I've just decided to become a fan of The Police

[bruno]

But you're not talking about The Police, is it, you're talking about Sting, and his solo career, Dream of the Blue Turtles and all that. You should be wasting your time listening to his solo albums. Dream. Of. The. Blue. Turtles.

nothing like the sun was better than blue turtles, more cohesive in a pop sense and less derivative of other styles (calypso/world music, marsalis' standard jazz, etc.). englishman is annoying but so are half the songs on blue turtles, plus little wing is a decent update of hendrix' original. (i am channeling my inner bateman here)

 

[john eden]

Fuck The Police.

 

[droid]

i don't understand the bile in this thread, they weren't great but there are much worse things like the cure and talking heads that are absolute shit and no-one questions.

Despite Luka's protestations,I think if we're going to compare the Police to anything it should be their UK contemporaries who also took reggae as an influence, so we have the likes of The Clash, PIL, The Slits, Basement 5, Killing Joke, early Stranglers etc..., and of course the two-tone/ska movement... which is where I think you find the most suitable comparison:

Madness.

 

[john eden]

Although I guess there are these:

 

[john eden]

Skank Blog Bologna has a lot of post punk dub/reggae stuff:
https://skankblogbologna.wordpress.com/

Which is generally to be applauded, obviously.

 

[john eden]

Maybe a key question here is:

Why are The Police's crimes against reggae worse than those by The Clash?

 

[droid]

lol. Now we're getting somewhere. May the court rise!

I think the fairest way to judge it is on terms of genuine engagement. I never knew about this for example:

 

[droid]

Although TBF, in the overall category of C.A.R. it must be said they are minor, but persistent offenders.

 

[luka]

The police Are many times better than the specials, madness and especially the clash. The clash are the pits

 

[luka]

Pil are shit too
Another novelty band with no songs

 

[luka]

The police are the only post punk band with any credibility

 

[droid]

Cmon, you've done well with this thread, dont over-egg it now.

 

[luka]

And even the police only got about 3 good songs. Terrible era of music. Only reggae and r&b credible at this time

 

[IdleRich]

No-one has mentioned Sting's wife, I thought that it was customary when discussing him to slag her off and talk about her flying over a hairdresser despite being an environmental campaigner etc etc This debate has stayed out of that particular gutter for some reason.

 

[CrowleyHead]

I linked the doc to prove that Jazz Musicians are all scum. That pianist needed to be drowned somewhere, god.

But honestly, I'll pick up the defense of The Cure. Siouxsie & The Banshees had one good song, so they definitely fall behind The Cure. Madonna is infinitely better than Sting.

 

[droid]

I linked the doc to prove that Jazz Musicians are all scum. That pianist needed to be drowned somewhere, god.

But honestly, I'll pick up the defense of The Cure. Siouxsie & The Banshees had one good song, so they definitely fall behind The Cure. Madonna is infinitely better than Sting.

I think a defence is unnecessary. 17 seconds, Faith, Pornography.

 

[john eden]

When I went out for lunch today there was a man wearing a faded Police t-shirt. What have you done, Luka, what have you done...

 

[luka]

Heh hehe... I don't mind you and sloane hating the police cos you are both 45

 

[luka]

Into the light is siouxsie only song but in all honesty it's a really really good song

 

[john eden]

Heh hehe... I don't mind you and sloane hating the police cos you are both 45

I don't even hate them, really. I would have been about 10 when they were on the radio and top of the pops all the time. So I wasn't fighting the punks wars or anything.

You'd need to be about 50 for it to mean anything.

I've had some good discussions with people my age where I defend Stock Aitken and Waterman to people who think they still have to prove themselves by liking jangly indie music or The Levellers though.