Reviews (page 11 of 13)
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.
Average
Enjoy the Police! Appreciated listening to the album in whole. Added ‘The Bed’s Too Big Without You”
Bought back so many good memories. I loved this!
Heard of the police, and the first song from this album (message in a bottle). Quite like them, maybe a high 3.
These white boys can sure play some reggae. I love Stings voice and driving bass lines. On Any Other Day is a classic punk anthem, love it. Bring On the Night was another banger I had not heard before. Walking on the moon is my favorite The Police song.
ILL SEND A MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE!!!! i named my car after the police :).
not bad, not great
So much sound for a three piece band. And they are tight! Stewart Copeland has serious drumming chops - he is one of the best and his crazy but precise rhythms really take this album to the next level. The album as a whole is quirky but totally fun and enjoyable.
It was a good album. Several well known songs.The other songs are alright but not great. It didn't carry on too long. I would listen to it again. I will round up.
Message in a Bottle and Walking on the Moon are classics. The rest had some catchy spots, definitely some filler on here. The quasi reggae ska music gets a bit boring for me. That said Stewart Copeland is a beast on drums and Sting is an underrated bassist - enjoyed listening to them. Solid 4.
- Never listened to a Police album in full before - Thought it was quite good but nothing incredible - Probably still deserves to be on the list so 3* - Fav songs: Message in a Bottle, Walking on the Moon, It's Alright for You
back half was a significant improvement
Album is a total sonic banger beginning to end dabbling punk, progressive, garage rock, with ultra tight rhythms and progressions. Modern Sting is still amazing, but classic Police has an energy that so unique.
A favorite of mine. The musicianship is tight, all the instruments stand out in the mix, the songs are good (even if not all hits), and "On Any Other Day" is just a good time.
Thought I'd enjoy this more but every song feels like "Yup, that's the police alright." without anything really standing out as interesting or worth another listen.
Eh
A couple bangers. A lot of appropriation.
Another one I own. I've been listening to this since high school.
I didn't have a chance to listen to this full album, but I know a few of these songs pretty well. I'll revisit this one, but it's hard for me to give less than a 4 for the beautiful New Wave production on this album.
Always liked The Police but never really listened to an album from start to finish with focus. And still haven't. The hits override everything else here, Message In A Bottle and Walking on the Moon taking up all the airspace. The Bed's Too Big Without You is a surprising loveliness amidst all of this.
Great early album from the Police!
On one hand - it’s vintage New Wave, it’s head-bopping reggae, it’s The Police before the abhorred each other, it’s Message in a f@$@“&ing Bottle. On the other hand - a lot of the rest of the album feels like filler (and WAS filler as per The Police), folks other than Sting are singing on some of the tracks, there’s some blatant homophobia (“On Any Other Day”). Is it great? Yes, it’s The Police. Is it a greatest album of all time? Meh.
I always assumed The Police made music that was too smart for the sake of being too smart. I’ve heard the hits and they aren’t really like that. But Sting has always given off that vibe to me; a certain arrogance. But this was great. Uneven, yes. But the highs are great. Lots of moments that really rock hard. I would love to see what they do live. Do they just jam out in the middle of songs? I hope so. Because there’s some awesome grooves that get cut short here which is such a bummer. And that’s one of the knocks on this album - the good stuff is cut short at the expense of some of the tracks that bring the album down. There’s a lot to like here, I just wish there was more of those things. Standout tracks: Message in a Bottle, Regatta de Blanc, It’s Alright For You, Deathwish, No Time This Time
Pretty darn good.
The Police are one of those bands whose good stuff is scattered throughout their career. The album has some good tunes, but it wasn't a core shaker for me.
I really don’t care much for the police. Great musicians though
So weird in the best way.
Not that great. It was mostly boring background music. But I guess it was listenable
Muy bueno
A Creativbe Reggae / Rock Album. I really liked it. Looking forward to listen to Synchronicity and more albums from the police. Reminds me of London Calling and Red Skys over Paradise
My fav Police album. Nuff said.
Decent. The only song I already knew was "Message in a Bottle", which was by far the standout track on the album. As I said of the Bob Marley album, I just don't care for reggae - and this was close enough to it that it didn't do it for me
The Best !
bangers were bangers, rest were straight meh
This one gets nostalgia points but does stand quite well on it's own. Message In A Bottle, and Walking On The Moon are standout tracks, On Any Other Day is catchy.
Questionable album name, given they're not really trying to make reggae, just borrowing from it some. It is a pretty fun listen, though - the reggae infusion into their post-punk/new wave biz works pretty well, and they've still got some rough edges compared to their later stuff. Fave tracks - "Message in a Bottle" and "Walking on the Moon" are the well known ones, obviously, and they still stand up. "On Any Other Day" had a kinda Talking Heads/They Might Be Giants thing going on that I rather enjoyed!
Another that I like but not life changing. If I had been there at the time maybe albums like this would hit different.
Surprisingly I actively didn't enjoy this. It's not grating but it's not particularly good. Walking on the moon is fine buy I've never really liked message in a bottle and the rest of the album is pretty bad with some particularly bad songs. I'm surprised for such a famous band.
Actually their best. Hard to dislike, loads of big hits, some great album tracks like Bring on the Night and Contact. Sharp bright production that lets you hear the musicianship clearly. This was an album I was a bit young for but listened to it a lot in my secondary school years. Surprised to discover what a soft spot I have for it.
Cool album. Listen again.
Very good
Much better than Synchronicity, which was borderline unbearable. There's a lot to like about the instrumentation from The Police, although with woke 2024 ears, there's a lot of pastiche that veers close to cultural appropriation of the reggae scene I think. Unfortunately, every song has Sting's vocals on, one of the most irritating sounds on the planet. They should play it outside off-licences to disperse teenage delinquents. Still, not bad.
Message In A Bottle is the only reason I rate this album 3 stars.
This is a pretty good album but it doesn't blow me away or anything. I was excited to get a Police album because I know their hits but have never really listened to a full studio album. So, I was interested to get a feel for their non-single, album tracks. I definitely liked their singles the most of any of the tracks on the album but found the vibe of the other songs kind of boring. It's the same genres but just less interesting/catchy. Overall, this one was very middling for me. Standout Tracks: Message In A Bottle, It's Alright For You, Walking on the Moon, Does Everyone Stare
I found this dismal. Made me think regatta was very much not for de Blanc.
I have always loved Sting and was happy he went off on his own. This album is okay in my opinion.
Several classics on here. Some of the others weren’t my favorites. I love The Police, but I appreciate some of their other offerings more so.
Thought I'd kinda hate this because I find their hits annoying but the deeper cuts are great, dripping with grumpy old man irony, and thankfully some songs not sung by Sting and his weird asf semi-Caribbean accents
Wooop wooop Das da sound of da poleeeees
It’s interesting that a bunch of British white guys decided to adopt such a Reggae sound, and even weirder that I never really noticed until now.
Enjoyed this album, feeling the jazzy Reggae and never really thought about the fact the singles “message in a bottle” and “walking on the moon” are essentially reggae and enjoyed that flow of the complete album…But then they go back to the punk on “any other day” - “the other one are complete bullshit”
First song is a ripper, hopefully the rest are too. Didn't know the police were a 'punk' band. Sick.
😐👍🏾
Funky New-Wave Reggae While I usually think “fuck the (real) police”, I will most certainly be listening to this again.
Nice to chill to. I felt the album started stronger and weakened with the last couple of songs. Fun fact - this album was released the day after I was born! Listens: 2 Fave Track: Walking On The Moon Rating: 3
It’s okay
Message in a bottle will always be an absolute banger. Everything else essentially sounds like the same music with varying degrees of incoherent lyrics from sting likely based on how much paint he’s huffed that day.
'De klasse van The Police is van Stones-niveau' kopte de Volkskrant in 1979. Achteraf vind ik deze plaat dat niet helemaal waarmaken. Het is meer vulling rondom de hitjes, verder is het geluid nogal dun. Maar goed, de heren waren ook maar net bezig. Voor een recensie van een tijdgenoot (die bang is niet meer met zijn tijd mee te gaan), zie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m1rJV-zZ2Y
Ik had hier eigenlijk wel zin in. Maar de plaat doet mij weinig. Natuurlijk, Message in a Bottle is ijzersterk. Maar bij de rest wordt ik het meest geprikkeld door de toegankelijke ritmes. Net als eerder met U2 merk ik dat je ook teveel van het goede kan hebben. Ik zal vast af en toe met plezier een nummer van The Police opzetten. Maar een album is net teveel.
De carriere van the Police was relatief kort, maar ze hebben wel 5 goede albums afgeleverd. Onze snoblijst heeft zich hier wel keurig aan het ongeschreven maximum van 2 per artiest gehouden, al had ik het zelf niet erg gevonden als alle albums van the Police er in stonden. Op elk album staan namelijk wel een paar pareltjes van nummers. En zelfs de nummers die niet zo bekend zijn, zitten muzikaal uitstekend in elkaar. Ik kan dit op elk moment van de dag wel opzetten en dan luister ik met veel plezier naar de baslijntjes van Sting en het ska gitaartje. Hangt tussen een 4 en een 5 in, maar aangezien er slechts 2 albums van the Police in staan, druk ik lekker af op een 5.
Classic police album with lots of reggae influences and some classic rock staples.
Had some bangers but most of the songs were mid
Fun album. Message in a bottle is a classic. The rest of the album is mostly hit with a few misses for me.
One of my fave bands!
Good but not my favorite of their album s
- Love the sound of this band - Some light reggae vibes on some songs? - I do prefer the non reggae songs - 3.5
- they really leaned into reggae this album - songs always sound introspective - drumming is unreal
This is just slower Ska without the horns.
The Police exploded onto the music scene during my freshman year of college, and dominated the airwaves over 5 albums in just under 5 years. I have all their albums on vinyl, all bought when current. They brought a different sound, new and exciting. People would stop by my dorm and ask “what is that?” When it was playing in those first couple of weeks. Of course, soon everybody knew. Looking back through the lens of 45 years, it is easy to forget just how unique this sound was at the time. The Police were one of the drivers bringing New Wave to the masses at the end of the 70’s. It is interesting that Regatta de Blanc is the first Police album to show up here. It is actually the lowest charting (US) of the 5 releases, only making it to #25. It is a really solid album, but doesn’t have as many standout songs as their other records, but doesn’t have any real low points. It is probably my 2nd favorite of the 5 releases, only a hair below the debut. They really lean into the “White Reggae” thing here, as evidenced by the album title, but still includes a couple of straight rockers, “It’s alright for you” and “no time this time” which are both excellent. It’s a great album that has stood the test of time. Hugely successful, influential…. 5/5
3+
Nice album. Music and lyrics are thought out.
Didn’t love it - didn’t hate it. Some bangers, but I like the first Police album more.
Amo a Sting y a The Police. Maravilla de álbum.
Really enjoyed the album. Not knowing much about the police I was surprised at how Raggae this album was. Favorite song: Message in a Bottle
Today, I learned that New Wave music picked up some influences from reggae. That's pretty cool, but I still think the later "Synchronicity" is a better album. There are a couple of hidden gems besides the obvious hits, but most tracks are run-of-the-mill 80s rock.
listened 2x
A classic.
Raw, energetic young band. Great album with good range of song styles
I was already familiar with Message in a Bottle and Walking on the Moon (which is fantastic). The rest of the album is fine, but these two plus The Bed's Too Big Without You are the standout tracks.
I just can’t really get into The Police. I like them in moderation, but listening to an entire album can get old quickly. The same can be said for Sting’s vocals in specific as well.
I like how Spotify describes The Police : "Rooted in reggae and flirting with punk, the Police also dabbled in jazz, worldbeat, and atmospheric instrumentals that nodded toward new age music..." and that is as good a description as any. They are an anomaly. Great album!
Repetitive style, beat. Not very creative.
Never really liked the police.
started off strong, got quite annoying by the end overall meh Significant 33/100 Liked 16/100 Added 4/100 YNN
Inoffensive. Was hoping for more.
For a trio of white british lads, they were pretty funky, especially whichever one of them is strumming the bass. It's pretty post-punky so right up my alley, but not grabbing me completely. 'Message in a Bottle' is an all time classic though, just nothing else really comes close after that, and it's the first song...
Two or three good songs and a bunch of filler. Another band where the drop off from "great" to "dull" is a cliff edge, even within the same album. I am properly torn between three or four stars - wish there was the option of half-stars! On balance, just too many poor songs for a 4th star, but only just. Their run of 4 massive albums in (about) 5 years probably explains the lack of quality control - more important to just get the record out!
message in a bottle- apparently this is like THE song off this so. i like the bass. 5. its whatever. reggatta de blanc- what. 3. its alright for you- i cant do this anymore bring on the night-
1. mezzage in a bottle - 1.5 2. de blanc - 0 3. itz all right for you - 0 4. bring on the night - 1 5. death uuizh - 0 6. uualking on the moon - 1.5 7. on any other day - 0 8. the bedz too big - 1.5 9. contact - 1 10. doez everyone ztare - 0 11. no time thiz time - 0
Pretty good album - showing The Police's continued evolution from new wave darlings to arena rock icons 3.5 stars
There are a couple good songs on that album that have become classics. Personally, I don't feel the rest of the album was anything I'd really seek out in the future.
It's The Police. Everyone knows them. I've never really heard anything by them that made me want to give in deeper. Even a hit song like Message in a Bottle. The reggae influence might be part of what makes this a classic album but I think it just sounds like two genres of music and neither are being done well.
Amazing album.
It's ok. Has some good songs and some hits but...meh.
A few great songs, but much felt like filler. On Any Other Day was bizarre, and sounded like it was more likely from early Blink-182 than one of the genre defining rock bands
too 80s for me
tbh this is a 3/5 for me, however i am awarding it a bonus "*~NOSTALGIA STAR~*!" because message in a bottle was my favourite song to play on guitar hero and i (humble brag incoming) reached a point where i'd played it so much i could do the whole song blindfolded
Day 1. The Police are an excellent band. 3.5/5
I enjoy the unique sound and style of The Police and Sting’s vocals, and it’s cool to hear one of their early albums and how it all began. I was only familiar with one song from it. The album as a whole doesn’t necessarily grab me or speak to my soul but I like it nonetheless!
Regatta de Blanc features one of the biggest hits of The Police, "Message In A Bottle". However, according to Last.FM I never listened to the album at all. And I can tell, apart from Message In A Bottle all other songs are new to me. You can still hear Punk, Reggae and Ska influences on this album, which never gets boring. The tempo of the songs vary a lot, I tend to like the faster, less Reggae style songs, such as "No Time This Time", better. Overall it's a really strong album.
Evergreen & lifelong companion
The musical equivalent of a white guy with dreadlocks. Uggh. I'll pass on listening to any more 'white reggae'
I only knew a couple of songs on this album. "Walking on the Moon" was my favourite track, but I also got a big kick out of "On Any Other Day". Kind of a funny song! Generally I don't listen to this kind of music much, but I think I liked it more than I expected.
Meh Sure, everyone of a certain age group knows The Police and there’s two well known songs on this album that give an instant connect. The only other song that made my ears twitch was ‘Everyone Stares’. I have to admit that I really wasn’t much into listening to albums until this past year. Truthfully, I was expecting more and found it rather disappointingly bla and in parts too annoyingly repetitive. Someone told me recently that Sting isn’t a nice guy in the being a giant arrogant dicktwat kinda person. That soured him for me.
Ich mag The Police eigentlich sehr gerne und "Message in a Bottle" ist einer meiner Lieblingssongs von ihnen (auch hier der beste Song des Albums m.M.n.). Aber ab der Hälfte wurde das Album doch etwas repetititv. Mir ist dadurch auch bewusst geworden, wie der Refrain fast immer nur aus dem mehrfach wiederholten Titel besteht - was zwar gerade live ganz toll ist, um schnell mitsingen zu können (looking at you, Powerwolf), aber über die Dauer eines gesamten Albums doch sehr zäh ist. Daher fühle ich für The Police dasselbe wie bei Powerwolf: immer wieder eingestreut sind es großartige Songs. Aber ab 5 am Stück stellt sich die Übersättigung ein. Ich bin aber gespannt, ob auch "Synchronicity" hier seinen Platz findet - das ist in meinen Augen deutlich besser!
Today's album is Regatta de Blanc by the Police, and another one where I am very familiar with the hits but not the rest. Oddly enough these were the bits that grated, with reggae being sung in a cod Jamaican accent by a white bloke from Tyneside. In contrast the standout for me was the instrumental title track and some of the spikier new wave style songs.
There’s no denying that The Police wrote some great pop tunes. There were a few songs here that I don’t think I’d heard before and they didn’t stand out as much as the singles. I would listen to it again, though.
Super familiar with The Police especially Message in a Bottle. Listening to it on this album though I'm realizing its actually kind of a meh song. I think there are a lot of other better songs on this album so it's interesting to see Message in a Bottle be one of their popular ones. That aside, I think the album is OK. I see the importance it plays mixing Reggae but that's about it. Walking on the Moon is the stand out for me.
The mix of new wave and reggae is interesting, the bass guitar is omnipresent and very melodic; when the lead guitar is not playing dull reggae riffs it's actually interesting even though it sometimes a bit too low in the mix to my taste. The way Sting sings with Carribean-like inflexion is quite annoying, that's probably the worst part of their "white reggae" (with the cultural appropriation issue it draws; the title itself makes me uncomfortable). Whatever its flaws, it's clearly good quality pop music.
Before listening to this album, I only knew Message in a Bottle, Bring on the Night and Walking on the Moon. I consider Message in a Bottle a great song, the other two are good too. Hence, I expected to be more excited while listening to this album. Rock songs with repetition of always the same reggae elements do not do the trick.
Gotta say the title made me cringe before even looking at what was on this album. I've always liked the 2 singles on this album but somehow hadn't noticed Sting's fake Jamaican accent bits before. Ugh. Ruins what would otherwise be a good album.
Had heard it before but definitely didn't remember how complete of an album it was. Feels like when Mr. Garcia used to talk about the impact of albums being meant to listen to as a whole. Nice and upbeat, but also fitting different moods. A reggae feel. Great start.
Cool. Cool. Cool, cool, cool.
3.5 mostly good not great
Never bothered with them before. Never will.
Forgot how much I like Message In A Bottle 4/5
Decent
Not my favorite
Very good album. 2 solid top 40 hits with smart progressions and rhythms still relevant today. Whole album has a nice upbeat reggae feel with nice surprising contrapuntal beats by Stewart Copeland. Inventive chording with mixed damped strumming and open chords by Andy Summers. Sting's bass is the solid, simple backbone which is required when you have the lead vocal duties to manage as well. Very consistent throughout developing a strong memorable and unique sound that carried them for a long time. Wish they could have created a few more verses in some songs instead of repeating them but maybe Sting didn't want to have to remember too many live. I can relate. We are not all Bob Dylan.
3.5/5, it's interesting but not quite doing it for me.
Message in a bottle är magiskt. Göttiga röster och sounds i övriga röster men inte helt fångad
Startade starkt, sämre mot slutet
You know, I've somehow never thought of The Police as new wave, but they really are aren't they? It makes me see them in a bit of a new light. I really ought to listen to them more, I never remember how much I enjoy them until I do. This album is quite fun and has some of their great songs.
Pretty decent, I like message in a bottle
Talent and creativity across the board but was best enjoyed during its moment in the sun. This may be one of their best and I really appreciate the original arrangements and individual talents. Just hard to see pulling out the Police to establish or recreate a mood in 2024. All in all though a fine album. Just dated now which happens to the best of them.
Pleasant listen Deathwish was my favourite track I hadn't heard before
not my favorite album
Didn't like The Police 40 years ago ... and now I recall why. While Incan't speak for the technical point of view, from an interest perspective, this album is crap. Still don't like The Police.
It’s the police. They have a certain brand they deliver
Another solid album from front to back. The Police are clearly completely in sync with this recording.
Always enjoy the Police
As great an album as when I first heard it in 1979.
I like the Police, but the album is just ok.
Une paire de tubes ultra-connus, et le reste un peu mmmMmmmmmMmmmmouef...
Classic new-reggae pop memories. Not as amazing as I remember, but still a great album
Did not release Message in a Bottle was a 1970s song (even if just on the cusp).
It was decent
Such a catchy album, so groovy, the guitar work is amazing on most songs, and definitely gives a “white” reggae feel.
3.5 Not a bad album by any means, but also not every memorable. I don’t really see myself coming back to it because in my opinion, it’s an album mostly dominated by filler songs. It could be worse, though. Message In A Bottle and Walking On The Moon are great songs.
Отличный альбом
Reggatta De Blanc, The Police Message in a Bottle -- great song, well remembered Reggatta de Blanc -- title cut, another great one Bring on the Night -- good tune, beat, lyric Deathwish -- great intro, good beat Walking on the Moon -- famous tune Any Other Day -- upbeat amusing lyric The Bed's Too Big Without You -- Contact -- Does Everyone Stare -- cool inventive lyric, nice beat No Time This Time --
These guys are seriously good musicians.
I really appreciate this project for letting me fully discover artists' works, because prior to this album, I only knew "Message in a Bottle". For something that has such a reggae-inspired flavor, I'm surprised I liked it that much.
I was frustrated as a student in the 80s when I couldn't afford to buy all the Police albums that preceded Synchronicity. The best I could do was get the greatest hits collection when it came out. So this was a delayed pleasure to go back and listen to this album today. It is one of my least known albums of the Police, but I have really loved listening it today, with my appreciation growing with each listen to songs I wasn't familiar with.
I don’t believe that I ever listened to this album, but I did recognize a couple of tracks beyond the singles. I enjoy the sound of The Police, so it was easy to enjoy this album.
I've never listened to this one but it sure sounds like The Police. Very fun.
I was thinking about how this album screams junior high to me… but then thinking about it more started thinking that all of The Police’s oeuvre seem anchored to that period of my life. I guess that makes sense, because the entirety of The Police’s output was from 1978-1983. This major change to the musical scene served as part of the soundtrack to the major life changes I was experiencing. Then I knew The Police’s hits, but didn’t own any of their albums until the end of their career - Synchronicity - released as it was when I finally started having my own budget to buy music. I wonder if I had had access to unlimited streaming if I would have listened to the rest of this exceptional album? Or would I just be focused of the couple of hits that forced themselves into my consciousness? Oh yeah… what about the album? Reggatta de Blanc is a fantastic album. The Police are firing on all cylinders here, and I am glad to finally hear this. Truly deserving of its place on this list!
Sonically incredible. Standouts are No Time This Time, On Any Other Day, and obviously Walking on the Moon.
I liked this! All I’d heard from the police before this were ‘Every breath you take’ and ‘Roxanne’. My favourite was the opening track ‘Message in a bottle’.
Creative and calming
Police is cool!
This I like.
Me gustó
This album was absolutely so fun. Some great stand out songs and overall just a nice bit of diversity. On any other day was a hell of an experience of a song and I loved it. The whole thing was just great especially with Sting's rather unique voice.
iconiccccc
Great and cohesive album with some major bangers, along with some obvious filler songs. Some of the tracks were a bit weird but I’m kind of here for it…?
Felt quite same-y with not much at all to differentiate the songs. A handful of nice little catchy tunes but I’m not crazy about it. 6/10
Like the high energy tracks and the bass especially but the more cooky(humorous) tracks don’t immediately click. I figure most of it will grow more on me though.
Don’t love police and now I know that for a fact. Don’t need the deep cuts I’ll just stick to the greatest hits.
59/100 Based on this scale: 1 star - 0 to 19 2 stars - 20 to 39 3 stars - 40 to 59 4 stars - 60 to 79 5 stars - 80 to 100 As a drummer, I really wanted to give them four stars, just because Stewart Copeland is so good. Message in a Bottle, Reggatta De Blanc and Walking on the Moon are all quite good, but the rest of the album is too unremarkable for me to justify four stars, so they get a a strong three.
Klassieker die niet verveelt
Stewart Copeland's drumming is outstanding! While I couldn't connect with all of the songs they were at least all musically interesting and well executed but there are better Police albums. A solid 3/5.
Nix für mich
I can't believe it's taken me 1,042 albums to finally get one by the Police. Is this the only Police album on the list? I could see an argument for at least three of them to be here, including this one. It's a great album, more fun and lighthearted than the later work by the band. 4 stars.
Some good songs but some average and boring material
I had basically no emotions about any of these songs. They just happened, and then they were over. Boring.
always jotful
Might be the first time I've ever listened to a Police song that wasn't a radio hit. Pretty good stuff
The only Police album that I've listened to in its entirety is Synchronicity, which I reviewed exactly a week ago. I was only familiar with "Message In A Bottle" and "Walking On the Moon" from this album. I went in to this album knowing that The Police's earlier work was influenced by reggae, so I was excited to hear something from them that was different from Synchronicity (which I love, by the way). This album had some good moments, but I wasn't that impressed by it. "Message In A Bottle" is fantastic, and has some great guitar playing, the title track had some vocals from Sting that I enjoyed and more good guitar playing from Andy Summers, and "Deathwish" had a groovy bass line and tight drumming from Stewart Copeland. The other songs on the album were just okay. I don't think The Police sound great when they're relying on reggae and punk; those songs were frankly pretty boring, and did nothing to showcase how talented these guys are. This album wasn't bad, and I understand its significance in the history of rock music, but these three are capable of so much more.
Besser als ich erwartet hab! Rockiges Reggaealbum oder reggeages Rockalbum
Besser als das erste Album. Variantenreicher und ein größeres musikalisches Spektrum.
Good
pretty crazy that this was the first album recommended. I have been really liking message in a bottle recently and is the vibe. ANyway. AAAAAAAAAAAA
Tuttua ja turvallista, tosin en ole koskaan koko levyä kuunnellut. Lähtee liikkeelle Message In A Bottle -biisillä, jatkuu pitkälle samalla kaavalla, mutta On Any Other Day rikkoo kaavaa ja luulin jo lenkillä, että albumi ehti loppua. Muuten yllätyksetöntä rock-n-rollia. Sopii hyvin lenkille, osa jää soimaan korvamatoina.
Some absolute 5-star classic songs and a classic 5-star album in my memory, but not consistent enough. I would say a solid 4-star.
Some really good songs, but also some quirky ones which I wasn't a fan of.
Though occassionally crumbling down, this is a quite consistent and overall very satisfying record.
The Police are a showcase of wonderful talent.
I really enjoyed it on my first listen, and on my second listen, I found my appreciation for the album growing. The interplay between the drums, bass, guitar, and vocals is so esoteric and interesting throughout—there’s a counterpoint to everything that I think is actually fairly rare to hear in pop music like this. While I do find Sting’s “Jamaican accent” a tad cringey, he is a charismatic vocalist who complements the music perfectly. Of course, a lot attention is (deservedly) given to Sting—whose melodic basslines are often the highlight of a song, as in “Walking on the Moon”—but this doesn’t give enough credit to Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers, who are incredible musicians just as crucial to the success and sound of The Police. In fact, Copeland’s drums are the star of this album. So erratic yet controlled, the fills are perfectly placed, and his tom work is so tight and exciting. I was expecting myself to like this album, but I wasn’t anticipating giving it a 5/5 rating! This will definitely be revisited many times over.
Great new wave or post punk album. It flows and has some great songs on it.
רוק סבבה שיר אחד היה ממש טוב, איפשהו באמצע, אבל סהכ די בינוני
Sending out an SOS! - 7/10
Pretty middle of the road. This was better than Synchronicity though.
Wasn’t very awake when I listened but a few of the songs were super good rest were fine 8/10
Message in a Bottle is good, the rest are alright. I don’t like that many songs by The Police although there are a few bangers (e.g., Every little thing she does is magic) 6/10
7/10 - Pretty good overall. Message in a bottle is a great song that I have heard plenty of times. I think that I am a little biased towards this album since my dad really likes the Police.
Message in a bottle goes crazy, the rest was pretty mid 7/10
Didn’t expect the reggae vibe, but it actually worked pretty well and this was an overall enjoyable album. 7/10
Strong Impression. An album like this surely is one for the list. 3.6
One of my favorite albums from high school, still as good as I thought back then
To quote my friend Joe, “Good, but I don’t care.” 3.5/5
Mostly corny, some cool stuff on the latter half.
After Outlandos d'Amour, which included the breakout hit Roxanne, The Police, it was going to be hard for a follow-up album to gain respect. Reggatta de Blanc has always struggled for the respect it deserves. More polished than its predecessor, with significantly better production, Reggatta is packed with impressive songs including the amazing leadoff Message In a Bottle, It's Alright for You, the atmospheric Walking on the Moon and Bring on the Night, Bed's Too Big Without You, and the title track. While the next album, Zenyatta Mondatta, is even better and was more popular, Reggatta de Blanc is an incredible display of song craft and musicianship, while capturing the New Wave zeitgeist of pivotal late 1970s.
An interesting mix between rock and raggae. It doens't help that their strongest song is at the beginning lf the album with message in a bottle. Its not inventing the wheel new but it is still enjoyable. Stewart Copeland on the drums does an amazing job
Think that’s the first time I’ve heard the Police album all the way through
Another absolute classic
This might be the most middle of the road-album ever made. And the whitest reggae ever made too.
You can really hear the reggae influences throughout the album which is cool. It's well written and recorded, in all pretty solid. Definitely had more than a listen or two.
Iconic songsss :)
Listening to this album makes me realize that I'm mostly just a fan of the Police's hits. They are this interesting blend of reggae and rock, but it really doesn't do much for me overall. Message in a Bottle is still a bop, though.
Decent
151223 20:03 3.5
Have heard the first two police albums and think I like this one slightly more. Still not my favorite but easy listening. Rating: 2.8
3.5
Buen cancionero de melodías pop con alguna guitarra añadida de más, con algún tema ya mítico y que se puede escuchar fácilmente. Buena voz y algo optimista el álbum.
3.5 but rounding up. If it was the 70s, I was at a live show, and on a ton of drugs this would be my favorite band but moving in 90 degree weather on a Tuesday when I have work to finish up when done, I'm on the struggle bus
High 4.
Rock. Reggae.
Some of their best songs!
Solid if you like them. I don't. Drummer was good.
Not into the Police at all.
Viel me hier en daar helaas eigenlijk wat tegen.
first listen decent album
man patiko, zjbs, toks lengvas rokelis
The singles are great but a lot of the rest seems a bit half arsed. Stings voice irritated me and the cod-reggae thing sounds very dated
Strong 4
Message in a Bottle is the highlight. Otherwise kind of average
POLICIAAA
White boy reggae, and it's literally advertised as such. I mean, this is the kind of stuff my dad used to listen to so I'm pretty numb to the staccato reggae chords and fake Caribbean patois they're doing here. But still, massive cultural appropriation by the colonisers, not cool.
Listened to this while sat in traffic in the pouring rain. Would’ve rather listed to anything else
Wicked sound and energy on this album. The bassist is one skilled son of a bitch
3.75/5: Enjoyable album, some really big hits on here and the album tracks can't keep up but still really solid.
3/5 - Not a bad album but not great either
Decent album though musically it seemed a bit too uniform. 3/5.
Message in a bottle is a 10/5. Honestly the first half was SO good but the second couldn’t grasp me in the same way… 3.5
Tímalaust fyrir mér. Alltaf gott.
This is a great album with several excellent songs. It's three lads playing well together and is the last album done before Sting's ego became the fourth Cop.
I prefer this Police album to others because the hit(s) are epic and less commercial than their future hits – they made pop radio come to them vs the other way around. The arrangements are exquisite and “all noises are created by the Police”, as the credits state. Each member is an outstanding musician with a very distinctive sound – if you compare the guitar and drums on the reggae-flavoured songs to those on the more banal UB40 LP we just heard, they’re in a different league. The album feels a bit schizophrenic with Sting’s reggae bumping up against Copeland’s punk-inspired tracks, and there’s more than one throw-away tune, but I’m impressed enough by the unique sound that this trio puts out it’s still a 5 in my books.
There's a lot of hate here for this band, primarily because they have been accused of appropriating reggae. If anyone should be offended by this it would be me since I'm Jamaican, but I think they actually helped the genre by introducing it in a more palatable format for the masses. That being said, by their second outing this band is lean and tight, with Copeland on drums, Summers on guitar and Sting on vocals and bass, there's not much wastage here. As usual my favourite songs are not the big hit singles, so The Bed's too big without you and Bring on the night are my favourites on the album. But I think this list is remiss by excluding their debut album, Outlandos D'amour which features crackers like Next to you, So Lonely, Can't stand losing you, Masoka Tanga and of course the iconic Roxanne. So this album gets a bit of a bump to 4 stars.
I honestly couldn’t give any real reason, but I’ve always disliked Sting a bit. He just seems a bit dodgy. This is honestly based on nothing at all, and I have no idea where this stems from, but it means I’ve never really given him or The Police much of a change. That changes today! Songs I already knew: Message In A Bottle, Walking On The Moon Favourites: Message In A Bottle, Walking On The Moon I enjoyed this more than I expected. It has a bit of a ska/reggae vibe at times, which I always forget to expect. The baselines are admittedly nice, despite Sting remaining dodgy. I’m still undecided on his voice, and doubt I’ll be rushing out to buy more of his music, but this was admittedly a pleasant listen. Side note though, I first heard Walking On The Moon when The Simpson parodied it.
About perfect. So little of post-punk and new wave really moves the dial for me, but the Police really brought something new into pop.
I want to say this is a good album for what it is. I did like some of the songs. I can see why it's popular. I generally like all rock and punk type albums, this one didn't have a lot of hits for me though. I enjoyed Bring on the night the most. The front half is better than the back half.
It's alright, high 2
I’m honestly shocked at the variety of the music this album has. I don’t listen to much of The Police but it’s a good first impression.
I had trouble listening to the whole thing. There were a couple of songs that I recognized and appreciated, but the other ones were very chaotic and hard on the ears.
Some great shining moments but I felt the urge to skip a lot of these.