The Police were an English new wave band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the band consisted of Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar, primary songwriter), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion)…
On 8 November, The Police will be reissuing re-mastered 180g heavyweight vinyl of Reggatta de Blanc, Zenyatta Mondatta, Ghost in the Machine and Synchronicity as well as a 6-CD boxset edition of 2018’s Every Move You Make: The Studio Recordings that brings together all their studio albums with the addition of a bonus disc of B-sides entitled ‘Flexible Strategies’.
The Police celebrate the 30th anniversary of their recording debut with their first double-disc CD "best of" collection entitled, The Police. The 28 songs bring together the biggest hits from the band's five original studio albums and includes their very first single, 1977's "Fall Out." From that rarity to one of the most-remembered and most performed rock ballads of the `80s, 1983's "Every Breath You Take," The Police spans the group's six-year journey from sweaty clubs to sold-out stadiums - establishing them as one of the definitive and most popular rock groups in the world.
Despite their legendary status, the Police only released five albums during their brief reign from 1978-1983. In addition, the trio had amassed a healthy amount of both studio and live B-sides, plus songs that only appeared on soundtracks. For the 1993 four-CD box set Message in a Box: The Complete Recordings, every single song the Police ever recorded is included. All the tracks were digitally remastered for the project, sounding superior to the original CD versions of the single albums. Also included is a 68-page booklet that includes an interesting (and often humorous) biography, a time line, and notes from all three bandmembers regarding the rarities that appear for the first time on compact disc here.
Consisting of one disc recorded from a Boston radio broadcast in 1979 and the other from a large concert hall in Atlanta in 1983, Live! demonstrates the evolution of the Police's sound while showing off their ability to perform onstage. Aside from the track listings (although several of the same tracks are found on both discs), there are notable differences between the two concerts. The production is the most obvious. The 1979 recording, sounding raw like a well-done bootleg, is mixed for a punk band, which the Police largely were at the time. The Atlanta recording is slick and professional, perfect for the world-famous pop stars they had become. The second major difference is the performances themselves. In the Boston concert, because they had less material to fill an entire show, the band extended the songs by improvising on themes and progressions (while at the same time frequently lead-footing the tempos). In contrast, the Atlanta show featured a denser mix. Three backup singers doubled the number of people onstage, while the songs were moody and atmospheric. Again the band expanded on its arrangements. You won't hear your favorite licks from many of these songs, but the fair exchange is getting to hear drummer Stewart Copeland's inspired improvised fills; Andy Summers's cautious, delicate guitar textures; and Sting's rasta chants. Aside from being a transcendent live album, this collection makes it very clear that the Police were so much more than just Sting and "two other guys." Quite the opposite is true. It testifies not only to the strength of the songwriting but, more important, to the band's musicianship. The Police were a perfect musical trinity, each member an indispensable and inseparable part of the whole. –Beth Massa, Amazon.com.