Reviews (page 6 of 13)
The Police are a showcase of wonderful talent.
Great new wave or post punk album. It flows and has some great songs on it.
Sending out an SOS! - 7/10
Wasn’t very awake when I listened but a few of the songs were super good rest were fine 8/10
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
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
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 :)
151223 20:03 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!
Strong 4
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.
Tímalaust fyrir mér. Alltaf gott.
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’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.
That was a bop with hits
What a journey.
I quite like The Police! Don't hate me!
Classics: Message in a Bottle, Walking on the Moon, Greats: It's Alright for You, On Any Other Day, Contact Others: Reggatta de Blanc, Bring on the Night (Top 10 in France), No Time This Time, The Bed's Too Big Without You, Does Everyone Stare. 4.5
3.5
Remind me of papa
I really like every Police album, mainly the later ones. I went into this thinking it was one of my least favorites but I think I mainly get stuck on the second song, that one is my least favorite. Really enjoy the energy that is in It's Alright For You. On Any Other Day is just really fun in a not so fun way, a good break from Sting (I'm sorry). Message in a Bottle doesn't need an explanation, it's popular already, good song. Favorites: Message in a Bottle It's Alright For You On Any Other Day
I have a love-hate relationship with The Police. A more clever writer would insert a joke here playing off of the name of the band The Police and the institution of the police. Today I am not that writer, instead I can only offer that while I enjoy the blend of punk, reggae and pop music I always felt like The Police never quite fully delivered on the potential of their best material on the one hand while simultaneously being one of the greatest pop bands of their time on the other. Reggatta De Blanc is indicative of that tension. Message In A Bottle, Walking on the Moon, Bring on the Night, and The Bed's Too Big Without You are all memorable songs that merge different styles into something wholly their own. Meanwhile, Does Everyone Stare, On Any Other Day, No Time This Time, Deathwish, Contact, and the titular track Reggatta De Blanc are largely unforgettable filler. For me, The Police are far superior to The Eagles but they suffer similarly in that both bands are frankly better when only viewed through the "best of" lens and yet that is not what we are here to do. The best songs from this record absolutely carry the others.
I love The Police and Message in a Bottle is a banger, but the rest of the album is a little weak
bello 3 stelle e mezzo dai
I love the Police so much man
Summary: A really great album. Spiky, punky, semi-reggae emblazoned with Sting's signature (and sometimes unhinged) vocal. There are a couple of hits in here, mixed in with high-energy instrumentally-focused tracks and a few oddities thrown in for good luck (On Any Other Day). Shoutout to the snazzy album cover! Message In A Bottle: a fast-paced thumper. Sting's vocals are the centre of entertainment, but the guitar, bass, and drums are all given chances to shine. The guitar riff is excellent and the chorus is laden with memorable vocal hooks. The outro could be cut down significantly, or have a guitar solo replace the repetitive four-word vocal. Reggatta De Blanc: Has an almost reggae-ish feel, but much more energetic. The texture is high-frequency-heavy (hope you have good headphones), giving a "windy", outdoorsy atmosphere. Incomprehensible lyrics. A fun jam session. It's Alright For You: The standout of this track was the short guitar solo at around 1:45. Strange "alien" inflections that bring life to an otherwise pretty generic pop-rock song. Also, the outro is fire. Bring On The Night: Whew. What a freaking amazing intro, and some killer guitar arpeggios to follow. I usually condemn octave harmonies, and this is one of those circumstances. These kinds of harmonies require much lower-energy instrumental accompaniment to not sound overblown. That being said, the vocal in the higher register is great. Whatever's going on in the instrumental before 3:00 is cool, and the outro is similarly very strong. Deathwish: A wacky track with an adventurous bassline, but only sometimes. The rest of the time, it plays one repeated note in a syncopated rhythm. The lyrics are enunciated weirdly and a little difficult to make out. Walking On The Moon: Possibly the most "stylish" instrumental so far, on par with Roxanne from their previous album. The melody is really funny and unpredictable. The bridge is odd, and the drumming in the following mini-instrumental is stellar. Lunar, even. On Any Other Day: Mostly entertaining lyrics (though the line "my fine young son has turned out gay" is a bit sus). The singers have American accents - does this mean something? Commentary on the gun-blazin bacon nation? Nah, probably not. The Bed's Too Big Without You: I'm noticing a bit of fuzziness over some of the louder notes and beats here - production quality drop? Sting's singing is top-notch. Interestingly, the production quality suddenly improves at the 3-minute mark. Fun percussion and bass; actually, hang on, that bass lick is fire. Contact: I could see this being a Bowie song from the same time period. A great, cosmic track that surely deserves more Spotify streams than it has (2.6 million). Some very high-level playing on all instruments. Does Everyone Stare: The first track to heavily feature piano instead of guitar, and the band pulls it off. The repeating, deceptively simple instrumental is insanely catchy, and the vocals are on point. The gradual addition of harmonies seem to represent an increasing paranoia (also demonstrated through the lyrics themselves). One of my favourite tracks on the album. No Time This Time: Okay, now here's some serious instrumental prowess. The vocal filter makes Sting sound a little unhinged.
One of the The Police’s classic. Raggatta De Blanc (white people reggae, if not mistaken) is a peculiar album. It has the typical the police sound, but it’s like underdone, to my criteria. This is specially noticed on the side B. I know some people love this album, but if I were the producer, which I am far, really far from being, I would have made some minor changes. But, overall, it is a good work.
Some good enough tracks from before they became properly creepy.
Nice and good.
First half was a 5, second was a 2.5, so I guess its a 3.5
didn't expect so much reggae influence! Sting was such a babey making this album! I liked it sm and will be returning 4.2*
8/10
Some absolute bangers. Some forgettable songs. I think their singles are a much better way to listen to The Police than any album.
4.0 a great one from the police (although it's not my fave fave). Fave songs: on any other day, message in a bottle, walking on the moon, Reggatta de blanc
Like the singles
7/10
Good album with room to grow Gonna say just on the cusp of a 4.
Simon, you warned me: The Police were pretty good. Sting cringe more than offset by really rather interesting instrumental work around a solid set of songs, lots of offbeat syncopation, strange echo and entwining riffs. Deathwish was the song that overcame my prejudice.
Raggae, punk rock. Vibrante, frenetico, scattante. Basi veloci e ritmate, grazie all'importantissimo ruolo dei piatti, chitarre avvolgenti e voci scatenate. Apprezzato molto, alcune canzoni aggiunte nella playlist.
Couple classics. Poppy and sunny. Except for one song - I guess Sting was in the bathroom when they recorded that one - terrible.
When I was a teenager, listening to The Police could not be escaped. They dominated commercial radio, MTV, high school dances, house parties, and mix-tapes. As such, I have had a long moratorium on their music due to the ability to appreciate the band had been burnt out of me. Forty years later I enjoyed listening to this album again very much.
Great album. Super varied.
Message in bottle straight 🔥 some strange songs 4.5/5
Els cinc discos d’estudi de The Police són imprescindibles tots ells. Cada un té les seves particularitats i tots comparteixen una mateixa solvència sonora i artística. ‘Regatta de Blanc’ és la casa de dos dels seus millors singles, que destaquen una mica massa sobre la resta. Però tot el disc es torna interessant amb les escoltes i al final s’acaba agraïnt que els altres temes no siguin tan instantanis, per poder assaborir-los millor amb les repeticions i les escoltes al llarg dels anys
It was a real treat getting to see the police growing up. Obviously Message in a Bottle and Walking on the Moon are great, but there's a wide breadth of influences combining the three musicians origins and the music scene at the time: most notably punk, ska, and rock. The album has a lot of character and personality to it because of all of these influences and it works well.
Phenomenal drum mix, guitar tone was very clean and made for a fun album!
Very good album- Message in a bottle classic
Nice one, somewhat melancholic, enough pep to not be too background
Way more Ska and reggae influence then I expected. On any other day is v modern and I really liked it tbh. Didn't expect to only know one song off it. 3.75?
Holy shit the Police were talented musicians. Stewart Copeland is just an astonishing drummer to me, so subtle, so articulate. They had a great sensibility but for me the drumming makes this album. Truly. Like a lot of bands on this list, I’m only familiar with the greatest hits. Listening to the album cuts, I was surprised by the “talk singing” style Sting used on a few of the tracks. Good for variation but not good in and of itself. It was like they were channeling Talking Heads. The new wave and punk elements are also more prominent on the album cuts. This is the first album presented to me so far that I would voluntarily revisit and a welcome respite from the cocaine-infused bloat of ELO I got yesterday. My daughter loved it too, rocking out in her high chair while she munched on cheerios. The best thing about the Police is that they can appear straightforward but the wonderful pop hooks belie a sophistication and artistry that rewards further listening. Great album.
Great album that not only delivered on the classics but also unveiled some lesser-known songs that I enjoyed. I loved the fusion of punk, alternative rock and subtle reggae influences. While it may not rank as my top choice among The Police albums, its slightly cold vibe seems fitting for a rainy day like today.
Sweet
The first full-length Police album that I've listened to. Not as poppy as I would like because I really like their hits. That being said, it is clear why these guys are the legends they are.
A band about to take over the world that doesn't quite reach it's full potential here tho the singles and some album tracks slap, the back half drags a bit.
Outstanding!
I'll send an SOS to the world: this album is criminally underrated. At least underrated by music nerds. Maybe because it has the band’s first two no 1 singles? I don’t know. It seems to be getting more love these days, but that might be because as the years pass and more time is put between this album and us, we’re able to appreciate it apart from the hype. It’s not a perfect album by any means, but it’s got its own charm, especially considering the band had complete artistic control, anemic as it may be in spots. There was no meddling by the label.
Here for the dynamic rather than the clunking lyrics.
Album #40 Post-punk white reggae that knows exactly what it is. Good stuff here. 4*
Fun classic rock, with the Police twist
Couple of really great ones on here but it was difficult to decide whether to go to 3 or 4
One of dad's faves. I know most of the songs.
reminds me of riding in the car with my uncle brian listening to 106.9 the lake.
Really good early Police. 4/5
Great example of a band transitioning from early days to it’s later days.
Unpretentious fun.
I'd heard of the Police and I'd heard Message in a Bottle before. Message in a Bottle is my favorite off the album and besides a few others, the rest were just kinda alright to me. I do get why people love the Police now though.
Solid album. Really like Walking on the Moon. Good 3.5 at least.
Never listened to The Police beyond a few of the big hits. This is surprisingly good - very catchy New Wave pop-rock. I find Sting's vocal delivery a little bit annoying, but it's not a deal breaker. i cannot for the life of me work out why the album is called "white reggae". It has the very lightest of Jamaican influence in the rhythmic use of guitar. The songs are fairly consistently good, but the album doesn't seem to hang together. It takes a couple of weird turns in tone and genre which make it feel miscellaneous. I'm not rushing out to recommend this but it is pretty decent, so 3.5*
It's a measure of how great the Police were that this album isn't even in their top three albums, as far as my own personal preferences. Zenyatta Mondatta, Ghost in the Machine and Synchronicity are all better records... which is kind of wild, it's got to be one of the most consistent outputs of any band ever -- in that sense, the relatively early breakup kind of preserved their legacy (cough, cough, looking at you, U2).
Decent album to play in the background. The forced Jamaican accent in some of the songs is strange considering they are three white boys from the UK.
a classic
You can’t ignore the brilliance of Message in a Bottle, or Walking on the Moon. They were immense singles and drove this album to be huge. Andy Summers guitar is brilliant, for me he brings the colour to the songs. An excellent rock album, not quite a fiver but a strong four.
8/10 pretty fun! I’m not a huge fan of The Police (ACAB, lmao) but I still thought this was a pretty neat album, even with its kitschy quirks
Bangers and mush.
Not quite an all timer, but still very strong, but then again, I like most of the Police’s stuff. In any case the record does what it says on the tin (whether it’s cultural appropriation or not is for others to decide or be offended by). ‘Message In A Bottle’ is a snappy, jerky, urgent opener that sets the tone, and the rest of the album follows suit in largely the same manner. ‘Walking On The Moon’ is of course the other big hit, but ‘Deathwish’, ‘This Bed’s Too Big Without You’ and ‘Does Everyone Stare’ are the other standouts. Probably their most consistent album overall.
What a classic. Lots of amazing tracks on here. Not their best album, but very very solid.
Lekkah!
how nostalgic, i used to listen to this album all the time who knows how long ago. "walking on the moon" is just as good as i remember it being, and "no time at all" is way better than i remembered it being. everything else is also quite good!
Eeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaooooooooooo! Love this album to set the tone on a Friday going into a long weekend! I dig the Police, something about their whole sound and vibe is hypnotically listenable. Is this the best they've ever been? Probably not. Is this the most groundbreaking record of their career? Definitely not. But it's fun and I like it. Nice break from the tremendous run of crappy albums I've had lately.
Pretty good, do wonder if the faux accent was necessary, but different times, I guess.
Jams!
Ashley geyser pricing I’ve enjoyed that album wasn’t I was expecting from the police something a bit more like a London New Age W.A. give me 40×5
Good! I enjoyed the instrumentals especially.
The balance of technical prowess and listenability is a fine one.
Not an official police fan here. But two of my favorite hits an this album plus two great singles and interesting, sometimes quirky album tracks
It’s hard to review albums that sound so familiar without being biased to nostalgia
The police are something else. It's incredible how they put out two banger albums as their first two.
The Police is one of my favourite bands and Reggatta de Blanc is such a good album. This was a mid career album where they still play lean new wave reggae music without adding the pop flourishes that you get on later albums. So remarkable that they can be so lean and tight as a power trio. Sting is the charismatic frontman but to me the real star is Stewart Copeland’s tight drumming and groovy fills. But everything fits together perfectly here. Favourites: Message in a Bottle, Walking on the Moon, Reggatta de Blanc.
Not the one filled with chart-toppers, but still love the reggae-infused sound and Sting's vocals.
A pretty solid listen. Guess I'm more of a Sting/Police fan than I thought.
4.0
truly great album!!
There was a lot of weirdness I didn’t expect in these songs
Message In a Bottle is a great choice for an album opener. Immediate energy with that snare kick + guitar riff combo. Great song start to finish with a somewhat unusual structure. Goes back and forth between energy and spacey sections. Jammy by nature with a catchy chorus and meaty bassline to sink into, not to mention the drum fills on the outro. Reggatta De Blanc picks up where Message In a Bottle left off with a long-winded intro to the namesake of the album. What an absolute jam -- did I mention I love slow builds... This thing feels like it was ready-made to open concerts through a sea of fog. Absolutely propelled by Copeland's drum work and Sting's vocal work. It's Alright for You brings us back to a more-standard rock song. Carries the same energy, but adopts a more common structure. Not bad, but not as interesting. Still love the way they play with momentum here. I love Walking on The Moon... top 5 Police songs for me. However, the juxtaposition with On Any Other Day is rough. Weird choice in both lyrics and delivery IMO. Low point in my mind. The Bed's Too Big Without You is another dud to me. Contact makes up for lost ground with a meaty, uncomfortable bass line well balanced by Copeland's drum work and Sting doing Sting things. I'm into this one. Does Everyone Stare almost sounds like a misplaced Beatles song out of the gate. Lyrically, kind of continues to fit in with the creepy stalker Sting vibes conjured on Every Breath You Take. That said, the instrumental opens up into a drum and bass jam by minute 3. Knowing that Copeland plays with Oysterhead definitely sways me, but the man may very well be the most talented member of the band. No Time This Time does nothing to change my last statement. Copeland is playing like his hair is on fire straight out of the gate and never eases up. Surf-punk guitar riff accompaniment is a nice touch. Gotta love the symmetry -- album starts and finishes with equal energy. All things said, I'm into the overall dubby vibe that this album puts forth. The Police own it and put together some awesome jams (see Reggatta De Blank, Message In a Bottle, and Walking On The Moon as examples). On the other hand, I'm not fully bought into The Police hype and find some of the songs to miss (see On Any Other Day and The Bed's Too Big Without You). I am a soft 4 on this album mainly swayed by the fire that it closes on and the strength of the hits. Couples of duds, but man could these guys jam.
Energetic and fun. Not only presenting two big hits but through them the sound that would define them and be felt in all of pop during the 80’s.
Classic
'Message In A Bottle' & 'Walking on the Moon' are classics, they rest of the album is a good listen too.
Great
Some classic Police! This and Outlandes d'amour are my favourites of theirs
sting seems like a goof but you can’t deny these tunes, there’s something airless about it but i like that
Nice
Much more reggae-lite than I recalled, but still very catchy. The controlled pacing of Walking On The Moon never fails to impress - such a good groove. All the singles are so impressive - Message in a Bottle is fabulous. Great bite, pop hooks and tight playing. The Police hardly put a foot wrong with their five albums.
This shit slaps wtf
no stand out songs but a good album through and through
Great album. Iconic
Cool and kinetic, with a handful of top-shelf cuts ("Message" and "Walking on the Moon") and more intricate guitar work, plus strong bass work throughout. Not hard to see how they got so big so fast.
If every reggae album would sound like "Reggatta De Blanc", then I would be a much bigger fan of this genre. Second record by The Police on this list and coincidentally also second in their discography. I'm 100% sure that "Message in The Bottle" is the best song they have ever produced, including Sting's stuff later in his career. Whole album was flowing quite nicely, every song had something unique, but at the same time fitted into the concept. Just a very solid album in general.
J'aime beaucoup les rythmes jazzés, j'ai l'impression que ça aide l'album à prendre son envol au-delà des emprunts au reggae. La voix de Sting toujours aussi puissante. Par contre, les textes sur l'insécurité masculine, ça vieillit mal
This is a great album but its not their best work (Synchronicity is). Anyway, it does indeed deserve to be on a list of albums that everyone should hear and its got a shitload of replay-ability and some great stand out single tracks. 4/5
i like the police
Very fun! Love the Police to be honest, reminds me of silly nostalgic dance routines from when I was a tween and free newspaper CDs. Never listened to a whole album from them I don't think! This is a good'un such a unique sound and feels like quintessential Police on this one. Loved Walking on the Moon and the title track Reggatta De Blanc really interesting sound and composition!
This album popped for me! Bring on the night was already a firm favourite for me. I think these are just solid songs
The band locks into their tempi on this one, and Sting keeps his flourishes trim. The songs lean very hard toward pop that's fun to play. The rough edge is a nice way to end things.
Some people are very quick to dismiss the Police, and I don't really understand it. They were a massively talented band whose music was smarter and better crafted than most bands working in rock in the late 70s/early 80s. Their sound is incredibly distinctive, so much so that absolutely no one else sounds like them. Creatively speaking, this album is more technically sophisticated than their first one and among the band's more adventurous works. The band shakes some of the punk energy of Outlandos, but they trade it for a sharper, more intricate sound. Every single member of the band is playing at an extremely high level here, better than most bands could ever hope to play. And this isn't remotely their best album. The lyrical content is on the darker side at times, dealing with subjects of alienation and loneliness. But the warmth of the band's sound, augmented by their signature reggae-tinged style, helps balance it out beautifully. Fave Songs: The Bed's Too Big Without You, Message in a Bottle, Walking on the Moon, Bring On the Night, It's Alright for You
A strange band. A run of classic singles and solid albums, yet I've never heard anyone say that they are their favourite band. Is it the pretentiousness? Maybe. You can't fault this album though - solid tunes, superb musicians and a range of styles. I think this is a back catalogue worth exploring - I bet there's loads of hidden gems.
Good album, very interesting sound but kinda long. The Police are absolutely one of one though and that counts too.
Torn between a 3 and a 4. Going with a 4 just because I haven't really enjoyed that many albums from this list
Great album. But they still had some improving to do. Drums are fantastic throughout. Copeland is a top 10 drummer for sure.
Reggatta De Blanc should have been the opener. Copeland going off. Walking on the Moon a classic as well. Does Everyone State has a real swing/bouncy feel. Album really shows off Copeland's mastery
Pretty good 👍
Bon allez pour les tubes je vais quand même mettre 4 parce que je suis de pas trop mauvaise humeur, mais attention The Police.
The Police's whole discography is great, and this is just another example of the pop sensation. Reggae-fused New Wave, there's a smooth and cool groove with the singer Sting who can be both mysterious and energetic. On the production front, it's a really clean album. I'm listening to "Walking on the Moon" and hearing just how clear the chorus guitar, bass groove, and drums are. The tracklisting is fantastic too. Two hits, which some high-energy tracks and many accessible pop tracks. Super consistent in sound and mood, with hardly any forgettable tracks. I guess the 3 tracks felt more like bonus tracks but had their merits.
I have listened to every album by The Police, but it's been a while since I last listened to Reggatta De Blanc. I like this album in part because of some of the music that was not released as a single ("Regatta De Blanc"), but my next favorite track ("Walking On the Moon") was a single. The second half of this album is less enjoyable than the first half. Regatta De Blanc is similar to every album from The Police. There are a string of stellar tracks, but at least one or two tracks on each album that don't fit in to the overall listening experience, and leave me wondering what to do with that (those) track(s) (e.g., "On Any Other Day", "No Time This Time"). Often the oddities come from Copeland or Summers, who may have not tuned in to the pop-music vibe as easily as Sting. I don't want to downplay Copeland or Summers, because combined they made some great music. Every album has something to keep in your collection, and Reggatta De Blanc is worth keeping.
Punchy and energetic
classics
I liked it. ‘Message in a Bottle’ is predictably the best one, but I also really enjoyed ‘Bring on the Night’. Not as good as their one I’ve heard before this generator, Synchronicity, but still great.
Three brilliant musicians, love the bass. Poppy but not cheesy.
just some fiine regular old 80s
Reasonably good air, but nothing groundbreaking despite the hit singles. Highly enjoyable.
The A side to the record was a solid 5, the B side was a low 3... so 4 stars it is lol.
This album was so entrenched in my brain as an 80s album, I was surprised it was 79. Not a big difference but still.
Goed album, lekkere mix van reggae, pop, en rock.
Are the Police a reggae band? This album says yes. Everyone knows the title track and it slaps but everything about it's been said. I think the real star of this album, for me on this listen through, is Copeland's drumming, it really elevates my connection with the material. Can you honestly say It's Alright For You is an interesting song without the momentum he injects? And for the rest of the album, where the songs stand on firmer shoulders, it adds an extra element. On deathwish its so locked in with the guitar it feels like one instrument.
Message in a Bottle gets this to a 4. Rest of the album is good enough.
A massive step from their debut less than a year before. There were signs on the debut, but things really begin to gel here. Better production, songs and focus results in an album that paves the way for their superstardom. Is this The Police album that goes on the list. I don't think so, but there is some very fine music and Message In A Bottle and the title track are tremendous.
New wave, reggae rock. Dos megahits. Un 4.
i honestly wasn't expecting too much and because of that ngl it gave a lot. loved the rock steady and funk influences. did not expect that from "commercial classic rock" at all
I was always aware of The Police as a band but not their music style so I was expecting some classic rock/rock and roll style music which I would’ve welcomed too but I was pleasantly surprised to hear the reggae and jazz influences throughout this record. I’ll be honest I do find the lyrics to be slightly derivative at times with a lot of religion, however the instrumentation and style of this record is great. The opener ‘Message In A Bottle’ does have a bit more classic British rock band style but Sting’s vocal inflections really give that reggae undertone. Compare this to track such as ‘Walking On The Moon’ and you can see how parts of this record really embrace that reggae tone, it is a much more laid back track which gives focus to this spaced out guitar sounds. Then there’s the jazz influence which is clear as day on ‘Does Everyone Stare’ with the piano leading the way and some light percussion to accompany. Now I don’t think this album is perfect but it was a damn great listen, wouldn’t mind another Police album on this list if they’re gonna be more like that.
Very good, was delighted to discover which album Message In A Bottle came from
Very weird to go back to this when you know their later hits, but good album overall. Solid performances from all 3. Mega hit to begin with and remains entertaining throughout. Some silly songs keep it from a 5.
less funk and more rock than their previous one which made the difference in enjoyment
From the police albums so far I got this has actually been a good one - less of the creepiness - still some of the hits - with Message in a Bottle still holding up, and Walking on the Moon being awesome - as well as a few other good ones. It’s not a perfect album - but it’s short enough to keep you consistently interested. And oh those Stewart Copeland drums …
I Stan Sting
Supremely cool album name but also equally hilarious when it essentially translates to "white boy reggae". Appropriation questions aside it all adds up to a pretty strong musical offering. Especially love the take no prisoners intro track, just bang straight into a sharp as shit (and pretty famous) riff. Minus one star for Sting calling himself Sting.. get it together GORDON.
I guess I should get away from the political aspects of music, where it came from, etc... But I wonder if mainstream radio would have played this without context of the support behind it from the power players? Is it a good album? Would I listen to it again?
Was interesting to listen to it more intently, because the police certainly have pretty interesting/unusual music... seems pretty percussion focused, odd time signatures, and very distinct instrument sounds. Really good album.
heh tunnistan bändin.. ja joitain biisejä.. tarkoittaa että yläkanttiin heh!! siis vaikuttaa se enemmän, että muut muut paitsi minä vaikuttaa tähän mielipiteeseen.. no hyviä biisejä kuitemkin. vaihtelevat mielipiteet hiteistä, parhaita ja paskimpia albumissa ja loput keskelle.. heh.. biisit tykkäävät toistaa itseään toistaa itseään toistaa itseään toistaa itseään toistaa itseään toistaa itseään toistaa itseään toistaa itseään ja fade out hiljalleen tuota hiljemmaksi menee se ääni mutta se ääni sinällään on sama, mutta vain hiljaisempi walking on the moon
Two fantastic songs, a few good ones, some kooky tunes that don't even sound like The Police. A very good album.
Not usually into white man's reggae but this was an exception
Firstly, he drumming - Stewart Copeland is an absolute genius! I love what he's doing on the hi-hat, especially on Message In a Bottle, which is also the best song on the album. The rest of it is good too, the highlights include Walking on the Moon, Bring On the Night (oh how I love this subtle guitar riff in the background) and The Bed's Too Big Without You. The rest of it is a bit of hit and miss, which I've found to be the usual within the new wave genre. Regarding the accusations of cultural appropriation - I don't know, I read somewhere that Sting grew up in a neighbourhood with immigrants from the Carribean and that made him fall in love with the music and this is sort of a tribute. I want to believe that. Also, the reggae inspired instrumentation is fantastic. It only gets a bit weird when Sting tries to do the accent too hard. The lyrics are smart and amusing (as is the title of the album). I like it a lot, just a few filler tracks but overall 4/5
8/10
7/10. Ah, yes, the reggae cops
Alright and it has Message in a Bottle. 7/10
Love this one.
Classic Album. Message in a bottle and Walking on the Moon have been around my playlist forever. Some different influences, like Reggae
Sting can really croon you know? That was great. Message in a Bottle is a classic and Reggatta De Blanc was cool. Loved contact too.
4 Fantastic album. I give it a solid 4/5 for now.
I mean, I guess you could say the fell to the sophomore slump. This one isn't as packed with hits and seems a little laid back for the band, but its still the FUCKING Police and it still rules. It's still better than like 85% of all music ever made.
This was great
Good bit of fun
FIRE
Not my favourite Police album but still good.
Fedt!
fairly decent, fairly police, fairly good listening. was impressed.
Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Message in a bottle, It’s alright for you, Walking in the moon
An 80s staple!
meh
Fav: The two big hits L: It's Alright For You 3 I used to listen to The Police a bit and it kind of wore off me. They've got some good songs, but overall just alright. Cover: 2.5 Name: 1 I guess if playing off beats makes something Reggae then this is Reggae? It's a descriptive title where the description doesn't seem accurate, also for some reason in French. Minecraft Parody: Zombie on a Chicken (Message in a Bottle)
Repeat listen
Track 1 - 4 Track 2 - 3 Track 3 - 3.5 Track 4 - 3 Track 5 - 3 Track 6 - 3.5 Track 7 - 2.5 Track 8 - 3.5 Track 9 - 3 Track 10 - 2.5 Track 11 - 3
Goid
fine
The album was fine, started out strong with a song I knew, I definitely like some of the stuff they do, but not everything they do. Probably 3.25-3.5 range.
Better than expected, still carried by the first track
The two great singles are indeed great; the rest of the album is just kinda there. I'd accept a song like On Any Other Day if it was done by the Kinks, but here it's very annoying. Still, it's all basically good.
Message in a Bottle is great. There are a couple good tracks. Everything else ranges from ok to bad.
Other than the starting track, nothing really stood out to me for this album. It wasn't bad, however, it just didn't really hook me in.
I enjoyed Message in a Bottle and It’s Alright for You, but other than that no songs stood out to me. I liked No Time This Time but wasn’t a fan of the vocals. High 3/5
Fun
The Police are fantastic, but they’re still a work in progress in 1979. A few flashes of brilliance here, but that is all.
6/10 – Decent
Despite boasting two of the band's best songs, The Police's second album is a bit weak overall. "Message in a Bottle" is certainly a stunner, with a great riff and multiple hooks. "Walking on the Moon" is the other highlight; for a band not known for great lyrics (see the casual homophobia of "On Any Other Day") it has subtly evocative lyrics about being hopelessly in love. It also demonstrates the big sound of this album, which is the reggae influence. Musically that reggae sound is pretty good, even if it doesn't have the depth of the real thing. But the vocal affectation Sting uses, and the ad-libs, feel inauthentic and insensitive. The two hits aren't the only good songs, as "Bring on the Night" and "The Bed's Too Big" are fine, but there's a lot of anonymous new wave here that doesn't stand out despite the drumming being quite good. A spotty album, but not a bad one.
норм, но ребята могут лучше, что-то между 3 и 3.5
Costumam chamar de "white reggae" pela presença mais marcante do reggae aqui. Mas acho mais "fusion" do que outra coisa. Há tanto de reggae quanto de jazz e rock, numa mistura que por vezes se aproxima do pós-punk, na linha que brotaria a "surf music" australiana, por exemplo. Disco irregular, porém, intercalando ótimos momentos com chatices sem fim.
Message in a bottle! The rest are slow
I really struggled to rate this one. These guys can certainly play, are competent songwriters, and have written some great tracks but, other than Message In A Bottle, nothing here was particularly memorable. I suppose the reason I struggled to rate this is simply because The Police is a band whose name carries a lot of weight. They have some great singles, are incredibly popular, but this album didn’t quite live up to my expectations.
Eh. A little better than other Police albums but still just so-so.
I almost gave this a 2. But it’s not THAT bad.
7/10 - perfect length of an album, not much filler here, I didn't expect much from The Police apart from their known songs so this was nice
The Police's combination of New Wave and Reggae is not a sound that particularly interests me, even after listening to "Synchronicity" and quite liking it. My feelings towards this album are actually very similar, which surprised me because I expected to not really dig it, but I guess starting with "Message in a Bottle" quickly broke that illusion of being a mediocre record, being a super catchy track with incredibly playful instruments and super clean production, with the last two aspects being very common throughout the whole project. Unfortunately, the fact that the highest point of the album is the very beginning I think is a big inconvenience, as from there, nothing is as interesting nor as hard hitting, as there is a lot of tracks that a very "loose", meaning that they lack of anything to hold on to, like a melody, hook or groove, making these pieces to easily pass by like almost nothing happened, if it wasn't because the very soft production creates a decent vibe. The best examples I can think of are "Reggatta de Blanc" and "Deathwish". Another two aspects I dislike about the album are the sometimes very forced voice and the occasional repetitive parts, and when they are combined together they can create some really tedious parts, like the ending of "Does Everyone Stare". Before finishing, I want to reiterate how great the instruments are. The playing is surprisingly technical for the genre, particularly the drums which can adapt incredibly well to the most relaxing and energetic parts. The bass also has a spectacular sound that enhances the grooves. Overall, I think it is a decent album that starts very strong, has some very playful performances and nice vibes, yet gets a bit derivative in the end.
2.5
Don’t have much to say. I enjoy it but not loving it. Think this album is a grower and could see me loving it more in future. Definitely makes me want to listen to more of The Police Highlights were “Bring On The Night” and “Walking On The Moon” Think 3 but will round up to 3.5 as I feel as stated above this is a grower which usually means higher rating in future
Es ou es
The strength of the first half of this album is formidable. Unfortunately gets undone through the back half a little bit, including a song that would surely not be well received in modern times (On Any Other Day). Fortunately it closes strong with No Time This Time. I’m happy to carry some of this album’s water.
The big takeaways from this one are Message In A Bottle and Walking On The Moon. The rest was honestly a bit forgettable for me. Seems like I might be into the hits from The Police but the rest is only ok.
White reggae indeed
'White Reggae' is a hilarious title in retrospect, but at least having a lead bassist singer/songwriter takes some of the sting out of it (and puts the Sting back in presumably). There's definitely a level of rhythm focus with taking the bass/drums out of the pocket and into the front that's marred by the album being an otherwise very safe New Wave album. Very impressive playing here from the whole team though, especially Sting, whose voice does a decent UB40-esque white-Brit vocal delivery with some serious style. 'Message In A Bottle' is an obvious standout but the whole tracklist is pretty consistent. They're clearly playing to their strengths, which is worth some credit, and 1979 must have been pretty early considering the sound, but it's also just standard-issue New Wave. You get the impression that it would sound much better live, with a trio of long-haired lanky white men swinging their heads around and attacking their guitars with pizzazz. But I'd rather listen to, say, a band like XTC that has more of a punk sensibility and more to say. Fav tracks: Message In A Bottle, Bring On The Night, Contact
You know a Police song is about to end when they start saying the same line over and over again
Rhythm section is definitely the highlight across this record. Personally feel like Sting's vocal performance is quite distracting and feels a little appropriative.
Sting's voice, melodies, and musical style is something that pretty much just annoys me.
Average album lifted by the two hit songs.
It's such a dumb album title. Inoffensive post-punk that is mostly bland particularly the reggae numbers. White reggae indeed. The filler tracks are bad. 2.5 rounded up. Heard before? Some Owned: No, 105/400 (26%) Will I get: No
Just here for the Copeland ad libs 🥁
I guess it’s harmless, but I was just unimpressed by this. I get that it’s “white reggae”, but does it have to be so repetitive and dull to the point of being grating? I can appreciate the band’s confidence in their musical ability and some unconventional, yet decent musical ideas, but I’m not really into the hazy, droning vibe this tries to set.
This album reminded me why greatest hits compilations exist. There are many songs on the real albums I really enjoy, they got released as singles. There are also many that are trying too hard to be clever or funny and don’t hold my interest. It’s good. I prefer the greatest hits.
I really like message in a bottle. Title track Regetta de Blanc is not good. They tried to be creative but failed. This sounds like The police in maybe two songs. Overall they lose it at times, and I dont really need to listen to it again.
As a musical genre “British Reggae” is very difficult to pull off and The Police mostly fail here, producing an album that is mostly just weird and dull but the formula does somehow magically work on Message in a Bottle.
Not the Police album I would have picked, they have better. Message in a Bottle doesn't hold a candle to Roxanne. But these guys are kind of a band that you listen to the greatest hits of instead of whole albums. Message in a Bottle is kind of a wild song to open an album on, has no intro at all. Just BAM straight in to the melody. And aside from that classic, this album is milquetoast.
7/10
Pretty good as always
Dad rock
There are some real jams on here and I thought this was going to be an unexpected 4 or 5 But then there was some crap that knocked it back down
Mushy fusion of reggae, power pop and punk. The hits are alright, but radio has played them to death. No thanks.
I never really got the Police. They have some absolute classics but the rest seems like filler or weird art school guff
God, all three of these guys are absolutely cooking on their instruments, which makes it doubly frustrating that half the album is underwritten. When you hear Stuart Copeland’s compositions, it’s completely understandable why Sting went solo. It's a shame because the musical chemistry of the band is insane and their sound, despite being derivative ('white reggae'), feels extremely fresh. It's clean, tight and propulsive, technically masterful (Copeland in particular) yet emotionally potent. Sting's compositions bring out the best in the band, creating textures and ridiculously complicated rhythmic counterpoints to what otherwise might be straightforward pop songs. But I guess that's the problem with capturing lightning in a bottle- it comes together too quickly to actually craft something timeless.
I’ve never listened to anything beyond the hits, and now I understand why. It’s perfectly average.
I enjoyed this more than the later Police album (Synchronicity) the generator has served to me. I can see the more elemental appeal of the band’s sound here even if as an album it doesn’t feel like it contains any real progression. The sonic landscape is enjoyable.
For such a popular group I think this album is just ok.
I've always loved The Police. Having said that, Message In A Bottle and Walking On The Moon are amazing, and Bring On The Night is ok. The rest is filler in my opinion. 3.5 just for the 2 singles.
I've never heard this whole album before somehow. It has some really strong tracks for sure, but others that should have never made the album.
White Reggae music, Or is it New Wave music? Either way: not great.
I think the Police are not entirely my vibe, a little too ska-adjacent
"Message In A Bottle" is really good. The rest of the songs are just so-so, and I don't even remember any of them.
Pop rock. A few good tracks and riffs looped a billion times. One extra star because message in a bottle is such an earworm
Album 272. Reggatta De Blanc — The Police (1979) Really good. Despite a couple of hits, it's pretty flat for me. 3/5 Liked: — Message In A Bottle — Reggatta De Blanc
I wanted to really like this -- when it's good, it's great. But there's a lot I wish I didn't have to endure
3/5. The two big singles off this album “Message in a Bottle” and “Walking on the Moon” are both very good as well as a few of the deep cuts like “No Time This Time” but there were also a number of tracks on this one that didn’t do a whole lot for me. Maybe it’s just that I had Synchronicity before this one, but I preferred the weird, adventurousness of that album over this one which plays it mostly straight with its reggae-ish rock.
I was wary going in given how much I don't like white guy Reggae, or even regular Reggae. But I liked this fine. Some of the more straight Reggae songs bring it down, like that moon song, but throughout the playing is stellar. I think this had an outside chance of getting a 4 from me, if only the songs had accentuated the parts I liked rather than leaving those as fleeting moments. There are moments of brilliance, but they remain moments and as a whole the songs were not memorable to me.
The way the album started I was thinking how is this reggae. Was an easy listen. Some good, some meh.
For about the first 6 tracks, I was ready to give this a 4/5. I was skeptical about the prospect of a white band making a reggae-rock album, but I found they did a good job at taking the skeletal rhythms of reggae and fleshing them out with more diverse instrumentation and eclectic song structures. Songs like Message in a Bottle and Walking on the Moon are obviously classics, but I was also impressed by deep cuts like It's Alright For You and Bring on the Night. However, by the second half, the cracks were starting to show. Some of the tracks felt like they were bringing diminishing returns with the reggae-rock concept, and Sting's bizarre quasi-Jamaican accent was starting to lose any charm in previously had. There are a lot of strong moments here, but the quality varies too much for me to fully get behind.
0.5 stars for message in a bottle
it’s fine
I liked playing message in a bottle on guitar hero ngl
Surprised by this one. I don't love it but this a real, uh, oxtail soup? of different sounds, some of which work better than others. The playing is tight, it's not bombastic like Synchronicity is, and there are some interesting things happening here. Unfortunately, as with a lot of reggae, a lot of it overstays its welcome and that's really the worst part of it. I would like a little less reggae and a little more new wave.
There's two good songs here: Message in a Bottle and Walking on the Moon. This is a good introduction to the Police, but they have stronger albums.
I like the Police’s sound for like a song or two, but this was just too much for me. The first couple tracks were great. Message in a bottle is a classic and the second track got really good. After a while though it turns into more of the same for me. Caterwauling singing with syncopated guitar riffs all day long.
Listened on repeat while vacuuming out my cobweb-filled, asbestos-lined basement (fucking mask ON). Not sure I'd choose this to soundtrack taking years off my life, but hey, it's poppy, it's punky, it's dance-y, and the band has great interplay. Call me a fan.
More upbeat and sometimes nice. But can't objectively listen to this.. I'm just hearing the same songs over and over at this point Review - 6/10
I've listened only around 150 albums, and this is already the second The Police album so I was rightfully prepared for "Fuck The Police" -type of a review. But to be fair, this wasn't that bad.
Classic rock album Fave track: Message in a Bottle
Listening session: july 16th, while going grocery shopping Listened to before: heard one song before Thoughts: Message In A Bottle is a great classic and I like that this album has reggae/ska influences, but after a few songs You’ve heard enough Favourite tracks: Message In A Bottle & Reggatta De Blanc
Kind of reggae laid back summer
Normalito, un par de buenos temas. Pero muy normalito. No es lo mejor de The Police sin dudas, pero es agradable al oído. 7/10
Ain't half bad, just not my cup of tea.
20/1001 Talvez o trabalho mais fraco deles, conseguindo ter uma das melhores músicas da carreira e outros sons bem esquecíveis Message in a Bottle - 100 Reggatta de Blanc - 70 It's Alright for You - 70 Bring On the Night - 80 Deathwish - 75 Walking on the Moon - 80 On Any Other Day - 70 The Bed's Too Big Without You - 80 Contact - 70 Does Everyone Stare - 70 No Time This Time - 65 Media: 75.4
I would say there was only a couple songs that were ok. And message in a bottle is a banger.
Pretty decent.
I liked the music it was cool to listening to but it wasn't really my type so i git it a 3/5
Not sure I know too much about The Police, Message In a Bottle is a banger but beyond that interested to listen to this album. Not bad, not sure I would ever put this album on but it's pretty catchy.
The Bed’s Too Big Without You is an awesome deep cut, but the other deep cuts are mostly just alright
Definitely one of their better ones but still not my thing
Great to hear this stuff again. The early Police work (often) had a punk-ish edge that kept it the right side of boring. The singles are stellar. But this list is about the overall body of work, not the singles. And the album tracks just aren't up to the same standard. 3*
It's fine - couple of great classic rock tracks but mostly very similar.
I’m not sure if I’ve ever listened to a studio album by The Police before. Compilation albums, sure, certainly had a greatest hits album in the collection at some point. Never listened to them much though. This was ok, but the two hits on it are definitely the best tracks. Doesn’t make me want to go and listen to more of their extended catalog though.
#994. Even though I'm intentionally listening for it, I can't hear what this has to do with reggae. 3/5: pretty mid
popcito
Faves: Message in a Bottle Walking on the Moon
Couple of iconic The Police songs on here, mixed with some fairly weird ones.
Quite alright, a chill album. Shows its age a bit. The final two songs were surprisingly bouncy, very different vibe from the rest of the album.
Not bad, especially the guitar work from Andy Summers is on top, love his usage of effects.
Yeah not bad.
Chill and groovy
sting's pretty solid and there's some good ideas but the instrumental writing is more of a danceable repetitive than a listenable interesting.
I LOVE Sting's voice and was just okay with the reggae vibe of this album. I'd listen to several songs again, so it's almost a 4, but I'm rounding down.
TREMENDAMENTE mid. Es impresionante lo que me aburre the police. Ya sabiendo que el primer tema era message in a bottle, me imaginaba el resto. Mamita querida lo más bland del mundo. Lo único que aprecio es el sonido reggae de fondo, que no había notado en general. Pero por lo demás, no me genera nada. 5/10
I've never really listened to the Police beyond the singles on the radio. Reggae-influenced pop. I'm not sure I'm a big fan. I like the chorus-y guitar. Sting's a great singer. "On Any Other Day" is a good song. There are some tunes I just don't like here. There's a real repetitivity here that while I like songs like that, I find here annoying. They just seem to really go after a chorus over and over again in their songs. It feels like that's their weakest point, songwriting. 3.
Ok but kind of a miss. There are a few good songs here and others that are pretty mediocre to me.
Two hits on this album and the other songs are not ones I'd be likely to listen to again.
another great greatest hits band. this is pretty decent, but their live albums are where it's at.
I like Regetta change at 2:00, same with deathwish. not sure i love the vocals, but love the instrumental compositions. not exactly my taste, but honestly quite close. I want to come back to this, I think it will be an album that grows on me.
Copeland is an insanely good drummer, and he shows his versatility here too. Message In A Bottle is the best song here, though I'm left pondering if Sting repeats Sending out an SOS over and over for the last minute and a half because he's run out of ideas or because he's twigged that's the best refrain in the song and will lodge in the listeners brain anytime it comes on the radio. I remember asking my Dad as an innocent 10 year old what Roxanne was about, and how and why she put on the red light? He told me that my friend Liam would know. I don't think Liam was much more world wise than me and it was probably a few years later until my curiousity was sated. Liam's Dad was a chemist though so he perhaps had experience of selling protection to young men more acquainted to ladies like Roxanne, but it's not really something you'd have the chat with your pee teen son about. It was a more innocent time. Nowadays you would be the laughing stock of the playground, not just for not knowing what Roxanne does but if you hadn't already seen her Only Fans.
Better than I was expecting but someone should have told Sting that he doesn’t have to do the accent when performing reggae songs. I will definitely revisit.
Honestly this was exactly what I need to start Monday off. Some catchy songs I knew, some inoffensive background for the songs I didn't know. It doesn't blow my mind but its still better than so many albums on here.
3 mostly for message in a bottle, but the album isn't too bad either.
3 out of 5. Eh, The Police have better albums, hits aside.
I'm a big Police fan so I come in with some "good feels" here. And it's good. You can hear the musicianship starting to really cook, three guys who are genuinely exceptional at what they do and starting to figure out how far they can push it. The reggae-pop thing works more than it probably should. Synchronicity is the peak though, and honestly everything before it feels like the band getting there. This one has some great deep cuts. The Bed's Too Big Without You is legitimately excellent. No Time This Time is a blast. Good record. Just not their best.
"Message in a Bottle" and "Walking on the Moon" were the two singles I was already familiar with and are probably the two Police songs that I still enjoy the most. They are solid songs that aren't played into the ground like some of their other hits. The rest of the album wasn't really my thing though.
'Message in a Bottle' being a big hit is hard to follow, but there's good stuff still to be had in this album. 'Walking on the Moon' was one of the stand-outs for me. I enjoyed the sharp twangs and reggae inspired guitar playing spread throughout the album. "Contact" also feels similar in sound to some other Police hits, makes me think of "Don't stand so close to me". A couple funky tracks i'd call "experimental". A good listening experience.
Agradable. el primer tema es el mejor.
Songs occasionally drag on but show a lot of variety and have lots of fun qualities. Experimental AND fun? D: Highlights: "Walking On The Moon", "On Any Other Day", "Does Everyone Stare"
Strong start, weak 2nd half.
I own three albums by the Police, and am familiar enough with them in a general sense and would even say I mostly enjoy them, but this is one I haven't heard until now. I listened to this, and it's okay - I'd say even very good at times - but it's got me wondering if I like this band as an album band or more as a greatest hits band. Every Police album has some stupid shit and weird decisions on it, and this is no exception. A one-dimensional instrumental as the second song stops the album in its tracks right as it begins, and whatever's going on with "Does Everybody Stare" falls flat. That said, there are some songs that are absolute bangers that channel the punk-adjacent energy of the debut, with "It's Alright For You" and "No Time This Time" being highlights. I dunno, kind of a mixed bag on this one. A record that showcases The Police at both their scrappiest AND starting to show off the cliches and heavy-handedness that would form the worst stereotypes for haters of this band.
Pretty good.
I dunno, I have tried. I like Walking on the Moon and Message in a Bottle but the rest is forgettable. Holding out now for Outlandos D’Amour to be the one that turns it round for me.
I like The Police, but I've always been a little skeptical of them. What do I mean by that? I think they're great, they're all amazing musicians, the write great songs, they're unique and have their own style... but that's where the problem comes in. As much as I like their style I can't help but have this nagging thought always in the back of my head that they're kind of a rip off. Sacrilege, I know. But I just think that sometimes they lean on the Jamaican/Reggae sound a little too much. Even to the point of it sounding like Sting is singing with a fake Jamaican accent. Maybe I'm crazy, but that's the one thing about this band that always nags me. Otherwise, great. This particular album is good, but aside from the hits nothing else stands out the way I wished it would. Still a really good album though.
This album kicks off with a cracking track, super lively, nice riff, driving bass. I get the feeling listening to this that the drum and bass are so focused on each other that it gives Andy Summer space to flit around them. It works in parts. By into each other i dont think ‘in the pocket’ or sympatico, I think competing for attention. Copeland’s drum are the star of this dish i feel. Now it isnt The Police’s fault but Aus Crawl put in such an effort to sound lile them and i dislike Aus Crawl that much, it drags the rating down here.
poliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice
Decent songs, really ruined by excessive ads from trying a different platform for listening. Familiar with a few already, not wanting to go back to
3.5 Message in a bottle is obviously great and a few of the other songs were pretty good but overall didn't quite hit for me
It's definitely appropriation, feels a bit uncomfortable listening to him sing in a weird fake Jamaican accent. Disregarding all that, every song slaps and I way prefer this mix of genres than standard reggae.
I've never listened to a police record apart from hearing the obvious hits on the radio. This is OK, at times it is a bit too quirky and frantic to properly enjoy. Great musicianship all round. Is it really reggae? Not for me to say. Bit cheeky calling it white reggae as if they own that genre but then again its not for me to say. Anyway, I'm fascinated by this band despite not really knowing their music. The drama and politics in the band would make for a great documentary. Maybe there is one, I haven't checked.