The Police: Classic or Dud, Search and Destroy

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They dropped the bomb on us
While we made love on the BEACH
We were the class they couldn't TEACH
Cuz we knew BET-TAH

I thought that song was great when I was about 11, even though I had no idea what he was going on about. By the time I was old enough to realize how silly it was my fondness for it was firmly entrenched. Totally stupid, but not a bad hook. As fake as fake-punk got.

gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Saturday, 15 October 2005 05:07 (eighteen years ago) link

the lyrical whatever is horrifyingly embarrassing but the police had a great overall sound, all those thin sharp totally un-analog recordings w/o being too baroque or over-orchestrated. come to think their records sound almost exactly like zz top from the same era but with the guitars played a little different.

geoff (gcannon), Saturday, 15 October 2005 05:17 (eighteen years ago) link

I don't understand how any one could possibly consider "Tea In The Sahara" to be worthy of the "destroy" tag.

Because it's a hopelessly pretentious sack of tepid, runny DUNG wherein Sting grabs an unsuspecting Paul Bowles novel by the sensitive bits, pours syrup all over it and then proceeds to bugger it inconsiderably, whilst coming up with some of the worst couplets of his already pock-marked career. It's AWFUL!

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 15 October 2005 05:51 (eighteen years ago) link

I'm one of those who never took their lyrics too seriously I guess.

billstevejim (billstevejim), Saturday, 15 October 2005 12:09 (eighteen years ago) link

wherein Sting grabs an unsuspecting Paul Bowles novel by the sensitive bits, pours syrup all over it and then proceeds to bugger it inconsiderably

Very interesting.

Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Saturday, 15 October 2005 12:33 (eighteen years ago) link

one year passes...
Is doom nigh?

Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 15:54 (seventeen years ago) link

We've all got our tickets!

Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:05 (seventeen years ago) link

Oh, that Sting:

Then after performing the works of Elizabethan lute master John Dowland for US TV last weekend he was asked about the rumours.

Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:06 (seventeen years ago) link

He grumpily retaliated by saying that the interviewer must be mixing him up with the fleetwood mac.

Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:07 (seventeen years ago) link

But, will they play "I Burn for You"?

Bobby Peru (Bobby Peru), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 06:12 (seventeen years ago) link

COMPLETELY CLASSIC!

I'm listening to "Bring On The Night" right now and I'm kinda freaking out about it.

I also just listened to "Born In The 50's." My God.

"My mother cried
When president Kennedy died
She said it was the communists
But I knew better"

AGHHHHHHH!

Davey D (Dave Depper), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 07:24 (seventeen years ago) link

OMG! Sting says they'll do all lute versions of the Police songs on the reunion tour!

StanM (StanM), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 07:25 (seventeen years ago) link

It begins.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 30 January 2007 15:04 (seventeen years ago) link

Fear it.

Kv_nol (Kv_nol), Tuesday, 30 January 2007 15:51 (seventeen years ago) link

Annie Lennox should join'em too.

Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 30 January 2007 15:53 (seventeen years ago) link

If there is a god, please let them start the show with 'Mother'.

NickB (NickB), Tuesday, 30 January 2007 15:59 (seventeen years ago) link

Sting vs. Miles

The Redd And The Blecch (Ken L), Tuesday, 30 January 2007 16:26 (seventeen years ago) link

one year passes...

Just about the best mother fucking thing from 1983. Beware. I don't care if John D. jumps on my ass. I really don't care. I'll willingly take a beating for this record.

Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You, Sunday, 10 August 2008 02:13 (fifteen years ago) link

There's a little black spot on the sun today.

Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You, Sunday, 10 August 2008 02:15 (fifteen years ago) link

something i remember: sitting in 8th grade art class and telling john crichton (who wasn't a particular friend of mine, just the kid sitting next to me) that synchronicity was coming out the next day. he looked at me and said "so what?" i said something like the police were the best band in the world and he just kind of shook his head.

in retrospect i think it's the least of the police, but that's a relative measure and i'll defend most of it on one ground or another.

tipsy mothra, Sunday, 10 August 2008 02:42 (fifteen years ago) link

(but it's not the best thing from '83, even if i thought so then)

tipsy mothra, Sunday, 10 August 2008 02:43 (fifteen years ago) link

KING OF PAIN

Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You, Sunday, 10 August 2008 18:33 (fifteen years ago) link

Listen to the fucking BASS on that!

Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You, Sunday, 10 August 2008 18:33 (fifteen years ago) link

"Synchronicity I" is pretty underrated.. and I still love "Oh My God" and "Tea In The Sahara."

billstevejim, Sunday, 10 August 2008 18:46 (fifteen years ago) link

and then there's 'mother'

mookieproof, Sunday, 10 August 2008 19:15 (fifteen years ago) link

yup..

"Mother" adds character. Police albums aren't complete without at least 1 huge WTF moment.

billstevejim, Sunday, 10 August 2008 19:19 (fifteen years ago) link

And I like that "Mother" is in 7/8.

billstevejim, Sunday, 10 August 2008 19:19 (fifteen years ago) link

many miles away
there's a shadow on the door
of a cottage on the shore
of a dark
scottish lake
many miles away

kamerad, Sunday, 10 August 2008 21:39 (fifteen years ago) link

oh scottish monster please listen
don't devour me

mookieproof, Sunday, 10 August 2008 22:08 (fifteen years ago) link

I WILL LISTEN HARD TO YOUR TUITION

Mr. Snrub, Sunday, 10 August 2008 22:15 (fifteen years ago) link

four years pass...

ska horseshit is horseshit

Poliopolice, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 01:16 (eleven years ago) link

four years pass...

I know they get no respect these days but I still feel - walking on the moon - if it comes on in public. I love the double snare hit near the end and the subsequent hi hat solo of sorts

calstars, Wednesday, 19 April 2017 20:22 (six years ago) link

Cool Copeland and Summers bits more than make up for even the band's worst moments.

Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 19 April 2017 20:40 (six years ago) link

even sting's depths in to wretched irrelevance and this photo

http://https%3A//pbs.twimg.com/media/BNnKXTeCIAAohZo.jpg

cannot destroy how good the Police are

akm, Wednesday, 19 April 2017 21:47 (six years ago) link

bah https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BNnKXTeCIAAohZo.jpg

akm, Wednesday, 19 April 2017 21:48 (six years ago) link

The horror

calstars, Wednesday, 19 April 2017 21:50 (six years ago) link

Sting in bringing the tantric lute jams SHOCKAH!

to fly across the city and find Aerosmith's car (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 19 April 2017 22:20 (six years ago) link

Let "Tantric lute jams" never again be spoken of on ilx

calstars, Wednesday, 19 April 2017 22:59 (six years ago) link

fuck tha Police

Οὖτις, Wednesday, 19 April 2017 23:02 (six years ago) link

My favorite Sting and Police. No "Russians," sadly.

the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 20 April 2017 13:51 (six years ago) link

i absolutely love everything about the police except the words. sometimes I just want to pitch a tent in their sound.

iris marduk (Jon not Jon), Thursday, 20 April 2017 15:11 (six years ago) link

when I get that urge I usually just listen to I Advance Masked

sleeve, Thursday, 20 April 2017 15:14 (six years ago) link

love that record, so joyfully underachieving

iris marduk (Jon not Jon), Thursday, 20 April 2017 15:22 (six years ago) link

best Fripp solo ever on the title track, imo

sleeve, Thursday, 20 April 2017 15:23 (six years ago) link

The guitar solo on Mother is almost note-for-note an echo of Fripps guitar solo on Enos Golden Hours.

Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 20 April 2017 15:32 (six years ago) link

/ darkness / is good! Double tracked hi-hats in stereo

calstars, Thursday, 20 April 2017 16:19 (six years ago) link

i absolutely love everything about the police except the words. sometimes I just want to pitch a tent in their sound.

indeed. their 4-disc boxset is great from start to finish, plus its great to get to hear their progression from one year to the next. there's almost something Beatles-like there, the way they evolved so quickly over only 6 or 7 years. even the minor songs have awesome moments on them - that neat little guitar lick on "Contact" during the chorus, for example.

frogbs, Thursday, 20 April 2017 16:25 (six years ago) link

i absolutely love everything about the police except the wordsi

...and even when the words finally fucking stop they go so hard on the dey-yo-yo-yos

del esdischado (NickB), Thursday, 20 April 2017 17:19 (six years ago) link

been hitting 'shadows in the rain' a lot lately, lyrics are actually okay on that

del esdischado (NickB), Thursday, 20 April 2017 17:23 (six years ago) link

Hmm, I still don't hear the power pop. Maybe "Born in the 50's", and if you squint sideways something like "Next to You" miiiiight fit, but you'd have to be pretty generous with what you consider power pop.

Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 17 March 2024 18:07 (four weeks ago) link

fuck, i’m like “fall out” is who-style powerpop, and i assumed it was on outlandos, but no.

i actually only knew it from an off-the-air recording i made from wlir in 82 of police playing live from like 79. last listened to in the 80s? that memorable? senility?

... 2024-- there's one clear winner! (Hunt3r), Sunday, 17 March 2024 22:26 (four weeks ago) link

Last three tracks on Reggatta are power poppish

frogbs, Sunday, 17 March 2024 22:28 (four weeks ago) link


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