Reviews (page 6 of 15)
This was weird at points, but in a fun way! The unique instrumentation and reggae influences contributed to the quirky feel. A few tracks fell short or were forgettable, namely Mother and Murder by Numbers.
I'll Be Watching You 1001 Albums Generator 155 (11/05/2025) Although one wouldn't think it by the simple, but extremely high quality megahit Every Breath You Take, Synchronicity is a very strange album. The Police's final effort is also their most acclaimed and it is really a tale of two albums. Outside of the excellent two part title track, side A is super weird and schizophrenic. Walking In Your Footsteps and to a lesser extent Miss Gradenko are very "worldly" and see The Police getting in on the African music craze that would take the pop/rock world by storm in the 80's. The former is extremely silly, with lyrics addressed to Mr. Dinosaur. O My God is pretty forgettable, but Mother is anything but. I can't believe this is the band that gave us Roxanne. Mother is an absolute trip of a song and I can't figure out if I like it. The second half of Synchronicity is nothing but bangers. Every Breath You Take has one of the most iconic guitar arpeggios ever and is beautiful (and creepy). King Of Pain is a great piece of progressive pop which is nearly through-composed with multiple distinct sections. Lovely, underrated tune. Wrapped Around Your Finger is another huge hit which harkens back to the reggae pop of early Police, although it's probably my least favorite on side B. Finally, Tea In The Sahara is really ambient and vibey. It's a pretty way to end the album. The bonus track, Murder By Numbers, is great too, but I won't judge the album based on it. Synchronicity has some rocky moments, but it's a great piece of artsy new wave. 4/5. Favs: Synchronicity I King Of Pain Every Breath You Take Least Fav: Walking In Your Footsteps
Basically a greatest hits album. Classic after classic. A true diamond in the rough, and a great time from start to finish. All you Sting haters, be stung.
I didn’t expect this one to start as pretty much a Bowie/Eno album, with Sting’s scratchy voice over the top. Take out the vocals and I liked it. Synchronicity II is great. Then side 2 starts with possibly the worst Police song, and doesn’t really improve.
This is a weird album. I would not have guessed this was the Police if i didn't already know
Very 80s, I'm on the first track and it feels like I'm straight in some montage in a B-movie. I've only ever really heard the chart-toppers from the Police, but at least initially I was pleasantly surprised. Following tracks are less interesting. It's not an offensive album, but ultimately quite dull.
5/10 - Almost gave it a 4, the first half of the album really did not do it for me. Felt like it was missing something. As a fan of modern production, it also felt a little bit of basic at times. Mother stood out, not because I liked it, but just how weird it felt out of context. But the Every Breath you take started and reminded me why it is a classic. Honestly, this song alone pulls this album up. The following songs felt a bit better too, King of Pain was decent, Tea in the Sahara was a nice calm one, and I also liked Murder by Numbers more then most of the songs in the album. Probably won't be re-listening to it, but not a terrible album for me either.
Lots of memories with this one. Love the Police.
Classic album with one of the most iconic songs ever made being ‘every breath you take’. The title track is a good upbeat opener. Although only a few songs on here I’d actually listen to. My favourite track is king of pain.
Solid 80s classic with several great songs. ‘Mother’ is one of the worst songs I’ve ever heard, and is completely jarring with the rest of the album.
amazingggg album. so much versatility, and i felt very hooked to this because of that..
The police have so many more songs than I thought they did
I like the music, but I just really hate Sting's vocals. 2/5
Ugh, for me this doesn't sound good in 2025 but the second side is massively superior than the first (with the well known songs on it). Unfortunately the dreadful first five songs make it a 2 for me
I'm giving it a 2 not necessarily because the music was bad - with some notable exceptions - but rather it was just so incredibly boring to listen to. And if you add the unbridled creepiness of Mother and Every Breath You Take it gets even worse. Very generous 2, probably helped by my partial liking of the opening track.
Pulsing w Copland’s insistent beats and accompanied by complicated yet throbbing bass lines - yet there are a few clunkers that fall flat
Cool album, with quite a few monster tracks. 'Mother' seems to get a lot of hate from the comments, but I totally dig it, as much as it stands out from the rest of the album. Think i'll be listening to this one more going forward. 8/10
This was my first album from The Police that I have listened to. I think my exposure to them was postponed since Sting's solo career was taking off when I was growing up and I find that not to be my style. Hearing this album feels like it is kind of a segue into that career. There are a few songs I know which are hits. I will note the first half flows really well. That said I think there are other albums of theirs that I still have yet to hear completely, that I feel I might like a little more.
"Mother" is the ultimate pleb filter song as evidenced by the hilariously out-of-touch reviews all over this page
This was painful. Gave up by the third song. Damn I hate sting.
Alright. One song called "Mother" stood out from the rest of the album, but not necessarily in a good way. "Every Breath You Take" is the standout song. Might be a four but I am writing a few days later and realising it did not make a big impression.
I've only heard the hit songs from The Police before, and I thought I just didn't like them. Now that I've heard a full album of theirs, I can safely say I absolutely hate their music.
The roots of coincidence Synchronicity I Every breath you take King of pain
No more Police, please. 2nd time in a week I’ve gotten one of their records. Funny thing about this project: sometimes you discover that a band you never really thought about at all is actually pretty amazing. Sometimes the opposite is true. Unfortunately, 1001 albums has shown me that I actually kind of hate the Police. I was not aware that they were a band that I’d grow to loathe before having to listen to 2 of their records in quick succession. I’ve given my reasons in a previous review so I won’t bother here. But if I never hear another Police record, that will be just fine with me. 2/5
It's honestly so cool how something as weird as this was able to be one of the biggest albums of the year. *Seventeen* weeks at number one, can you imagine that? The Police have always been a singles band for me, with this one being the only album that I really have a need for as an entire album. Just a really cool-sounding album, even if the start of it makes me think of Encarta Encyclopedia (remember that?) for some reason.
Sting is at his self-indulgent best yet again
"King of Pain" is their best song. Period. At 5 minutes, it is constantly introducing new sonic layers, new musical ideas, new harmonies until the end. Never overcomplicated, always crystal clear. Depressed existential pain with imagery of death and decay, self-loathing, self-pitying, but endearing and sympathetic rather than sad-sack doldrums. A good album with some great songs, which is an applicable review for all of their releases. That's the conundrum with The Police. With only 5 albums of hits and misses, you could seemingly make due with an essential compilation. However, I looked through a dozen of their compilations while listening to this, and every single one of them has a glaring omission. (Usually lesser-known bangers such as "Bring on the Night" or "Man in the Suitcase") For everyone who has a problem with Sting, may I direct your attention to Stewart fucking Copeland, who's been an incredible influence on video game and film music, and Andy fucking Summers, an incredible guitarist. (His most notable contribution to this album is "Mother", which is abrasive and weird and breaks up the flow of the album, but I think has some interesting musical ideas going on, especially with his guitar. Probably would have been better if it were only 2 minutes and maybe a hidden track at the end rather than a main course.) With only one clunky (clunky, not bad!) song (Mother), their best song (King of Pain) and their biggest radio hit (Every Breath You Take), this album gets a 4. Even though I'd personally rank it just below Zenyattà Mondatta. Standout tracks: King of Pain (GOAT status), Synchronicity I, Miss Gradenko, Synchronicity II, Wrapped Around Your Finger, Murder By Numbers (bonus track on most releases)
Pretty good.
Very easy listening, engaging and well produced. It just doesn't have a lot of highs, seems a little mid album, but enjoyable.
Only gave this a star for “Every Breath You Take.”
+King of Pain +Miss Gradenko
Listened to it on my drive to New Jersey from Pittsburgh. Not bad driving music or music in general
First album (cassette) I got as a kid. Brings back memories but I definitely like their other albums more today.
Second half is held up massively by ‘Every Breath You Take’. Rest is pretty good! Also ‘Mother’ defender here, I won’t hear a word said against it.
Great album has som classic songs in it and it's the police!
After the aural turd that is Reggatta de Blanc I really wasn't looking forward to this album. However, Synchronicity, while still not being something I'd choose to listen too, is miles better than that heap of shit.
- New wave/post-punk/pop rock/art rock album - Forgettable?? Nothing particularly stuck out (obvs minus 'Every Breath You Take') - 'Mother' was certainly unforgettable though, had me genuinely side-eye my laptop screen where Spotify was playing, shocking me out of the work I was doing, because I was so confused/shocked by what I was hearing lmao - Favourites: Miss Gradenko, Synchronicity II, Every Breath You Take
Parts of this album are fantastic. I really enjoy “Synchronicity II”. Other parts of the album kinda fall flat. Makes sense that this was the band’s final effort. Seems like they were running out of steam. 3.5/5 Might listen again
Don't like the sound. Find Sting annoying.
If it wasn't for the second half of the album it would be a dud
Some good, some ok
Surprised how bad
A big fat "Meh". While I've enjoyed most of their top selling singles, the albums have always been a bit of a mixed bag for me and Synchronicity is probably the biggest culprit. It lacks much of the punk and reggae vibes that their best hits had, most of the song were instantly forgettable, and those that did so were mainly for their flaws. For instance, while Walking in Your Footsteps has a nice little reggae style groove to it the lyrics were stolen from a 6 year old, no grown adult could possibly write "Hey Mr. Dinosaur, You couldn't really ask for more" and think "Yeah, I've really nailed that!" "Mother" is and abomination, where Andy Summers tries to be an angsty misogynistic teen. Unfortunately an angsty misogynistic teen would have made a better job of writing and performing the lyrics. I'd rather slit my wrists than have Tea in the Sahara again. Lastly, the best track on the album is of course the big hit single "Every Breath You Take" but is once again flawed by stalkeresque lyrics.
Strictly a Best Of band for me up until now, but this was pretty good
I have to be honest that I only knew the creepy stalking/voyeurism song "Every Breath You Take" from the greatest hits albums and radio play. But was surprised very much by the very new wave songs it's a nice album and not offensive to the ears. But like most of The Police, good songs from a good band, not terrible, not great just middle of the road.
I remember my dad bringing this home and us listening to it together. Peak teen memory. Still holds up. But absolutely did not remember the track "Mother". Wildly different than anything else they ever did.
Classic showcase of sting’s style, some nice riffs and background in the tracks with his voice standing out. Murder by numbers is a good representation of this album. 3.5
Every Breath You Take
Das fünfte und letzte Studioalbum der britischen Band The Police wurde 1983 in Montserrat und Kanada aufgenommen. Es zeigt die Gruppe auf dem Höhepunkt ihrer Popularität und zugleich kurz vor dem Zerfall. Die Aufnahmen entstanden unter starkem kreativen Druck, der sich in der intensiven, oft düsteren Atmosphäre des Albums widerspiegelt. Musikalisch bewegt sich Synchronicity zwischen New Wave, Pop Rock und experimentellen Einflüssen. Bekannteste Titel sind „Every Breath You Take“, „King of Pain“, „Wrapped Around Your Finger“ und „Synchronicity II“. Der Sound ist glatter und stärker synthetisch geprägt als auf früheren Alben, wobei Stings Songwriting zunehmend dominiert. Trotz der internen Spannungen gelang der Band ein präzise produziertes, vielschichtiges Werk, das Texttiefe mit Radiotauglichkeit verbindet. Ein klanglich und thematisch geschlossenes Album, das The Police mit Würde verabschiedet – brillant komponiert, kühl inszeniert und nachhaltig prägend.
Very good 🎸🎶
classic
I don't like having a Police record
Amazing, I dont even have word to describe, the oolice being incredible as always
I was in my early 20s when this album came out along with the Talking Heads, REM, David Bowie and others. This pales in comparison. No one I knew at the time listen to The Police and this album is an example why.
Pełno fajnych numerów, ale mam wrażenie, że ten album nie bardzo wiedział, czym chciał być. Otwiera się niemal jazzowym "Synchronicity", potem jest dziwny utwór o dinozaurach, gdzieś po drodze drugie podejście do "Synchronicity", stalker anthem w postaci "Every Breath You Take" (to też player manager anthem na eventach). Żeby nie wspomnieć o totalnie odklejonym "Mother". Każdy z tych utworów miałby swoje miejsce na jakiejś mojej playliście, ale razem to się po prostu nie klei w żadną spójną całość dla mnie. Trochę nie wiem, co temu postawić przez to. Bo nie wiem, czy będę miał kiedyś nastrój, żeby słuchać całego tego albumu, a nie pojedynczych piosenek. Każdy pojedynczy utwór to solidna czwórka, ale jednak jako album tylko trzy.
Pretty cool actually
Second album après « Reggatta de blanc » que j’avais bien apprécié (noté 4/5). Ce second album est moins bon que le précédent : moins dynamique, plus convenu, et avec des morceaux vraiment mauvais (Mother). Globalement j’ai apprécié l’écoute, mais il ne rejoindra pas ma collection. =>3/5
A couple of odd tracks but generally pretty good
liked it more than I thought I would
Half singles half filler but the singles are fire.
Cool
"Every vial you break"? Really? How many of us are breaking vials on the regular? Mother is in insane. The rest is insipid. Whole album sounds like the greasy middle-aged dude that tries to dance with uni students at every night club.
Some of it very bad, some of it surprisingly good. But just painfully average overall as I’ve come to expect with this lot now.
goodish album, a bit creepy today
Myślałam, że nie lubię The Police. Ale jednak lubię. Solid czwóreczka. Will listen to them more
Hard to divorce this from its lute-strumming tantric master of a lead singer, but these songs are catchy. Also it's only now I'm hearing the similarities between the Police and U2.
I liked the first side more, particularly ‘Mother’ and ‘Synchronicity II’. Side 2 felt like a warning about where Sting's solo career would lead. Also something about the production and vocals here that I didn't care for. I don't think I'd listen to the full album again. Really disliked 'Tea in the Sahara'.
Weirder than I expected it to be! Like Mother is verrry out there - kinda loved it though. Synchronicity II and Wrapped Around Your Finger were other highlights. The rest of it was nice but didn't necessarily stand out. Maybe 3.5 stars.
So many great tracks: "Synchronicity I", "Walking in Your Footsteps", "Synchronicity II", the massive "Every Breath You Take", my favourite "King of Pain", and the haunting "Wrapped Around Your Finger". The only track that I've never really liked is "Mother".
Fantasic album.
Many awesome tracks but still left meh feeling for some reason.
Amazing this strangled squawk was once considered to be good singing.
Two days ago it was the cookie-cutter reggae of UB40, yesterday was the fractured reggae of The Slits and today brings The Police, purveyors of a rock-reggae fusion that yielded terrific tracks like "Don't Stand So Close To Me" and "Walking On The Moon". The needle settles down on side one of *Synchronicity* but something is terribly wrong. Two songs go by and there's not a hint of reggae, just mechanical, synth-driven rock. The riddim finally appears on the third track "O My God" which sounds like a warmed-over track from the *Ghost In The Machine* sessions. Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland then each offer up one oddball tune each, after which Sting retakes charge for the straight-ahead and not-terribly-inspired rock of "Synchronicity II". Hmm. Maybe some of The Police's old magic will show up on side two. No such luck. From the first notes of "Every Breath You Take", it's clear that we are going to be getting a sanitized version of the band, with all of the reggae bleached out of their sound. On this track Andy Summers picks out an routine arpeggio on the guitar over a standard rock chord progression and the usually dynamic Stewart Copeland is reduced to little more than a metronome. On "King Of Pain" the production turns the band into a generic new wave outfit. Sting then rattles a series of trite and/or pretentious rhymes in "Wrapped Around You Finger" which hints a *tiny* bit at dub but for most part is another bland and glossy number. More pretentious nonsense follows with "Tea In The Sahara" and then this thing is thankfully over. And it sold zillions of copies. The musically oversimplified and dumbed-down version of the band is what became phenomenally successful. The three musicians in The Police are extremely talented but it's alarming to see them weaponize those skills to crank out a such a whitebread record.
Bonus points for the song "Mother" Just kidding Best Song: Every Breath You Take Rating: 4.5/10 Stars: 2
First album to come up that i have on vinyl. Still not quite a five star album though.
carino, ma non credo siano molto il mio genere, nonostante due o tre classici
Outside of a greatest hits box set that my POP had in the house, this was the record by The Police that shaped my understanding of their music and of a lot of life for better or worse. It's been playing during milestone events and journeys — it's intertwined with personal history in ways that only classic albums can. The kind that are there when you want them and then unavoidable when you don't. Don't you wish that when you were growing up someone helped you understand the healthy way to love someone and to demonstrate that love? Meanwhile, I'm growing up with The Police's Every Breath You Take / King of Pain / Wrapped Around Your Finger / Murder By Numbers / Mother giving me instruction through tales of surveillance, possessiveness, obsession, and worse. But at least I could have Tea In The Sahara with you.
Police put out a catchy yet experimental record, pushing the envelope for mainstream rock and establishing themselves as a household name with this record
It’s a classic! My main problem with the album is that some of Sting’s lyrics can come off as pretentious on some of the tracks. I would imagine that a listener back in 1983 would have to go their set of encyclopedias to look up some of Sting’s references. I’m happy that we have Wikipedia now.
This was weirder than I expected. The second half was what I expected, that’s the Police sound I’ve heard in passing. But the first half has some different stuff on it. I wish this ranking system was 1-10 because I gave Bowie’s Low a 3 yesterday and this I’m also giving a 3 but it’s closer to a two and a half, and Low is closer to 4 than 3 but wasn’t quite a 4 for me.
Slightly experimental experimental album from rock legends The Police. I would have rated this album higher if not for [Mother] existing. It's a fun time for sure.
Fyrri parturinn fannst mér ekkert frábær en náði sér svo à strik seinni partinn
Kann að meta þetta sem plötu. Samt slatti þarna sem mér fannst aðeins of langur eða ekki grípandi. Opnunarlagið frábært 🙏
…and once again I have to acknowledge that this process is steeped in personal bias. I can’t listen to this without being transported back to the end of 1983. Which was a good year.
It's a weird album, at first. I understand the raised eyebrow to 'Mothers', the album is a bit like they walked into the studio and saw all the instruments and hardware and went 'yes all of this has to be on the album' but it works in a slightly 80's way. Synchronicity II, Every Breath You Take. Good songs. Enjoyed 'King of Pain'. Defo down the middle kind of album. First half let it down.
This album has highs and lows. Thankfully the highs far outweigh the lows
When I think about 80's pop, I think about very loud and artificially inflated music, and I had the impression that The Police music would be the same and that is the reason why I had very low expectations about it. Surprisingly for me, this record turned out to be more quite than expected and very organic, and I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought I would. This album feels sophisticated. In part it may be thanks to have a very controled sound volume, but the composition and ideas are also very ambitious. It is catchy and filled with complex melodies and rhythms. With that being said, I didn't like the album as much as it might seem. It certainly did not blew my mind and neither I emotionally resonanted with it. I believe it is a nice listen and I'll leave it at that.
nicht wirklich mein Stil, jedoch mit guten Stücken
Classic.
Phenomenal.
First half sounds like a bunch of Police outtakes that would have been fine if they'd been left on the editing room floor. Then there's MOTHER. A monster of a song. The there are a hunch of songs we've all heard way too many times. Which stands as a testament to how well they did what they did. But it's also okay they stopped after this.
Synchronicity II is a great song. EBYT is overplayed to death of course but a good song. Wrapped Around Your Finger is pretty solid. Much of the rest of the album bores me or annoys me, honestly. Never been a huge Police fan though, just listen to a select few songs.
visions of mazda millenia
Interesting one with a few classics. Wasn’t aware of how varied the police’s sound was back in the day. Almost had a modest mousy sound to them at times.
Wack
Getting poppy here, not their best work
Not much can’t top this as a band capper. Except ‘Mother’…
- surprisingly did not like this album one bit. something about Sting singing at the very top of his range was grating and hard to get through, and the reverb and 80s sound effects didn't help - "hey, mighty brontosaurus/don't you have a lesson for us" is just a bad lyric (maybe not for the time period, but for today it's terribly cheesy) - I really liked "King of Pain" when I first heard it on a Police greatest hits compilation years ago and assumed the rest of the album would be similar in terms of listenability, but it just felt difficult to be carried along by. less like songs, more like... disjointed, reverb-heavy deep-80s soundscapes with words - ultimately, Sting's voice was the worst offense. I think it makes a lot of sense why "Every Breath You Take" is their biggest hit and gets the most radio play; the highest note he hits in that song is significantly lower than his highest on almost every other track. even "Roxanne," another hit from a different album with some notable high notes, has more of a screamy-type of timbre ("RAAAAHXANNE") compared to stretching his voice to its thinnest extreme here - I hate giving a 1-star rating, but if we're going only by subjective enjoyment here... I think the worst part is that I expected greatness and was excited to finally listen to this album in its entirety, but I was left feeling extremely disappointed. this is the opposite of how I've given 5-star reviews: those have been reserved for bands or artists whose efforts wholly surprised me in the opposite directions
Some good but majority not for me
Pas du tout aimer, je ne l'ai même pas terminé 1/5
The only two duds here are “Tea in the Sahara” (which is just blah) and “Mother” (which is an abomination to the ears). Everything else is a fine exercise in pop minimalism. It’s best known for its stalker anthem, which is good no doubt; but the other singles from the album are even better, especially “King Of Pain” which I think is their best ever. The album is by no means a masterpiece but is a notable highlight of the 1980s that still holds up well.
fine
Achtzehntes Album, das ich schon kannte. Es ist so viel besser, als ich es in Erinnerung hatte. Etwas schräg, aber ein Vibe. Habe nicht auf die Lyrics geachtet, also kann ich nichts dazu sagen.
Not bad but not really my thing. Synchronicity II is pretty cool. Every Breath You Take seems out of place in the album.
Every Breath You Take is the only thing that saved it from being a 1-star
I‘m synchronized now
Certainly impressed by the drumming on some tracks and it's interesting to hear the melting pot of influence. The occasional cool bass line too. However some tracks are real misses ("Mother" especially). Overall it's good but I don't think I would listen to it routinely.
It wasn’t awful! Can’t imagine ever listening to it again but that is really high praise for a Sting record
I liked it more than I expected to, specially considering how much I disliked the first track. The rest of the album was mostly a nice surprise
I had to pause before writing anything because all I could think was "what the heck did I just listen to?" It was weird in the worst way. very dated. Trying to be mainstream/ futuristic but came across pandering and like cultural appropriation. I gave one extra star because King of Pain & Wrapped Around your Finger are jams.
Superb!
If I'd listened to this album on its release,I probably would have been amazed and saddened by the popularity of the band. Yes, Sting was great to look at and the rhythms are catchy but the themes are so dark and the misogynistic undertones hard to ignore
actually liked most of this… hater card revoked
Прекрасная группа и прекрасный альбом, но мне как-то не по сердцу. Есть некоторые чудесные моменты и ходы.
Very fun and trippy, different from their other stuff
meget forskellige genre blandet. Det er new wave med en smule af the police reggae rødder som resulterer i at det vel også har en subgenre af art rock og pop fordi det kombinerer sådan et sært felt af genre. Man kan virkelig godt høre reggae inspirationen, jeg tror det ligger meget i rytmerne og tempoet. trommerne er meget dikterende her. Det blev åbenbart lavet som deres sidste album og blev også der mest succesrige. Jeg kan rigtig godt lide det og de er meget mere end hvad every breath you take er. Det er nok næsten det mest poppede på den album. Resten af det lyder næsten eksperimenterende og interessant, synes jeg. Så det var en glædelig overaskelse, men ikke noget som jeg synes skubber den mere end 3 - 3,5 hvor jeg tænker mest at give det 3.
There are a couple of real bangers on here, but there are even more big misses. This just hasn't aged too well for me.
Great album!
Frequent favorite for me
Listened to this a few times already, a 5 star album for sure. Aside from that one darn filler tracker, Mother, it's a perfect album.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this record. I don't like Every Breath You Take and I give or take the other radio hits, but the non-radio tracks were the real stars here. Very good
They ended on the highest note. Great album. Fav: Tea in the Sahara
The hits are hits for a reason. And the deep tracks are unknown for a reason.
Really at a loss for words on this one. It is all over the place. I had heard several of these songs on the radio or in one-off contexts. That almost dilutes them down a little bit. This was the first time I put it on for a full listen in order. It's just completely insane the transitions from a song just THINKIN' ABOUT DINOSAURS to a song from the perspective of someone tortured by the fact that he feels every woman he dates becomes his mother. There's like an inflection point at Synchronicity II where the insanity calms down a little bit and then like every song after that is a well known hit. I'm not a huge Police fan, listening to this didn't really change my mind and I had heard probably 60% of the songs in different contexts but I will definitely be recommending people put this on end-to-end at least once.
Son intéressant, voix de Sting toujours aussi excellente, un bon petit groove qui s'en dégage, mais pas mal de chansons qui sont moins ma came
The Police's final album is a tale of two sides: eclectic, rhythmic post punk on the first side and sleek, 80's pop on the second. Despite the musical prowess of their members, the second side is much better. On the first side, "Walking in Your Footsteps" has really satisfying percussion but awful lyrics, from asking a brontosaurus if we'd be dumb for using the atom bomb to the creature/future rhyme. Tracks 3 through 5 aim to push the band past their usual sound, but they either don't work or don't fit into the album. The second side however is beautifully written, with four essential Police songs. Yes it has their Big Hit, but "Wrapped Around Your Finger" is been better. Altogether it's an album that's more interesting than their previous work but which still confirms they're a singles band.
high 4
mmm police don't do it for me
I really enjoyed this. I can't believe this Mother song is by the police. it sounds very modern but also very beefheart.
One belter of a song, the rest not so much
Not a huge fan of Sting's voice, but some of the music was pretty cool. 6/10
Great album.
Much preferred this to Reggatta de Blanc. The first few tracks are a little uneventful but from Synchronicity II onwards there's just a lot of neat tracks. The instrumentation has a nice subtle sheen to it, aged remarkably well for an 80s album. Fave Tracks: Synchronicity II, Tea in the Sahara, Murder by Numbers 4.3/5
Favourite Track: King of Pain, Wrapped Around Your Finger Least Favourite Track: Mother
This is probably the worst Police album (imo), but it needs to be talked about more these days what an incredible run they had in such a short amount of time. (A strong 3.5)
This album was very surprising to me. I only knew the one hit off it. I imagine people buying it on the strength of Every Breath You Take back in the day being just as surprised by the boudless experimentation, unusual chord progressions and sometimes borderline dissonance of the rest of the songs. The musical adventurousness is admirable, but I don't think I'll often return to this album. I might check out their other stuff, though.
The gap between the great songs and the not so great songs is pretty vast. I’m not a huge Police fan but some tracks here are just undeniably good.
An album I remember my parents and their friends playing in my youth. Not an every week listen, but some songs that are nostalgic and still hold up.
some great songs. some odd ones too. They were going for it at least.
***An ok album
This album was better each time I ran through it. What a treat.
Great band & great album
Already familiar with this one, but got even better with another listen!
So the first few songs I didn’t love, I had high hopes for synchronicity 1 but it was just meh. But then you get to the meat of the album. Pretty much everything from Mother all the way to Wrapped Around Your Finger was great. All those tracks were solid. I did think the last two tracks were also meh. I’ve never done a deep dive on The Police. I only know the majority of their hit songs and a few others. But this album clearly shows they were a powerhouse. This album contains both major huge hits as well as a few less known gems like Miss Gradenko. Seriously I still need to hear more of their albums in their entirety, but this might be one of my favorites.
No surprise that the singles were great. Little surprise that the rest was mostly forgettable, if pleasant, filler.
I recognised one of the songs! Good stuff. Unique songs.
One of my favorite
Monster singles surrounded by some of the worst filler I've ever heard... Mother is perhaps one of the worst songs ever recorded. 3.5 on the strength of the string of singles, rounded down because everything else was mid to awful.
Synchronicity I is boring to me, but the idea of Jung's synchronicity is interesting to me. Walking in Your Footsteps also does not sound great to me. Interesting comments about humanity's extinction and parallels to the extinction of the dinosaurs. O My God, I like the funky nature of this song. Although I don't really care for the religious stuff. At least it's questioning God a bit. "How can I turn the other cheek? It's black and bruised and torn" Mother is a track I just really don't care for. I guess the Freudian stuff is at least a bit interesting. Miss Grandenko, I just don't get this one at all. Doesn't sound the worst but just not interesting to me. Synchronicity II sounded alright but the lyrics weren't interesting me much. Every Breath You Take is obviously a classic, definitely sounds better than the previous songs. Still not something I would find myself listening to. It is funny that people think this is a love song though. King of Pain is probably my favorite track so far. It's pretty catchy and the lyrics are a little interesting. Wrapped Around Your Finger might be even better, I like the literary references and it sounds good. "I can see the destiny you sold Turn into a shining band of gold" is probably my favorite line on the album so far. Tea in the Sahara is alright. Maybe if I understood the literary references to "The Sheltering Sky" I would enjoy it more. Murder by Numbers is something I'm surprised I haven't heard before. I don't really care for it all that much but it's not bad. I just thought I'd see it in some kind of media where there are murders lol. Overall I don't really care for the album. I think I would just end up listening to random hit songs from The Police, like Roxanne.
I have to say the first few tracks were pretty bland and I wasn’t looking forward to listening to the rest. The back half, though, greatly improved. This isn’t the first time I’ve had this happen during this project, which makes me wonder if it just takes me a while to warm up to the artist’s sound. In any case, though, the album was okay but not really my cup of tea. Standout songs for me were Wrapped Around Your Finger and Mother.
in music school, one of my piano skills benchmark exams required me to learn to play + sing this song and that choice of rep still fascinates me years later
Album was ok. I think there are better songs from the Police. Murder by Numbers was extremely good, glad I was introduced
Can't say I'm a huge fan after one listen, and that listen being while I was working. May need to re-listen, but first impressions aren't great.
It's been quite awhile since I've listened to this album. It's much better than I remember!
Honestly I think there is one memorable song on the record and the rest are forgettable, after listening to a couple of their albums I do not get the hype behind the police
Final studio album by the police. Maybe the magic was starting to fade. However still a lot of great stuff especially in the second half. Best tracks Every Breath You Take King of Pain Wrapped Around Your Finger
The thing you don't realize about the Police if you have only ever heard the hits is a lot of their shit is pretty weird (complimentary)
Even tho kind of lame, it the album made up in techniques of three-piece playing, and the synth bloops are very delightful and interesting, a lot of hooks tho simplistic, but is interesting and creative. Lol.
It's good, has some classics here and the worst songs aren't bad at all
Another album with mixed styles. Scores highly in part thanks to the all time classic, Every Breath You Take.
A strong final statement from The Police — sharp playing, ambitious writing, and singles that still hit with nostalgia. “Every Breath You Take” and “King of Pain” hold up beautifully, and the band interplay is as tight as ever. Not quite a five-star record for me — “Mother” feels like a jarring outlier — but as a whole it’s focused, memorable, and a fitting swan song.
A greater sum than the individual pieces
This album has always been hit or miss for me. It has some absolute classics (synchronicity, every breath you take, king of pain) and some that just don't work for me. But it's still overall a jam
אהבתי ממש,הכרתי שיר אחד משם וכל שיר ממש מיוחד
7,5/10. Nunca he sido especial fan, pero hay que reconocerle al César lo que es del César. Podrá ser la canción de la toxicidad máxima, pero "Every breath you take" es de esas canciones que tienes que escuchar enteras sí o sí. El álbum se disfruta bastante bien del tirón. Algunos temas se atragantan un poco, como "Synchronicity", en el cual yo personalmente me pierdo un poco, pero merece la pena pasar por ello para llegar a otros temas mucho mejores como "Synchronicity II" o "Tea in the Sahara".
I did not really like this album. It was a bit all over the place. Then it's rock then a little bit of jazz vibes (murder by numbers). But every breath you take is still a banger. Solid 5/10
Ehhh
Quite an interesting listening, a great voice that make you wonder how the next song will be Fav songs - Mother, Miss Gradenko, Miss Gradenko 4/5
The Police have such a distinctive sound. Overall, it was a pretty enjoyable album.
Great album with the hits but also some lesser known tracks that are also awesome!
Its fine. Its the police
Think Sting absolutely lost it on this album - refer to 'Mother'. But I do like a bit of the Police
Amazing album slightly tarnished by the presence of mother
Excellent
Pretty dire except Every Breath You Take, rest sounds like samples of a university band
Classic.
Fun and recognizable. Listened to it in the kitchen with my family. 7/10
I like The Police, but in the 20 or so years since I bought this particular album, I think I've come to accept that I mostly just like the hits. I remember picking this up in like 2001 or something because they kept playing Synchronicity II in the store I worked at, and I was always excited to hear it. I still love that song. But then I got it home and just... it's fine. Every Breath You Take is clearly the biggest song here, and I'm pretty well over that one. King of Pain is good, Murder by Numbers is fun, but the rest of the album cuts don't do much for me.
A mediocre album overall. It’s fine to listen to but it’s obvious that the hunger and energy The Police had shown in their earlier albums had largely dissipated by ‘83. There are some standout tracks on here such as the two Synchronicity tracks and, of course, Every Breath You Take. Murder by Numbers makes for a decent album closer. By far the worst (and most baffling) track has to be Mother, a song horrible at first listen and I imagine will continue to be horrible in any subsequent re-listens. Honourable mention goes to Walking in your Footsteps, a song about dinosaurs (Why???). 5/10
Some good tunes and some very weird decisions (Sting singing every song in a key too high for his voice, using fake patois, whatever the hell "Mother" is)
Sting is one of those guys who is desperate to prove how smart and deep and spiritual he is, and he sees art as a vehicle for ego rather than expression. I've always really fucking hated Sting because he's someone with a real knack for melody, but he's also someone whose talent just does not match his ambition at all, and he's hampered by the aforementioned desperation to prove himself. I imagine being in a band with two people whose musical talents completely eclipsed his made that a hell of a lot worse - "Sting, man, you're not even the best musician IN YOUR OWN BAND." Sting is the kind of guy who reads books and feels the need to prove it to you. Sting is one of the worst lyricists in rock history because he writes lines like these "I have only come here seeking knowledge, things they would not teach me of in college" "Hey there, Mr. Dinosaur, you really couldn't ask for more" "We have to shout over the din of our Rice Krispies" and think, "Yeah, looks good." Every Police album seems like a watered-down version of whatever was cool and cutting-edge six months earlier, and this one is no exception. Feels like Peter Gabriel and Genesis and all that kind of stuff, right down to using the same behind-the-scenes guy (Hugh Padgham). BUT - this is the best set of songs Sting ever produced. "Every Breath You Take" shows what he can do when he stops trying to prove how fucking cool he is and just decides to write a really fucking good song. "King of Pain" and "Wrapped Around Your Finger" mostly take that approach, too. Same with "Synchronicity I" and "Synchronicity II," which are less successful but still OK. But the other songs? Holy fucking shit, the rest of the album is SO FUCKING BAD. "Mother," "Miss Gradenko," "Tea in the Sahara," "Walking in Your Footsteps," "O My God," they are all SO BAD they drag down everything else. And even the good songs have really shit lyrics. There is only one song on this album that doesn't make me cringe at least a little, and that's "Every Breath You Take." One flawless song does not make a classic album. Here's how the songs break down individually - 5 - "Every Breath You Take" No notes, basically flawless song. 4 - "Wrapped Around Your Finger" Some real cringe lyrics in there, but otherwise solid. "King of Pain" Great melody and arrangement, cheeseball lyrics. "That's my soul up there" over and over gets really grating. 3 - "Synchronicity I" "Synchronicity II" Same problem with both songs. Sting is really trying to show you how deep and smart he is, and it hampers what are otherwise pretty solid songs. 1 - "Mother" "Miss Gradenko" "Tea in the Sahara" "Walking in Your Footsteps" "O My God" All unlistenable trash. This is HALF THE ALBUM. And it drags it down sooooooo much. Average that out and you get 2.4, which gets rounded down to a 2. Not even musicianship like that of Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers can make up for the immense flaws of this set of songs. Great musicianship means very little to me if they're playing bad material.
Great songs awesome music
Liked the album, some good, some forgettable.
Not their best
2.3
I like it. Interesting songs on here. And of course "Every Breath You Take"
Growing up my sister and I would always call "Every Breath You Take" the 'Creepy Stalker Song', I still stand by that title. Still a pretty good song though. Kind of a mediocre album overall though. Gets lifted by the 3 billion stream song for sure.
Pretty classic Police, covers a lot of the big hits but also a cohesive album
Sting is classic
This is an interesting one- the A side is wildly inconsistent. The “synchronicities” are both pretty great, but the songs in between them are either forgettable or bizarre. Then you have the B side which is wall to wall bangers. So weird. Was it a power move by Sting? Idk these guys are suing each other right now which makes me sad. THREE STARS
(46/100)
not bad
3,5
There are a few I really like.
It was okay. Miss Gradenko and King of pain are awesome. The rest are just okay.
First time listening to a full Police album and I enjoyed it for the most part. Its another album I wish I could rate 3.5 stars because its good but not good enough to warrant a full 4/5 to me
I somehow missed this album when it was assigned (must have been Labor Day holiday) and am now listening on December 1. I vividly remember going to the Record Bar at West Town Mall with my mother to get the cassette for Men Without Hats ("Safety Dance!") and while we were there she bought this album on cassette. She later gave it to me and I still have it somewhere, probably the attic. I was never a huge Police fan but did like their MTV hits and later came to appreciate them more as I got older. I wouldn't have guessed it would happen, but when I was able to see them at Bonnaroo in 2007, I actually got really excited for the show. This was my favorite album of theirs. I'd give it a 3.5 but I'm rounding up to 4.
the Police are definitely one of the bands that i know i like, but i don't ever listen to their full albums. so got to hear a lot of songs i've never listened to!
Magnifico, meraviglioso
A great album, creative, full of hits. Shines with glimpses of their future solo careers (Murder by Numbers) yet has roots in their prior works--see last lines in O My God. Obviously strangest (and most annoying ) track is Andy Summers' contribution Mother, followed by Copeland's Miss Gradenko, but hey it was the culmination of the Cold War in the 80's. Both Synchronicity I & II have drive. So many of the tracks have haunting lyrics like Tea in the Sahara, Wrapped Around Your Finger and King of Pain. The Police will always be considered one of the most creative groups of their era.
I vacillate between a 4 and a 5 for this one. On the 4 side, there's THE song. The song that the Police is most known for, the song Sting sued Diddy for, the song the rest of the Police is now suing Sting for, and the song that everyone is tired of. I am, of course, referring to "Murder By Numbers." Seriously, I think a lot of Police fans could go their whole lives not hearing "Every Breath You Take" ever again. But trying to listen to it for the first time with open ears, it is pretty much a song of the 80s: dark lyrics that people misconstrue, catchy beat that may go on a little too long. Others are also not a fan of "Murder By Numbers," and Someone had taped the album off of a cassette for me when I was younger. So I didn't get to hear that track until later. At first glance it sounds like a bit of a throwaway, but it is a fun, jazzy song (I am partial to when Sting went up and played it with Frank Zappa. In 1984 Jerry Falwell had said the song was written by the Devil himself. Sting went up onstage with Zappa in 1988, he said "Not to kick a man when he's down but... I wrote the f**king song."). I know that there are others that do not like "Mother" as well, but I dig it. It's so unlike anything else on the album. On the 5 side is... well, everything else. Pretty much every other song on the album is finely crafted rock and pop, showing off all of the band's creative talents. "Synchronicity II" is probably my favorite Police song of all time. The band had said that Summers could put together a 16-bar solo and it was better than people who could play for a good minute. And they were RIGHT. Every other song there is easily a great song, and relisten-able. Which, to me, lends the album to be a strong candidate. As much as the previous albums have great moments, this album was their pinnacle. No wonder they went their separate ways; how could they top this? Yeah, I guess the pros outweigh the cons of this album for me, so... 5 stars.
Again, I don't think The Police have one great album from start to finish. And I know this is their best selling album but my first reaction was that side one is fairly pedestrian except for Synchronicity II (expertly done) and Walking in Your Footsteps (a real gem on side one). Admittedly, it got better with multiple listens and I came around to Synchronicity I and O My God, though they have some weird and/or spastic jazzy moments that aren't quite for me. Stewart Copeland's one composition, Miss Gradenko, is similar - some cool moments and other parts just a bit off. Then there's Andy Summers' composition, Mother - just tragic. Sorry but I'll stick with Sting's compositions. Side two keeps it going (after Synchronicity II ends side one) with three massive songs - their biggest hit Every Breath You Take and two other big & worthy hits in King of Pain and Wrapped Around Your Finger. But it ends with the so-so Tea in the Sahara; another one that maybe gets better with more listens but I'm undecided. I don't know if I'm supposed to count the bonus track Murder by Numbers but it wouldn't move the needle much anyway. So, half the album is incredible and the other half is...I'm not sure. Kind of feels like a 3.5, maybe a 4. But not higher.
The Police demonstrate how to go out on top with an ALMOST perfect album (looking at you, "Mother"). Seriously, pretty much all the songs range from really good to great. If I had to classify them: Really good: Walking in Your Footsteps, O My God (sounds like it belongs on Sting's 1st solo album, which I love - couldn't confirm, but Genius says Sting played the sax solo?? Impressive), Miss Gradenko, Tea in the Sahara. Great: Synchronicity I, Synchronicity II (used to play this in a band - lots of fun), King of Pain, Wrapped Around Your Finger. Stone Cold Classic: Every Breath You Take - it may be over-played, but it's an amazing song (and I guess technically one of the greatest songs ever made about stalking?). Super-easy 5.
am i crazy for saying the song i enjoyed the most is Mother? 😆 i am literally LOLing at this song. it’s so out of place and what on earth 😆 took me by surprise. quite enjoyed this album! a solid 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Love the Police, especially Stewart Copeland. Pretty great album start to finish. My only gripe is that it’s not my favorite album by them. Oh well
Fuck The Police. Mostly fuck Sting. Not Sting the wrestler, though. He’s cool.
I'm all over the Police's hits but as an album this isn't too spectacular.
I get strong beach vibes from the Police. Maybe it's the vocals? Standout track: King of Pain
I wanted to give this 5 stars, but couldn’t pull the trigger simply because of “Mother”. Other than that, a pretty great album. Not without its flaws, but with several of my favorite Police tracks on this album, it needed at least 4.
I really liked this album. Probably because I grew up with my dad playing a bunch of it but still. It’s cool to see the album covers that I never got to see. Plus this is an easy listen. So many classics on here.
No message in a bottle? Boooo
Meh...... I feel this album was here for just a couple songs
Banger of the album: Murder By Numbers I just don't vibe with The Police, some people do ACAB
Stewart Copeland composed the music for the Spyro games so I enjoyed hearing similarities from those games that I grew up playing. Didn't enjoy some of the more "out there" tracks like Mother but overall, not a bad listen.
Some songs that are exactly what you expect from the police, others not so much. I'll stick to the odd songs.
For the most part I actually liked the way this album sounded ASIDE from the singing. Goddamn not only is the voice really irritating and whiny to me but dude is going oooooon about who knows what in every single song. Every tracks starts okay and then is too long and repetitive. "Mother" sounds like something the CIA would use to torture people
I don't know what I was expecting but it wasn't this! There's a song about dinosaurs (Walking in your Footsteps), a song about becoming a serial killer (Murder By Numbers), and a truly deranged song about the singer's relationship with his mother (Mother). What a delightfully weird time
Great lyricism. Good new wave in general.
I know people love Sting but man is he a terrible songwriter. The melodies are boring, the lyrics are insipid, the rhyme schemes are all just AAAA or ABAB. The track about dinosaurs sounds like it was written for a 5th grade science project.
Good
Some good hits. Overall fine. Not going to rush to listen to the album again, but some sones already have imon playlists
What an interesting album! I knew ,,every breath you take" before and i really like this song, but few other definitely caught my attention. You can't really define this album with one specified vibe i guess. The only thing that is repeating throughout the whole piece is specific voice of the vocalist, which may not be my favourite to listen but it is indeed pleasant. I have to say I like this pretty diverse album with 80's screaming through every note.
Cool and enjoyable but doesn’t stand out a whole lot to me.
Immediately not enjoying this mix. That snare drum bribed the engineer to put it center stage. Sting is way back in the mix, and they use a lot of indistinct pads that make a few elements (snare, bass guitar sometimes) stick out. Not enjoying Sting here, either. His voice sounds really thin, and he's way back in the mix, making him sound even more strained than normal. This one is saved by the singles, but it's not an album I enjoyed otherwise. So a 3.
Starting to think this guy doesn’t like his mom!! Cool album, unique sound, diverse track list. If you skip Mother this is probably a 5. Miss Gradenko, Wrapped Around Your Finger, Tea In The Sahara, all surprising winners.
This is a 3 "I liked it" brought up by "Every Breath You Take" which is one of the best songs of all time. Immediately following that with "King of Pain" and "Wrapped Around your Finger", which also appear on the Police's Greatest Hits album, is a great run. "Mother" is awful and completely out of place here - leaves the album feeling disjointed and not very "synchronous." The rest of it is there, being Police-y
This one was a bit of a mixed bag for me. Besides "Synchronicity" I and II, I disliked the first side. Some songs are kind of bland, and the other ones like "Mother" and "Miss Gradenko" didn't stick the landing for me. The second half gets much much better. Sting's voice is great and super distinctive, there are some pretty nice basslines, and I like the tone of the guitar with the effects, particularly the atmospheric delay they put in some songs. My favourite songs were "Synchronicity I", "Wrapped Around Your Finger" and "Murder By Numbers". I disliked "Mother". I'm all for weird/experimental music, but I felt this one was all over the place and just didn't work, the manic singing and the weird melody are too on the nose and overall I didn't like it. "Miss Gradenko" wasn't good either, kind of bland, the vocals are a bit too thin and I didn't like the bassline either. I feel like this one could've been easily a 4 or a 5 with better sequencing, working some songs better or taking them out. "Murder By Numbers" which is excellent, was just a bonus track, and I felt it was a better closer than "Tea In The Sahara". I've read a lot about this album being great, and while I see where it comes from, I feel it has room for improvement. This is like a 3.5 for me.
It's OK. Not memorable, has good moments. But, overall, its meh. The Police has done better. Sting has done better.
This starts off pretty slow and then has some of the jams we all know (King of Pain!). Overall okay album.
Synchronicity mostly sounds rough and demo-ish, with only a couple tracks carrying any real melody, the rest feeling more like filler than a finished album.
Really does not get good until the back half, some great songs but averages out to a 3 for me
kind of cruised thru -- seemed okay but nothing memorable
The Police's answer to Who's Next, or maybe those 80's King Crimson albums. The big ballad hits on side two sound out of place vs the weirder frenetic songs. The Breath/Pain/Finger adult contemporary block floats like a marshmallow in a gas tank.
Synchronicity is a bit of a grab-bag of a Police album. “Synchronicity II” is a great example of the band at the height of its powers, taut and propulsive and adventurous. “Mother” is a throwaway. The trio of Side 2 hits are world beating, while “Tea in the Sahara” sounds like it belongs on Sting’s first solo record and just kills the momentum. So while it definitely has its merits, I don’t think this is the strongest Police album.
I ignored this band in their heyday because they were so popular but actually this is pretty good.
This album is way weirder than I remember. Technically admirable. Musically...pretty good. Bonus star for the ridiculously unneeded number of album color variations. Synchronicity II is also a pretty great song.
Floored by this album. I had only heard the ubiquitous hits, most of which I quite liked. I was not expecting the creative breadth, challenge and experimentation on this record, with such remarkable aural soundscapes and just fabulous songs. The Police operate in their own lane.
I was excited to listen to Synchronicity, as it had been years since I gave a proper listen. I've had a high opinion of The Police, but revisiting this album is forcing me to reevaluate. This album is consistently touted as The Police's definitive best album, but I don't understand how anyone could think that. The quality is all over the place and there are so many questionable choices on display here: First off, "MOTHER"???!!! Secondly, I hate that the best song on this record (and the biggest The Police song) is the one about a possessive stalker. There are other weird lyrical choices or songs that are just guilty of sounding lame or both ("Wrapped Around Your Finger", "Murder by Numbers", "Walking In Your Footsteps") that just make listening a chore. That's not to say Synchronicity is completely devoid of charm. "King of Pain" and "O My God", while a little formulaic, stand as most representative of The Police's sound and are pretty good jams. And it's a little lame, but I do enjoy "Tea in the Sahara". But as whole, this album is such a miss.
They achieved synchronicity for sure, it’s tight as hell. Alas I found it samey and repetitive
it is alright
Really do think the hit is thé worst song on this (as usual), mother is an insane cut, O my god is my fav I think tho.
That was super dreadful. Probably the worst song Ive ever heard is there and then one of the biggest hits ever
THE ALBUM 2/10 overall. The entire first part of the album is trash, I wouldn't let my worst enemies listen to this. The second part saves it from a worse score. Easily the worst album in The Police's entire discography. Would've been way nicer if the experimental songs were put at the back to have some actual okay songs to listen to at the start. Special shoutout to "Mother" for one of the worst songs my ears ever had to endure. THE SONGS IN ORDER - Synchronicity I: Interesting opening, sounds a bit like Pink Floyd, but faster. Did you know it's about sychronicity? If not then the song tells you about it a 1000 times. 3/10 - Walking In Your Footsteps: History about dinosaurs? Weird to mention nukes but okay, experimental, not my taste. 3/10 - O My God: OMG it's stereotypical 70s/80s music, who woulda thunk? Really nothing special about it honestly. 3/10 - Mother: Who fusioned Iggy Pop & David Gilmour into one dysfunctional acid trip? I bet the songs is called like it because you scream for your mum to stop it. Torture/10 - Miss Gradenko: meh, I guess it has a vibe going on, just not mine. 3/10 - Synchronicity II: definitely better than any other previous song on this album. 4/10 - Every Breath You Take: swiggity swooty - EBYT is one of The Police's most coveted songs for a reason. Goes hard if you love vibing to well composed music. This song doesn't belong on this album. Also if you know the lyrics' meaning,... 9/10 - King Of Pain: This sound is what The Police is best known for, very chill, very Police. Would listen to it again if being asked. 6/10 - Wrapped Around Your Finger: another typical 80s song, but now Sting actually uses his voice to more extend. Better than expected, sounds very rounded and chill. Lyrics sound like the logical succession to EBYT. 8/10 - Tea In The Sahara: Influences from Walking On The Moon are definitely audible, overall nice to listen to. 6/10 - Murder By Numbers: Strong Jazz influences, also a bit experimental, pretty groovy. You can bet this song was made for Audiophiles, but missed the mark. 5/10
general notes: typical sting/the police, interesting music that you can very quickly overdose (sometimes during one listening of a single song). overall doesnt have a continuity feel to it, but its not their thing anyway so we ball synchronicity I - great vibe, 100% overdose walking in your footsteps - never been a fan, sounds like budget peter gabriel's "in your eyes" o my god - giga groove, the bass line is just so simple yet crisp, love the way instruments keep adding onto that simple theme, especially the sax. Small % overdose, that bass line does get old mother - ghetto early pink floyd with no sauce at all miss gradenko - decent, but nothing inventive, 500% overdose synchronicity II - sI but a bit less sauce imo every breath you take - mega classic, 100% would stalk someone to this. honestly never realized it has like no instruments, yet sounds so good. king of pain - kinda dogshit ngl. feels like if they went with a different chord progression it would bang wrapped around your finger - the boring build up, which doesnt really build shit is worth getting through for the chorus. one of those warm feeling bangers that you rediscover once a year, cause of the stuff you need to get through to get to the banger part tea in the sahara - diabolical chord progression witness. Gooning endlessly, chill song i wouldnt skip nor come back to intentionally murder by numbers - vanessa hudgens sneakernight of 1983. in all honesty its decent, but nothing special. also doesn't feel like the last song of an album
1.5
Bastante interesante 3.5/5
Only one good song the rest was mid
Grew up listen to this. Perfect except Mother - should have added Murder by Numbers instead. 9.6
This would be better if the recording didn't sound like trash.
Good stuff
I am fairly ambivalent to the first half of the album. The second half of the album sounds more like The Police I know, which is a sound I don't particularly care for. Why then a 2, and not a middle-of-the-road 3? Mother.
Really enjoyed the album. The melodies are diverse, you can hear that it's the same artist and the lyrics are about something. edit: changed it to a 3 after listening to it again. Only really liked one song.
A stunning album from start to finish. I knew this album would be good, but wasn't expecting it to go quite that hard. Stewart Copeland, Andy Summers, and Sting really do go all in for this one. A must listen if you're at all interested in 80s music
Inget emot the police men förstod inte detta albumet. Gillade egentligen bara synchronicity ii Every breath you take är så överskattad
thoughts: another album where the hit songs are very strong and the others are…fine? both title tracks are absolutely brilliant to me but ehhh, that run from “o my god” through “miss gradenko” isn’t doing it for me. the strong definitely outweighs the weak here, though. songs: “synchronicity I”, “synchronicity II”, “king of pain” rating: 7.5/10
Didn’t listen to the whole thing. Was poppy but didn’t hook me in so much
i have this on vinyl hehe and its a picture one too. pretty good overall and original sound, “mother” is kinda interesting..
Ihan ok, 2/5
Not inoffensive, not brilliant. Bits of hey day reggae bits of talking head influence attempts at left field. All pretty bland.
Was doing French homework at the same time so kind of became background music but still obviously a very good album
one of the more unique albums by the Police. Highly recommended
I really didn’t like it. I just liked the one I knew.
2nd half of the album is better, from Synchronicity II onwards. 1st half is pretty bad. I wouldn't want to listen to this album again.
Mother?? More like oh brother, this guy stinks!! Plus one for the song about the brontosaurus.
I’m just starting to think I don’t really enjoy The Police’s sound very much
I liked some of it. But I didn’t care for other songs.
I thought I would really like this one but it wasn’t for me.
What a very strange mix of music. I know the police but only ever heard the same song that any radio station ever puts on and thought that was their sound but these guys evidently try lots of new things.
A few great songs and an amazing style. Like a lot of albums on this list, a star was lost for there being those few filler songs they are just not too pleasant to sit through
8/10
Possibly the greatest lyricist in popular music, before he was regarded as a legend. Disarmingly simple yet moving
I found the first 5 songs of the album to be either uninteresting or too out there for me. Mother was a difficult listen. However, I really liked the last 5 songs. Every Breath You Take is such a classic. Some of the others sounds right up there with it. Mixed bag of an album.
Muy básico. Every Step You Take es un clásico, pero el resto de las canciones no me fueron memorables ni muy interesantes musicalmente. Es un buen álbum de los 80, pero no definió ningún género.
A lot of energy on this record. But other than energy, pretty lacking. There's something about this record that I can't put my finger on--something weird. Like a weird production sheen? Is it the British accents? Or is it just weird art-pop? Maybe all of the above. Either way, did not enjoy. At various times, this record feels half-baked, grating, disjointed. Even the singles that I (maybe at some point) had heard before just wore me down. Just overall an unpleasant experience.
My Police phase was 30 years ago and very short-lived, but I'm glad I gave this album a chance, if only so I could hear Sting sing a song to dinosaurs.
high 2 low 3, not completely garbage but still not great
what happened to calling things easy listening
Not bad, some familiar stuff, some new to me, some interesting, but not all
Not really for me. The songs just do not sound interesting to me. Like "Every breath you take" is passable, but barely as a mostly standard pop'ish song, and only because they stick to not trying to be deep or invoke imagery. I'm not exactly a lyric connoisseur, but this shit is so corny. The walking in your footsteps song sounds like edutainment lmao. And the whole synchronicity concept that goes nowhere and feels like skindeep attempt to be like "I know philosophy, but I'm also edgy, but don't worry, the lyrics won't match the ambience or vibe of the rest of the song tihi <3"
Favorites: Every Breath You Take Wrapped Around Your Finger Murder By Numbers Every Breath You Take stands out, but the rest of the album seems like mostly unrefined tracks. Coherence picks up at the end of the album though.
I love the Police, can't give this one a 5 because of Mother though, strong 4
I don’t think I like the Police? Just really bored by all these songs. Not my vibe. Walking in your Footsteps is at least half decent but even then I’ll never go back to it. definitely not going back to the album in total.
Did not love this one, I like some Police tracks but this album disappoints.
7/10 Synchronicity started out promising, but fell a little flat towards the end for me. overall though, a pretty good listen. I love the tribal influence on Walking in Your Footsteps, and wish they fully embraced it for the entire album!! it's a lot more interesting!! this album is categorized as New Wave, but to be honest, I don't hear much of it. top three tracks: • Walking in Your Footsteps • Every Breath You Take • Synchronicity II least favourite track: • King of Pain
8/10 Favorites: Every Breath You Take King Of Pain Murder By Numbers Wrapped Around Your Finger
To be honest, I didn't get a chance to listen too closely to this one, but I think I'm okay with that. How much fucking new wave is on this list? It's all kind of the same? Just a stumble away from pop? This was okay. Some good ones. I guess I'm not a Sting fan. Fave songs: - Synchronicity I - Synchronicity II - Every Breath You Take - Murder By Numbers
C’est la première fois que j’ai le même artiste deux fois de suite. Celui-ci était un peu plus à mon goût — lire ici moins reggae — mais pas vraiment pour moi malgré tout. Ce sont de bons musiciens, mais leur musique n’est pas tellement dans mes cordes.
I’ve always like the Police, but as I grow older I’ve come to appreciate how amazing a drummer Stewart Copeland is. Sting’s songwriting is still great, though sometimes creepy - I think we all know at least one song on this album that fits that - and Summer’s guitar work is also solid. But Copeland was move of a backbone than I originally realized.
Might as well put me in handcuffs because I sure do love The Police!!!!!
Police haben ein zwei Songs die mir gefallen, ansonsten leider nicht meins
Good album.
Not a big fan
I love the Police and Stuart Copeland is one of my all time favorite drummers. 3 stars cause there are way better Police Albums than this last recorded album by the band that I pray are on this list and would earn the honorary 4 or 5 stars.
Standouts Synchronicity I Synchronicity II Every Breath You Take King of Pain Wrapped Around Your Finger
Mr bungle mixed with radio clasics
I do like the police. King of Pain is a banger. Overall the album is a little slow for my taste, definitely easy listening. Except the song Mother, that one SUCKS
Man, The Police have a lot more tunes that regularly get radio plays and make playlists to this day than I realized. I mean, fucking hell...that one tune is called Synchronicity II!?!? Who knew, man. This was one of my favorite albums so far. Not that it was perfect (what the hell is going on with the song "Mother"?) but it's got a fantastic sound, super tight playing, and a number of beautifully catchy tunes. I feel like absolutely nobody sounded like these dudes when this dropped in '83. I'm not sure anyone sounds like these dudes at all.
I've never been a big fan of The Police to begin with, and man this did absolutely nothing to impress me. It's just repetitive, grating, and borderline unlistenable.
Great album! One of my favorites of the 80's.
The 5th and in my mind, the best, album from The Police.