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.
The band had come together as a four piece, though with Andy Summers insisting when asked to join the band that they remain a trio, and their current guitarist therefore be replaced by him. This was something that both Sting and StewartCopeland were initially reluctant to do, leading to the band carrying on as a four piece for awhile, until Sommers finally made his request an ultimatum, and Henry Padovani was dismissed from the band. From this point on however, things began to click. Stewart Copeland was quoted in 2007 as saying "One by one, Sting's songs had started coming in, and when Andy joined, it opened up new numbers of Sting's we could do, so the material started to get a lot more interesting and Sting started to take a lot more interest in the group."
Copeland’s brother Miles had taken up management of the band, and had lent the band 1,500 pounds in order to start recording. He was reportedly unimpressed with what he heard when the band were writing songs for their debut album. And then he heard one particular song, one that he felt was a major outstanding song compared to the rest of their material, and in response to this he immediately went out and organised a record deal with A&M. The song? “Roxanne”

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 reference to the movie 48 Hours had to come when discussing this song). Great harmonies in the chorus, and a 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. It’s an interesting point, given that in today’s overly protective world when it comes to sensitive topics you might consider that this song would also be within the ’cancel culture’ attitude of certain protest groups, and yet the lyrics are far less offensive in many ways than most of the big hits that turn up on radio an get airplay in the modern age. Anyway, it is a great song, and has always been a favourite. It’s interesting that it was re-released once “Roxanne” took off in the US, and did well in the UK on its second release.
"Truth Hits 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 is a great song, one of those songs that isn’t a single but that all great albums need to be considered as such. It’s catchy, it’s fun and it makes you take notice every time it comes on. It is a song that deserves to be better known outside of the hardcore Police fan base but isn’t. Indeed, it is a song that only the real fans who know all of the albums know, and perhaps that is its greatest gift.
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.

The Police was one of the first bands that I developed an interest in on the radio beyond just enjoying the songs that were played. I had been given a copy of “Ghost in the Machine” some time after it had been released, while the first album by The Police that I bought was their last album “Synchronicity”, and which I played to its demise. And I wanted more. I didn’t just want the singles, the ones that the record company deemed I should listen to and enjoy. I wanted all of those albums. That there would only end being five of them is both a disappointment and a blessing.
When I first heard this album, it was a breath of fresh air. Everything about it jumped off the vinyl and with an energy that isn’t always prevalent on debut albums. The unique styles of all three musicians means that you can listen to every track three times, concentrate on just the one instrument on each listen, and find a difference nance or wave of each song. It really is amazing what these three can do.
I didn’t get a copy of this album until the mid-1980's, and even when my music obsession was turning towards heavy metal, this album and the band as a whole never became any less to me as a result. I have never been a fan of reggae while I am much more of a fan of that era of punk music, but the mix of the two here in the songs of the band’s debut album is perfect. And while each album by the band is different in regards to its content and recording, “Outlandos d’Amour” is perhaps the best example of the band purely in writing and composition. Having it going around again over the last few weeks has been a lot of fun, and I don’t think it has dated since its release.
If pushed I guess I will always decide that “Synchronicity” is my favourite album by The Police, but this would be a very close second. Its vibrancy is still its defining characteristic, and it is quite amazing that 45 years on since its release it can continue to have its most famous tracks still sung by music lovers the world over. That in itself is a pretty fair accomplishment. I’m not sure any of Sting’s solo albums can say that.