I spent the morning revisiting the back catalogue of one of the greatest British bands ever, “The Police” and in particular the albums Outlandos D’Amour their debut album and Regatta De Blanc their second thanks to my Alexa. Both albums are among my favourites and they are impossible to split both having given me plenty of musical joy. I can picture myself lying on my bed blasting out both albums on my record player they were great times even if I was a mental nut job for most of 1979 due to a breakdown.
"Every Breath You Take" - Outlandos d'Amour
What else is left to say about this tune, which has to be as nearly perfect as any mustered since The Beatles' reign over the music world? Musically, Sting proves himself quite a master as well, always able to take advantage of both simple and complex compositional impulses without making the slightest misstep. Summers' wonderful, haunting guitar riff is just as important to the song's success as the lyrics, but the structure of the piece itself is a foundational lesson in pop song writing.
Released in 1978 it charted low at 42 but on its re-release in 1979 it charted at number two kept off the top spot by “I Don’t Like Mondays” The Boomtown Rats. One Nil to my brother.
“Roxanne” - Outlandos d'Amour
I think that "Every Breath You Take" was the best ever song however I loved, "Roxanne" from the fantastically named Outlandos d'Amour album. It's such a Police type of song. When you think of The Police, you think of "Roxanne” well I do anyway.
Such a wonderful song, full of soul in it, It was written from the point of view of a man who falls in love with a prostitute. It failed to chart in the top 10 incredibly reaching twelve in April 1979 on re-release
“So Lonely” - Outlandos d'Amour
The influence of reggae on the Police is pretty apparent to even casual fans, but few of the band's songs are as overtly connected to the genre as 'So Lonely,' which singer-bassist Sting admits was based on a Bob Marley classic -- with a little punk thrown in for good measure.
It sounded like he (Sting) was singing Sue Lawley who happened to be a well-known BBC newsreader and for some it will be forever “Sue Lawley”. It charted in the UK at number 6 the highest position the album finished.
"Message in a Bottle" - Regatta De Blanc
Another absolute classic from The Police here we have a song seemingly about a story of a castaway on an island, who sends out a message in a bottle in the search for love. A year later, he has yet to receive any sort of a response, and despairs, thinking he is destined to be alone. The next day he sees the beach covered in "a hundred billion bottles" finding out that there are more people like him out there.
I actually throw a bottle into the Bristol Channel off the Cardiff foreshore one sunny evening but never received a reply maybe it’s still looking for that island. However, something about 'Message in a Bottle' certainly struck a chord with fans, who helped make the tune the Police's first No. 1 hit in the UK.
Another absolute classic from The Police here we have a song seemingly about a story of a castaway on an island, who sends out a message in a bottle in the search for love. A year later, he has yet to receive any sort of a response, and despairs, thinking he is destined to be alone. The next day he sees the beach covered in "a hundred billion bottles" finding out that there are more people like him out there.
I actually throw a bottle into the Bristol Channel off the Cardiff foreshore one sunny evening but never received a reply maybe it’s still looking for that island. However, something about 'Message in a Bottle' certainly struck a chord with fans, who helped make the tune the Police's first No. 1 hit in the UK.
"Walking on the Moon" - Regatta De Blanc
This was released as the follow-up single to "Message in a Bottle and was the bands second number one hit single. The video for the single was a massive hit and was shot at the Kennedy Space Centre.
It features the band members miming to the track amidst spacecraft displays, interspersed with NASA footage. Both Sting and Andy Summers strum guitars (not bass) in the video, and Stewart Copeland strikes his drumsticks on a Saturn V moon rocket. The track is one of the more heavily reggae-influenced songs, which Sting wrote in a drunken stupor after a concert in Munich
It features the band members miming to the track amidst spacecraft displays, interspersed with NASA footage. Both Sting and Andy Summers strum guitars (not bass) in the video, and Stewart Copeland strikes his drumsticks on a Saturn V moon rocket. The track is one of the more heavily reggae-influenced songs, which Sting wrote in a drunken stupor after a concert in Munich
"The Bed's Too Big Without You" - Regatta De Blanc
A very under rated song you never see it in a Police top ten but I, love it. The theme of the song are loneliness and the pain of the end of a relationship. The song is a classic example of the Police's ability to merge reggae with new wave music. The musicianship of the band is on top form from the 'brilliant' drumming and the guitar play couple with Sting's voice makes this record. I never get bored of listening to this track.
The lyrics were inspired by an incident in which Sting's first girlfriend, after being heartbroken upon their break-up, committed suicide.
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