Yes they really are! I wasnt a Police fan back in the 80s but thanks to Rick Beatos channel I have been getting into their music. These lyrics are phenomenal and mean so much more now that I'm older. This album was MASSIVE back then and the Police were everywhere, thier music never stopped being played on my local favorite stations but I finally have a real appreciation of thier music. ❤❤
I’m in my 50s and I’m not so deeply versed in music as some here. But not only was Police unique when their music came out, I still think it’s unique today. I don’t recall any other band sounding like the Police. Their music has held up! It’s not dated at all.
No, you’re right. They always were and remain wholly unique. Part of it has to do with Sting’s songwriting, but a large part of it comes from the incredibly creative and musical contributions from Andy and Stewart - no one plays like either one of them. And both served the song, always and impeccably. Thirdly, the production by Hugh Padgham was both innovative and timeless. (He’s mainly known for pioneering some of the most iconic sounds of the 80s - like Phil Collins’ drums of doom - but especially with The Police, the production sounds as good today as it ever did).
In case there's anyone else who never quite understood this lyric... "Scylla and Charybdis were mythical sea monsters noted by Homer. 'Caught between Scylla and Charybdis' was the ancient equivalent to 'stuck between a rock and a hard place.' If you sailed too close to Scylla, she would snatch six people from your ship, but the rest would survive. If you went too close to Charybdis, you risked your whole ship being sucked down and destroyed."
Both from Greek mythology, Homer's "The Odyssey." Odysseus (Ulysses in Latin) trying to get home after the Trojan War. The Devil and the Deep Blue sea. Scylla is thought to be the Strait of Messina, a notoriously rocky passage. There is a whirlpool nearby that is thought to be the origin of Charybdis. And so mariners would need to navigate between the two hazards.
Andy Summers is a very adept guitarist, doesn't get the same accolades but he understands how to serve the song and not overplay, he has a great ear and touch
Absolutely. He doesn't demand center stage like most guitarists and rarely takes "solos." He has a really masterful solo in "Driven to Tears" although it's probably only 15 seconds long!
@@brianmiller1077 that would certainly make sense given that they were contemporaries and they put out two collaboration albums together, the first one put out a year or so before Synchronicity.
What many don't understand is that The Police were one of the best bands ever. Period. Forget the multi-platinum albums, the three members were some of the best at their craft...ever. Stewart (percussion) was a badass, mad scientist, polyrhythmic genius, Andy(guitar) hung with all the greats (Page, Clapton, Beck, etc) back in the day, and Gordon (Sting: bass, vocals) is an absolute "tour de force" of songwriting, vocals and rhythm.
I remember back in senior year of High School, 1995, my English teacher started waxing poetic about the lyrics of this song. He instantly became one of my favorite teachers ever in that moment.
I love this band and Sting's voice is just so good - yes Stuart Copeland is amazing. I love the change in this song from "I'll be Wrapped Around Your Finger to "You'll be wrapped around my finger." Not here to promote but you know him, Rick Beato did an interview with Stuart Copeland that is really good.
Stewart Copeland's rhythms are exquisite. He explained they are based on North African Berber drum and percussion patterns. For years I connected it to reggae but sensed there was something odd. He says the accent on the 1 & 3 and upbeat on 4 that moves the groove.
Now THAT is cool to know! I have loved when Robert Plant, Peter Gabriel and others have adopted North African rhythms into their work, but I had not yet heard of a top “western” drummer doing so. That just puts Copeland even higher in my estimation. Have you investigated Afro-Celt Sound System? You might really like their work.
Synchronicity was their absolute masterpiece. So many great songs off this album. If you were alive in 1983, this song and others from the album owned the airwaves. Deservedly so.
Stings lyrics are as masterful as his music writing. Caught Between Scylla and Charybdis, I immediately looked up when I first listened to this song, and album. Mephistopheles I already knew about, but my amazement at incorporating these words into a song that drove me, and I assumed many others to dig deeper, is testament to an artist that breaks boundaries by the sheer fact that he would even consider such obscure lyrics to make fit his idea. Another great example of his songwriting skills is his solo work of Fortress Around Your Heart .. lyrically potent, with musicality unsurpassed.
Indeed, it’s one of the essential 80s albums. It’s difficult to grasp that they went through hell recording it. That something so beautiful and perfect came out of so much pain and misery. It's a tragedy that they have such a hard time working together. Understandable, but tragic.
Saw the The Police in London 1977 as an unknown support band.....we were expecting a punk band....how wrong we were....they were absolutely amazing.......Great band.👏👏
At 24, driving my car along the Christchurch, Bournemouth seafronts, UK. Donning a white shirt and black pencil tie. Listening to The Police in my car cassette recorder. So so good. Timeless music from three guys. Unbelievable and unique.
You guys absolutely have to see the live footage of this song from the reunion tour. There's a video that's on copeland the whole time and it's absolutely astonishing
2008 brought me two reunion tours for bands I thought I'd missed out on forever: The Police, and Return To Forever. Meaning: I saw two of the very best concerts I have ever seen in my life only about 6 weeks apart in the same year.
Yes! I ran across it a few months ago! For anyone wanting to check it out, search on Stewart Copeland's RUclips channel for "Wrapped Around Your Finger (Live From River Plate Stadium, Buenos Aires)" and see him multitasking on an entire pit of percussion instruments like an octopus.
……had the privilege to see The Police perform this live on this tour ❤️ (1983) Sullivan Stadium Foxboro Mass. Capacity 63,000 Females to see Sting….. 50,000 + ❤️❤️❤️ Flock Of Seagulls & The Fixx we’re the warm up acts ! Great show & beautiful women 👁❤️🔥 being only 17 yrs.old….. stunned how many girls dressed up like “Roxanne” 🥰
I saw them on that tour in Orlando. I was one of those young, gorgeous girls there but now am just an old wrinkled lady, LOL! But that's okay because the memory of that day and this concert will always bring me a BIG smile! Side bar: I was a newly married lady then so I didn't dress like Roxanne but there were thousands of girls who were!
But the verses are so damn repetitive! If I have to choose a song from Synchronicity, I'd rather go with "Tea in the Sahara". It's got a similar chill vibe and equally eloquent lyrics, but it gets to the point!
Synchronicity is one of those albums you play from start to finish, every song is an experience. When it came out, I remember my friend ran out and bought it and we sat and listened to it, not saying a word to each other until the last song had finished. Unbelievably good music.
The Police were a big part of the soundtrack of my life. I think I may have taken them for granted. I've been going back through their music because of this channel and I'm rediscovering why I loved them so much. Quite a few songs that I had forgotten about have been added to my playlist and I'm really appreciating them even more. I loved the band but Sting's solo career was just as amazing. "Fields of Gold" is an extraordinarily beautiful song from his solo career.
There are so many great tunes by The Police. This is definitely one of my favorites. I love synchronicity II, King of Pain, Every Breath You Take, and Fields of Gold (a song Sting did solo). Just really great stuff. A huge part of my childhood.. I loved their music
You should check out Sting's collaboration with Frank Zappa. They perform the ultimate version of "Murder by Numbers". The Police were good musicians, but they couldn't compare with one of the greatest ensembles of all time. And singing with them really brought out the REAL Sting.
This was a treat. Took me back to the concert in February of 1984 at Syracuse University. "Things they would not teach me of in college" was sung and the place went wild. I was a senior that year, I LOVED that album. The intelligence of the lyrics, the uniqueness. No one sounds like the Police, nor should they.
Sting said that at the time it was his most complete and realised song of his enormous output .... so simple in construction and melodic and poetic too
The deliberate use of the snare only on the 4th beat in the first two choruses makes it feel so good when you finally get that full 2 and 4 beat. That first snare flam hits so good every time
A superb masterclass in how music can be a transcendent medium, where ethereal substances can amalgamate into this moody, lyrically dense, slightly intimidating experience. Sting draws upon these vivid imagries from literature, classic folklore, and creates this gem of music that will be timeless. Music and musicians that make you think and feel all at once.... what a novel idea....
Me personally. This is one of the greatest songs ever. The reason I say this is, every time I hear the intro I still get chills down my spine. ❤ Totally magical.
"Mephistopheles is not your name but I know what you're up to just the same." One of my favorite lyrics although the caught between Scylla and Charybdis is up there too. As a Classicist, it always resonated with me. I also studied at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne during my year abroad so the fact that Sting is a Geordie from Walls End makes it even better.
After watching Andy Summers interview with Rick Beato, I now see these three as musical equals. I was always just a Copeland and Sting fan (I didn't get how intricate Andy was playing). Damn, I wish they would join up for one more album.
That is a mature song for sure.... and the way the dynamics change when the lyrics change from him being wrapped around her fonger to her being wrapped around his finger at the end is so subtle... Grown up song for grown up people.... Class all the way.
Great composition. Impeccable arrangement. Gorgeous vocals. Lyrics you can dig into deeply. But every Police song is a showcase for Stewart Copeland. There are great drummers in rock. There are spectacular percussionists, too. But Copeland is a master rhythmatist. Everything he plays feels completely three dimensional.
I was so pissed when I couldn’t get tickets to this concert! My best friend and I consoled ourselves that day at work by playing the album on repeat. To everyone in that children’s furniture and clothing store that day….you’re welcome!
Since you all are fans of Stewart Copeland, search his RUclips channel, if you hunt for "Wrapped Around Your Finger (Live From River Plate Stadium, Buenos Aires)" and watch the Police live performance, you get to see Copeland multitasking on dozens of percussion instruments like the extremely talented drummer he is. It is amazing--as if he had eight arms instead of two!
There is a video somewhere that only shows what the drummer is playing while this song is being performed on stage. All three of these guys are superstars.
If anybody has this on vinyl, its translucent. If you hold the playing surface over a light, it turns color. Some copies are purple, some rootbeer, some red and there are 36+ versions of the design on the album cover
Before recording "Walking on the Moon," their producer asked Copeland if he was ready to be a percussion superstar. For once this song dropped that's what he'd be. Great song - check it out.
Remember listening to this and the entire B Side of Synchronicity thinking I had never before heard a better B Side. My favorite album growing up until 5150 by Van Halen, and then The Joshua Tree.
The Police rocked my teenage world and they remain my favourite band to this day. The Synchronicity album blew my 12 year old mind when it came out! Music had never hit me that way before and this album is so influential to my life. Except maybe Mother. I don't have it, but I wouldn't miss it. It's weird. The rest of the songs are masterpieces though. Each and every one.
Stings lyrics are amazing as is Copeland drum work but a mention for Andy Summers , this guy played with Hendrix and was mates with Clapton, as well as a performer at Ronnie Scott’s legendary jazz club in the Uk during the sixties . What a combo the Police were
Dude! I remember my friends and I hanging out at a guy’s Datsun 280Z one night at a party to listen to this song on his new stereo and speakers he had just put in. It was the beginning of summer. We had just ended my sophomore year in high school. He had a sweet bi-level haircut, was wearing Vans, 501 jeans, and a rugby shirt. Talk about a song taking me back.
there is a GREAT video out there from the Police tour in 2008/2009 that features an extended version of the percussion intro to this song. Stewart plays Cymbals, Tympanies, etc etc., He's a master.
This song would not be what it is w/out the absolute mastery of Stewart Copeland's drums/percussion arrangements. I'm saying again, for your own sakes and the sakes of your folk, you should Patreon the soundtrack for "Rumblefish". Lot's of people missed it at the time and it is a downright phenom.
@@stellahalcyon9859 it was obvious you meant it for our pleasure. Don’t know what’s wrong with the other commentator. On a VERY quick trigger and pretty highly strung I’m guessing.
This album was MASSIVE in the 80s, someone correct me but I think the only other album that was bigger in the 80s might have been Michael Jacksons Thriller. Now that I'm older and thanks to Rick Beatos channel, I'm really getting into this band and getting an appreciation of thier music
One of the best albums of the 1980s, the last album by The Police. Front to back, an amazing, exciting record. I urge you to react to "Tea in the Sahara", a mysterious, sad and exotic song. The band's 1983 final tour was so big that, at least in Montreal, they filled the Olympic stadium and had five opening acts, each one of them a huge band in its own right. This was not a festival, this was a Police show with opening acts including Talking Heads, The Pretenders, Stevie Ray Vaughn, etc. The night before the concert, The Police gave a free, invitation-only show to an audience of about 1300 people, all winners of tickets from CHOM-FM, our Rock radio station. You can see this show on YT, shot at the Montreal Spectrum. I saw many great concerts there, in the 80s. It was considered one of North America's best live venues. The band was explosive.
I love Stings single work as well as his lyrics are mind blowing , I can name a few,*** 'If You Love Somebody Set Them Free and my fav = ***'If I Ever Lose My Faith in you, just beautiful and deep and amazingly arranged. This tune isnt my fav of theirs but thats me.
Sting wrote this and many songs on Synchronicity during his divorce from his first wife. A song about being wrapped around the finger of a conniving woman that you then turn the tables on is perfect for a bruised ego, and Sting knocked out the park with this one. The greatest revenge is massive success.
I loved this so much when it came out. My bff and I drove back from Sydney to Melbourne listening to this album over and over, and I still have the cassette (yes, I’m that old. 😂). King of Pain is my favourite.
You can tell he was an English teacher, the lyrics are incredible.
Yup and i think King of Pain lyrics even better
Yes they really are! I wasnt a Police fan back in the 80s but thanks to Rick Beatos channel I have been getting into their music. These lyrics are phenomenal and mean so much more now that I'm older. This album was MASSIVE back then and the Police were everywhere, thier music never stopped being played on my local favorite stations but I finally have a real appreciation of thier music. ❤❤
......no problem, but Joe Cocker wasn't a Geordie .......he was from Sheffield.......@@marktait2371
Yeah, this hits differently now that I’m over 50…
Yes, always. I do think that was one their biggest draws. Stings literature knowledge!
I’m in my 50s and I’m not so deeply versed in music as some here. But not only was Police unique when their music came out, I still think it’s unique today. I don’t recall any other band sounding like the Police. Their music has held up! It’s not dated at all.
Good point. I don't recall ever hearing a new song and thinking "this sounds a bit like The Police."
No, you’re right. They always were and remain wholly unique. Part of it has to do with Sting’s songwriting, but a large part of it comes from the incredibly creative and musical contributions from Andy and Stewart - no one plays like either one of them. And both served the song, always and impeccably. Thirdly, the production by Hugh Padgham was both innovative and timeless. (He’s mainly known for pioneering some of the most iconic sounds of the 80s - like Phil Collins’ drums of doom - but especially with The Police, the production sounds as good today as it ever did).
They were willing to go all in on that reggae and rock fusion. Plus they had Sting, which guaranteed a unique sound.
In case there's anyone else who never quite understood this lyric... "Scylla and Charybdis were mythical sea monsters noted by Homer. 'Caught between Scylla and Charybdis' was the ancient equivalent to 'stuck between a rock and a hard place.' If you sailed too close to Scylla, she would snatch six people from your ship, but the rest would survive. If you went too close to Charybdis, you risked your whole ship being sucked down and destroyed."
Both from Greek mythology, Homer's "The Odyssey." Odysseus (Ulysses in Latin) trying to get home after the Trojan War. The Devil and the Deep Blue sea. Scylla is thought to be the Strait of Messina, a notoriously rocky passage. There is a whirlpool nearby that is thought to be the origin of Charybdis. And so mariners would need to navigate between the two hazards.
Wow! You want a cookie?
Yeah, those ancient Greeks had it all down so long ago
@@ernestybarra6126wow, you make fun of knowledge?? Learning new stuff is cool
@@ernestybarra6126 So edgy.
This whole record was immaculate. Part of what made the 80’s what it was…..a one of a kind decade.
Well, I'd personally give _Mother_ a miss... honestly don't know what Andy was thinking with that one. 🙄
Sting's lyrics here are soooo deep, worthy of a line by line dissection at some time!
Absolutely!
“Walking on the Moon” and “Invisible Sun” . Two more really worth a listen.
They did Regatta De Blanc as a Patreon album so heard Walking on the Moon and loved it
Shadows in the Rain always makes me smile and wanna move my feet. 😊
Invisible Sun
Andy Summers is a very adept guitarist, doesn't get the same accolades but he understands how to serve the song and not overplay, he has a great ear and touch
Absolutely. He doesn't demand center stage like most guitarists and rarely takes "solos." He has a really masterful solo in "Driven to Tears" although it's probably only 15 seconds long!
Agreed!
This song is amazingly beautiful. Perfection.
But with a sinister note.
This album deserves a full listen for a future Patreon exclusive! A bunch of great songs.
Do you think they're ready for "Mother"? I didn't know it at the time, but it has a very Robert Fripp feel to it.
@@brianmiller1077 Is anyone ever ready for it? :) I really want them to hear the layers of Synchronicity I, and the storytelling of Synchronicity II.
@@brianmiller1077 that would certainly make sense given that they were contemporaries and they put out two collaboration albums together, the first one put out a year or so before Synchronicity.
@@hintzsch I hope they have lyrics videos. That line about "shout above the din of our Rice Crispies"
@@brianmiller1077 yep. Or "humiliating kick in the crotch".
This was a hit when my wife and I got engaged. I remember singing it as we drove home from the mall after buying our wedding rings. 40 years !
Sting is simply one of the best songwriters of his generation. I’d love to see you react to “Fortress Around Your Heart” by Sting. 🙂
Anyone else have MAJOR flashbacks of the video 😂. Sting running around barefoot with those goggle sunglasses dressed in white with all those candles.
Can't say I ever saw the video.
What many don't understand is that The Police were one of the best bands ever. Period. Forget the multi-platinum albums, the three members were some of the best at their craft...ever. Stewart (percussion) was a badass, mad scientist, polyrhythmic genius, Andy(guitar) hung with all the greats (Page, Clapton, Beck, etc) back in the day, and Gordon (Sting: bass, vocals) is an absolute "tour de force" of songwriting, vocals and rhythm.
Yes, yes, and yes.
This is one of my favorite Police songs. That and King of Pain.
You've got to do the live version of this, it shows what a truly great percussionist Stuart Copeland really is.
I remember back in senior year of High School, 1995, my English teacher started waxing poetic about the lyrics of this song. He instantly became one of my favorite teachers ever in that moment.
"I will turn your face to alabaster, when you find your servant is your master." Such a great line! Another cryptic song from Sting
The Police was an integral part of the 80s music scene. One of the many reason that made this decade great for me.❤
I love this band and Sting's voice is just so good - yes Stuart Copeland is amazing. I love the change in this song from "I'll be Wrapped Around Your Finger to "You'll be wrapped around my finger." Not here to promote but you know him, Rick Beato did an interview with Stuart Copeland that is really good.
I watched the andy summers interview very worthwhile
The Police have to be the only band whose members have all been interviewed by Rick Beato. Sting was a while ago and Andy Summers was just recently.
I saw them in 1981, what a concert 😍 The GO GO'S opened up for them. It's hard to believe that much sound comes from just 3 guy's 😅😊
Very true and the same can be said for Rush.
I was at Buckeye Lake in '93 when Sting opened for The Dead.
Bruh.
If ever a time machine is invented....
Saw them twice. There were bands as good; but none better.
I saw that tour - amazing!
I saw them in '83 at The Meadows, Austin TX. UB40 opened for them.
Then again on their reunion tour here in San Antonio
Stewart Copeland's rhythms are exquisite. He explained they are based on North African Berber drum and percussion patterns. For years I connected it to reggae but sensed there was something odd. He says the accent on the 1 & 3 and upbeat on 4 that moves the groove.
Now THAT is cool to know! I have loved when Robert Plant, Peter Gabriel and others have adopted North African rhythms into their work, but I had not yet heard of a top “western” drummer doing so. That just puts Copeland even higher in my estimation.
Have you investigated Afro-Celt Sound System? You might really like their work.
Synchronicity was their absolute masterpiece. So many great songs off this album. If you were alive in 1983, this song and others from the album owned the airwaves. Deservedly so.
Y'all can't even comprehend how big this album was when it came out. At least 3/4 of the songs made it onto the radio, for years.
Beds Too Big Without You, seriously fantastic song and so signature Police.
In this song, Andy strummed an echoed ska stab that reminded me of Beds (yes, if you had one song with which to explain this band, that would be it).
YES
Stings lyrics are as masterful as his music writing.
Caught Between Scylla and Charybdis, I immediately looked up when I first listened to this song, and album. Mephistopheles I already knew about, but my amazement at incorporating these words into a song that drove me, and I assumed many others to dig deeper, is testament to an artist that breaks boundaries by the sheer fact that he would even consider such obscure lyrics to make fit his idea.
Another great example of his songwriting skills is his solo work of Fortress Around Your Heart .. lyrically potent, with musicality unsurpassed.
I love Fortress Around Your Heart.
The entire Synchronicity album is excellent, many consider it their best. You should check out the entire album.
Indeed, it’s one of the essential 80s albums. It’s difficult to grasp that they went through hell recording it. That something so beautiful and perfect came out of so much pain and misery. It's a tragedy that they have such a hard time working together. Understandable, but tragic.
After all these years (and not having heard the song for ages) that bridge still surprised me and blew me away. Wonderful song-writing.
Saw the The Police in London 1977 as an unknown support band.....we were expecting a punk band....how wrong we were....they were absolutely amazing.......Great band.👏👏
At 24, driving my car along the Christchurch, Bournemouth seafronts, UK. Donning a white shirt and black pencil tie. Listening to The Police in my car cassette recorder. So so good.
Timeless music from three guys. Unbelievable and unique.
NEEERRRRRDDDSSSSSSSSSS
Joking, of course, I had this album on vinyl.
One of the better police songs IMHO... love the kick back chill vines you guys give off.
You guys absolutely have to see the live footage of this song from the reunion tour. There's a video that's on copeland the whole time and it's absolutely astonishing
2008 brought me two reunion tours for bands I thought I'd missed out on forever: The Police, and Return To Forever. Meaning: I saw two of the very best concerts I have ever seen in my life only about 6 weeks apart in the same year.
Cymbal Maestro! ruclips.net/video/mmBdz1txGSo/видео.htmlsi=n_UmZsiUFD-d7vmc
Yes! I ran across it a few months ago! For anyone wanting to check it out, search on Stewart Copeland's RUclips channel for "Wrapped Around Your Finger (Live From River Plate Stadium, Buenos Aires)" and see him multitasking on an entire pit of percussion instruments like an octopus.
Sting is a wonderful, metaphorical writer. Listen to Fortress Around Your Heart. It's about war, but between a man and his wife.
……had the privilege to see The Police perform this live on this tour ❤️ (1983) Sullivan Stadium Foxboro Mass. Capacity 63,000
Females to see Sting…..
50,000 + ❤️❤️❤️
Flock Of Seagulls & The Fixx we’re the warm up acts ! Great show & beautiful women 👁❤️🔥 being only 17 yrs.old….. stunned how many girls dressed up like “Roxanne” 🥰
I saw them on that tour in Orlando. I was one of those young, gorgeous girls there but now am just an old wrinkled lady, LOL! But that's okay because the memory of that day and this concert will always bring me a BIG smile! Side bar: I was a newly married lady then so I didn't dress like Roxanne but there were thousands of girls who were!
@@maryreilly5092 …..great memories Mary, wish we could go back ❤️ what a show, they were on top of the world ! 🎸
@@MikeOstrowski-iq8wf Hey, Mike! I agree on wishing there was a time machine!
The restraint on the snare drum till @3:58 is an all the more powerful use of percussion. Just amazing, Stewart Copeland!
Love that snare
Played the cassette of "Synchronicity" on my yellow Walkman over & over & over & over.... again.....
As always with The Police, top tier musicianship. The entire album is stunning. Nuff said.
My second favorite Police song. Really excellent imagery and performances. But Spirits in the Material World is still my favorite.
ILL
But the verses are so damn repetitive! If I have to choose a song from Synchronicity, I'd rather go with "Tea in the Sahara".
It's got a similar chill vibe and equally eloquent lyrics, but it gets to the point!
@@SpaceCattttt Spirits in the Material World is from Ghost in the Machine.
INI
@@jaybengston1164 So? We're not discussing songs from that album.
Synchronicity is one of those albums you play from start to finish, every song is an experience. When it came out, I remember my friend ran out and bought it and we sat and listened to it, not saying a word to each other until the last song had finished. Unbelievably good music.
The Police were a big part of the soundtrack of my life. I think I may have taken them for granted. I've been going back through their music because of this channel and I'm rediscovering why I loved them so much. Quite a few songs that I had forgotten about have been added to my playlist and I'm really appreciating them even more. I loved the band but Sting's solo career was just as amazing. "Fields of Gold" is an extraordinarily beautiful song from his solo career.
There are so many great tunes by The Police. This is definitely one of my favorites. I love synchronicity II, King of Pain, Every Breath You Take, and Fields of Gold (a song Sting did solo). Just really great stuff. A huge part of my childhood.. I loved their music
You should check out Sting's collaboration with Frank Zappa. They perform the ultimate version of "Murder by Numbers".
The Police were good musicians, but they couldn't compare with one of the greatest ensembles of all time.
And singing with them really brought out the REAL Sting.
@@SpaceCattttt I’ll have to check that one out! Thanks 😊
I can't choose...too many!
@@canonfodder2068 agreed! Lol
This was a treat. Took me back to the concert in February of 1984 at Syracuse University. "Things they would not teach me of in college" was sung and the place went wild. I was a senior that year, I LOVED that album. The intelligence of the lyrics, the uniqueness. No one sounds like the Police, nor should they.
Aside from "Mother," which is borderline-unlistenable.
...teach me *of* in college...
Fixed it!!
That’s the Police concert I saw also. Black Uruhu opened for them and I really enjoyed them also.
Try Tea in the Sahara, too. One of the most profoundly delicate songs from that Album.
Yup. Unreal percussion. As usual, but particularly so on that track. Same for Andy's work.
Sting said that at the time it was his most complete and realised song of his enormous output .... so simple in construction and melodic and poetic too
Great execution of "leave a little space here and there" - and the drumming is so good you don't know it's there until it's not.
Good tune.
The deliberate use of the snare only on the 4th beat in the first two choruses makes it feel so good when you finally get that full 2 and 4 beat. That first snare flam hits so good every time
Copeland SO tasteful!
Stewart is a fantastic drummer, master of the hi hat.
A superb masterclass in how music can be a transcendent medium, where ethereal substances can amalgamate into this moody, lyrically dense, slightly intimidating experience. Sting draws upon these vivid imagries from literature, classic folklore, and creates this gem of music that will be timeless. Music and musicians that make you think and feel all at once.... what a novel idea....
Well said
Mt favorite Police song is "Fortress Around Your Heart"...give it a listen!
That's a Sting solo song from his first solo album Dream Of The Blue Turtles. I agree, great song.
Me personally. This is one of the greatest songs ever. The reason I say this is, every time I hear the intro I still get chills down my spine. ❤ Totally magical.
It's a beautiful piece of music.
"Mephistopheles is not your name but I know what you're up to just the same." One of my favorite lyrics although the caught between Scylla and Charybdis is up there too. As a Classicist, it always resonated with me. I also studied at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne during my year abroad so the fact that Sting is a Geordie from Walls End makes it even better.
After watching Andy Summers interview with Rick Beato, I now see these three as musical equals. I was always just a Copeland and Sting fan (I didn't get how intricate Andy was playing). Damn, I wish they would join up for one more album.
Incredible production!! Drumming is second to none.
That is a mature song for sure.... and the way the dynamics change when the lyrics change from him being wrapped around her fonger to her being wrapped around his finger at the end is so subtle... Grown up song for grown up people.... Class all the way.
Next Level stuff. Stewart Copeland enjoyed playing this one. Masterclass.
Bonus Tuesday!!!!! 😄
Great composition. Impeccable arrangement. Gorgeous vocals. Lyrics you can dig into deeply. But every Police song is a showcase for Stewart Copeland. There are great drummers in rock. There are spectacular percussionists, too. But Copeland is a master rhythmatist. Everything he plays feels completely three dimensional.
A song that you don‘t want to end. This song is just perfect. Steve Copeland is just awesome.
I was so pissed when I couldn’t get tickets to this concert! My best friend and I consoled ourselves that day at work by playing the album on repeat. To everyone in that children’s furniture and clothing store that day….you’re welcome!
Stewart’s ability to play consistently soft and hard on the hi-hat is unmatched. It’s a master class on technique and taste.
Since you all are fans of Stewart Copeland, search his RUclips channel, if you hunt for "Wrapped Around Your Finger (Live From River Plate Stadium, Buenos Aires)" and watch the Police live performance, you get to see Copeland multitasking on dozens of percussion instruments like the extremely talented drummer he is. It is amazing--as if he had eight arms instead of two!
There is a video somewhere that only shows what the drummer is playing while this song is being performed on stage. All three of these guys are superstars.
If anybody has this on vinyl, its translucent. If you hold the playing surface over a light, it turns color. Some copies are purple, some rootbeer, some red and there are 36+ versions of the design on the album cover
Before recording "Walking on the Moon," their producer asked Copeland if he was ready to be a percussion superstar. For once this song dropped that's what he'd be. Great song - check it out.
I wore my cassette tape of Zenyata Mondata out in my car. Earlier stuff - stripped down and bare.
Ahhh…my favorite Police song. Thanks guys…my life is complete!♥️
Best (live) rendition of this song is probably Rufus Wainwright & Sting (at Sting's 60th birthday).
I love that!
I jammed with Sting a few times. We rocked Times Square. Guitar Hero.
Remember listening to this and the entire B Side of Synchronicity thinking I had never before heard a better B Side. My favorite album growing up until 5150 by Van Halen, and then The Joshua Tree.
The Police rocked my teenage world and they remain my favourite band to this day. The Synchronicity album blew my 12 year old mind when it came out! Music had never hit me that way before and this album is so influential to my life. Except maybe Mother. I don't have it, but I wouldn't miss it. It's weird. The rest of the songs are masterpieces though. Each and every one.
incredible song and performance. incredible literary references also. sting is such an intelligent song writer. and they are so fucking good.
Love this song and this album was HUGE. The Police are my 2nd Favorite trio, behind Rush. S Tier song!
Stings lyrics are amazing as is Copeland drum work but a mention for Andy Summers , this guy played with Hendrix and was mates with Clapton, as well as a performer at Ronnie Scott’s legendary jazz club in the Uk during the sixties . What a combo the Police were
As with many great 80's songs. if you watched the video, it adds to it! On its own, it's an A++ song on an S tier album!!
Copeland is a percussionist....not just a drummer. Insane talent.
Love this song! Classic. The lyrics are so detailed
I agree. And "I will turn your face to alabaster" has always been one of my all time favorite song lines.
Extraordinary. The Police at their best.
My favourite song from their best album. As a drummer I have been in total awe of Stewart Copeland for decades.
I was lucky enough to see sting in concert a couple months back. He was great
Dude! I remember my friends and I hanging out at a guy’s Datsun 280Z one night at a party to listen to this song on his new stereo and speakers he had just put in. It was the beginning of summer. We had just ended my sophomore year in high school. He had a sweet bi-level haircut, was wearing Vans, 501 jeans, and a rugby shirt. Talk about a song taking me back.
So jealous of all the great comments by lisyeners that got to see them in person! Sting is one of the great poets of our era.
So glad you appreciate the other two members of the band
Stewart Copeland is a GENIUS drummer. The Police were amazing; too ba they dissliked each other so much.
This whole record is just so, so good. Still.
there is a GREAT video out there from the Police tour in 2008/2009 that features an extended version of the percussion intro to this song. Stewart plays Cymbals, Tympanies, etc etc., He's a master.
ruclips.net/video/hWh5ilLBs-k/видео.html
I always loved Stewart Copeland’s drumming.
I always anticipate Sting’s one note pluck on the bass that cuts right through.
This is my favorite song from The Police, especially because of the unexpected twist in the story at the end.
You know you're a "status cymbal" when Stewart Copeland was hired by Peter Gabriel to play ONLY the Hi-hat on "Red Rain"
This song would not be what it is w/out the absolute mastery of Stewart Copeland's drums/percussion arrangements. I'm saying again, for your own sakes and the sakes of your folk, you should Patreon the soundtrack for "Rumblefish". Lot's of people missed it at the time and it is a downright phenom.
Love a suggestion that comes in the form of a vague threat to you and your loved ones.
Aww geez boss . I only meant for the benefits of everyones edification.
@@stellahalcyon9859 it was obvious you meant it for our pleasure. Don’t know what’s wrong with the other commentator. On a VERY quick trigger and pretty highly strung I’m guessing.
@@tmcmurdo826 a threat? WTF?
Always one of my favorite Police albums!! Brings back sooo many great memories! Great stuff!!❤️
This album was MASSIVE in the 80s, someone correct me but I think the only other album that was bigger in the 80s might have been Michael Jacksons Thriller. Now that I'm older and thanks to Rick Beatos channel, I'm really getting into this band and getting an appreciation of thier music
As far as instrumentation goes, less is more with The Police. I dig it!
One of the best albums of the 1980s, the last album by The Police. Front to back, an amazing, exciting record.
I urge you to react to "Tea in the Sahara", a mysterious, sad and exotic song.
The band's 1983 final tour was so big that, at least in Montreal, they filled the Olympic stadium and had five opening acts, each one of them a huge band in its own right. This was not a festival, this was a Police show with opening acts including Talking Heads, The Pretenders, Stevie Ray Vaughn, etc.
The night before the concert, The Police gave a free, invitation-only show to an audience of about 1300 people, all winners of tickets from CHOM-FM, our Rock radio station. You can see this show on YT, shot at the Montreal Spectrum. I saw many great concerts there, in the 80s. It was considered one of North America's best live venues. The band was explosive.
S for me. I was there back then 😊
Yep. Me, too.
I want to go back so bad!
I love Stings single work as well as his lyrics are mind blowing , I can name a few,*** 'If You Love Somebody Set Them Free and my fav = ***'If I Ever Lose My Faith in you, just beautiful and deep and amazingly arranged. This tune isnt my fav of theirs but thats me.
I generally don't care for music videos but the one for this song is one of my favorites
Sting wrote this and many songs on Synchronicity during his divorce from his first wife. A song about being wrapped around the finger of a conniving woman that you then turn the tables on is perfect for a bruised ego, and Sting knocked out the park with this one. The greatest revenge is massive success.
Video for this song has always been a favorite of mine.
I had 450 Police posters in my bedroom in the 80’s yep.❤you guys are awesome. Liking the snuggly blankets you look comfy. Love from Australia 🇦🇺 ❤
This is an outstanding track by the Police. Love the video as well with the candles.
I loved this so much when it came out. My bff and I drove back from Sydney to Melbourne listening to this album over and over, and I still have the cassette (yes, I’m that old. 😂). King of Pain is my favourite.
There’s an amazing version by Rufus Wainwright singing during Sting’s birthday