rialb said:

I'm just starting in on the box set and the first few songs ("Fallout," "Nothing Achieving" and "Dead End Job") sound much more "punk" than the stuff that follows. It would have been interesting if they had recorded a whole album of music like this.

Sting said in his book that he didn't care about doing these songs and the punk thing was their manager at the time idea, so they could get work in clubs. The blond hair was Stewart's idea. Also he said their 1st guitarist (which was named Henry something, I forgot his last name) wasn't very good, so punk songs fit his playing style. Sting and Stewart played in jazz fusion bands before the Police. Andy Summers played in 1960's groups like The Animals and Dantalian's Chariot and did some jazz too. He also played with Neil Sadaka in the early 1970's. So none of the members really had a punk background.

[Edited 4/28/11 14:21pm]

MickyDolenz said:

rialb said:

I'm just starting in on the box set and the first few songs ("Fallout," "Nothing Achieving" and "Dead End Job") sound much more "punk" than the stuff that follows. It would have been interesting if they had recorded a whole album of music like this.

Sting said in his book that he didn't care about doing these songs and the punk thing was their manager at the time idea, so they could get work in clubs. The blond hair was Stewart's idea. Also he said their 1st guitarist (which was named Henry something, I forgot his last name) wasn't very good, so punk songs fit his playing style. Sting and Stewart played in jazz fusion bands before the Police. Andy Summers played in 1960's groups like The Animals and Dantalian's Chariot and did some jazz too. He also played with Neil Sadaka in the early 1970's. So none of the members really had a punk background.

[Edited 4/28/11 14:21pm]

I love the Police for their own sound, they mixed different kinds of music. I love the punk stuff, but it's good that they did create their own sound. That's the reason why they become popular and unique. I'm glad that Henry didn't stay with the Police..

MickyDolenz said:

rialb said:

I'm just starting in on the box set and the first few songs ("Fallout," "Nothing Achieving" and "Dead End Job") sound much more "punk" than the stuff that follows. It would have been interesting if they had recorded a whole album of music like this.

Sting said in his book that he didn't care about doing these songs and the punk thing was their manager at the time idea, so they could get work in clubs. The blond hair was Stewart's idea. Also he said their 1st guitarist (which was named Henry something, I forgot his last name) wasn't very good, so punk songs fit his playing style. Sting and Stewart played in jazz fusion bands before the Police. Andy Summers played in 1960's groups like The Animals and Dantalian's Chariot and did some jazz too. He also played with Neil Sadaka in the early 1970's. So none of the members really had a punk background.

[Edited 4/28/11 14:21pm]

Yeah, I guess that's one reason that their first album was relatively fully formed compared to some of their peers. Sting and Stewart were in their mid twenties when they recorded the first album and Andy was in his mid thirties, which was pretty ancient by the standards of the day. They were much more mature, both in terms of age and in terms of musical aptitude, than most of their contemporaries. I do think it can be interesting to listen to groups "grow up" as they record their first few albums but with the Police we never really got to hear them when they were young and inexperienced.

MickyDolenz said:

rialb said:

I'm just starting in on the box set and the first few songs ("Fallout," "Nothing Achieving" and "Dead End Job") sound much more "punk" than the stuff that follows. It would have been interesting if they had recorded a whole album of music like this.

Sting said in his book that he didn't care about doing these songs and the punk thing was their manager at the time idea, so they could get work in clubs. The blond hair was Stewart's idea. Also he said their 1st guitarist (which was named Henry something, I forgot his last name) wasn't very good, so punk songs fit his playing style. Sting and Stewart played in jazz fusion bands before the Police. Andy Summers played in 1960's groups like The Animals and Dantalian's Chariot and did some jazz too. He also played with Neil Sadaka in the early 1970's. So none of the members really had a punk background.

[Edited 4/28/11 14:21pm]

Good info.

Their seminal influences seemed to relatively untrained ear to be more along the reggae/ska/world music lines. Outlandos D'Amour seemed to have more of a rock feel to it, but the other influences (including jazz) started to shine through with the next three albums. Synchronicity synthesized all of that into a brilliant pop album. At least that's how I hear it.

Gunsnhalen said:

Has anyone listened to any of Sting's solo stuff?

I have all of his solo work until All This Time. For me, Soul Cages is far and away his best solo work.

Yikes! I never noticed the lyrics to "Rehumanize Yourself" before!

That's pretty hardcore for 1981. That makes Dirty Mind look a bit tame.

rialb said:

Yikes! I never noticed the lyrics to "Rehumanize Yourself" before!

Billy's joined the National Front
He always was a little runt
He's got his hand in the air with the other cunts
You've got to humanise yourself

That's pretty hardcore for 1981. That makes Dirty Mind look a bit tame.

Sting also calls the guy at the employment office (played by Andy) that on Dead End Job. But that's nothing compared to a Millie Jackson album of the time.

[Edited 4/29/11 12:42pm]

MickyDolenz said:

rialb said:

Yikes! I never noticed the lyrics to "Rehumanize Yourself" before!

Billy's joined the National Front
He always was a little runt
He's got his hand in the air with the other cunts
You've got to humanise yourself

That's pretty hardcore for 1981. That makes Dirty Mind look a bit tame.

Sting also calls the guy at the employment office (played by Andy) that on Dead End Job. But that's nothing compared to a Millie Jackson album of the time.

[Edited 4/29/11 12:42pm]

I must not have been paying close enough attention, I'll have to listen again with a keener ear.

POP: POLICE, ENGLISH TRIO AT GARDEN

By STEPHEN HOLDEN

Published: January 25, 1982

"EXCEPT for the Rolling Stones' appearances here last fall, no other rock event in the last year has aroused such high expectations as the arrival of the Police, the English trio that was at Madison Square Garden on Friday.
Augmented for their tour by three South Jersey horn players who call themselves the Chops Horns, the Police put on one of the most exciting arena concerts that this observer has seen in a long time.

The Police are the first white group to thoroughly integrate Jamaican reggae into a pop setting in a way that doesn't seem dilettantish or didactic. For the Police's songs are genuinely internationalist in outlook. They assume a one-world consciousness that is very much a product of global telecommunications.

While their viewpoint is leftist, it is not strenuously revolutionary. Unlike many of his other politically-minded peers in rock, Sting, the trio's chief songwriter, lead singer and bass player, writes with the light touch of a natural phrasemaker. The pessimistic, alienated side of his sensibility is balanced by an irrepressible pop enthusiasm that expresses itself in wonderful tunes that blend modal reggae chants with strong pop hooks.

The Police's music is so catchy that at Friday's concert the audience was able to sing along with at least half the songs. The addition of the horns gave the songs an extra rhythmic punch and in places provided a soulfulness that the recorded versions lack. Live, the band's signature sound is as striking as it is on disk, with Andy Summers' shimmering rhythm guitar springing off of Stewart Copeland's buoyant pop-reggae foundations to echo Sting's keening rock tenor in almost a mirror-like effect.

The Go-Go's, the Los Angeles-based women's quintet which opened for the Police, have improved considerably since they played the Ritz some months ago. This time around, they were able to reproduce the sassy close harmonies and to convey the conspiratorial wit that made their debut album, 'Beauty and the Beat,' one of the surprise successes of the past year. 'Our Lips Our Sealed,' their signature hit, with its nostalgic echoes of Tommy James, the Ventures, and the Crystals, was the obvious highlight of a delightful set."

http://www.nytimes.com/19...arden.html

CHOPS Horns ( Quazar / Su.../ etc... )

Fantastic info, Shango.

namepeace said:

Fantastic info, Shango.

Thanks namepeace !

Yeah, great that Chops shared this info on their site.

JoeTyler said:

People, forget your Jam, Elvis Costello, Television, The Clash, or even Blondie and embrace the best band of the whole 77-83 era: THE POLICE

Zenyatta Mondatta is one of the best albums ever recorded. Period.

Shango said:

POP: POLICE, ENGLISH TRIO AT GARDEN

By STEPHEN HOLDEN

Published: January 25, 1982

"EXCEPT for the Rolling Stones' appearances here last fall, no other rock event in the last year has aroused such high expectations as the arrival of the Police, the English trio that was at Madison Square Garden on Friday.
Augmented for their tour by three South Jersey horn players who call themselves the Chops Horns, the Police put on one of the most exciting arena concerts that this observer has seen in a long time.

The Police are the first white group to thoroughly integrate Jamaican reggae into a pop setting in a way that doesn't seem dilettantish or didactic. For the Police's songs are genuinely internationalist in outlook. They assume a one-world consciousness that is very much a product of global telecommunications.

While their viewpoint is leftist, it is not strenuously revolutionary. Unlike many of his other politically-minded peers in rock, Sting, the trio's chief songwriter, lead singer and bass player, writes with the light touch of a natural phrasemaker. The pessimistic, alienated side of his sensibility is balanced by an irrepressible pop enthusiasm that expresses itself in wonderful tunes that blend modal reggae chants with strong pop hooks.

The Police's music is so catchy that at Friday's concert the audience was able to sing along with at least half the songs. The addition of the horns gave the songs an extra rhythmic punch and in places provided a soulfulness that the recorded versions lack. Live, the band's signature sound is as striking as it is on disk, with Andy Summers' shimmering rhythm guitar springing off of Stewart Copeland's buoyant pop-reggae foundations to echo Sting's keening rock tenor in almost a mirror-like effect.

The Go-Go's, the Los Angeles-based women's quintet which opened for the Police, have improved considerably since they played the Ritz some months ago. This time around, they were able to reproduce the sassy close harmonies and to convey the conspiratorial wit that made their debut album, 'Beauty and the Beat,' one of the surprise successes of the past year. 'Our Lips Our Sealed,' their signature hit, with its nostalgic echoes of Tommy James, the Ventures, and the Crystals, was the obvious highlight of a delightful set."

That bit struck me as kind of funny. It may have been true at the time that it was written but a lot of people would argue that during his solo career the exact opposite is true.

As far as horn sections and rock bands go generally I don't like them to mix. For me most great rock music is about a fairly basic sound and the more layers you add (horn sections, keyboards, backing vocals) the more you dilute what was great about it in the first place.

I love this very rare version of

Truth Hits Everybody

rialb said:

Unlike many of his other politically-minded peers in rock, Sting, the trio's chief songwriter, lead singer and bass player, writes with the light touch of a natural phrasemaker. The pessimistic, alienated side of his sensibility is balanced by an irrepressible pop enthusiasm that expresses itself in wonderful tunes that blend modal reggae chants with strong pop hooks.

That bit struck me as kind of funny. It may have been true at the time that it was written but a lot of people would argue that during his solo career the exact opposite is true.

As far as horn sections and rock bands go generally I don't like them to mix. For me most great rock music is about a fairly basic sound and the more layers you add (horn sections, keyboards, backing vocals) the more you dilute what was great about it in the first place.

None of what Shango quoted above (which is more than you highlighted, I know) rings very true to me. Sting's deft touch was on full display during his Police days. It isn't quite as evident in his solo career but it has been decidedly less volatile than his Police career. That had to have effected him as a writer.

Your opinion on horns is one I agree with sometimes and disagree with sometimes. The Police knew when and where to give the horns some, perhaps better than any artist. Others, like the namesake of this Org, have not had as impeccable a touch at times, whether blending horns into a rock song or rock into a funk/r&b/soul song.

namepeace said: None of what Shango quoted above (which is more than you highlighted, I know) rings very true to me.

None ? ... that's unfortunate. I can see it maybe for the concert-review but can't understand why the 2 remaining musicians

of Chops would base their biography on incorret info when they were actually being part of The Police's tourband at the time.

Shango said:

namepeace said: None of what Shango quoted above (which is more than you highlighted, I know) rings very true to me.

None ? ... that's unfortunate. I can see it maybe for the concert-review but can't understand why the 2 remaining musicians

of Chops would base their biography on incorret info when they were actually being part of The Police's tourband at the time.

I was only discussing the portion of the review I highlighted at the top of my post, which was opinion. And after I read it again, I think I agreed with it.

The Chops accounts were great! I will never listen to Ghost In the Machine the same way!

My post wasn't well thought out. My bad.

namepeace said:

Shango said:

None ? ... that's unfortunate. I can see it maybe for the concert-review but can't understand why the 2 remaining musicians

of Chops would base their biography on incorret info when they were actually being part of The Police's tourband at the time.

I was only discussing the portion of the review I highlighted at the top of my post, which was opinion. And after I read it again, I think I agreed with it.

The Chops accounts were great! I will never listen to Ghost In the Machine the same way!

My post wasn't well thought out. My bad.

Thinking is for nerds.

namepeace said:

Shango said:

None ? ... that's unfortunate. I can see it maybe for the concert-review but can't understand why the 2 remaining musicians

of Chops would base their biography on incorret info when they were actually being part of The Police's tourband at the time.

I was only discussing the portion of the review I highlighted at the top of my post, which was opinion. And after I read it again, I think I agreed with it.

The Chops accounts were great! I will never listen to Ghost In the Machine the same way!

My post wasn't well thought out. My bad.

no prob and thanks again for your thoughts

rialb said:

Thinking is for nerds.