The Police: Greatest Hits

Would-be punks, white imitators of authentic reggae, pretentious poseurs.....ex-teacher Sting (Gordon Sumner), sixties veteran guitarist Andy Summers and unpredictable American Drummer Stewart Copeland aka The Police were arguably all of those things. What they were also was damn good at times.

We kick off with the group's first hit - the now iconic Roxanne with its captivating Sting vocal and sparse backing from Summers and Copeland. Can't Stand Losing You was another hit single, (despite its shocking picture sleeve cover of someone having hung themselves) probably the most "reggae" of the three that start this collection, with a dubby backing before the rock chorus kicked in. Up next is the reggae meets rock chorus of the irresistible So Lonely, a track I loved at the time and still do. It is their best early single for me. 

The massive hit single, Message In A Bottle had tinges of reggae behind a driving rock beat and an instantly recognisable introductory riff. Don't Fear The Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult, anyone? The chorus parts had inflections of dub reggae. Everything was pretty perfect about this track. No arguments there. 

Walking On The Moon was a big chart hit. It was a staccato, sparsely backed piece of reggae that for whatever reason, really caught on with the single-buying public and became their second number one after Message In A Bottle. It was very atmospheric, with that bass, cymbal, lead guitar chops and drum rim backing. Sting's haunting vocal was a great selling point too. The alluring This Bed's Too Big Without You was, along with Walking On The Moon, probably the band's most authentic, credible slice of reggae they have produced thus far.

Don't Stand So Close To Me is a now iconic, irresistibly catchy number about a teacher’s problems about the teenage pupil who has a crush on him. It is a great song, with a bit of wry humour on there from Sting’s experience as a teacher no doubt. De Doo Doo Doo, De Da Da Da is another of the killer singles the group produced, a perfect example of a classic early eighties new wave hit single.

Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic was a great choice for a single, and although the verses are Police-like, the chorus is really quite atypical of most of their work. Invisible Sun is a truly excellent, mysterious, moody track. Full of paranoia and a huge, pounding backing. One of The Police’s best rock tracks. 

Spirits In The Material World utilises that archetypal Police white reggae sound and here it is enhanced with some eighties-style synthesisers backing the reggae riff as Sting expresses his frustrations with current world politics. It is a great song, full of atmosphere and verve. Sting’s bass underpins the whole song in a muscular, resonant fashion. I love it.

Synchronicity II is a corker of a track, with a great guitar riff and mysterious, atmospheric lyrics. Every Breath You Take is known to everyone, of course. It sort of stands alone from the rest of the Synchronicity album as it is so familiar. I have always found it just a little creepy, lyrically, however. 

Now, to finish, we get three truly excellent, lesser-mentioned Police songs that show what a quality band they had become, one far removed from that of their first album. First up is the superb King Of Pain with its hauntingly catchy Sting vocal and a solid, rocky backing. 

The Talking Heads-influenced Wrapped Around Your Finger has that band’s quirky rhythmic backing merging with The Police’s trademark guitar-driven reggae sound to produce an excellent track. It features some excellent dubby reggae guitar parts. 

Tea In The Sahara is one of the Synchronicity album's best tracks, revisiting that old Walking On The Moon backbeat and Sting’s vocal taking on that haunting tone that he would use in his solo career from this year onwards. It almost sounds like a Sting solo number. Apparently Sting felt they played the song too fast. Strange, as it is very slow and laid-back. All great stuff.