915. The Police / Synchronicity. 1983. 5/5

Perhaps more so in the 'old days' of the 1980's than occurs in this day and age, your first taste of a band's new album was of the initial single released, which is then (if you are deemed worthy) saturated with airplay on the radio, and thus increases or decreases your desire to buy the album it comes off. Often, the single was the 'best' song on the album, and so you would sometimes find nothing more exciting when you got the album. Occasionally though, no matter how much you liked that single, when you got the album it completely blew you away, and it was the songs that were not tagged for single release that made the album as exciting as it was. For me, “Synchronicity” is one of those albums.
The band had come off the successful “Ghost in the Machine” album, especially with the popularity of the singles “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic” and “Spirits in the Material World” which had done great business around the world. The recording of that album had involved a lot of ‘building up’ of songs, using multiple overlays in instruments and vocals, something the band had enjoyed at the time. But coming into the new album, the trio had decided that they wanted to go back to sounding like the band sounded on stage, with less overlaying and dubbing and more of just the three of them. This didn’t stop them from recording many takes of each song, and then choosing the pieces from these takes that they felt worked best, and piecing them together to form the song itself. The band also used a variety of instruments and equipment, including a sequencer for the first time. All of this meant that most of the reggae influences that had proliferated their other albums were almost completely missing from this album, with the style of songs here a mix of influences throughout. All of this made for a unique release for The Police, one that had the potential to either put their long time fans offside, or take the band to another level.

Just about everyone knows the main three singles that were released from this album, and that's great, because they are all great songs. "Every Breath You Take" is probably The Police's most well known and most popular song apart from their first ever single "Roxanne", and everyone who grew up in the 1980's can sing it to you. "Wrapped Around Your Finger" and "King of Pain" are also classic radio singles, in that their music is quiet and unobtrusive, able to be played in a multitude of settings without upsetting people, while having lyrics that are intensely interesting, and again are known by most of those people who came through the 1980’s listening to the radio. And they are the perfect tracks for radio, as they could be played them at any time of the day. And they are great songs, don't get me wrong. But the instrumentation in "Every Breath You Take" is just fairly basic, and despite the great moo swings thrugh the middle section, it is a song that you can take or leave if it gets overplayed. Famously, the story goes that Sting wanted the very basic of basic backing on this track, and would force Stewart Copeland to re-do his drums if he even plugged in a simple roll out of the character that Sting wanted. Blows were even apparently traded during the recording process. Anyway, as brilliant musicians as Stewart and Andy Summers are, they were hamstrung during the recording of this song. Of course it sounds great, but it is strange that they were not allowed to put their own stamp on the song. But that of course is what led to the events that came after the world tour to promote this album.
On the other side of the coin, there is the brilliant synth-into-guitar-drums intro to the opening track "Synchronicity I" that sets the album off on the perfect footing. The first time I put this album on, turned it up, and heard this coming out of my speakers, I was hooked. It's the perfect combination of the old and the new, and a superb chorus lyrically:
"A connecting principle, Linked to the invisible, Almost imperceptible, Something inexpressible., Science insusceptible, Logic so inflexible, Causally connectible, Nothing is invincible"
It is fantastic, and even today when I put the album on and let the needle hit the vinyl, this opening is just magic to the ears.

From here the remainder of the first half of the album expresses so much variety that it would be easy to dismiss it as a joke or poor creative musicianship. But that is what makes it so brilliant. The wonderful "Walking in Your Footsteps" mixes everything up, on the surface only concentrating on Sting's vocals, but a deeper look shows the excellent percussion and bongos from Stewart and the simple but effective guitar of Andy. "O My God" is a jazzy piece, that even incorporates lyrics from the band's previous hit single "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic", something that had friends and members of my family spending months trying to work out where they had heard those lyrics before.
Then comes the piece de resistance, Andy Summers' "Mother", a freaked out, frantic guitar and drum piece with Andy himself crying out the vocals of the song. Let's face it, the music here perfectly portrays the mind of a man who would be saying these lines - "Telephone is ringing, is that my mother on the phone - telephone is screaming, won't she leave me alone!" and "Every girl I go out with, becomes my mother in the end". Terrific stuff that may not be appreciated by certain members of the audience but to my mind is excellent. This is followed by the straight forward "Miss Gradenko", which features dual vocals from Sting and Stewart throughout.
Above all the excellence that can be found here, "Synchronicity II" is perhaps the highlight. Through the brilliant rumbling bass line, Andy's ripping guitar riff, Stewart's amazing drums and lyrics that hit home in the best way possible, this song to me is the crowning glory to The Police's legacy. It also perfectly closes out side one of the album. Sensational.
Following the three singles previously mentioned that are the mainstay of side two of the album, the final two songs are the quiet and thoughtful "Tea in the Sahara" which closed out the original album, while "Murder By Numbers" is the additional track from the cassette (that I first owned) and the CD (which I now own), that close out the album in a quieter frame than I would normally appreciate. And I don’t doubt in the slightest that because this album came out before I began to look for heavier material in my music, that I love this more than I may have if it had come even a couple of years later than it did.

“Synchronicity” was the first album by a band that I ever bought. I had been gifted compilation cassettes at birthdays and Christmas, had even bought a couple of singles, but I had never bought an album by a band before this one. And it is fair to say that it encouraged me to start doing it more often. Because from the very opening of the title track, this album had me. The energy, the relentless drive of the songs, the superb drumming and the remarkable technical guitaring, and Sting’s bass and vocals that could croon and soar at either spectrum. And it was the differing style of songs that come on the album that perhaps was my introduction as to how an album works, that not all songs by a band are the same, and that the ability to create such strange concepts like “Walking in Your Footsteps” and “Mother” and place them on an album with “King of Pain” and “Wrapped Around Your Finger” is how you establish how a band works. And all of that is in effect here.
I initially bought this on cassette, and used to play it on my portable tape deck in my room from the time I got home from school until it was time for bed. It went around and around so many times that eventually it pretty much disintegrated from overuse. I then went out and bought it on vinyl, to help that from occurring again, and then also on CD a few years after that. From being the first album I ever bought, it still comes out as regular as clockwork to be listened to, and marvelled over each and every time. Some might say that of all first time albums that you would purchase, but as I said, I bought it on the strength of two singles heard on the radio. The album still had to sell itself to me after I purchased it. And it did that to the millionth degree.
This proved to be the final album released by The Police, and in many ways it is fitting that it was. There is little doubt that the members of the band were diverging in their musical tastes, and the fact that they were unable to do anything further together is not a surprise, no matter how disappointing it was at the time. Instead, we have this monument that stands as the finale of their career, and while it again has differences from each of their previous albums, it is the one that marks their genius and greatness forever.

914. The Police / Zenyatta Mondatta. 1980. 3/5

I didn't listen to Zenyattà Mondatta until a number of years after its original release, and well after I had discovered the two albums that followed this, Ghost in the Machine and Synchronicity. I do remember when I first sat down and listened to the entire album, and that I was... well... disappointed. It wasn't what I imagined it would be, stuck right in the middle between what the band once was, and then what the band became.

I have spent the majority of my The Police listening time in the last week or so taking in this album again. Not because it is my favourite, but because of their five studio releases it was always the one I was unsure of, and I wanted to be sure how I felt about it when it came to reviewing it. At the end of that time, as I sit here and compose this review, has anything really changed?
The songs that still don't sit well with me aren't as inflamed as they once were. I can accept that songs such as "Driven to Tears" and "When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around" are portents as to what was coming in new wave and what had been in long formless experimental instrumental pieces with lyrics almost being dropped in on a whim. The elements of reggae still exist, but perhaps in lessening degrees. In many ways you need to be in a certain mood to take way this album is recorded. Take "Voices Inside My Head", which really just uses one riff from Andy and the same solid drumbeat from Stewart and then meanders along for the better part of four minutes with very little change.
The better parts of the album still have a more marketable vibe which are highlighted by Sting getting higher in his vocal range while Andy and Stewart both throw in more of their better off-the-cuff licks and rolls which add glamour to each track. The single "Don't Stand So Close To Me", "Bombs Away", "Canary in a Coalmine" and "Man In A Suitcase" are the best examples of this on Zenyattà Mondatta.
I've more or less always been less than enamoured with "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da". It's okay, and I will pretty much always sing along with it when I hear it, but as a great song I'd much prefer those songs already mentioned above. "Behind My Camel" reminds me a lot of music passages from Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds, while the album also concludes with "Shadows in the Rain" and another instrumental "The Other Way of Stopping", neither of which endear me with any great enthusiasm.

I struggle in Zenyattà Mondatta even now. Sure, I can listen to it and I enjoy about half of it as I would any other of The Police's albums, but the other half still bugs me. Meh. You can't be completely brilliant all the time, and the style of the band was evolving no doubt, and it turns out that I just don't connect as well to this part of it.

Rating:  "Must I be a man in a suitcase".  3/5

913. The Police / Reggatta de Blanc. 1979. 4/5

No doubt at the time of its release, only a year after their debut album Outlandos d'Amour, there would have been a great deal of anticipation on what The Police would deliver on Reggatta de Blanc. Having toured for a year behind their debut album, and recorded the follow up when time allowed in their schedule there would have been questions on what they would be able to produce.

It has been widely noted that with all of the material that Sting had produced for the first album, there was not as much forthcoming when it came to this album. What with the full on touring there were not as many ideas coming through. As such, both he and Stewart Copeland delved into their pasts to come up with ideas, and along with Andy Summers produced the one album of the band's career which has so much diversity in writing partners. As such it is a mixed bag.
Some of the material I find is a bit too much off the wall, or even just too damn reggae! "Bring On The Night" especially is just a little too reggae for me to enjoy thoroughly. It always brings to me images of dreadlocks and red and green beads in the hair. It's just not in my style bracket. "The Bed's Too Big Without You" falls into a similar class. Though the musicianship is terrific throughout the song, I again have trouble finding enthusiasm for the track with the excess influence of the reggae sound. I guess you have to accept this when the rough translation of the album title is 'white reggae'.
The good material though is just brilliant. It leads off with the all-time favourite "Message In A Bottle", which is certainly up there in my favourite five songs of The Police. It's not only the wonderful guitar riff, accented with the simple but effective bass line and Sting's vocals, but take the time to listen to Stewart's amazing drumming on this song next time you hear it. It is brilliant and remarkable how much he can squeeze into the gaps that are provided for him. This is followed by the mostly instrumental title track "Regatta de Blanc", which apparently was derived from the long instrumental break the band used on tour when playing "Can't Stand Losing You". It's a ripper, a great crescendo of waves and motion of music. "It's Alright For You" Doesn't match the first two songs but creates a pleasant listening atmosphere. "Deathwish" involves all three players nicely, with the three instruments changing course between fast pace and staccato throughout to create a mostly instrumental eloquent ending to the first side of the album. The second single "Walking On The Moon" is simplified and slow in pace, and really does replicate a feeling of the title of the track, at least in the first two verses before reaching the chorus. It is still one of the band's most recognisable songs. The Stewart Copeland written song "On Any Other Day" also features Stewart on lead vocals, though Sting's 'background' vocals do make themselves more obviously known than would usually be the case in such circumstances. The final track is another favourite, "No Time This Time". This originally appeared as the B side to the "So Lonely" single, and it is great that it got its own gig on an album as well. It's an upbeat fast temp track which concludes the album on a high.

Everything is open to opinion, and while there is some terrific songs here, overall as an album I don't think it matches Outlandos d'Amour. There are just a few spots along the way that don't quite grab me. This doesn't detract from the fact that it is still far above average when it comes to albums being ranked through the ages.

Rating:   "Woke up this morning, don't believe what I saw".  4/5.

912. The Police / Outlandos d'Amour. 1978. 4.5/5

Somewhere in the middle of all of that confusion in the late 1970's, when punk was suddenly the in thing in the UK, where new wave was finding its roots, and bands that weren't conforming were finding it increasingly difficult to find their feet, amongst all of that was The Police. They were a four piece that soon enough became a three piece, and with their unique take on those styles around them and between the three members, they recorded this debut album which began their world domination.

Some view this album as being punk influenced, while others view it as reggae influenced. With so much of punk music flavoured by reggae (a quick listen to The Clash and Stiff Little Fingers is all that is needed for that) surely there needs not be an argument, as both take their place within the framework of the songs on this album, but having been sewn by the particular talents of each of the three band members such that it sits in neither genre. It is a sound of their own. It is The Police.
As with most debuts the rawness of the band and music is obvious, and while that doesn't always date well in retrospect, the freshness of Outlandos d'Amour has stood the test of time. From the opening dramatic urgency of the drums and vocals in "Next To You" the album kicks off brilliantly. It drives along wonderfully between the vocals and pace of the music. This then moves into the slow paced and quiet opening to "So Lonely", which explodes brilliantly into the chorus, with the irreverent support vocals in the background of the chorus expressing the individuality of their song recording. How can a song go so easily between what is essentially just Sting's high pitched vocals and the barest of musical backing into the chorus that blends everything together without even really noticing? Stewart Copeland's drumming in this song is superb.
Everyone in the world knows "Roxanne". It is the song that allowed the band to get their record contract. It has dominated radio airplay for almost four decades. Everyone knows the words, and no one can hit those notes that Sting does, except of course Eddie Murphy (yes, a 48 Hours reference had to come). Great harmonies in the chorus, terrific song. This is followed by perhaps the only letdown for me on the album, "Hole In My Life", which is slow and drags and doesn't have any momentum whatsoever. This is rectified by "Peanuts", a lively jaunt that was apparently written about Sting's disappointment in his hero Rod Stewart, which years later he then rescinded when he discovered the trappings of fame himself.
Side Two opens with the brilliant "Can't Stand Losing You", which was banned by UK radio on its release as a single because of its subject matter of suicide. Seriously? Anyway, it is a great song, and has always been a favourite.
"Truth Hurts Everybody" is a great jiving song, driven in the main by Andy's fantastic guitar riff and Sting's harmony vocal over the top. The fact that the chorus/title is probably over sung, it isn't really noticeable. This probably isn't quite the case for the following song, "Born in the 50's". The song is back in mid-tempo range, and is terrific all the way through, apart from the chorus which does become annoyingly nasal quoting of the title over and over. Apart from this it would be a terrific song, but to me it does get too monotonous because of this.
"Be My Girl - Sally" is one of those songs that could only come from a young band that has enough confidence in their ability. The song starts off simply with "Will you be my girl", until it runs out of puff, and we suddenly hear a spoken word poem, which was written by Andy about a blow up doll. Classic. Then we go back into the song as it started to finish it all up. Apparently it was an unfinished song by Sting, and to pad it out they used this poem by Andy. Different, unusual, and fits in perfectly with the band's persona at the time. The album then comes to a conclusion with "Masoko Tanga", which for the most part is an instrumental with some rambling spoken singing from Sting.

The winner on this first album is the first impression on the musicianship of the three members. Andy Summers was (and is) some ten years older than the other two, and his amazing guitar playing and style is the perfect fit with the sound the band had in these early days. Sting's bass falls in behind this, providing the bottom end foil, while Stewart Copeland's precision drumming is spectacular. Even on a low budget, he gets the perfect sound out of his hi-hats in particular and his drum rolls, which fit in snugly like a jigsaw piece. Add to this Sting's changing range of vocals to suit each song and moment and you have an amazing debut. An album everyone should hear in their lifetime.

Rating:  "All I want is to be next to you".   4.5/5

911. Billy Joel / River of Dreams. 1993. 3/5

Perhaps the kindest thing I can say about this album is that it is the final studio album Billy Joel released before announcing his 'retirement'. Some will consider this a harsh judgement, but by the time this was released in 1993 the world of music had really moved on from what Billy Joel had to offer, and while there is no doubt about the quality of the musicianship, its the songs themselves that feel out of place.

That's not to say there aren't some okay songs. The opening track "No Man's Land" shows some style and substance, along with Billy's vocals coming through to lead the song from the outset. If the rest of the album could have followed up on this energy and vibe then it would no doubt have been a much more enjoyable experience. Billy then finds his inner Beatles again with "Great Wall of China", which almost could have been lifted from the Sgt Peppers album. This has its moments too I guess, and isn't all bad in the whole scheme of things, but at almost six minutes in length it is too long.
Then comes the middle section, with "Blonde Over Blue", A Minor Variation" and "Shades of Grey", which are repetitive in the music riff if not the drudgery of the songs themselves. They are all too long, and so they are unable to retain your attention beyond the first couple of minutes. They just don't seem to move anywhere.
"All About Soul" immediately hits you here because suddenly Billy's vocals are front and centre again, and his voice is what pricks up your ears and pull you in. I've never had the affinity for this track that many others have, but it is noticeable here because its quality towers over what the middle of the album has produced. "Lullaby (Goodnight, My Angel)" is another standard Billy Joel piano ballad, sung sweetly enough and played with dignity. "The River of Dreams" has never been a favourite of mine, perhaps through having to have heard it a billion times on the radio when it was released. Again, it's okay without being one of his best songs. In my opinion.
The album concludes with "Two Thousand Years" and "Famous Last Words". The former again concentrates on Billy's piano leading the charge, and his vocals being the centre of the song, while the latter does little harm, and also perhaps predicts that and ending is coming, in more ways than one.

No, this is only an average album, and in an age when grunge was still dictating terms it must have been a difficult album to promote. Whether he had begun to run out of ideas, or he just saw that there was little use in pushing out more of the same, it takes a special conviction to simply announce that there will be no more. The best part is that this doesn't harm his legacy, and still offers enough for you to be able to sit down and enjoy the parts that matter.

Rating:   "All the king's men, and all the kings horses, can't put you back together the way you used to be".  3/5.

910. Billy Joel / Storm Front. 1989. 2/5

For an album that contained a number one hit single, one that was adored by fans most of the way around the world, you would expect a lot from the album that it was taken from. At the very least, you would have expected that it would have been able to equal the enjoyment of the most recent releases, which though they may have had the odd flaw they wound up being a good within the total package. You may have expected that, but it isn't what is delivered.

The obvious stand out here is the single "We Didn't Start the Fire". Perhaps what stands out most about it is that it is more the lyrical gimmick of the song that makes it memorable, than anything to do with the music or the vocals. Without that, it could well have been a very average song. Some believe it is anyway. What surrounds it doesn't increase the anticipation either. The opening track "That's Not Her Style" drags in all the elements, the horns, a little funky guitar, a bit of jazzy piano, and while it is enthusiastic it isn't particularly awe inspiring. "The Downeaster 'Alexa'" has the potential to be one of those Billy Joel songs that becomes memorable, but just lacks something that ten years previous he may have been able to make happen. "I Go to Extremes" also tries to make a purse out of a sow's ear, but again just comes up short in providing a song that becomes a classic Joel song. "Shameless" is the start of a back half of the album that fails to live up to even these lowly standards.
Whether this second half of the album lacks in motivation or inspiration or new ideas, what we have is a lot of songs in the same tempo, sung in the same key, the same drum beat all the way through, the piano left to being a background instrument, and songs that are at the worst boring, and at the best are bland. The title track "Storm Front" is another that harks back to the past, to influences of Billy's favourite artists. But honestly, this just drags along like a long hot summer heatwave. It drains you of any desire to do anything - tap your feet, do a jig, sing a little. Just dreadfully dull and lifeless. "Leningrad" plods along, lost in its place on the album, wanting to revitalise the Billy Joel piano and vocal combination but without being able to bring the energy required to the song. "State of Grace" warbles through four and a half minutes without any deviation in its framework. I may not be a song writer, but just on observation and listening to this song, it really couldn't have taken much to put it together. I'm afraid that "When in Rome" doesn't do a lot very different either. The solid 2/4 drum beat barely changes tempo throughout, a few horns are thrown in for variety, and the song goes for a little longer. The album is completed by the piano ballad "And So It Goes", the softly spoken final song that still shows Billy can do it when he wants to, but for which comes less often.

After twenty years of writing some of the most popular music out there, this album for me is where the cracks really started o appear. Even given the massive sales of the one song on the album, what surrounds it is less exciting and lessening the attention span with every listen. Quite simply, in one word, this album is boring.

Rating:   "No we didn't light it, but we're trying to fight it".  2/5.

909. Billy Joel / The Bridge. 1986. 3.5/5

After the longest break between albums in his career - straddled only by the release of Greatest Hits: Volume I & Volume II - The Bridge brings yet another marked change in the genre and synopsis of Billy Joel's music. While his previous album An Innocent Man channelled the past in his writing, The Bridge goes for a more modern sound, incorporating the synth pop that proliferated the decade of the 1980's into his own unique brand of music to produce an album of varying degrees.

Would you like to know a secret? Thirty years ago, as much as I really loved An Innocent Man, I was really disappointed with what Billy had given us on this album. Go figure, huh? To be honest though, by the time this was released I was listening almost totally to heavy metal music, and albums like this did get short shrift at the time. There was recognition of some songs, but overall I was nonplussed by its contents. Once again though, as the years have passed and I have rediscovered albums such as this and recovered my equilibrium in regards to all genres of music, I can appreciate it much better than in years past.
The good songs here outweigh the average, and the 'current' sound they have compared to the predecessor album makes it more accessible in this way. "Running on Ice" sets up the album nicely, clipping along at a zippy pace that brings immediate enthusiasm to the album. This is followed by the slower, more reflective yet catchy "This is the Time", where Billy's emotive vocals make the best of the song. "A Matter of Trust" and "Modern Woman" were both big singles off this album, and as such they do tend to dominate the first half of the track list. "Modern Woman" is the epitome of an 80's single for Billy Joel, it has that keyboard that makes itself known through the track, and with its lively vibe it is rooted to the decade in which it was written.
"Baby Grand" is a duet performed with Ray Charles, and indeed could well be mistaken for a Ray Charles song. "Big Man On Mulberry Street" is a big number jazz track with horns and all, making it a performance piece that certainly seems grander than the other songs played on the album. "Temptation" brings the mood back, Billy crooning over his piano in a style he did more often in his middle-albums career.
"Code of Silence" was co-written with Cyndi Lauper, who also contributed vocals to the track. It actually comes across really well. It's nice to hear the urgency in Billy's vocals throughout, and Cyndi's co-operative backing vocals add to the song as well. This is probably my favourite song on the album. The closing track "Getting Closer" does enough to make this an excellent collection of similarly good songs.

I'm not sure what I would have given this all those years ago when it was released. Probably no more than a two. It was a different era for me, and a different time of my life. In the years since this, I have certainly come to appreciate this much more, to the point where I find this at least as entertaining as I do the previous album, and with that as the case then the rating has to be similar.

Rating:  "You don't want to lose a friendship, there's nothing that you have to hide".  3.5/5