Bring On the POLL - ILM Artist Poll #116 - THE POLICE - (Results Thread)

It's fine!

"Zero Votes (Not One)"

Peanuts was a late cut from my ballot.

I wonder how much the voting thread title affected the result for When the World is Running Down? It sure focused me on how much I love that track.

I really dislike that Sting rhymed "rain" with "reign". feels like you're not supposed to do that

have you spoken to Bernard Sumner about rules

Wow, I had no idea “Fortress Around Your Heart” was held in such high regard. More than twice the number of 2nd place votes! I need to listen to solo Sting again.

I lost my ballot and didn't email myself.

Thanks for all the kind words. ❤️

My wife gave me Questlove's book Music Is History and it has a pleasant vignette on RDB and "Does Everyone Stare."

This poll got me to listen to Synchronicity for the first time since 1984 and I'm still traumatized by "Mother", which I'd completely buried.

I'm trying to recall which version of "Roxanne" has a mastering error in the first 5 seconds. The tape starts just slightly slower than it should and increases a half-tone (or maybe more) throughout Andy's first 8 strums. This is immediately before the thing where Sting sits on the piano and laughs, which is all that's coming up for me when I search for any evidence of this error. It's a cool sounding error and I just wanna hear it again lol.

It's possible this is on the original Message In A Box CD box set -- this is not the version on any streaming service.

maybe you could download it from Soulseek? I find things like that fascinating for some reason too. one I remember is that on the Police Live CDs, the first track ("Next To You") starts off very quiet until suddenly cranking up to normal volume about a minute in. so if you adjusted the volume up you have to suddenly adjust it back down again. it's pretty annoying and I'm surprised such an error made it to the CD of a high profile band like that.

I'd have to check, but IIRC the best place to get "Roxanne" mastered correctly is the old Every Breath You Take: The Singles CD (at least in the U.S. - I'm guessing pressings overseas have the same mastering).

I can't remember if it's an issue on the original CD's, but on the '90s remasters (which were originally done for Message in a Box), they all have that tape drag in the beginning. It was corrected again in the '00s, but if you want the full dynamic range without the extra compression, get that old Every Breath You Take: The Singles CD.

Whoops, misread that post. Yeah, look for that box set or any remaster from the '90s including Every Breath You Take: The Classics, they will have the tape drag.

in case any of y'all haven't heard it, I highly recommend that first live Sting album, Bring on the Night. IMO it's a must-have because 1) nearly everything is drastically rearranged (minus some of the Blue Turtles stuff), 2) the setlist has no real hits at all on it (so it's not just stuff you're burned out on) and 3) that jazz band he had was really sick. I mean god, that jam session on the first track is crazy. and Kenny Kirkland raps on it! you won't hear that on another Sting album that's for sure.

also wanna point out the line in Low Life that goes "you pay for love/but the hate comes free" is really funny to me for some reason

The thought of Sting nodding along while doing bass face with these superior players horrifies me.

he does let them style all over his catalogue though, it's really neat

Fortunately (or not?) he's largely playing guitar on the live album.

yea just listen to Demolition Man, I don't think Sting can play that fast

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

That is, of course, future Stone Darryl Jones on bass. When you're that good, "hard" for you is keeping it simple for Sting and the Stones.

Yeah Josh OTM. Darryl is a muthflippin GOD and he effortlessly plays stuff that der stinglemeister could never even aspire to play.

(And I say this as an ardent admirer of the Stingster! There are many reasons to hate on him, and his punchable face, but the dude has mos def put together a couple of fucking killer bands.

He's also a really good bassist! Just not, you know, Darryl Jones good.

Agree 100%. Like, there is a reason you call Darryl Jones. Or Nathan East. And there is a reason you call Sting.

(Now I am imagining if Nathan East had played on a Sting record, and how awesome that might be. Jones has an extremely wide vocabulary and a supple style; East is a groovemeister with a funkier edge. Sting's thing is songcraft.)

Nathan East co-wrote "Easy Lover!"

Another good one from the period: Guy Pratt.

Off-topic for this thread, but... I really wish I had seen the Clapton/Collins/Phillinganes/East lineup back when that was a thing.

Like, seriously, that may be as close as rock music will ever get to assembling an ideal all-star quartet, with one of the world's best practitioners in each slot.

Lord Alfred, are you secretly a Momentary Lapse of Reason stan? Pratt was an MVP for that era.

I agree with the live album love, I think it's the best thing in his solo catalog. The logic of that band really comes through live — they're good on the album, but they don't get to jam. The rearrangements and medleys are all good, it was a great way for him to take the Police material out post-Police — not trying to replicate the Police, but hanging onto the songs.

Like, seriously, that may be as close as rock music will ever get to assembling an ideal all-star quartet, with one of the world's best practitioners in each slot.

Ironically Clapton was the weak link of that era!

Guy Pratt doesn't play on "Lapse," but he did the tour. Soto, you should read Guy Pratt's book, a lot of fun.

Your point is well taken, Mr. in Chicago.

He does play on Delicate Sound of Thunder, which in my head is basically Momentary Lapse of Reason live.

note that they scan the same:

Delicate Sound of Thunder

Momentary Lapse of Reason

I sense a pattern

Only bummer about it is it ends with “Tea in the Sahara” which I think is just not a great tune to play live, much less as the final track, much much less with a band like THAT

Otherwise so much of it works for me - I know it’s corny but that key change between One World and Seventh Wave is so cool

This poll was great, one year ago seems like a different world to me now.

Come across my Ghost in the Machine LP today as it was misplaced.

Great poll. Agreed that it feels a lot longer ago. I have a very clear memory of the specific long subway ride during this rollout when I got hooked on Demolition Man for the first time.