Reviews (page 10 of 13)
Can they stop looking at me
A classic
Some bangers on here. Big fan of Bring on the Night. 3.5 stars.
Love it! Outlandos D'Amour is the appetizer and this is the entree! What's always been most interesting to me about this album is that the instrumentation and production is very similar to Outlandos, but the tunes and tones are fairly different. To me, it feels like the band hadn't been around very long when Outlandos was made, and Regatta shows a band that has been playing together quite a bit.
I'm only slightly embarrassed to admit that I've been a big Police fan since about middle-school age, and this is one of my favorite albums, probably in part because it never seemed to get as much recognition as the later albums like "Ghost in the Machine" and "Synchronicity", although it certainly produced a couple of very popular singles. I pretty much enjoy listening to all of the songs (except maybe not quite as much "Deathwish" and "No Time this time"), and one of my favorite songs on this album is "Does Everyone Stare". I was always a bit disappointed that they moved away from the more new-wave-reggae-rock sound on this album towards a more straightforward new-wave-and-rock sound, but still enjoy their later albums too. And it wasn't until I saw the video for "Message in a Bottle" just now that I realize how much a younger Sting looks a *lot* like a youngish Ewan McGregor...
Never been a big Police fan, but they've aged well, or I haven't. I like Message in a Bottle more than I did before, though the rasta sound Sting assumes is unfortunate. And as the album progresses, I realize again that I'm not really a Police fan. Just not that into them. However, I hung in there until Any Other Day came on and then, listening to it, decided life's short and stopped turned the whole thing off.
1. banger, 2. bra/banger, 3. bra, 4. meh, 5. bra, 6. banger, 7. meh/bra, 8. meh, 9. meh, 10. dårlig, 11. meh Overall: 7/10
Great music
Right into Message In A Bottle eh? The title track makes for a cool 1-2 though, I would have flipped their order. Does Everyone Stare stinks. Some good tracks, some bad.
What ya gonna do aboot it? Phone the polis? Mate, we are the polis.
Message in a Bottle and Walking on the Moon are both incredible and the rest is a mixed bag, with the last song especially being a bit of a mess. A small step down from their debut in my opinion, and not as cohesive as Synchronicity
I guess I was really only exposed to the Police's hits. I do enjoy Message in a Bottle and Walking on the Moon. But ooofff the lyrics in On Any Other Day are...horrible! I'm sure I could go and find a, "That's not what they meant" article out there but I'm tired of that sh*t. Also the rest of it was meh.
Mostly boring with a few interesting moments thrown in. Other than the two hits (Message In A Bottle, and Walking On The Moon) though, it was mostly forgettable. I liked the composition on a few other songs, especially "Deathwish", but overall it wasn't too noteworthy. 3.5 stars
The Police have always been a band I thought were good but not great and this album is the same imo. Some great tracks like message in a bottle, bring on the night, and the beds too big without you tho. Super impressive instrumentation on here as always for this band. 6.5/10
Good album, I hadn't considered the Police as influenced by reggae but now that I've read that I can hear it as well. Interesting. Kind of middling on this album I guess.
Running the gamut of pretty poor to bang average. At one point thought is was sounding great, only to realise the album had finished and Spotify had gone on to play Dexys Midnight Runners.
Great album. Some classic songs and some not so classic songs
Nice but the not the best by The Police.
Started off enjoying it but fed up with it in the end
Message in a Bottle is fun, the rest was meh.
Good album, best drummer
"message in a bottle" is always such a fun listen!! was unfamiliar with the rest of the album...had more of a raggae sound than I was expecting
Other than message I’m a bottle it’s meh.
Yup, I enjoy this album. I'm frustrated by the sound engineering because many tracks feel flat and lacking depth to me, but I think that may be specific design choice by the band—or maybe it was really a limitation of the original recording equipment—because it's been this way in several releases I've heard. The music can be quirky, but is interesting. The instruments are played well. And come on, who's going to complain about Sting singing, well anything? My understanding is that this record, this band—short lived as they were—triggered a massive shift in the industry, and it certainly deserves to be on this list.
Not the worst 80's album (you can point to the year if you want, but this IS 80's pop), and I liked a couple songs...but this is still not my jam. 2.3
There is something about Sting's voice that never clicked for me, so the Police have never been my bag.
Nostalgie, maar echt goeie nummers
Day 19 of listening to 1001 albums, one day at a time. I don’t know how to feel about this album. It’s sort of all over the place with what it wants to be. Rock, reggae, post punk and while that would be interesting it seems to be the thing that hurts it the most. I do think there a couple solid tracks on here but not enough for me to truly love this thing. I do think a lot of the production on this album is pretty good and really makes it shine where lyrics lack. Overall it’s decent.
Generally speaking I enjoy The Police, but the only full album of theirs I really like is Synchronicity (also on this list) A few really solid songs on this one but overall doesn’t feel that special as an album.
Message in a Bottle Walking on the Moon The Bed's Too Big Without You
3.5
Solid stuff. The title track is a banger and I wish the Police would have done more instrumentals. Bring On The Night and Bed's Too Big Without You are standouts as well. Always enjoyed the Police even though Sting can be a bit of a wank.
Most of these songs were new to me which was really fun. I think my dad was a big fan of The Police at some point - anyways. There are some real bops on this, Message in a Bottle, Bring on the Night and Walking on the Moon were my favourites.
Pleasant, a few classics but a bit pedestrian. Some of the lyrics don't age well (homophobic references)
Some bangers but mostly just solid music, nothing crazy.
Terrible disco de The Police, para mi, el mejor de ellos.
surprising amount of sorrowful reggae in the album contrasted with moments of high energy drums with sorrowful and emotional guitar leads.
J'ai aucun souvenir genre ni oui ni non ça passe quoi
Didn't realize my fave Police songs were from this album. Enjoyed this more than Synchronicity... Wow.
I remember this from the time, especially message in a bottle. Sort of pleasantly washes over you rather than grabbing you by the throat. An average album
There’s some bops here, but, ultimately, more bores. A lot of this album feels like filler (the title track?). I might enjoy these tracks on their own, but together, they’re a little obnoxious. What I did like, I really liked. What I didn’t was tolerable. 3/5
Heavier and dirtier than expected. Perhaps The Police were considered edgy in the 1970s. Whilst not what I expected, it is still a bit naff in places and quite dated. Rating: 2.5/5 Playlist track: Message in a Bottle Date listened: 02/06/24
Unfortunate, but it seems like it's not for me. Find it hard to really focus in the music and get in the flow.
Good album
When ot came out, this album had a superfresh sound. Listening to it, the sound remains innovative and fun. Really good album.
So many great tracks on this album, including the massive hit "Message in a Bottle", the title track "Reggatta de Blanc", plus "Bring On the Night", and my personal favourites "Walking on the Moon" and "The Bed's Too Big Without You".
I like message in a bottle, the rest of the album really does show why they're seen as white guy Reggae, which by itself i'm not too bothered with, but it's just not interesting
Er, the white reggae songs aren't reggae, and the punk songs aren't punk. Seems like every Police album has two good songs on it that go on to be massive, all time hits and the rest is bang average. That's when they aren't annoying. On Any Other Day. Does Everyone Stare. Absolutely mindless garbage.
Classic album for a classic group. Classic vote 4/5
Based on Message in a Bottle, thought this album would be much better
dont rly like it tbh
Why do Police songs linger on with the slowest of fade-outs? Fine but it's the Police. They've got a unique sound and that's worth some praise.
love it, didn't know they had reggae vibes
I can't listen to Sting for 11 songs. I tried. I made it halfway through the 9th song before I gave up. "On Any Other Day" might possibly be one of the worst songs I've ever heard, so that's... something.
Fuck the police
Ikkje nåke ska-meneskje
Lott for mykje reggae
Iconic album. Every single track is worth listening to. Each band member excels on his instrument. Excellent songwriting, and good production.
Not sure what to feel about this one. I don't really like reggae, so white reggae ain't necassarily in my wheelhouse either. A couple of good tracks but most of it was pretty skippable for me. Fav songs: - Message in a Bottle - The Bed's Too Big Without You
I liked it for today. It's far from what I consider an excellent album, but it's honest, fun, and easygoing rock. Besides "Message in a Bottle," I was unaware of this "The Police" release, so it was a good experience. Compared with other albums from them here on the 1001 list, "Synchronicity" impressed me more.
I owned this one on vinyl and CD back in the day. Good stuff!
A couple great songs, the rest were kind of meh.
Was fine, a little boring. Message in a Bottle is clearly the best song on here a d it's the opener, so it goes a little downhill.
Can hear these guys finding their style.
This is this listener's second album by the Police and coincidentally their second album in their discography. This album contains two of the band's greatest hits including "Message in a Bottle" and "Walking on the Moon." The title, "Reggatta De Blanc," loosely translates to "White Reggae" which fits the fun vibe of the album.
super plaatje...
Message in a Bottle is a great song. The rest of the album is pretty mediocre though.
2.5
Was a fine album, don’t enjoy the Police like I used to.
Nice little album to have playing in the background. I only knew one of the songs in the album, but I bopped to this while cleaning the house.
I'm not the biggest Police fan, but this was good.
A few average songs, but liked it overall.
On Reggatta de Blanc, the Police double down on their nervy, reggae-inflected new-wave hybrid, delivering a record that’s undeniably tight but occasionally a little too comfortable in its own tricks. Much of the album leans on the same clipped rhythms and sun-bleached grooves, yet Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland are such an intuitive unit that the repetition rarely curdles into boredom. Copeland’s restless, jazz-trained drumming and Summers’ spacious, tastefully jagged guitar lines do most of the heavy lifting, giving the songs a rhythmic snap that recalls Remain in Light-era Talking Heads before that album even existed. “Message in a Bottle” pairs slightly wince-worthy faux-reggae phrasing with an arena-ready chorus, while “Walking on the Moon” and “The Bed’s Too Big Without You” stretch out into woozy, atmospheric grooves that show the band’s patience and confidence. Not everything lands—“On Any Other Day” is a rare misfire, and the title track feels more like a Copeland showcase than a fully formed song—but at its best, Reggatta de Blanc captures the Police refining their sound with discipline, precision, and just enough tension to keep things interesting.
some of the songs have a good energy but a lot of them are too forgettable
Great album. Still sounds fresh. Classic album.
One of my favorites back when it was released. Still like it!
Truly, a great album. I liked it a lot. Another gem I’d never explored aside from the singles.
Bien. Message In A Bottle.
Nasal fake reggae. Who listens to this shit?
Great album, although not my favourite by them as it's a bit too reggae-heavy for my taste. There are a couple of fillers in there but nothing that I'd go out of my way to skip. A strong 3.5 from me; rounding it up to 4 because I can see why so many people love this album. What can I say—I'm just not too crazy about reggae.
Not their best effort on this album as the songs don’t really mesh well together.
It’s cool to hear an early album where they hone their sound.
wieder dad rock aber gefällt mir ehrlich gesagt sos step down sos sos sos step down
New wave, pop rock, reggae rock. It was a fun album for most of the time and then it kinda took a turn towards the end, just a bit too long. A song or two definitely could have been cut. It's a playful and energetic album, love the drums all throughout, guitar and bass are superb. Singing was kind of all over the place, sometimes I vibed with it and other times not so much. Also definitely enjoyed when the reggae influence was more subtle, it just worked better. Overall just too bloated, and some songs were clearly worse than others. I had a good time though. Might revisit some songs. Light 3.5/5
Man this is a solid album. Sometimes I forget the original sound that the Police had, and blend them in with other 80s stuff that was meh. So I'm happy to have gotten reacquainted with this one.
Just my luck, the one day I miss is Metallica and instead I get this dress. God I hate this band.
The sound is nice, but it’s very repetitive, a bit too much for me
Pretty mediocre.
Fucking hate The Police. The faux reggae and his awful voice just grates on me. Such an overrated band.
Good record to listen to.
Message in a Bottle is great. The rest is meh. 3.
"White Reggae" should not be a thing. Relevance to this list: 3/5 Personal enjoyment: 2/5
This wasn’t great. Wouldn’t listen again but I didn’t hate it.
Good record. Great sound at times. I can see where vampire weekend got the idea of white African music lol
6 / 10 Reggae-Pop que hizo famoso a Police. Con algún hit y el resto del disco pasable.
Three and a half record. I love The Police's singles, but the full albums do not seem to click with me. The deeper cuts are full of that raw, punkish energy, but aren't great songs.
Reggatta De Blanc is probably one of the most fine albums i have ever done. The album is fine, The music and vocals are alright but don't really do anything all that interesting that other new wave albums i have listened to do. The album did begin to kick up towards the last two songs which actually did sound a bit more fresh and interesting than the rest but that unfortunately made up only a small portion of the album as you might expect. This album is fine, it wasn't boring, just kinda forgettable. Best Song: No Time This Time Worst Song: Walking On The Moon
Quite cool
Pretty good reggae
Started off strong with message in a bottle, which is a perfect manifestation of the police’s style and music. But stings voice is really terrible. It sounds like he’s trying to force out a poop every time he opens his mouth. It’s middle of the road for me. The instrumentation is great, the bass playing especially is good, but message in a bottle wasn’t enough momentum to redeem the rest of the album. Some of the songs sound like parodies of their own musical style.
The Police so swag. The hits are mega classic and the deep cuts are underrated. Really a one of a kind group of musicians
helt chill
better than expected, though still nothing really special. I'm not a fan of police's major hits so it was nice to discover their earlier and punkier stuff like It's Alright For You or On Any Other Day. "one of the post-punk era's defining bands" though? that it is not. also definitely no to the reggae
Having only really heard the Police's greatest hits, this was a surprise. The hits are an easy 5. The low points (Steward Copeland singing on On Any Other Day; very ordinary and dated It's Alright For You) are forgettable. But there are hidden surprises: the title track is a fun instrumental that is the Police's sound distilled into one track. The highs (Sting's singles; songs with chiming guitars and a reggae bounce) and lows (Copeland's contributions) are extreme but average out to a 4.
4-
The song "Reggatta De Blanc" confirmed what I've always suspected — I don't hate The Police, I just hate Sting's voice. And the creepy lyrics of some of their songs (Every Breath You Take and Don't Stand So Close to Me, neither of which are on here). The musicianship on this album is pretty great - there are some great guitar riffs and bass lines. It's right up my post-punk alley. But Sting's voice drives me nuts, especially on "Bring on the Night." I much prefer early U2 if I'm going to listen to poppier post punk or The Clash if I'm going to listen to a bunch of white guys trying to do reggae. The only songs I already knew on this album were"Message in a Bottle" and "Walking on the Moon" and neither are my favorites. Highlights: "Reggatta De Blanc" and "Deathwish" Low points: "On Any Other Day" 3/5 and that's being a bit generous.
the second half is much better than the first half. extra point for their influence in the post punk era. 7/10
could i write poetry to this? n
I'm a huge Police fan and believe that all of their albums are Five-Star winners. Each member is a master of his craft and the songs are airtight. Even the "weird" tracks (usually the ones penned by Andy Summers or Stewart Copeland) have great merit and are worthy of album space. Lyrically, no one can turn a phrase like Sting. Copeland's World Music-influenced drumming style is unique and immediately distinctive. Summers came to the group as a veteran of the Art/Prog-Rock scene and elevated their sound beyond any typical Post-Punk power trio. Also...they may have been CIA plants manufactured by the government to infiltrate youth culture, if you like to believe that sort of thing.
The Police are most definitely a Greatest Hits band. And the hits are just OK.
I suppose it’s not fair to mourn the police from outlandos, when you get regatta. It’s the best. But most police albums are the best. What are you going to do?
Parte benissimo: 'Message in a bottle'. C'è anche 'Walking on the moon', ma gli manca comunque qualcosa.
The whole album is good and very much in the wheelhouse of the Police sound—reggae-infused rock with a New Wave/Punk influence. Of course, “Message in a Bottle” is the standout track and one of the best songs in their catalog. And this record has a lot more polish and a greater sense of adventure than their debut, though with less of an edge. Personally, I’m not a big fan of the foreign phrase album title theme that continues here and into their next record. Glad they eventually dropped that.
4/26/24. Was able to do a couple listens over the weekend, excellent musicianship and songs on this one! The Police are definitely a powerhouse, each song engages you. The drumming is also phenomenal.
Good album with some classics on there. Message in a bottle is a great song. Can feel some reggae influences in here. 7/10
This was a bopper.
Not my favorite Police album (that's Synchronicity) but still great in its own right. This one's got a couple memorable hits, but also contains some great deeper cuts that never got the attention they deserve. The big surprise, and it's a pleasant one, 3 Copeland writing credits here (plus another shared with Sting)! I feel like later albums reduce Stu and Andy's writing credits to just a single song each, toward the end of the b-side. Sure, Sting seems to write those pieces that got the most pop attention, but there's just something about the Copeland written tracks that I respond to, so it's great to have multiple here. The only downside is no totally unhinged addition from Andy Summers on this album. Minor cringe-factor for Sting's white-boy Caribbean patois on The Bed's Too Big Without You, but the '80s were a different time I suppose.
Fun police album with some classics. Im a sucker for classics so Im rounding up from a 4.25
Dont like that jamaican drumbs all over the album. maybe 4/10
This was fine, pretty classic stuff from The Police. Not really what I was feeling today, but obviously great songs from a great band, just somewhat boring.
I honestly didn't enjoy pretty much all of it, except Message in a Bottle. Not unlistenable, but just very unnoteworthy and extremely boring. Towards the end I was getting to the point where I was getting a little mad that I had to finish the album.
Super unique blend of pop rock and reggae. Immediately recognizable and wholly creative. The song seemed to drag on and had a weird structure that I couldn't vibe with.
Leuk album met een paar bekende hits. Maar voor mij niet meteen een ontdekking. ***
The police always a w
The Police back when they were just a few crazy kids. Not really that interesting, IMO.
One of those albums I knew back to front before starting this project, easy 5 star selection. I spent hours playing along on bass guitar to this album, Sting is a pretty fine muso and it was great teaching myself how to play these songs. Copeland is just fantastic on the drums, so much going on, and Andy Sumner can be showy and also understated in the same song. It's a three piece and they have jazz chops, so there is space in the music for them all to shine. Magical. Interesting reading the reviews here - lots of people upset about appropriation of Jamaican music. The evolution of music - both modern and classical - is a story of appropriation - everything borrows from previous work, genres mutate and new music is born.
The followup to the Police's brilliant debut album, Regatta De Blanc may have been a commercial success, with a trio of hits, but it never resonated with me as much as Outlandos d'Amour. The debut was a refreshing, upbeat and exciting record that combined punk, new wave and British reggae, which was promising with great songs and passionate playing. Though, Regatta opens with possibly the Police's best songs, Message In The Bottle, the quality and energy gets lost with boring and uninteresting "hits", Walking On The Moon and Bed's Too Big Without You. It's not a bad album, as there are some highlights, Bring On The Night, (the underrated) On Any Other Day and No Time This Time kept it interesting. Something was lost between the first two albums, but still it might still be my second favourite Police record, since I lost interest in the band by the third album.
Some good songs, some pretty bad. I get tired of the vocal style after a few but I can appreciate it for a song or 2. The band is jammin tho, lotta good riffs and drums. Favorite song: walking on the moon
One of my parents' favorite bands. "Message in a Bottle" is a classic. "It's Alright For You" is also a banger. These guys really rock well together, I enjoyed the instrumental moments on this album as well as the sung ones. I was not entirely enthralled by all of the more low-key tracks, but I still think it's a great album.
Sometimes I don't love Sting's voice and it seems to be mostly during the fast songs. Sometimes it sounds like reggae and those songs are my favorite. It would be a fun live show, the instrumentation is very good. Favorite Song: The Bed's Too Big Without You 7/10
My dad famously dislikes the police because they are lyrically repetitive. I can appreciate this opinion, and at times I agree. I do however enjoy the singers voice which makes the repetitiveness a bit less grating. It almost acts as an additional instrument, if that makes sense. It sounds like they have dueling guitars but they're only 3 people? I like the subtle reggae style they've got going on. Top songs: Bring on the night Any other day
My mom's favorite band is the police. I can see why now. So many interesting sounds it was a blast to listen to and I will listen again.
Loved the reggae vibes those little white boys brought to this album. Good not great. Fav songs: Message In A Bottle Bring On The Night Walking On The Moon
I'm pretty sure the only reason this album is on the list is to listen to message in a bottle. The other songs have few redeeming qualities. A lot of the album is white-washed reggae, which seems obvious now, based on the title. Best Songs: Message in a Bottle Worst Songs: Regatta De Blanc, Walking on the Moon, On Any Other Day,
Never listened to an album by Sting and co, actually pleasantly surprised.
01) Message in a Bottle - 10,0 02) Reggatta de Blanc - 8,5 03) It's Alright for You - 8,0 04) Bring On the Night - 8,5 05) Deathwish - 8,5 06) Walking on the Moon - 10,0 07) On Any Other Day - 8,5 08) The Bed's Too Big Without You - 8,0 09) Contact - 8,0 10) Does Everyone Stare - 8,0 11) No Time This Time - 8,0 TOTAL: 8,54 (85/100) Sending out an S.O.S
It appears many are shitting on this just because these 3 fellas are white. And blonde. And one is named Sting. Mainly because of Sting. Because of the whole Sting of it all. This is what happens when you have no problem letting the world know how you've mastered tantric sex, or that you were once a school teacher. And your drummer and guitar player freely admit what a pompous asshole you truly are. OK, maybe "difficult" is a more fair description. Whatever. Take away your personal vendetta against Sting, and then appreciate the output while he was lead singer of The Police. That's enough for me, mainly because his solo efforts pale in comparison, when he became Phil Collins with a better head of hair. His only solo track that did anything for me was a divorce song, and that's only because I first heard it while going through a divorce. I listened to it again a few years and was almost embarrassed that I once appreciated it. Divorce will do that to a fella. You suddenly find salvation in Gordon Summer's lyrics. But I've always sworn by The Police. They gave us five albums, two of which are great (this one and Synchronicity, which is the classic, so classic that it finally gave Sting the courage to up and leave Summers and Copeland in the dust). This one doesn't have any of the monster hits, although "Message In A Bottle" comes close and "Walking On The Moon" is one of my favorites. I'm Gen X, and like the members of this band, I'm a white fella - although proudly never blonde. So I can't help it. This shit is right in my wheelhouse.
I had not heard the full album before and only knew the couple of hits on it. Overall a good album with some funky bassline's
I think the genres included on 1001 are just piped in from Spotify, but I find it ironic that reggae is not one of them. Kinda makes it feel like after the dust settled The Police's experiment didn't really work. I'm sure an Eminem album would comfortably sit in the "rap" genre. All of this is to say, the appropriation is definitely the elephant in the room as I'm listening to The Police. I'm not saying it's a bad thing. The energy is great. The music choices are interesting. But I guess for me at best it just feels like a performance. Authenticity in rock seems like a hard thing to pull off. Lemmy from Motorhead gets closer, haha. Who knows though, like, what if TV On The Radio listed The Police as an influence? Working out my feelings in this little text box, haha. I'll take it over Deep Purple or The Who any day. I do wish there was a 10 star system. This would be a clean 5 stars.
New wave, reggae rock. Dos megahits. Un 4.
Enjoyable- but cant imagine listening again
Meh. Still don't really like The Police.
I've never really understood the adoration of The Police. They're fine. They're good musicians. They wrote some good tunes. I just don't see how they belong in the pantheon of the all-time greats, is all. This album didn't go any way to changing that opinion.
Solid, tight, high energy, and a lot less overplayed than some of their other albums.
Literally “White Reggae!?” At least they owned it. I would've assumed “Regatta De Blanc” was a race of white boats. The hooky poppiness of “Message in a Bottle” and “Walking on the Moon” had me thinking this would be a safe 80s pop rock record worthy of entering a yacht in the “Regatta De Blanc.” But in fact it’s from 1979, before Reaganomics saw everything commercialized by hippies-turned-yuppies. “Regatta De Blanc” is a last gasp before everything really did turn to yachts and the soft rock that powered them. This was the first time I ever heard a connection between The Police and Jane’s Addiction (“Deathwish”); elsewhere the album was very reggae-inspired, but somehow walked a fine line of inspiration without overdoing it or feeling too much like appropriation.
There is a pervasive energy emanating from this album. While the title translates to White Raggae, I am glad the raggae elements were muted.
Alright. Message in a Bottle is by far the best track
The Police have some great tracks, we all know this, but how many of us have taken it upon themselves to explore a whole album from the band? Well, obviously quite a few of us, but the point still stands, I was going in completely blind here despite my knowledge of the first track on here, and while at first I was worried because the A-Side seemed to feature similar, arguably repetitive tracks that were technically good, but boring otherwise, but the B-side was filled with that weird shit that I quite like. The drummer singing? Sure! More odd backing tracks rather than the stereotypical bloopy reggae stuff? Go for it! I just appreciated the change up, it made the album feel a lot more memorable, and while the A-side was far more in line with what I imagine Police fans would want, I was digging the B-side's zainy nature a lot more. Nothing here beats the song Synchronicity II, and in turn I'm excited to get around to that album more than this one, but I was pretty happy with this one. Here's hoping that I enjoy the Police as a hits band and a deep cuts band.
Message in a bottle is a ton of fun in a song. The whole police style is like when a guy comes back from a vacation from Jamaica and wants to try having dreads. They have fun making music but their style is tough to stomach for a whole album. Overall it’s good and they have a classic on this album. 6.6/10
It was ok
I hadn’t listened to this one in a while and just the first track reminded me why I loved it. I just love the police: I think they make really catchy songs. The title track was also then quite fun and a break from the faster stuff. Overall I do love this album but I don’t think I can honestly give it higher than a three, even though I want to.
Didnt hate it but didnt love it either
6/11 songs are already saved to mixes. This is hands down my all-time favorite band, ever, ever. If you don’t like this, I feel bad for you.
Decent. It’s the Police.
Tight, taut new-wave rock. Kinda sounds like very early REM. The real star here is Stewart Copeland, the drummer. He’s just so much better at his instrument than the others. That said, I will always love the riff on “Message in a Bottle.”
Think i'm between 3 and 4 on this. The big hits are great, especially Message in a Bottle, so let's go 4 based on that. Some of the rest is filler but I like Sting's voice, and it has some nice parts from each of the main instruments including his bass lines, and some decent guitar parts. Also like the fact that they evolved their sound with each album, being heavily influences by ska/reggae music here, even if it doesn't all land.
The Police's second album still holds up after almost 50 years.
Yuck
Amazing, fun and chill
meh
Yep, this album is definitely white reggae. Not awful, but not fantastic either. Basically this album has "Message in a Bottle" and that's it. Album Score: 6/10
Never thought of The Police as a reggae band, but I certainly do now. At least partially, as many of the songs, perhaps 'Walking On The Moon' mostly have pretty apparent reggae elements and grooves. Overall it was a decent album, but not more. We had one record of them before which was pretty bad to be honesty, and this doesn't exactly improve my perception of them. 'Message In a Bottle' is probably the most famous song on this album, and it's a decent one, but nothing that can carry the album on its own by far.
Such an uneven album. There are some great tracks on here such as "Message In A bottle", "Regatta De Blanc" and "Walking On The Moon". Then there are some absolute stinkers that feel unpolished, more like demo tracks, and sound like a completely different band that happened to find the same guitar tones. The good tracks are good, the others are not.
Posaljite sos jer vam je album meh
Pretty good - 7/10 Little light sounding for my taste
After the first song, this album got terrible pretty fast.
I have avoided the Police all my life. But this album may have opened my eyes to them a bit. Im not a huge fans of Stings vocals but they work here. The rhythm section is the real appeal to me but I will also admit I cannot resist Message in a Bottle, its a jam for sure.
fuck this walmart new wave and dollar general reggae.
I like Synchronicity better bur can't go wrong with the Police!
Pretty good, easy to listen to.
The Police fall wierdly between being a cool post-punk/new wave and and a massive classic rock arena jugernaut. They're too dorky (smooth, bright, poppy, and jazzy/prog sounding) to be cool, but draw on the same reggae and punk influences as the other British late 70s acts. They fit in better with the synth pop and new wave stuff, even though they have the very classic power-trio instrumentation. The musicianship is through the roof from all three, the light-touch drumming, the melodic Jamaican inflected bass, the gorgeous chorus effect-maxing shimmering guitar hitting those crystalline chords, and the unmimstakable voice and delivery. I guess like U2, they're the post-punk outliers who've become ensconsed in the classic rock radio cannon - though they had the decency to break up on a high note. Walking on the Moon is possibly their best song and Message in a Bottle is great, the rest has some good moments (the radiohead-sounding arpegios on Bring on the Night, the dub bass on Bed too Big), but is less inspired overall. I'd have chosen Outlandos or Zenyatta over this one and Synchornicity, personally. I guess that indicates that they're probably a greatest hits band in the end. Distilling those 5 albums down into 80 minutes of their highest highs would give you a compilation that can stand up next to anyone's with massive hits, a totally distinctive sound, genius songwriting, and pristine recordings of top performances.
This album has strong "we wrote a few hits but now we need to cobble together some outtakes to get an entire album together" vibes about it. The lyrics are not great and many feel like these are songs that would be b-sides or songs that may never see the light of day. Often the choruses are repeated over and over again, as if The Police are going to force you to submit to getting the songs stuck in your head. I'm disappointed because there are songs I like on here. "It's Alright for You," "On Any Other Day," "Contract" and "Does Everyone Stare" feel forced to me. Putting an instrumental as the second song on the album (though I would argue, yet again, a song with any vocal styling is not an "instrumental") is certainly a choice as well. Reggatta de Blanc is by no means a bad album, but out of The Police's discography this feels like an album where the band is stretched thin to find good material...which they were. The instrumentation and actual music is pretty good though.
Great memories listening to this album. The Police had some great tracks but it's a shame about Sting.
Album is good, Sting may be in the running for coolest dude to ever do it
I'd have assumed that every Police album had sold 10 million albums, but despite how big they feel they were always still a kind of a new wave / post punk oddity on the charts. This still sounds like the biggest thing in the world, even today.
I like the extremely tight playing on the album, the musicianship is excellent on it. It's a good and fun album but the songs aren't that memorable and it doesn't feel like a complete album, just a dozen of songs put together. I still enjoyed it quite much but I think it's no more than a 3.5 out of 5 record.
Is there such a thing as band exhaustion? I like the Police. However, in their omnipresent heyday, I think I got my fill. The music is good. I still enjoy listening to it when it comes around, but I haven't put much effort into seeking it out.
At the heart of it The Police and Reggatta De Blanc is a post punk album and band. Side A is fire. Side B, like A opens with an absolute classic, but it does fade a bit. Post punk, combined with raegge, dare I say almost ska. 8.7/10
8/10 solid album just had some noticeable low spots
Message In A Bottle Walking On The Moon On Any Other Day “On Any Other Day” is a good funny song. Love the vibes behind this album. Very chill and energetic at the same time
unfortunately I'm not a suburban dad at a poolside barbeque and therefore don't like this album.
Perfectly fine album, with a few genuinely good tracks. I really don't like Sting as a singer though.
Good most songs don't stick
Have Always Loved them…Always Will!!
This is so not for me. I understand a certain dad liking this from a specific period of time. But outside of that. It’s totally forgettable. I struggle to find much “meaning” in these songs outside… yeah being a suburban dad.
If this was just a review of the album highlights, this is 5 stars all the way. But man there are some snoozers on this album. I wish it ended better as well. The last 3 tracks really just feel forced to get the album to length. Personally I'd be happier if it was just shorter and they left those on the cutting room floor.
Very enjoyable album. Didn’t realise I already knew a couple of tracks. I will be returning and listening to more in the future. 3.5
OH MY GOD IT'S STING! STINGERS HERE THE VIGILANTE
Just don’t do it for me the police. 2/5
Expected better. ROXXXXXXANNNNNEEE
Wow! This could be released today and it would fly up the charts. It is truly timeless. An awesome album that I only knew the popular songs. This was ahead of its time.
Pretty good. Enjoyed the album with some popular songs that carry it.
very surprised by how much I enjoyed this and how much I foresee myself revisiting
Not a huge police fan but this was solid record.
It's not bad, but the songs aren't the most interesting
he Police’s Reggatta Da Blanc is a cheap shot attempt at Reggae from the boyband. Yes, there opening and closing track , Message In A Bottle and No Time This Time, are absolute fire, but its like everything in between they were like nah, we’ll just do random shit and put it together. All in all, Reggatta Da Blanc is an alright album. Best Song: No Time This Time Worst Song: On Any Other Day
Ekki fullkomin plata, en mér finnst þessir strákar alltaf frekar skemmtilegir. Alltaf nóg að gerast í hljóðfæraleiknum sem bætir upp fyrir að lagasmíðarnar eru mismerkilegar. Skemmtilegt heilt yfir og lúnkið.
Good
ACAB does NOT include The Police. Fun album with fun songs. Message in a Bottle may overshadow the rest a lot, but songs like Bring On The Night and Walking on the Moon are just as memorable if you ask me.
dude its just so gosh damn groovy. Not what i was expecting. Very fun, very nice. Would defs listen again.
2.54
classic Police
Classic
The Police rock
Meh
I’d put this mid-pack in the Police catalog.
Some strong songs: Message in a bottle, Walking on the moon, Deathwish, The bed's too big without you. But they go on for too long and they become repetitive. I realized that the lyrics, except for a few exceptions, are not very deep. I guess the post punk idea was to propose a simple idea and have fun with it. Not an album that I would be putting in my playlist.
Forgettable - if you want to listen to this, go look in your aunts cd collection. It's between, Shania Twain and Take That. Probably. I mean, she's your aunt, you figure it out. If you want to listen to white, anglicized reggae with the corners smoothed out, listen to UB40. If you want to listen to punky pop music with the corners smoothed out, listen to The Clash I'm not sure who this album is for, I've heard it's very popular, you should probably check it out. I mean Enya is nice too, as are Coldplay. Super.
Should probably listen The Police more often, good album and several great songs
Fantastically tight, lovely percussive sounds and some great tunes!
All pretty good (songs from before Sting crawled up his own jacksy)
good listen, gets a bit stale
A largely uninteresting first half is (relatively) saved by a banger-filled second. Regardless, I’d still give this like a 2.5, meaning a 2 is what this has gotta be. This website gotta get those halves man they mean something
3/5
Favorite so far
What an uneven album. Also, “White Reggae”?!
Very good
I didn't really like Police back then, but over time I've come to appreciate their great songs. Following the evergreens of the first album "Outlandos d'Amour", Police have released the next songs for eternity here.
The Police have a problem were their hits are far far superior to their lesser known songs which can make their albums really hit or miss. That being said this album is more hit than miss. The deeper cuts on this album aren't as cheesy and bad as some of their other albums. A lot of really good songs and some really tight playing. The last 4 or 5 songs are bordering on cheesy but they are okay.
I honestly don’t have a lot of critical thoughts about this one. Like, I enjoyed listening to it. The opener is a great song. There were some silly moments. White reggae? Ok!
3 - pretty good, and some cool songs but I found it more bland than I thought
What in the name of the sweet baby Jesus was that?! The first half is so good, I thought we were heading for a 5. Then the second half sounds like it was written by a child, offensively bad. I guess we’ll split the difference. Fave tracks: Message in a Bottle, Regatta de Blanc, Walking on the Moon 3/5
Rating: 6.5/10. Good not great. Enjoyed. Would listen again. Genre: Classic Rock. Starts with a banger, Message In A Bottle, which I've heard before. The rest is pretty meh. Not bad, good energy, but not great either.
Starts strong. Walking on the Moon is a great start to a workout. Kinda meanders. One song, I forget which, too lazy to look it up…starts with someone saying it’s bullshit…is just well, bullshit. I like this one for its hits and the title track. Not much else.
I about done with yesterday's album by the Violent Femmes (self titled) and I'm glad to say it IS like the Doors, Bad Company, amd Mt. Joy. I like it a lot. Promise stood out (among others). My lens is slightly disrupted but I'm getting over it quickly. I am interested to see which songs are in the Police album. Most of the way through the album. Just been listening at work while doing other things. I like the police, they have a chill sound with a dash of hop around!
Nice chill album, good background music. Stand-out: Message In A Bottle
Wow, boring as hell
Holds up surprisingly well given its origins at the end of the 70s. What helps is the clear production, in turn allowing three very capable musicians to craft some excellent songs. Not all of the tunes have aged well but most have. Enjoyable for sure.
enjoyable listen, some strong songs especially the singles, but honourable mentions too for Its' Alright for You, Bring on the Night and the quirky Does Everyone Stare. The Police tended to be underrated as musicians, when they were all quite accomplished. I particularly like Stewart Copelands propulsive and innovative drumming
Fun. Message in a Bottle is amazing. The rest of the album doesn’t quite live up to it.
Album starts out a bit slow. Sting’s voice just doesn’t do it for me. Luckily Stuart Copeland’s drumming is amazing. Bring on the night is a great pop song. Wonder if it was ever released as a single. The bed is too big without you, classic track with a reggae feel. Another album that has gotten better as you get further.
3.5
Has its moments
Fuck let me give half stars, this is 3.5
I wore this out as a kid. It still holds up. I love The Police.
Does what it says in the tin.
This is a great album. I could see how it’s not for everyone, but it is musically solid.
Good but not great. The hits are great, but there's really only two. There's too much filler to be grouped with a lot of the 4 star albums. (Though to be fair, it's better than a lot of the 3 star albums.) Some of The Police's later material would be 4 stars, but not this particular album.
I used to be obsessed with The Police. I still quite enjoyed this album.
Message in a Bottle is a classic. As for the other tracks, I wouldn't say they're necessarily bad, but still surprisingly quirky. And It's also a bit too reggae-y for me at times. Overall not bad, but it's just one of those albums where I'm fine with only knowing the singles.
The police. Kind of the mirror image of the clash. A great bad. And this might be their best. Sting wrote some of his best songs. And he is wonderfully backed up by summers and Copeland. Definite must listen.
All I cansay is is as poor uni student I have only a handful of genuine (non copied) tapes and the Police greatest hits would play a lot. Heavy rotation stuff and it's very hard to get sick of the police. Even thrashed through bad speakers. It may even be better when heard through bad speakers distorting off the rear windshield. 5 stars based just on track one However am I qualified to judge the rest? I haven't listened to these before. Truly. Didn't know the mastery of the Police other than their Singles. Shit this is a surprise. Detailed fast and fun. No wonder I like them. Even their lesser/ unknown stuff is amazing.
In the summer of 79/80 I was already driving around in my girlfriend’s second car (what a girlfriend), a holden station-wagon, thrashing a cassette of the first Police album, when this one landed as well. And by March 1980, I was watching them at the Hordern Pavilion, admittedly in such a stoned state that I wasn’t able to fully appreciate their efforts. Side One is terrific. It’s diverse - Message In A Bottle is a killer single, the title track won a grammy for best instrumental (I never knew that), It’s Alright For You is one of their speedy new-wave efforts, Bring On The Night is part of the band’s “reggae rock”, & Deathwish a totally rhythm-driven effort. Side Two has fewer highlights but Walking On The Moon & The Bed’s Too Big Without You are both terrific trax. Most of this record still works well for me.
My cousin John was about two years older than me. In the early 80s he went on a trip to Bali and brought back a bunch of bootleg compilations cassettes, including one by the Police. My distinct memory is that the track listing included 'Massage in a Bottle'. The singles from this album were heavily represented. We played that tape a lot. I did check in with my son, Hal, before writing this review. He is a drummer and big Stewart Copeland fan. "What do you think of Reggatta de Blanc?" I enquired. His view was that it was the beginning of the end. His opinion is that Sting, ever mindful of commercial success, starting reigning in Copeland's playing, in a way he described as "tasteful". He did not mean that in a good way. He enjoys the punk energy of Outlandos D'Amour and Copeland's less restrained playing. I went back to have a listen and see what he meant. Outlandos is a more punk-tinged (although were they ever really punk?), while Regatta is a bit more reggae influenced (but were they ever really reggae?). In its better moments (Walking on the Moon, Bed's Too Big), Copeland still indulges himself. There is a bit more filler on Reggatta, although the singles are really strong. That Sting fella can write a tune. It's a good album, recorded quickly and effectively, before the cocaine, egos and infighting started to impact their ability to play together as a unit. Over the years, I have managed to pick up most of the Police's catalogue from bargain bins, and I don't mind their stuff, but I really think of them as a 'radio band'; I enjoy their songs when they come on the radio but would rarely choose to put one of their records on the turntable.
Love the atmospheric guitar and really incredible drumming. Sting's voice is pitchy and the fake yo-yo accent shit is cringe in some songs. I think the hits on this album have played so many times in background of my life that it's weird to hear them in the context of the actual album. For white boy pop-reggae or whatever it's fine. I liked this sound better at thirteen than I do in my thirties.
2024-03-02...
I knew Message in a Bottle, but none of the rest of the songs from this album. I don't really get The Police, I wouldn't say this was bad but they just don't do it for me - I was counting down the songs till the end. If I had to pick favourites I'd say Bring on the Night and Walking on the Moon.
Something about the police really annoys me. The album tracks are more enjoyable than the hits for me. I wonder how this cod reggae would be accepted today?
Another band I didn't pay much attention to outside of the radio songs. I really enjoyed listening to this album. The Police can be really fun and quirky in their sound and lyrics. This was more of a 4+ for me. Solid run of opening tracks and really liked On Any Other Day.
Excellent album by an excellent band.
Not as bad as I thought
Forgettable but fun
The hits are decent. The rest... not so much.
It's alright!
Not a huge fan of the style but there's definitely some good tracks here and there.
Good
It grew on me
Feel good pop rock. Multiple radio hits like the opening track Message In A Bottle.
The phrase "white reggae" really sounds like cultural appropriation by today's standards. Ignoring that, the Windrush generation brought Caribbean influence to the UK and why shouldn't that influence rock music? 'Message in a Bottle' is one hell of a song and carries the album but there are other peaks, including 'Bring on the Night' and 'Walking on the Moon'. There's also some filler here but I'm enjoying it all more with every listen.
3.5 but rounded down to 3 for putting on a ridiculous accent.
Must be pretty cool to record an album and be able to choose between kicking it off with Message In a Bottle of Walking On The Moon.
8/10
White guys doing Reggae, Reggae de Blanc. Copeland is a great drummer. Any Marley album is better then any Police album. I wasn't a big fan in 1979, I saw it as thievery, still do. They took something heartfelt and commercialized it, I am not saying they are not talented, but it is so commercial, like some ad exec came up with the idea. Blonde hair and all. I mean, I know Malcolm McLaren created the Sex Pistols as a marketing tool for his clothes, but the Pistols transcended that. I guess commerce and R&R have always been partners, occasionally the art shined through. The album is a great reggae/pop blend, late Boomers rejoice.
Every moms favorite man
Ehh I didn’t really know what to expect with this album but I was thoroughly disappointed. It seemed like it was all over the place. I wasn’t sure what kind of “rock” this was. The 70s sound like a weird time, man.
Seemed fine, I really loved the drums.
Solid Reggae, Very strong opening half Weaker second half, Best songs Message in a bottle, It’s alright for you
So cool! There’s a lot of interesting ideas, but not their best work.
One or two good singles: message on a bottle. But the album heads significantly downhill as it goes on, to the point of being grating. I hadn't realised that the police were such a ska heavy band. Didn't hate it, wouldn't listen again by choice, 2 stars.
Before it really all changed... Surprising how albums on either side of this one get greater recognition. The raw edge here is still appealing more than the slicker elements of the later work. So catchy but with a bit of a middle finger. Unpretentious and also not sappy compared the majority of Sting's solo work. Copeland bangs those drums like a snotty punk while Andy makes crafty, curling, novel guitar runs sound simple. Sting's solo career is such a wet blanket compared to where he began.
7/10 Catchy and recognizable
I've heard worse albums. It got more boring as it went along, I think? They need more songs that go somewhere.
This sure do be a reggae fusion pop rock album.
I love how this is first because I’m already familiar with the album. Love the rhythm section.
The best Police album. Raw and energetic, these boys are hungry. Immaculate variety and energy.
ABSOLUTELY PERFECTION
Bara ... gott Police
Good but not much
There's so much to like about this album that I can overlook the reggae elements. Reggae sucks. Accept it.
Stuart Copeland - WOW! I'd forgotten how excellent he is! This album is great! Three excellent musicians playing great songs. I didn't have this album when I was a kid, but I loved the Police. Takes me back. I'm remembering that nothing sounded like them at the time. Not being in the UK might be the reason for that.
Good stuff
Love, Love, Love the Police
Che cool bello bello, divertente e tutto
3.5
Standard stuff really
Gran diferencia entre los singles y las demás canciones del album. me gusta más el primer lo de Police.
Gotta love The Police. Some real classics here but not into every song so it'll be 4*
A favorite of many many decades. It was nice to get a reminder and prompt to listen to the whole thing from beginning to end again. My personal anecdote for the band is that after they broke up I eventually became a huge fan of Stuart Copeland and really didn't give as*** about sting. For s**** and giggles I'm going to look up the guitar players post police history to see what he ended up going on to do.
Great album! The Police were so creative and innovative! I enjoyed listening to the album when I was younger and still enjoy listening to it now.
Way punkier in the later half than I expected. Evolutionary.
Apart from the obvious headliner, nothing really stands out. Enjoyable but won't be returning to it. On any other day is a wacky surprise. The reggae pieces are nice.
Great band, but … I don’t know something about that faux Jamaican style of singing…doesn’t age well does it?
What an incredible band The Police is! I liked this album really much! And even tho there are some songs that aren't great, with this album they showed that they really knew how to do music, or maybe they didn't, but they were really good and Sting has one of the most iconic voices in the industry.
Great album. Super groovy and great production. Sting is a mastermind with his lyrics and overall performance. 8/10
Ver good
classic, impossible to avoid
I'm obviously aware of the hits off this album but haven't heard the rest of it before. It's fine, not something I'm likely to revisit, though. 2/5
The writing process for On Any Other Day: "Let's make an awful version of Message In A Bottle"
I went in thinking this was going to suck and I was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t
yeahhhhhh the police snap here. opening w message in a bottle is the way to do it.