" album from The Police, and certainly their least "serious", despite having strong cases for emotion like Driven to Tears (which, even with a nice ending section, is still not that original musically, except for that echoey guitar sound! Wow! But then that's also featured on many other songs here). The most "light" songs are also some of the best ones. Canary In a Coalmine "you live your life like a canary in a coalmine!" is so catchy it hurts! What a great beat and jerky guitar riff. Makes me want to dance a corny 80s dance. Fast reggae! Man In a Suitcase is in the same vein, except even better! The album features a political bit on Bombs Away, one of the highlights, with sweet bass lines and such a well written melody that even the verses sound like chorus! This one seems to point at the "more meaningful" direction the next album was going to take. However, the hit De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da is catchy but not in a fun way. And stuff like Behind My Camel, Shadows In the Rain and the last track are not useful at defining The Police. They certainly try something in constructing New-Wave arrangements, but don't blame me for finding this "try" a bit boring. And also, for a very easy pun, I say that they should have kept THE ORIGINAL way of stopping.

That's it, a good Police album and a classic. Still, it doesn't quite feel like The Police in some places. It was a rather daring project back in 1980 though! Nothing sounded like that at all, but Peter Gabriel's 'III' was definitely that year's masterpiece of creativity.

Simon Lac, February 12th 2006

 

And The Police tries to put some great sounding synthesizers all over the place; and it works damn well! The topics are also darker and political with the occasional stray in love themes that are equally good. They also distance themselves a bit from experimentation. Even if 'Ghost In the Machine' is noticeably darker in tone, it is also poppier, which makes for what appears to be a paradox, but really equals excellency. Spirits In the Material World reminds me of Message In a Bottle, probably because of the same mid-tempo reggae and tone, but the chorus is much more fun to sing to, the lyrics more interesting and the addition of that synth sound is excessively attracting, making that one of the best Police songs. Very classy. The lightweight Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic was recorded at Le Studio in Québec, and that probably led to a lot of 'Synchronicity' being recorded here. The first side of the album is basically perfect. Invisible Sun, yet another darkly political song, has social themes and is the most atmospheric track on 'Ghost', having this superb synth backdrop and descending chords sequence just before the chorus. Very moody. There's also Hungry For You, sung in French (I corrected their typo in the title!), which is probably catchier if you understand what he's saying, but it's even catchy in English "I want some of you until I'm dry, and our bodies are all wet, fully covered in sweat!". I'm quite surprised that I can understand what he's singing... mostly. Although the middle of the album is not as original and grabbing, it does not hurt the general black political texture of 'Ghost In the Machine'. Only One World (Not Three) comes dangerously close to a corny socialist song "one world is enough, for all of us!". I was happy to realise that the album picked back up with Summer's Omegaman (I like the "drive" in that one, even if the chorus is a bit iffy, it's short... it's "thrilling" *thump thump thump thump*... And what a great guitar solo work) . The second half of the album's best song is Darkness, which has the good idea of being the last song on the album. It's almost a smooth jazz experiment. I love this piano and bass guitar interplay! An amazing closer to a great album.

I forgot to mention that this is easily the best album cover! You'd think it's the first one not to feature the band members, well look and think again. At least it's not an ugly picture, like on their other albums. In conclusion, this is my favourite Police album because of its more colourful sound, even on a black toned background (ugh, I guess the cover art for 'Dark Side Of the Moon' would have worked well). The introduction of synthesizers was done very well, and for once, the atmosphere is preserved throughout. 'Ghost In the Machine' is a consistently excellent work.

Simon Lac, February 12th 2006

 

The Police hit the pop arena right in the face with this. They had always been popular, but that is a clear intrusion in the domain of pure 80s pop. It's done very well. However, for me, 'Synchronicity' has a very special symmetry to it; half of the album is definitely better than the other! I still don't believe how mostly forgettable the first half of this album is. Even if some things are clever (the aboriginal feel of Walking In Your Footsteps, with archaeological imagery...), it's generally somewhat pleasant with nothing more. That's until you fall upon that ugly piece of dissonant screeching that Summer's Mother is; now what the hell were they thinking? That's awful awfulness. The only genuinely BAD Police song. Once you've managed to pass this point though: scary improvement in quality strikes. Especially with Synchronicity II; one of The Police's best songs. I wouldn't expect a man like Sting to be so aware of what everyday toil in a dirty industrial slum with a family you're not sure you wanted in the first place is. The song describes another painful day for a "house's man", while in parallel describing the awakening and escape of the Loch Ness monster. And when he arrives home at night, it's the shadow of the monster that's on the door steps... Very cleverly done and once more catchy, especially dramatic when the monster's storylines come in; wonderful descending guitar picking. Six thumbs up! And from there you won't be let down by the album, from the stalker's creepy hit single Every Breath You Take to the emotional Wrapped Around Your Finger. Listen to the latter and behold Sting's intelligent songwriting skills! Personally, I don't think it's simply name-dropping obscure things; any song with obscure Roman/Greek/Egyptian people/gods and the word "alabaster" deserves a bit of respect. Murder By Number, oddly creepy and catchy, was only featured on the CD release. In any case, it's not a highlight, I'd rather have the album end with the subtle Tea In the Sahara. Of course, we're in soft adult contemporary easy listening territory here, but that's basically the beginning of that junk, and at that point, it was very well made. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that this album is probably the best album of that style, because the style is admittedly very "purely" represented on 'Synchronicity'.

Just go out and buy the masterpiece of "adult contemporary"; do it just like you bought 'In the Court Of the Crimson King' because it was the start of progressive rock, even if you hate Kansas.

Simon Lac, February 12th 2006