Synchronicity

There are a couple duds (O My God and Mother), but Synchronicity II is my favorite song of theirs, and the back half after it just kicks ass. Every Breath You Take, King of Pain, Wrapped Around Your Finger, and Synchronicity II each get a star from me. Walking in your Footsteps, Miss Gradenko, Tea in the Sahara, and Murder by Numbers combine for another. The great stuff is great enough to make it that very rare 5/5 for me that still has skips.

(3/5) Damn. This was weird and not at all what I expected when I saw The Police. The first half of the album was *all over the place*. It was a strange, psychedelic-like, world music, synth-ey mess honestly.. I don't have a better description as it kinda defies easy description. Once I got to "Synchronicity II" my listening finally aligned with my expectations. In fact, there is enough really good on the back half of the album to balance out the schizophrenia on the front half. It's gets a head-scratching '3' from me..

On the A-Side we are allowed to listen to the Last Tracks of Police. Side-B is the Start of the Carrer of Sting and Andy and Stewart are supporting him with their Instruments

Ahh I had high hopes for the police but this did not deliver

side a is amazing but side b is absolute perfection

7.5 / 10

243. Synchronicity - The Police (1983) Variety: 5 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 4 Uniqueness: 4 Emotionality: 4 = 4.4 rounded down to a 4 "Another industrial ugly morning/ The factory belches filth into the sky/ He walks unhindered/ Through the picket lines today/ He doesn't think to wonder why" One of the first albums I ever owned on CD was Every Breath You Take: The Singles, and I played the hell out of it. It's a pretty great survey of their whole career, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the band. The only problem with it, is that it leaves off a TON of their best stuff which, according to the umpteen best of compilations they have released ( none of which deviate from that first one very much) has been deemed unnecessary. It's a shame too, because they have some very high quality deep cuts. These guys were putting out quality albums ( not just singles) from the very start and if you like their more popular stuff, the albums, and maybe even one of the complete box sets are gold. I'm pretty sure this must be one of the weirdest best selling albums of all time and that it went 8x platinum probably 99% based on the massive success of "Every Breath You Take" alone. I've seen a LOT of copies of the vinyl record in thrift shops, at yard sales and flea markets and they invariably have smooth, unblemished side ones. I find it pretty hilarious that the giant hit is on side two, and these guys expected people to sit through all the uncommercial stuff on side one first. Millions of people probably never got past "Mother", played the hell out of side two, or at least part of it, and promptly got rid of it. I didn't hear it all until middle school, when I got it on cassette, and had very much the same reaction. What was this weird and off-putting stuff that one of my favorite bands was giving us to listen to. By then the band had ceased to be a going concern and having gotten used to all of the singles from MTV ( then VH1) and the radio, I was happy enough with the hits CD, which was rotated in with the Beatles and Paul McCartney, Weird Al, the Eagles greatest, and whatever else I had gotten for Christmas and birthdays. When I started getting cassettes ( and then briefly CDs) in the mail from Columbia House and BMG in the totally above board, and completely legal manner in which many of my friends also did, my musical tastes began to open up and I would listen to selections of the month and borrow and trade albums with others. I got into the B52s, R.E.M., Cypress Hill, Nirvana, Prince, Rage Against the Machine, Depeche Mode, and even Enya in this way and I think was able to develop a decently broad taste in music, which has paid off later in life. Sure there, were stinkers, or stuff I didn't like - Kenny G was a selection of the month if that gives you an indication of the time period - but I had a bit of an appreciation for stuff ranging from soft rock all the way to rap, hard rock and metal ( very rock heavy for some time). But I also managed to specifically grab the rest of the Police back catalogue. And I was VERY impressed by what I heard. Like why in the world were some of these tracks NOT considered greatest hits? Surely there would be an Every Breath You Take: The Singles part II that would correct this injustice. But long story short, I found that I liked all the other albums much more than this one. It wasn't until maybe my mid 20s after I'd been introduced to and started to get into some weirder mor esoteric stuff that I came back to it and had a newfound appreciation, and could even identify some of the possible influences and sounds on it that made it so distinct. It's still not my favorite, but I do like it quite a bit nowadays, and have listened to it within the last five years or so. THE TRACKS Side one "Synchronicity I" - Great opener. The boys opted to at least ease people into the strangeness to come, and we get a very energetic ( but not manic), steady and driving piece that I think serves as a very solid amp to the rest of the album, introducing some heady concepts about the meaning of coincidence, fate, and even the ordered state of the universe. Along the way we'll get stops influenced by Carl Jung, Arthur Koestler, and Paul Bowles and most of the tracks will playout like bitterly ironic and fatalistic. Though whether or not that fatalism is pre-determined by some higher power or just the resting state of the universe is left to be seen. I'll try not to repeat myself too much on these as to how great each guy is at their instrument, except to say that this is a tight group who are all playing and performing at their absolute peak, and it's almost a given that there's barely a note out of place throughout. It's one that psyches me up and gets me playing air drums on the steering wheel or table or whatever every single time. "Walking in Your Footsteps" - And they're already dipping their toes into some adult contemporary/ new agey sounds here, with what, for my money, sounds like the closest thing the band ever released to a kids song, with its goofy and very on the lyrics about how maybe, just maybe - hear me out guys - what if... what if we're doomed, just like the dinosaurs. Deep, huh? Not really. I guess we're walking in their footsteps in that we are most definitely on the path to doom. And that once-nostalgic 80s nuclear annihilation vibe feels evergreen at this point, so I'm on board I guess. But is he implying the dinosaurs did this do themselves? If so they metaphor quickly breaks down. But the brontosaurus gets a call out, and we get some awesome afrobeat inspired drumming from Copeland, and some eerie, reverby guitar effects from Summers, so let's call it a wash. Speaking of that drumming, there was a lot of afrobeat inspiration floating around at the time I think maybe inspired heavily by Talking Heads and Eno, but best exemplified in my opinion by the King Crimson album Discipline, which I think this album owes a huge debt to. Summers was most definitely influenced by King Crimson, having recently released an album with Robert Fripp, and Copeland always seemed willing to soak in any influences that were in the ether. "O My God" - This one is a much more straightforward, midtempo bit of jazzy art rock. Sting and Copeland both drop some fat rhythms for Summers to do his thing over, and we get some dreamy, watery guitars from him in addition to those ghostly effects that he layers in as well. More proof that these guys have stellar deep cuts. We also get the first of many ( I think though I can only off top of my head recall "Seven Days" from Ten Summoner's Tales) lyrical callbacks to the "Everything She Does is Magic" line about "a thousand rainy days...." This one is jazzy, a bit funky and plenty of fun. If there's such a thing as "wine-mom" music, then surely this is the "wine-dad" equivalent. It still manages to get weird at the end though with a bit of a free jazz freakout, but it doesn't last very long. "Mother" - This is the first track I can see where millions of frustrated listeners probably gave up and skipped right to side two, track one. It's credited entirely to Andy Summers, and feels like the man stretching himself out and bursting through the constraints he likely felt himself under on their last few albums. He provides vocals as well. I won't say he "sings" though, and the panicked, manic and paranoid feeling of being overwhelmed by another person's personality comes across very well with his delivery. Again I wonder how much of this is coming out of his recent experiences with Fripp and maybe taking in more avant-garde influences. As much as I personally like the mix of crazed, exasperated theatricality, Middle-Eastern flavored arrangement, and almost cabaret style vibes, I can TOTALLY see how this would turn off a good 99% of listeners. as I mentioned earlier, I counted myself among them at one point. And even if it's Summers playing dress up a bit, it still compares pretty favorably to some similar stuff like Adrian Belew on King Crimson's "Indiscipline" or David J's adaptation of some of Alan Moore's V for Vendetta text on "This Vicious Cabaret". "Miss Gradenko" - Copeland gets his turn as well, and we get a much more conventionally listenable piece that doesn't sound AS out of place given Sting on vocals, and its general rhythmically catchy feel. It sounds more like Copeland trying to do the standard "Police sound". Whatever that may be. I like it very much, but again I could see someone ( who even decided to keep going) coming right off of "Mother" and hoping for something great enough to wash the taste of that out of their mouth and saying "Is that it?". It's throwaway in the same way that a lot of their still very good deep cuts are.. in comparison with the megahits. "Synchronicity II" - This is one that I love more and more the more I hear it. I don't remember it getting radio play when I was a kid, but it had a video that made the rounds on VH1 ( and presumably MTV though I never caught it there I don't think) where the band seems to be playing a concert atop a pile of garbage at special request of Aunty Entity and her Bartertown goons out in the wastelands. Aside from the extremely atmospheric and awesome playing, what sticks with me about this one is how it plays out like a wholly complete little horror short story. It's almost surprising that they didn't do a much more literal video with a family undergoing an existential crisis as the father figure's personality fully disintegrates into the dead eyed loneliness of a wage slave doomed to limbo. All the while we get the bucolic , yet sinister imagery of some almost Lovecraftian beastie waiting to emerge from the lake. Is this guy's internalized rage going to be unleased? Does he just long for greener pastures but realize the unhappiness will follow him even if he turns that car around and drives to that cottage in Scotland? Who knows. It's just ambiguous and recognizable enough to be universal and it's got some killer melodic hooks all throughout. One of their best. Side two "Every Breath You Take" - THE massive hit. Not just for the album or band, but of all the 80s. It was the number one Billboard single for a whopping eight weeks, was the best selling single of 1983, and the 5th best of the 80s, and eventually became the most played song in radio history. It blew up again when it got sampled by the P. Diddler himself in the late 90s and went on to drive sales for ANOTHER 11 weeks of Billboard Hot 100 dominance. So it's no exaggeration that it's THE Police song, and the one thing all these guys ( even sting with all his solo success) have the best chance of being remembered for in 100 years. And it deserves every one of those accolades. I saw the music video just as much as I heard this on the radio, and it's pretty burned into my brain. That bass line even more so. Catchy, and atmospheric, with a full lush sound and one of those songs that's just entirely made of hooks. As great as the whole thing is, the part where it explodes in the bridge is my favorite and one of the all time great pop rock moments. Much as been written about how funny it is that people find this song romantic in spite of the deeply creepy lyrics, and they're not wrong, but even when people know the lyrics and can sing along, the meaning does not always click. And it doesn't have to. Bruce Springsteen found this out to his chagrin, but I think it's unlikely that Sting was ever bothered by people playing this at their weddings and probably thinks it's sweet. "King of Pain" - Another big hit, and one that I think is pretty essential to any of that concept I mentioned earlier about fatalistic determinism. We get a song written in the first person from someone who is very obviously suffering from some heavy depression and it's source seems to be a kind immobility as his soul is compared to all these things that are stuck, unable to move or grow beyond the webs or branches they find themselves prisoner to. There's more than a little woe is me about it to, and maybe even just a tinge of gothy romanticism I think as well. This guy might feel trapped, but maybe he also kind of likes it, and sees some awful martyrdom that he's happy to wallow in. "I can't change anything" can be a feeling as well as a self fulfilling prophecy. Great stuff, if a bit more in the category of Sting solo material he wasn't patient enough to hold onto until after the band broke up. Which also applies to the next one. "Wrapped Around Your Finger" - One last massive hit before we end things, and maybe Sting's best attempt at a short story in song form. It's full of mystical imagery, with a student of the dark arts turning things on their master in a bit of an ironic twist. It's almost too perfectly setup, with the lyrics at the end perfectly mirroring the opening with the reversal of fortunes. And I think it's the one track on the album that feels much more like a throwback to the sound from the last couple of albums. Even more so than the other hits on here. And there's a very hilariously cheap looking music video that looks like they came up with it in about five minutes when they realized they there was a BOGO sale on at the candelabra store. "Tea in the Sahara" - The guys end things on with some much heavier jazz vibes, and a lot of atmosphere. It's fine. It's kind of the simplest, slowest number on here I think but fits rights in, and lets anyone on the fence finish with at least a taste of normality. * "Murder by Numbers" - A B-side to "Every Breath You Take", I think it was intended to be on side one originally, but got knocked off so that Copeland could get a parting word in with his track instead. It's a great song, and one that maybe could have helped the album out a bit with those people who probably hated most of side one. Very underrated, and I think underheard. It'd another that feels a lot like a Sting solo number, but Summers apparently wrote the music himself and it feels almost like a "what if" track. I can see an alternate world where the band followed Sting on his journey and remained happy to stay out of the limelight and just became a more or less straight up jazz rock trio. HIGHLIGHTS - "Synchronicity I" - "O My God" - "Mother" - "Miss Gradenko" - "Synchronicity II" - "Every Breath You Take" - "King of Pain" - "Wrapped Around Your Finger" - "Tea in the Sahara" - * "Murder by Numbers" MIDLIGHTS - "Walking in Your Footsteps" - "Tea in the Sahara" LOWLIGHTS - FINAL THOUGHTS The high level playing throughout this, in combination with the top tier production makes this one of the best sounding albums of the 80s, no natter what your opinion of the individual songs are. Andy Summers's guitar work throughout is not only the most experimental and measured that it's been on any of their previous albums, it's also sounds the best. His guitar tone I think was heavily influenced by his work with Robert Fripp, and he goes crazy on here with the effects. Stewart Copeland remains I think my favorite all time rock drummer, with his crisp, exact, jazz inflected playing which manages to still be warm and carry on the live in the studio feel that he's maintained on all their albums. A lot of people write this album off as a Sting solo project, and I think they are only half right. Sure, the hits especially sound like they blend right into his solo stuff that follows this, but so did the hits from the last couple. I read an anecdote from someone who was writing about how he assumed the band was always more of a complete unit than people gave them credit for, where he was watching some documentary footage of Andy Summers basically saying something along the lines of "yeah, Sting basically brought all the songs to us in a mostly complete, full demo form." So he did in fact have an outsized influence on their content and sound, but I think the real magic comes in how the other two guys insert their personalities into the actual songs as recorded. I don't think this would have been nearly as experimental and jazzy without Summers and Copeland's in studio contributions, no matter how complete most of the tracks were before recording started. And you can also see this in Sting's solo stuff, which while competent to very good, lacks any edge whatsoever and immediately dances on the edge of adult contemporary. I like to imagine a lot of the weirder moments I loved on this were from those other guys. Meanwhile though, I'm sure Sting was perfectly fine taking a step back and letting "Mother" and "Miss Gradenko" take all the flack for any of the abrasiveness and non-radio friendliness that exists. By this point the other two guys have said they felt like session players for Sting, and these feel like him throwing them some breadcrumbs. "See, everything you hated about this album was those guys, not me! Listen to this song I wrote about Russians meet the minimum requirements to be considered human." Overall this one is pretty great, in spite of it's many flaws, chief among them being a willful and offhandedly callous attitude towards their fanbase's taste. It really did seem like they knew going in that this was the last outing, so why no go out with a bang and cram in as much weird shit as they could. That said it STILL remains very listenable compared with the stuff that it was likely influenced by. And based on the fact that a little over half of it ( my estimation) is still very recognizably the same old hit machine trio , I think this more than deserves its place on the list. It still might even if it was just "Every Breath You Take" and nine versions of "Mother". So while I would not call the thing itself that influential, or even essential - that big track most certainly is, and if you consider it an off day for them, it's still MILES better than a lot of what their peers in the mainstream pop world were putting out. Give me this any day o the week over the unflavored gruel that was the Culture Club album we had. I like a few of their albums more than this, and I do feel that it's very self indulgent, so I can't justify putting any higher than a 4.4m but it's on the edge for sure. Too bad we only have the one left. Either way I think I might just blow through their catalogue this week if I can fit it in. Possible turn-Offs might include: - somewhat pretentious lyrics - several wtf instances of some self-indulgent artsy fartsy stuff - a side one that's not for everyone You Might enjoy this if you: - dig high tier melodic pop rock with an arty bent - want to get a little preview of Sting's solo career - love super tight, professional playing that isn't cold or so slick that it feels soulless PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Even that goofy ass brontosaurus song is pretty listenable FURTHER LISTENING Precursors: - Marquee Moon by Television - Super Ape by the Upsetters - Discipline by King Crimson - I Advance Masked by Andy Summers and Robert Fripp - My Life in the Bush of Ghosts by Brian Eno and David Byrne - Sulk by The Associates - Remain in Light by Talking Heads - Peter Gabriel 4 (Security) by Peter Gabriel Contemporaries: - Reach the Beach by The Fixx - Quick Step & Side Kick by Thompson Twins - Let’s Dance by David Bowie - The Crossing by Big Country - Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) by Eurythmics - Cargo by Men at Work - The Luxury Gap by Heaven 17 - Modern Lifes by Sparks Descendants: - No Jacket Required by Phil Collins - Welcome to the Real World by Mr. Mister - Cupid & Psyche 85 by Scritti Politti - Bewitched by Andy Summers and Robert Fripp - Play Deep by the Outfield - Songs from the Big Chair by Tears for Fears - The Dream of the Blue Turtles by Sting

I hate sting and his stupid whiny voice, they should have never picked up instruments, useless band.

Overall: 7/10 Obviously a really good album, but easily my least favourite album from one of my favourite bands. They we're a bit fractured on this album, and I personally find that very apparent. There's great songs on it (King of Pain is a top 3 Police song for me) and they're all still amazing musicians, but the songwriting just isn't on par with the other albums. I know I'm in the minority for that. Fav Song: King of Pain

It's fine 80s post-punk pop rock, but doesnt feature any of my favorite of theirs.

Every Breath You Take is a masterpiece, the other singles are average (have a soft spot for Synchronicity II though) the rest is complete crap. 5/10

Borderline 2/3 but rounding down as 6 out of the last 9 were 80s albums..which is at least a throuple too many

Realty weak opening. Improves from the big hit onwards, but the singles do a lot of the heavy lifting here. Does nothing to change my view that The Police are a “best of” band.

I've been saying it for years - I support The Police! Sting's voice is so good and unique and when they're really doing their sound I'm so into it. Don't think anything is quite as good as Roxanne here and Every Breath You Take is hard to take seriously anymore. Can feel them pulling in different directions and I don't like any of the directions.

one legendary song about being a creeper is not enough to salvage these somewhat annoying post punk pop rock theatrics

Good album, don't got too much to say except everything after EBYT is wildly different. also I hated Mother. 7/10

ALBUM DIVERSO DA COME MI ASPETTAVO. OVVIAMENTE IL PUNTO DI RIFERIMENTO ERA EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE, CHE PURTROPPO È RIMASTA LA MIA PREFERITA. PURTROPPO PERCHÉ L’ALBUM NON MI HA REGALATO GIOIE IMMENSE, PUR RIMANENDO DIVERTENTE. 3/5

Good fun, contains memorable hits.

Schon teilweise seltsam

Have grown to like "The Police"

capstone project

The stretch of songs between “Synchronicity II” and “Tea in the Sahara” is one of the strongest ever. Stunning! And “King of Pain” is, downright, one of the best songs of the 80s. If the songs preceding “Synchronicity II” were halfway decent, this would be an easy 5. But they’re pretty dang weak. Dilemma!

Enjoyable album! “Mother” is something different!

This is not your best Im so sorry

The singles aren't bad but you have to wade through some real crap to get there. Every Breath You Take sounds nothing like the rest of the album it's wild.

Yes man

Title track still has juice

Liked this overall. New to me. Synch 1 and 2 and King of Pain.

Love this album, really great, highly recommend if you like songs with weird stories behind them or just calmish rock, and everyone loves every breath you take.

Quite disappointed with this one actually. Aside from Every Breath You Take which is their most popular song in this album, there are no stand out tracks.

3.5/5

312. ill be watching you 👀

It was ok, I knew 3 songs going in, but it's before my time and doesn't do much for me.

If this was Synchronicity II repeated eleven times this album would be a five. Instead it has Walking In Your Footsteps and Mother.

brilliant fever dream new wave some fairly mental songs on here, but balanced perfectly with more conventional poppier stuff so that it always feels grounded/cohesive. So many bizarre moments across the album just feel like they're worked in so smoothly possibly a perfect album favourite songs: synchronicity I, mother, every breath you take least favourite song: none

4. A few really good songs, but overall, kinda meh

Love it when it’s just classic rock, don’t love the experimentation.

Actually, I really love The Police’s music. Looking back, they brought a breath of fresh air to the music scene of my time. My brother owned this album back then. And since we shared a room, I must have heard it quite often. But I couldn’t really remember it that well anymore. I have to say, I was looking forward to the album, but I was pretty disappointed. Halfway through the album, I was on the verge of stopping. What was on there was downright annoying. Luckily, I stuck with it and listened to the album all the way through. I liked the second half much better. Still, I won’t be listening to this album in its entirety again anytime soon. It was the band’s last album. Maybe that’s for the best. 3/5

I love The Police, so no suprise here that I love this. Sting's voice is so distinct, but I personally really like it and it gives such a unique identity to the band alongside really interesting instrumentals and at times odd and conflicting subject matter here. Like the lyrics range from Walking In Your Footstep's ode to dinosuars weirdly enough and eventually gets to the mega hit Every Breath You Take with its take on a stalker from their point of view watching their object of aderation. It's such an odd record, but thats the beauty here. The opening song is so synthy and catchy I love the sound and it setups up well the variety of sounds coming up. The bass on O My God is so in your face and funky I cant help but get into the groove listening. Very strong 3 song start before the absolutely off the wall and bizzare Mother. Its such a neat concept pulled off in this really off putting way, yet that's the very thing making this such a unique listen. May not really a song to listen to outside the context of this album, but I think its pretty neat and I'm sure influental to many other bands to come later making uncomfortable sounding music. The album picks back up with Miss Gradenko and Sychronicity II again and both are a nice palate cleanser after the previous song, but both are sandwhiched between one of the oddest songs the band ever created and their huge smash hit. What a timeless fucking song Every Breath is man. It sounds beautiful with its perfectly slow pacing as the character describes every thing his stalking victim does while he's secretly watching before the big chorus hits in pleading for the woman to just acknowledge him and Sting pulls this shit off perfectly. Hilarious how far over some people's heads this song goes since it's release yet its always a treat to hear this come up in rotation. Second half again just sounds different every song yet these guys nail everything they try here. Wrapped Around Your Finger being another banger that really shined fas an all time classic. The synths here continue to rip and Sting's voice as he holds on the last syllables is so addictive to listen to. I also really like Murder By Numbers as a closer. really cool writing and catchy af chorus. Sting's voice really shines here and the synths as well are a big highlight for me. Awesome songs throughout that stay varried and always keep you guessing what sounds you'll hear next. Highly recommend this album, its just so peak.

4 out of 10. The Police just aren't my vibe.

Pleasantly surprised by this; more synth-y and prog-y than my general impression of the Police would leave me to expect.

Surprisingly enjoyed this! Will be checking out The Police further.

É um disco histórico e tal, mas não me desce de jeito nenhum. Somente every breath you take eu gosto, mesmo tentando gostar por mais algumas tentativas, menos eu consigo. Acontece.

This is #day795 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... here's to my second and final record from The Police. This is definitely the band at their most experimental and artistically ambitious. I don't remember much about listening to this record last time, but revisiting it on this Monday evening feels just great. I love everything about it, particularly the sound and the way each song is kind of like on its own, yet flows seamlessly into the next. "Every Breath You Take" is, of course, timeless. My personal highlight, though, is "King of Pain." Otherwise, this is a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day796.

Another album that features a couple of mega singles that transcend the album and the band and enter the collective consciousness. Both of them are still good, and the album is decent, but rather uneven. Stuff like “mother” is trash, but “synchronicity 2” is solid. Mid overall, but probably worth including for the overall Police presence. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Played this on guitar hero in college

High highs and low lows

This is a culmination of the Police's sound that just hits all the right notes minus Following In Your Footsteps, what a weird song about dinosaurs.

Best songs: every breath you take, king of pain, synchronocity II, wrapped around your finger. 4

Edit: Replace "Tea in the Sahara" with "Murder By Numbers." Then it's perfect.

★★☆☆☆ I've never been a big fan of The Police, but I wanted to give *Synchronicity* another chance. I'd listened to it years ago and wasn't impressed, but my tastes have changed quite a bit since then. Unfortunately, this revisit might have made me like them even less. Things actually started reasonably well. “Synchronicity I” was a decent opener, and I thought maybe I was going to enjoy this more than I remembered. Then came “Walking in Your Footsteps,” “O My God,” and the absolutely ridiculous “Mother.” That last one was easily the worst song on the album. I gave it a 2/10, and the only reason it scored that high was because the music was at least interesting. One thing this listen really confirmed is that I don't particularly like Sting's voice. His delivery can be incredibly irritating, and some of the lyrics and choruses on this album are downright terrible. “Miss Gradenko” didn't improve matters, and by that point I was genuinely annoyed with the record. Thankfully, the second half was better. “Synchronicity II” was easily one of the highlights, and I actually recognized it from years of listening to classic rock radio without ever knowing its title. “Every Breath You Take” was another 7/10. I've heard that song a million times, and the Puff Daddy version certainly didn't help my feelings toward it, but judging the original on its own merits, it's a good song. “Wrapped Around Your Finger” was decent too. Unfortunately, the album couldn't sustain that improvement. “King of Pain” was just okay, “Tea in the Sahara” was a boring closer, and the bonus track “Murder by Numbers” initially showed some promise before completely losing me with its chorus. My individual track ratings averaged 4.68, but as a complete album, this was an even worse experience. There's almost no flow or cohesion for me, largely because I dislike so many of the songs. The handful of good tracks are surrounded by material I have absolutely no desire to hear again. I went into this hoping to gain a new appreciation for The Police. Instead, I think I've confirmed why I've never been a fan.

Eine super Album toll und Abwechslungsreich

Good album. The album tracks outside the singles weren't as bad as I expected.

3 1/2

not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue

The only police I love

gostei

Finally a British album that deserves to be on this list

Much better than I was anticipating. Mother is a great left field addition (The Police go goth!). I fully expected an album of middle of the road rock staples. Instead we get a mix of genres, fairly well executed.

Only song I actually liked was Every Breath You Take.

I really like the Police but this really listens more like a Sting solo album -- still some great stuff in here but compared to their others, it doesn't stack up.

I’ve been listening to this one since it came out and it’s always an old favorite.

Each time something happens that I like on this record, Sting and the Po-po go and do something I don't like. This leaves me looking at a 5/10 record with some great moments but it's not enough to save it

I preferred the earlier Police record (Reggatta de Blanc) to this one. Every Breath You Take is one of the most well known songs maybe ever, but Mother was absolutely horrific.

Unfortunately I didn't care much for this album. Apart from the big hits, this did't really do much for me. I found the album to be pretty boring and it felt way longer than just 40 minutes. For me, "Synchronicity II," "Every Breath You Take" and "Wrapped Around Your Finger" were the highlights for me, but the rest not so much. I like the unique and punkish sound of their earlier albums and I think this just lacked that a bit.

I already love this album, have listened many a times

Every Breath You Take elevated this from a 3 to a 4

I wasn’t as in step with this as I remembered

'Wrapped around your Finger' was my favourite. The others were mosly meh. 3/5

This was fun actually

Really underwhelming from such a well regarded band. The only real highlight was Every Breath You Take.

boring

You'll think Sting is such an intellectual when you study the lyrics on this thing, but then you listen to the bonus joint, and he's resorted to spelling his ABCs

I love the first two police albums and every one after that hurts my feelings.

Repeat listen

I expected to like this more than I ended up liking it

10/10 no notes

Was not expecting to like it but it’s solid

Something about the beats on this album draw me in. “Walking in Your Footsteps” has an interesting sound. To me, “Every Breath You Take is Creepy.” “Mother” ‘s punky, clangyness stood out - I enjoyed that one also. “Miss Gradenko” is an odd little number. I think “Synchronicity” is the strongest one lyrically. “King of Pain”is well written also despite list of dead critters—foxes, butterflies and stuck in tree cats, etc.

I don't think I'd listen to this album again but I did enjoy it. I had a The Police phase when I was a kid and by that I mean I just liked their hits lol. Not bad and Every Breath You Take is iconic O My God, King of Pain, Murder By Numbers There's a Jojo character named after this!!!

Super underwhelming album… until every breath you take lol. Synchronicity I is good too, but I never really got into the Police too much. My dad loved them when I was a kid, but never gravitated there. Glad I listened regardless!

7/10

Every breath you take is de enige reden dat dit 3 sterren krijgt. Paar enorme missers ertussen.

Kei, fucking, hard. Ik hou ook wel echt van the police en het zal helpen dat het niet het eerste keer is dat ik het album luister (shoutout mama voor de LP). In het album alleen maar bangers, maar als je het niet in album vorm luistert zit er wel een misser tussen.

i was ready to be a hater but this was much more interesting than i was expecting. somehow shook me out of my anxious mood despite (because of?) frequently sounding like a panic attack. solid 4

beautiful

low 3 stars. when i first listened to it, the first few tracks stuck out to me the most, but then when i listened to them again they seemed more average then i thought. there was also the big hit on here "Every Breath You Take" but when i listened to it right now i didn't seem to care for it that much. favorite tracks: "Synchronicity I", "O My God", and "Synchronicity II"

Some excellent classic but also some a bit random and weird songs 3.5

Think of them and Sting as more greatest hits suitable, did enjoy most of it though. 3.5

Very enjoyable

Me pareció un buen album, no me voló la cabeza. Every breath you take se diferencia mucho de los otros temas, es muy bueno.

middling

It's no wonder the Police made this list they're iconic! Bring back when albums are created to tell a story with the songs and their order. This may have been a mini fever dream at points but it's great

Ooh this one is legendary! Pretty good flow, fun and with some strong singles. I liked this!

very nice, very cute. Liked Reggatta de Blanc more :( omg what is Mother hahaha

Nice album!

Simply put: A Masterpiece.

9/10

Side 1 is 1/5 Side 2 is 4/5 Rounding up to 3/5

Torn between a three and a two on this. Everything before Synchronicity II I didn't like - and I hated Mother - but everything after I think is pretty good. They're talented so I'm leaning towards a 3. Every Breath You Take was my fav song of the album. King Of Pain (my fav first listen) and Synchronicity II were my other highlights