The Police

The Police began life as a mid-70's punk rock band from England, but as they clearly possessed talent and could play their instruments, they never found a foothold in that scene. Instead, their style quickly changed to a quirky mix of reggae, punk, jazz, and rock, a mixology that could only be described (somewhat innaccurately) as "new wave". By 1983 they were at the top of their game, the most popular and critically acclaimed band in the world, but internal strife fractured them apart. (They did reunite for the last few shows of the 1986 Amnesty International tour, as well as their 2003 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, but neither reunion managed to take hold.) The individual members moved on to various solo projects, with lead vocalist & bassist Gordon "Sting" Sumner becoming world-famous as a Grammy-winning adult contemporary singer (plus occasional film roles in such movies as Dune and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen), while guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland have gone on to...umm....hmmm.....

Incidentally...I did order their box set retrospective Message in a Box from Second Spin, and consequently sold my copy of Synchronicity -- but the stupid fucktards managed to GET IT LOST IN THE MAIL, so we'll have to wait until later for that one...

"Live!"

    disc one: Orpheum WBCN/Boston Broadcast
  1. "Next to You" (2:57)
  2. "So Lonely" (7:33)
  3. "Truth Hits Everybody" (2:33)
  4. "Walking on the Moon" (4:59)
  5. "Hole in My Life" (4:08)
  6. "Fall Out" (2:46)
  7. "Bring on the Night" (5:16)
  8. "Message in a Bottle" (4:27)
  9. "The Bed's Too Big Without You" (8:51)
  10. "Peanuts" (3:08)
  11. "Roxanne" (4:42)
  12. "Can't Stand Losing You" (7:54)
  13. "Landlord" (2:27)
  14. "Born in the 50's" (4:18)
  15. "Be My Girl/Sally" (4:51)
    disc two: Atlanta/Synchronicity concert
  1. "Synchronicity I" (2:53)
  2. "Synchronicity II" (4:44)
  3. "Walking in Your Footsteps" (4:55)
  4. "Message in a Bottle" (4:35)
  5. "O My God" (3:36)
  6. "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" (4:32)
  7. "Wrapped Around Your Finger" (5:21)
  8. "Tea in the Sahara" (4:52)
  9. "Spirits in the Material World" (2:57)
  10. "King of Pain" (5:53)
  11. "Don't Stand So Close to Me" (3:46)
  12. "Every Breath You Take" (4:37)
  13. "Roxanne" (6:10)
  14. "Can't Stand Losing You" (6:48)
  15. "So Lonely" (7:30)

This archive release didn't come out until more than a decade after the band broke up, to the delight of Police fans everywhere who were screaming bloody murder for some live Police shit. I don't really care so much, and in fact only picked up this 2CD set because it was dirt cheap ($10.99, I think) and at the time, when I thought Message in a Box would be arriving at my doorstep soon, I wanted to close out this Gallery in one fell swoop. As it happened, the box set got "lost in the mail" (but more likely, the stupid disgruntled postal worker left it on my doorstep without even bothering to knock and see if I was home -- and I probably was, as I rarely leave the house -- and some kids on their way home from school saw it and snatched it. I've already filed a complaint with the USPS, and if it ever happens again, I really will teach my letter carrier a new meaning to the phrase, "GOING POSTAL"!!!!!!!

Of the two sets featured, everyone's favorite seems to be disc one's 1979 radio broadcast, which features all the raw, unbridled energy of a young band just starting out on their path to superstardom. It also includes two non-album tracks, "Landlord" and "Fall Out". But I tend to prefer the 1983 "Synchronicity Live" concert, which, while a bit listless and overproduced, features much better songs. It's annoying how many songs appear twice on this album, though...four of 'em, in fact!

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