When the World is Running Down, You Make the POLL of What's Still Around – ILM Artist Poll #116 – THE POLICE - (Voting extended to Friday, Dec 2, 2022)

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a lot of the best Klark Kent stuff isn't on the 10", you gotta get the Kollected Works CD for everything. if you like that stuff I highly recommend the Gizmodrome album, or even better the live album. I know a lot of people were disappointed in it but I think that was mostly because it was marketed as some crazy prog supergroup when it's really just Klark Kent with a better backing band.

frogbs, Friday, 18 November 2022 22:17 (one year ago) link

surprised myself by including three copeland songs on my longlist. one of them will def make my final ballot

comedy khadafi (voodoo chili), Friday, 18 November 2022 23:21 (one year ago) link

The Mother debate should be interesting and do wonder where it will end up.

Bee OK, Saturday, 19 November 2022 00:04 (one year ago) link

Controp: the stingster's contribution to long long way to go > his contribution to money for nothing

Although money for nothing is a better song

Sidenote: I first typed monet for nothing, and I giggled imagining a very good art transaction

ooh I wanna take ya to Topeka (Ye Mad Puffin), Saturday, 19 November 2022 00:14 (one year ago) link

Also, I sing Come on Petunia to the tune of Billy Joel's "Only the Good Die Young."

Come on Petunia, don't make me wait

ooh I wanna take ya to Topeka (Ye Mad Puffin), Saturday, 19 November 2022 00:16 (one year ago) link

Controp: the stingster's contribution to long long way to go > his contribution to money for nothing

otm

"Long Long Way to Go" is a better song and record.

Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 19 November 2022 16:03 (one year ago) link

Voted.

Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Saturday, 19 November 2022 16:26 (one year ago) link

Voted - I think this was the easiest ballot I've ever had to compile, 20 tracks is the perfect number for these guys.

Gavin, Leeds, Saturday, 19 November 2022 17:58 (one year ago) link

^^^ same, this went really quickly. In theory I could have done some dedicated listening to Zenyatta and Ghost, the albums I know the least well, but I think I've got a pretty great set of tracks here in an order I could more or less defend. Feel like there'll be a lot of little things to discuss and praise with the rollout!

Doctor Casino, Saturday, 19 November 2022 18:33 (one year ago) link

Voted! Didn't think about it too hard, mostly went on vibes. Really looking forward to this rollout.

Guayaquil (eephus!), Saturday, 19 November 2022 19:53 (one year ago) link

Every time I see this thread title, the song comes into my head and I get lost in its groove, so maybe that tells me what my favourite Police song is.

assert (matttkkkk), Saturday, 19 November 2022 21:07 (one year ago) link

growing up the Sting Bring on the Night live CD was playing constantly so it was pretty strange to hear the original versions of When the World is Running Down, One World, Demolition Man, & Bring on the Night. I think they work in both contexts but the arrangements are so much different it really does show what the other two brought to the band

frogbs, Saturday, 19 November 2022 21:09 (one year ago) link

I really like that live album, as far as solo Sting goes. But yeah, the jazz-funk vibe is very different from the Police.

Maybe I should have re-listened before voting but I've listened to these records so much in my life (OK except "Ghost") that I voted based on what I felt like hearing when I saw the title.

Guayaquil (eephus!), Saturday, 19 November 2022 21:24 (one year ago) link

voted!

assert (matttkkkk), Saturday, 19 November 2022 23:56 (one year ago) link

Voted

Naive Teen Idol, Sunday, 20 November 2022 17:30 (one year ago) link

Ghost In The Machine became my #1 over the last 5-6 years. I get it now.

billstevejim, Sunday, 20 November 2022 18:00 (one year ago) link

Aside from "One World" it's probably their least corniest album. And "One World" isn't even that corny.

billstevejim, Sunday, 20 November 2022 18:01 (one year ago) link

one world is fun. didn’t sniff my list but heard it in a department store recently and it was great department store music

comedy khadafi (voodoo chili), Sunday, 20 November 2022 18:37 (one year ago) link

It's so hard to hear Synchronicity side 2 with fresh ears. Do I squeeze them in or drop them in favor of challopsy picks?

Hideous Lump, Monday, 21 November 2022 06:07 (one year ago) link

GITM has Copeland and Summers' best songs.

Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 21 November 2022 10:28 (one year ago) link

Saturday night I went to my local bar and a jam band was doing a cover of Driven to Tears with a saxophone rave-up in the middle that kind of sounded like Can't You Hear Me Knocking. Pretty sweet.

The Bankruptcy of the Planet of the Apes (PBKR), Monday, 21 November 2022 13:14 (one year ago) link

Alfred - Do you mean because there are so few of them?

Personally I prefer RDB because it more of a group effort. GITM is Sting with special guests.

ooh I wanna take ya to Topeka (Ye Mad Puffin), Monday, 21 November 2022 13:25 (one year ago) link

yeah

Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 21 November 2022 13:47 (one year ago) link

Speaking of non-corny, relistening to “Rehumanize Yourself” (which was on my ballot) made me think it’s Sting’s best didactic song. The verses have a punky directness that holds up.

Rehumanize Yourself was the first time I heard the c-word in a song as a kid, closely followed by Two Swords by The Beat, in both instances it's used for far-right racists. That was my early-years anti-fash education

o shit the sheriff (NickB), Monday, 21 November 2022 14:44 (one year ago) link

Same, it was shocking especially to American ears because we don't have the same colloquial use of it.

Can’t recommend this enough

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w71K0ff1VBs

piscesx, Tuesday, 22 November 2022 02:15 (one year ago) link

I recently rewatched that actually - having loved it when it was released - and although the musical segments are fantastic I was floored by how mindblowingly precious and pretentious Sting is throughout. He sounds like someone who believes his own PR. The rest of the band are relaxed and stunningly capable, and the performances are loose and vibey ("Consider Me Gone" etc.) but the "portrait of a genius" element is grating.

assert (matttkkkk), Tuesday, 22 November 2022 03:13 (one year ago) link

We got into double digits over the weekend, there is still plenty of time to vote.

Bee OK, Tuesday, 22 November 2022 17:21 (one year ago) link

Didn't Sting switch to guitar for Blue Turtles?

Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 22 November 2022 17:24 (one year ago) link

He plays guitar on much of the live solo stuff, yes. That said, iirc he played the guitar first, so the characterization may be somewhere between switching and switching back.

ooh I wanna take ya to Topeka (Ye Mad Puffin), Tuesday, 22 November 2022 18:22 (one year ago) link

(obligatory apology for boring semantic distinction)

ooh I wanna take ya to Topeka (Ye Mad Puffin), Tuesday, 22 November 2022 18:23 (one year ago) link

yeah, rightly or wrongly, I assume so-called bassists switch often, especially if they're songwriters (and plenty of guitarists switch to bass when needed).

Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 22 November 2022 18:23 (one year ago) link

My impression of Sting is that he's a capable guitarist but a terrific bass player. (I don't know enough to assess his lute abilities.)

if I made a list of the Top 10 lutists off the top of my head he would probably be on it yeah

frogbs, Tuesday, 22 November 2022 18:45 (one year ago) link

Sting Bring on the Night live CD

Iirc, live CDs; I think it was spread across two!

One of the last times I saw Sting he played "Message in a Bottle" on a classical guitar, replete with food propped up on stand, and ... he fucked it up a bit! It's hard to play, that song. Anyway, he's a great bassist, but only a functional guitarist.

Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 22 November 2022 18:47 (one year ago) link

xpost Here's Sting playing the Hurdy-gurdy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg-0KXjGyGE

Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 22 November 2022 18:50 (one year ago) link

And here's my brother in law, who looks remarkably like Sting:

https://i.imgur.com/G31S0Qi.jpg

Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 22 November 2022 18:50 (one year ago) link

(I don't know enough to assess his lute abilities.)

Oh, I think you know plenty!

Naive Teen Idol, Tuesday, 22 November 2022 18:53 (one year ago) link

uhh he looks like all 3 morphed into 1 person

frogbs, Tuesday, 22 November 2022 18:54 (one year ago) link

In other words, Sting's dream.

Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 22 November 2022 18:55 (one year ago) link

controp: Andy is an extremely skilled guitar player, among my personal icons, blah blah blah. Mad props to him.

But I don't believe for a second that he wrote or originated the guitar lines of "Every Breath You Take" or "Roxanne" or most of the Po-Pos' hits. Those were the work of mr. tantra ego yoga blondie-bear infuriating sweater guy.

It pains me to grudgingly admit it. But The Stingster, for all his well-documented personal faults, did bring a level of songwriting creativity that the others simply could not match.

The lute shit is boring, so at least we have that to fall back on when we want to tear down the rock icon.

ooh I wanna take ya to Topeka (Ye Mad Puffin), Tuesday, 22 November 2022 18:59 (one year ago) link

A song like Roxanne, I imagine that was a band taking his pretty basic blueprint and making it more interesting. but Every Breath, if Sting came up with that guitar part, Sting would claim credit for that guitar part.

Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 22 November 2022 19:07 (one year ago) link

in fact, guitar part aside, that song is a pretty run in the mill doo wop progression by way of Leo Sayer.

Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 22 November 2022 19:09 (one year ago) link

sting did claim all credit for the guitar part, and the rest of the song

comedy khadafi (voodoo chili), Tuesday, 22 November 2022 19:11 (one year ago) link

he's the only credited writer, including on "i'll be missing you" which prominently uses the guitar

comedy khadafi (voodoo chili), Tuesday, 22 November 2022 19:12 (one year ago) link

absolutely. but Sting has never claimed to come up with the guitar part.

Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 22 November 2022 19:13 (one year ago) link

There's that infamous interview with the three of them c. the reunion where Stewart basically calls Sting on it, and Sting's response is more or less tough shit.

Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 22 November 2022 19:18 (one year ago) link

yeah i mean according to the legal standard for songwriting copyright, if you wrote the melody and the lyrics, you wrote the song.

comedy khadafi (voodoo chili), Tuesday, 22 November 2022 19:25 (one year ago) link


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