Synchronicity

This was The Police's last album, and it was also its best. It was also its most popular album: when it came out, in 1983, I was 15, and I remember all my high school classmates were listening to it all the time. There is the hit single Every Breath you Take (a tale of a disturbed stalker disguised as a love song), the faux-oriental Wrapped Around your Finger (who can't forget Sting in the video dressed as a martial artist jumping around the burning candles?), the great Synchronicity II (great lyrics, and with the trio singing in the video in a sort of post industrial wasteland), King of Pain. Sting's pretentiousness as a lyricist is so over the top that it can be almost touching: Tea in the Sahara was inspired by Paul Bowles' novel The sheltering Sky, the title track is reportedly inspired by writings of Koestler. And what other pop artist of the 80s would mention Scylla and Charybdis (as he does in Wrapped...) or Spiritus Mundi (in the title track)?

If you listen for a while to The Police, there is no question this is a very important band in the evolution of rock. The Police married punk, reggae, and new wave and turned into something unique and never duplicated.

Still, the influence of the band lives on for many reasons. One is the incredible musicianship of the band. Each band member was a great musician, and there is something to be learned about songcraft in listening to The Police. Drummers, guitarists, bassists, vocalists -- all have plenty of lessons to learn listening to The Police.

Anyway, that is why is hard to call this record a Police album. More than any other record, this album sounds like Sting dictating the content, with the other band members doing his bidding. In the case of Andy Summers, there are long stretches where he simply disappears altogether from the sound.

One can only imagine there was a battle going on. At the same time Eddie Van Halen was fighting David Lee Roth's rejection of Eddie's growing keyboard fetish, Sting was trying to render Summers contribution irrelevant by taking over harmonic duties previously provided brilliantly by Summers' guitar with Sting's new keyboard toys.

Now, listening back, one could see this coming slowly. Hits like "Everything She Does Is Magic" and "Don't Stand So Close To Me" are pretty heavy on the keyboard. Not to mention the incredible overmix of the bass that also suggests Sting's ego outgrowing the band.

I believe this is a Sting album in Police clothing. If so, it is certainly Sting's greatest album by a long shot. But, with due respect to what The Police are about, I do not believe this is a true Police album.

Still a fantastic album that should be owned certainly by any serious songwriter who is interested in what moves the pop masses.

One final note -- Sting is often mentioned as a great vocalist. I believe this is true, but I do not believe he is a great lyricist like, say, some his countrymen like John Lennon or Roger Waters. Sting's brilliance as a vocalist comes in the phrasing and melody, not in the word choice. Sometimes, the words are a bit silly but the phrasing is incredible. At this best, Sting's lyrics are good, but seem like a sort of strained literary style -- like someone desperate to prove that he reads books.

Regardless, Sting certainly shows incredible polish and discipline in his songwriting in Synchronicity -- which is a high point in Sting's career but sadly not for The Police as a whole.

The Police emerged from the punk wave, but they were never really a punk band but initially their sound was rougher and more direct, but they would shortly prove that they were more skilled musicians then any Punk band and also last longer. Their debut album Outlandos d'Amour [Digipak] featured both hard rockers and reggae inspired rock that later became their trademark sound and even titled their sophmore album Reggatta de Blanc [Digipak] (i.e White Reggae). On their third album Zenyatta Mondatta [Digipak] they polished their sound to perfection and it's generally known as their best album. Sting also got into politics and several of the songs on Zenyatta Mondatta had a political meaning, but most importantly they fulfilled their promise and became superstars. One year later in 1981, they released their forth album in 4 years titled Ghost In The Machine [Digipak]. Apart from working constantly in the studio they also had several big tours and the band were exhausted. It was a diffrent album with less of the trademark sound and more jazzy horns and synthesizer beats, the context was deep with some political songs included again. But the album wasn't bad in any way and hits like "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" and "Spirits In The Material World" talk for themselves.

Police took 1982 off, Sting persued a career in acting and Sumners released a solo album. But the following year they were back again, but "Synchronicity" would be their last album. Quite inevitable when you have three strong personalities in a band where all of them would like to have an impact on the sound and recording and Sting was mostly in charge of the material and was the the leadsinger and best songwriter aswell. However, The title is once again inspired by a theory, this time something that Psychologist Carl Jung wrote. The album itself is nothing short of exellent, but the Reggae sound has almost vannished and been replaced by a more polished Rock sound more typical for it's time with more synthesizers and heavy production. First song, "Synchronicity Part 1" is typical for their new heavy produced sound and is a standout. Synchronicity means: "The experience of having two (or more) things happen coincidentally in a manner that is meaningful to the person or persons experiencing them". Second song "Walking in Your Footsteps" is a tale about a Dinousaur that was extincted and the fear of a nuclear war destroying human kind aswell. It's not too interesting to be honest. "O My God" is about Stings questions his faith in god, he was raised as a Roman Catholic but here he asks why god won't notice his calls and why he can't help the starving poor. Sumners sing the infomous song "Mother" and it's the worst song ever recorded by Police. I guess it's either part of the synchonicity concept or Sumners who was recording the song by himself just wanted to annoy Sting by recording something unbearable. Copeland wrote "Miss Gradenko" but Sting sings the vocals this time. This is obviously another cold war song and pretty good.

"Synchronicity Part 2" another standout with lethal guitar riffs and great hook. It's about a family father's boredom and frustration of modern life and follows the theory from Jung where he and the Lochness Monster are in the same boat...insanity. He's in synchronicity with the monster. "Every Breath You Take" the most famous Police song together with "Roxanne" is an classic that defines a whole generation. The guitar riffs are unforgettable and proves once again how good Sumners was. The song itself is almost an offcial stalking anthem were Sting sings about how's he looking at this ex-girl wherever she is. Not too surprisingly the song reached the top of the charts on both sides of the Atlantic in 1983. "King Of Pain" was another big hit, but it's actually a song about being depressed and how hard it is to get out of it. Considering how many people that are depressed these days, they should listen to this song and find out that even superstars like Sting had this problem. A very slow, beautiful song with haunting sound called "Wrapped Around Your Finger", the lyrics got alot of metaphors but I think the title more or less means to be attached to someone and to do anything for her. "Tea in the Sahara" sounds more like Stings latter, slower more jazzy numbers. Closer "Murders By Numbers" is about a murderers but it's also metaphors involved. It's slow with a jazzy feeling. I think it would have been better if it was faster with some more trendy arrangements.

Overall, the fifth and the last Police album is great and it feels like a good way of ending an era, it's not only one of their best albums but also they quit on their peak, being the most popular Rock band in the world. The band had accomplished their masterwork and it was time to move on. They started a farewell tour the year after and when it was done they disbanded and all of the members started solo careers. Sting would obviously be the most successful and his debut album The Dream of the Blue Turtles is worth a look if You're further interested in him. In 2007, over 20 years after they disbanded and 24 years since "Synchronicity" was released, the Police announced their reunion. It's uncertain wether there will be new material but a world tour is going on right now. Tonight me and my bestfriend will be attending their concert for their first time!. Hence, the reason why I decided to review all of their 5 albums. There is no better way for me then to just applause them for 5 splendid albums and enjoy the reunion concert.

Maybe the great album from this band, the sound in this format it's amazing, there is "space" for all instruments and voice. A step ahead in sound development.

Just back from the concert reunion in Chicago and had to re-new my love for this band by running out and getting some DVDs. Synchronicity is simply put, awwwwwsome! I agree with some of the other posts, why have the back-up singers featured so much? I saw the Police in the 80s in Chicago with a bunch of High School friends, not sure if they were there to pick up chicks and get hammered or watch the show? Never-the-less if your a fan, put this in your DVD collection. I also picked several other Police DVDs and can't wait to play the air drums when the wife and kids are out at Chucky Cheeses! LOL