That's a factor, sure; along with the band's drift away from their earlier appealing sound. But I'm speaking only for myself here. (Voted "Regatta" btw)
― Half lies and gorilla dust (Myonga Vön Bontee), Friday, 12 March 2010 19:19 (fourteen years ago) link
A "B" isn't exactly a good grade by Christgau's standards though.
― Jazzbo, Friday, March 12, 2010 12:46 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink
oh i know that, but a band never dipping into C territory and consistently falling just short of A for their entire career kinda says something imo
― some dude, Friday, 12 March 2010 19:48 (fourteen years ago) link
or whatever he calls a C again, dud, turkey, etc.
― some dude, Friday, 12 March 2010 19:49 (fourteen years ago) link
ZM
― Fusty Moralizer (Dr Morbius), Friday, 12 March 2010 20:22 (fourteen years ago) link
BTW, the Spin Alternative Record Guide is a fun read at times, but I left off quotes from Rob Sheffield's joyless entry
There's a lot of joy in that entry. Doesn't he dock points on one of the albums for its butt-ugly yellow cover or something like that? He's clearly experiencing joy ripping on them.
― Kevin John Bozelka, Friday, 12 March 2010 20:30 (fourteen years ago) link
So how much of this Synchronicity hate is due to its belonging to the canon/being overplayed vs. how well-written and performed?
Writing songs at the arena-rock level made their faults noticeable. I'm glad fourteen-year-old boys learned about Paul Bowles and Jung, but otherwise Rush did this sort of thing better.
― The Magnificent Colin Firth (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 12 March 2010 20:32 (fourteen years ago) link
There's a lot of joy in that entry. Doesn't he dock points on one of the albums for its butt-ugly yellow cover or something like that? He's clearly experiencing joy ripping on them
Yes on this, but he doesn't rip them, necessarily – it's obvious he likes a lot of their songs without much cottoning to their approach or albums. He also manages to cite Stevie Nicks and Morrissey.
― The Magnificent Colin Firth (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 12 March 2010 20:33 (fourteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Saturday, 13 March 2010 00:01 (fourteen years ago) link
Can't remember if I came back and actually voted for Ghost. Either way, kind of surprised here...thought Zenyatta would place higher!
― Sean Carruthers, Saturday, 13 March 2010 17:37 (fourteen years ago) link
boy, the second side of GITM is great fun, and Dominique OTM about the miking of Copeland's drums on "One World."
Zenyatta their funkiest though.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 18 September 2015 03:06 (nine years ago) link
Surprised by these results, I thought Outlandos was the fave - it's the one I've listened to 500 times as a teen at least... But I guess I should try and do that with the others. They always just sounded too... grownup I guess, compared to Outlandos.
This band probably candidates for weirdest run of album titles.
― niels, Friday, 18 September 2015 07:29 (nine years ago) link
I liked "Canary in a coalmine" but then again I like "Get out of Denver" so..
― Mark G, Friday, 18 September 2015 07:40 (nine years ago) link
Surprised by these results, I thought Outlandos was the fave
There definitely seems to be a group who thinks Outlandos is the only 'acceptable' Police record, or whatever, so yeah the fact it only got two votes is surprising. To be honest I think all five are of similar quality, though the middle three are the most well-balanced. Regatta has so many tasty drum fills and awesome guitar licks that I'd probably vote there, though I'm probably one of the few who likes the second half with all the Copeland songs on it. In fact that CD of Copeland's solo tracks as Klark Kent ranks right up among these, if you ask me. Though I admit I'm kind of a fanatic - I've played that boxset straight through several times and I love it. I think they had very few weak tracks in their entire catalogue.
― frogbs, Friday, 18 September 2015 12:51 (nine years ago) link
See, I always had it that ZM was the consensus favorite! So weird. I guess, as fastnbulbous points out at the top of the thread, there really isn't a clear "fan favorite," which is interesting to me.
ZM is the one I always reach for but I would probably buy the Police box set if I saw it cheap.
Never heard Synchronicity all the way through despite being born in 1978 and "Every Breath You Take" being everyfuckingwhere throughout most of my childhood.
― Jimmywine Dyspeptic, Friday, 18 September 2015 15:04 (nine years ago) link
I’ll be honest with you I usually don’t check what thread I’m posting in
there is only one thread, i'm on the same page. literally
― sarahell, Tuesday, 9 June 2020 05:20 (four years ago) link
Message in a Kettle
― velko, Tuesday, 9 June 2020 05:51 (four years ago) link
what police album would you recommend to someone who largely dislikes their hit singles but suspects that there may be album cuts that they would be into
― na (NA), Tuesday, 28 November 2023 15:20 (ten months ago) link
Ghost in the Machine
― Halfway there but for you, Tuesday, 28 November 2023 15:23 (ten months ago) link
...which won this poll
― Halfway there but for you, Tuesday, 28 November 2023 15:24 (ten months ago) link
I like Reggatta de Blanc for that, that one really demonstrates how crisp and tight they sound as a band. I know parts are born from jam sessions and Copeland has a heavier hand in the songwriting which is probably a good thing at this point. Zenyatta is also a bit like that but more sterile and there's less material. Can't argue with Ghost either though the direction that goes in after the 3 hit singles is not really the Police's main sound, I mean Sting plays a bunch of sax on it for whatever reason, though the songs themselves are very good
― frogbs, Tuesday, 28 November 2023 15:28 (ten months ago) link
These were the top voted deep tracks from the recent ILM Police poll, if you want to pick and choose:
5 When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What’s Still Around 7 Bring on the Night 8 Driven To Tears 13 Synchronicity I 16 The Bed’s Too Big Without You 17 Ωmegaman19 Secret Journey21 It’s Alright for You22 Next to You23 Darkness24 Canary in a Coal Mine26 Voices in My Head27 Truth Hits Everybody28 No Time This Time29 Demolition Man30 Man in a Suitcase
― Halfway there but for you, Tuesday, 28 November 2023 16:05 (ten months ago) link
Oh, "The Bed’s Too Big Without You " was apparently a single.
― Halfway there but for you, Tuesday, 28 November 2023 16:08 (ten months ago) link
I have distinct memory of being five or six, sitting in my parents' car while they were playing News of the World and being a little anxious because I swore they were singing, "we will, we will, we will rob you". Proving that my terrible sense of humor was present from an early age, I told my parents, "maybe they should call the band The Police to come get these guys" and thinking it quite witty.
― Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, 28 November 2023 16:11 (ten months ago) link