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The Police: Studio Albums
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Poll Question: Which is your favorite?
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3 [15.00%]
5 [25.00%]
3 [15.00%]
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Steve Wyzard View Drop Down
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    Posted: May 19 2023 at 13:30
This band receives a lot of mentions on this site for not being prog or even prog-related - which of these five albums is your favorite?
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David_D View Drop Down
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I certainly don't consider Police to be Prog-related, but my fave of theirs is Reggatta de Blanc (1979), even I'd like it 
to be more varied. 
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I confess to having a Police record: Synchronicity - the only Police album I've ever listened to, and when it comes to New Wave bands, I prefer Debbie Harry & Blondie, who's a far more arresting sight than the Police. Smile
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verslibre View Drop Down
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Ghost in the Machine. "Spirits in the Material World" is one of the coolest songs ever. "Secret Journey" is another gem.
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JD View Drop Down
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Thank you for supporting independently produced music
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I am currently nearing the end of a Police marathon.  I am a big fan, might have something to do with their similarities to Rush in the 80's.  I could easily vote for all 5 albums; my vote went to Zenyatta Mondatta.  

Edited by rushfan4 - May 19 2023 at 15:02
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mellotronwave View Drop Down
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Synchronicity (with the gorgeous Wrapped around your fingers)
Regatta ( perfect sophomore)

Ghost


Outlando (sick of Roxanne and Don't stand ... too many listenings)

Zenyata ( no Dododo dadada for me , this song is still unbeareable today ,Behind my camel an Andy's instrumental is my preferred track of ZM)
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I recently listened to the entire Message in a Box which is basically all five albums and unreleased singles and B-sides. I love everything really but Synchronicity is one that hits me the in the right spot just a pubic hair more than the others.

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Steve Wyzard View Drop Down
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Originally posted by rushfan4 rushfan4 wrote:

I am a big fan, might have something to do with their similarities to Rush in the 80's.   

Similarities to 1980s Rush? I've been listening to both bands for 40+ years and with the exception of "Vital Signs", I never would have made the connection. Would you care to elaborate?
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Very hard too choose. Every album is superb. Today I'll choose Regatta.

And if you haven't heard it, "Murder by Numbers" with special guest Mr. Sting on Frank Zappa's "Broadway the Hard Way", is killer.



Edited by Grumpyprogfan - May 19 2023 at 15:29
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Originally posted by Steve Wyzard Steve Wyzard wrote:

Originally posted by rushfan4 rushfan4 wrote:

I am a big fan, might have something to do with their similarities to Rush in the 80's.   

Similarities to 1980s Rush? I've been listening to both bands for 40+ years and with the exception of "Vital Signs", I never would have made the connection. Would you care to elaborate?
A trio with an excellent drummer, guitarist, and bass playing vocalist playing new wave music. I've read over the years that the Police were actually an influence on Rush in the 80's, especially Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, and Signals.  Sort of the catalyst that moved Rush from the progressive rock band that they were in the 70's to the New Wave/AOR inflected band that they became in the 80's.  
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JD View Drop Down
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In another one of JD's Amazing Life Stories...

When I was at Western University I took some art classes as electives to satisfy my photographers itch while doing Calculus with Analytic Geometry classes for my computer science program.
One of my profs had a special guest in class one day and it was Duane Michals the photographer who did the Synconicity  cover. I brought in my LP sleeve and had him sign it. Never did get the other lads signatures though. that would have been special.


Edited by JD - May 19 2023 at 15:43
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someone_else View Drop Down
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One of the better bands of the period. Regatta de Blanc is my favourite.
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Steve Wyzard View Drop Down
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Points: 2848 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Steve Wyzard Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2023 at 15:57
Originally posted by rushfan4 rushfan4 wrote:

Originally posted by Steve Wyzard Steve Wyzard wrote:

Originally posted by rushfan4 rushfan4 wrote:

I am a big fan, might have something to do with their similarities to Rush in the 80's.   

Similarities to 1980s Rush? I've been listening to both bands for 40+ years and with the exception of "Vital Signs", I never would have made the connection. Would you care to elaborate?
A trio with an excellent drummer, guitarist, and bass playing vocalist playing new wave music. I've read over the years that the Police were actually an influence on Rush in the 80's, especially Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, and Signals.  Sort of the catalyst that moved Rush from the progressive rock band that they were in the 70's to the New Wave/AOR inflected band that they became in the 80's.  

I see your point, but I'm still having a hard time thinking of 1980s Rush as a "New Wave/AOR inflected band", especially when one listens to heavily-layered albums like Power Windows and Hold Your Fire. From the entire decade, I can think of maybe three Rush songs that can be described as "Police-influenced": "Vital Signs" (obviously), "Digital Man", and "Red Lenses". The big change in Rush's sound began when they and producer Terry Brown went their separate ways, and while every album since made attempts to "keep up with the times", I can't quite wrap my head around the idea of them becoming a "New Wave/AOR inflected band".
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verslibre View Drop Down
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Originally posted by Steve Wyzard Steve Wyzard wrote:

Originally posted by rushfan4 rushfan4 wrote:

Originally posted by Steve Wyzard Steve Wyzard wrote:

Originally posted by rushfan4 rushfan4 wrote:

I am a big fan, might have something to do with their similarities to Rush in the 80's.   

Similarities to 1980s Rush? I've been listening to both bands for 40+ years and with the exception of "Vital Signs", I never would have made the connection. Would you care to elaborate?

A trio with an excellent drummer, guitarist, and bass playing vocalist playing new wave music. I've read over the years that the Police were actually an influence on Rush in the 80's, especially Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, and Signals.  Sort of the catalyst that moved Rush from the progressive rock band that they were in the 70's to the New Wave/AOR inflected band that they became in the 80's.  

I see your point, but I'm still having a hard time thinking of 1980s Rush as a "New Wave/AOR inflected band", especially when one listens to heavily-layered albums like Power Windows and Hold Your Fire. From the entire decade, I can think of maybe three Rush songs that can be described as "Police-influenced": "Vital Signs" (obviously), "Digital Man", and "Red Lenses". The big change in Rush's sound began when they and producer Terry Brown went their separate ways, and while every album since made attempts to "keep up with the times", I can't quite wrap my head around the idea of them becoming a "New Wave/AOR inflected band".

Yes, "Digital Man" with its reggae underpinnings and select other tunes. That was discussed a fair bit in the Eighties. Alex's tone on certain songs/albums, like Hold Your Fire, also warranted the comparison. I didn't find it a bad thing at all.
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David_D View Drop Down
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I'm more fond of Sting solo, The Dream of the Blue Turtles. 
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Lewian View Drop Down
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Points: 15186 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lewian Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2023 at 16:26
The Police are hit and miss for me. Regatta de Blanc is certainly my favourite. I was quite disappointed by "Zenyatta" to the effect that I didn't give a real chance to the later two albums. I love quite some of Sting's later work though.
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I'm a huge fan of The Police, one of the biggest bands of the 80's easily. Rush, especially Neil, was influenced by The Police, specifically the reggae beat. You can hear it in several Rush songs.
Neil and Stewart became very close friends, with Stewart being one of the few chosen to attend Neil's memorial service.
I really think I should pick Zenyatta, but I have to go with Ghost In the Machine. The creativity of that album is off the chart, each song is brilliant.
They are one band that could still be relevant if they got back together....
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Outlandos by quite a margin.Tongue

To me Regatta & Zenyatta are poor carbon copies of Outlandos - I should one day relisten to both, though.

I kind of like GIAM, but Synchronicity is horrible to my ears, and  tend to think it's horrendously badly recorded, mixed and produced - especially for a band that was on top of the world back then.


Originally posted by David_D David_D wrote:

I certainly don't consider Police to be Prog-related, but my fave of theirs is Reggatta de Blanc (1979), even I'd like it to be more varied. 

They're not PR musically, but there are solid arguments because of the people that gravitated around the band

Andy Summers was in Soft Machine, and played with Kevin Ayers (and later with Fripp - while still in Police)
Sting was a jazz muso
Stewart had played for Curved air
Mike Howlett (Gong) wasc an essential piece of the band's creation of Strontium 90.
https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/strontium-90
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They were my favorite band for a couple of years back in the early 80s, and their discography is uniformly solid. These days my favorite is the debut.
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