Sting/Police prediction

[air_leech]

Originally posted by Kristin Joy

I cannot honestly see the Sting of now-a-days coming down off his easy-listening platform to front a band that was once known for it's edgy, innovative sound. It's incongruous.

As for Andy and Stewart...they were just as talented if not more so than Sting. Don't get me wrong...Sting is the one who first inspired my love of the bass. But Stewart is a far better drummer than Sting is a bassist.

words of wisdom Kristin.

btw, anyone has a clue who played all the synth stuff on Police songs? I mean they have a lot of sounds on their studio tracks that are surely not bass, guitar or drums. (for an example refer to "wrapped around your finger").

[Christopher]

I think Andy and Sting (in that order) were responsible for the keyboard parts.

Some of the stuff which sounds like synths is actually Andy's guitar, eg. "Tea in the Sahara", "Secret Journey".

[Spearhead]

I really dislike sting's solo stuff. The police were good, but sting is just too much of an egotistical dominatrix in band situations. The thing that made the police good was how each bandmember was extremeley unique unto themselves. If they got back together it would be awesome, but I dont see it hapening. it would have to be with stewart though, because he's probably my favorite drummer.

[NewWaveBasser]

The Police is the BEST band ever and the reunion would kick big time azz coz I never got to see them live, dammit...

...but...

Sting is unrecognizable now (LAME!) and appears to have forgotten how to play interesting bass (where is the bass in Brand New Day?). The Bassplayer article featured Police basslines save for one BND song. Gee...wonder why? Except his 1st solo effort Sting just strayed away from cool. The question is: can we get the young, intrepid, lyrically creative Sting of The Police days back? Spirits In The Material World eats up After The Rain Has Fallen everytime. Unfortunately, I don't see the adventurous spirit in Sting anymore...

As for the others, well... someone here said Stewart made some comments as if he did not want to be in the band...but the VH-1 Behind The Music showed a different Stewart. It seemed as though he loved The Police and was excited about possibly reuniting. He spoke well of Sting.

Andy is another worry in the reunion equation...he´s reaching 60. A 60-year-old doing Next To You? Errr...

[NewWaveBasser]

A guy whose last name I think was Russell played keyboards on Police albums. Check the CD booklets...it´s there.

[Bassline1414]

I like some of Sting's solo stuff, and some of the live stuff I've heard from Stewart's new band (Oysterhead with Trey Anastasio from Phish and Les Claypool from the Police) is actually very cool. Andy Summers is also one of my favorite guitarists, although I haven't heard any of his solo albums. A Police reunion and a new album would be cool if they could all get their minds in the same spot, if you know what I mean.

By the way, isn't Sting's manager Stewart's brother?

[dytakeda]

Kristin said:
But Stewart is a far better drummer than Sting is a bassist. However, Sting is the hottie, and chicks dig him.

I said this earlier and I'll restate it now - it's not about playing bass or drums, and it's especially not about how good a player anyone is. Otherwise, Marcus Miller would be at the top of the charts.

It's all about the Benjamins. Which means it's about writing commercial pop songs. Sting will go back to the Police when he needs to. Of course Stewart and Andy need to. No one buys their current stuff because IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S GOOD OR NOT. Andy and Stewart didn't contribute as much as Sting did to the Police because Sting wrote the songs and they didn't.

Andy was leading some band for a TV talk show, Chevy Chase's or Rick Dee's or someones. That's why Andy wants to get the Police back together, not because the music will be "artistic".

[JimK]

Originally posted by Bassline1414
Andy Summers is also one of my favorite guitarists, although I haven't heard any of his solo albums.
By the way, isn't Sting's manager Stewart's brother?

Pick up Summers' The Last Dance Of Mr. X; it's a trio(Summers/Levin/Bissonette, for the most of the tunes)...they tackle some Jazz Classics("Footprints", "Afro Blue", "Goodbye Porkpie Hat", etc)& do 'em in a Rock/Funk feel(for the most part).

...and yeah, Miles Copeland is the manager; check out the movie, Bring On The Night to see him in action. Whadda weasle!

[Bruce Lindfield]

Well I did see the Police live in 79/80 and just about when "Message in a Bottle" was at No 1 in the UK charts and I did really like the group and gigs - but there is a lot of hype here that seems strange to me - "edgy" and "innovative" - well not really. Sting wrote some good catchy songs and mixed in a bit of the punk energy that was going round in England then.

BUT - the gigs were mostly taken up with long jams around the "white reggae" thing, which was hardly innovative and hardly "edgy and exciting" - more comfortable and relaxed. Loads of groups in the UK were doing rock/reggae things, as the "Rock against Racism" movement consisted mostly of punk and reggae groups - so the cross-fertilisation was very natural and the Clash had been doing this for many years before the Police - in fact one of their most popular tracks was a version of "Police and Thieves" by Junior Murvin; which may have been what inspired the name.

Live - Sting seemed most comfortable with the slow, relaxed reggae jams - getting the crowd involved in chanting and improvising vocals. So a typical live show around 1980 would include a few fast songs which lasted maybe a few minutes each; but the bulk of the set was taken up with like 20 minute versions of the reggae sections of tunes like "So Lonely" or "Roxanne" .

I mean if you were expecting fast, punchy, energetic songs, you would have fallen asleep halfway through. I liked it because I was a huge fan of reggae dub - but a short time after the Police gigs, I saw the real thing - that is Sly and Robbie doing their dub jams with Black Uhuru and after that the Police seemed like a tribute band.

[dytakeda]

I think the "edgy" stuff everyone is referring to is from a bit later... Ghost in the Machine and Synchronicity. Most of the white reggae stuff was gone by then... it certainly didn't define their sound any more.

[Moonraker]

It's very true about the music being done all before , I'm a big fan of The Police but there is plenty of real quality reggae , dub and ska out there to appreciate. Despite differences reggae and punk have come quite close together. Why do you think there are so many ska/punk bands about now or playing that type of music. Too much people seem to forget the roots of this music and a lot of other genres. Don't forget about great reggae bass players such as Aston 'family man' Barret and Robbie Shakespeare (who especially has experimented into other fields of music) Bass is so important in music and if you want to hear the real 'Bass' check out some older reggae , dub and ska.

[luther787]

A POLICE REUNION WOULD MEAN TO ME THE WORLD HOWEVER THE REALITY OF IT IS A BIT FARFETCHED. MIND YOU THAT THESE GUYS HAVE NOT MADE A RECORD NOR BEEN SEEN IN PUBLIC TOGETHER IN DAMN NEAR 15 YEARS. THE NOVELTY AND INTRIGUE OF THE POLICE IS WHAT WILL KEEP THEM ON TOP WHETHER OR NOT THEY EVER PLAY TOGETHER AGAIN. BY THE WAY, HOW MANY VOTES FOR ZENYATTA MONDATTA AS THEIR BEST C.D!!

[NewWaveBasser]

MEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! ZENYATTAAAAAAA MONDATTTAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!! YESSSSIRRREEE, THAT LP IS JUST F---G AWESOME BABY!

I´d invite you back to my place...'s only mine because it holds my suitcase!

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally posted by dytakeda
I think the "edgy" stuff everyone is referring to is from a bit later... Ghost in the Machine and Synchronicity. Most of the white reggae stuff was gone by then... it certainly didn't define their sound any more.

Well, by then I'd given up on them as MOR or AOR and I see little difference between this and Sting's solo output...oh and how about "Every Little Thing She does is Magic" - cod reggae?

[NewWaveBasser]

...Ghost In The Machine and Synchronicity had more basswork, more energy, and more interesting lyrics than most of Sting's solo work. Listen to Synchronicity I and II and you'll see these ain't "Brand New Day".

Both those albums still have some electric upright stuff...at least sounds like it (O My God, Hungry For You...) while Sting later went to guitar and back to the Fender bass...which he should have used MORE on B.N.D.!

I actually like "Every Little..." because of its bassline and Stewart's accelerated drumming.

[dytakeda]

Let's face it. Sting is writing and performing like a 50 year old man, which is basically what he is. I'm not saying that as a bad thing, but we all mellow with age... or should. I like his music, but I'm 41. And I completely understand why someone in their 20's would not like his current stuff. I was in my 20's when the Police were big and I dug that stuff then and still do.

His music and image these days is that of a mature performer and songwriter, especially compared with say... Mick Jagger. Is there anything more sad than rock stars who write and act like they're still in their 20's? Do I want to see a 50 year old Sting jumping around the stage like the cover of the Police Live!? No way.

For MOR pop, Sting writes interesting and engaging stuff. I know this is a bass players' forum, but you can't judge a song by the basswork. Sting's current basswork is appropriate for the songs he's writing.

I just got to thinking if there was anyone else who "survived" the "Rock of the '80's". I'm hard pressed to think of anyone besides Sting and Elvis Costello. David Byrne kind of did, but he could certainly use the focus of having the Talking Heads around him. Any other suggestions?

[Christopher]

Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing a Police reunion. Yes, they've aged, but then, they've always been old souls/musically mature. It's not like they got their start by bashing out three-chord songs in their parents' basement. Put another way, I don't think age will affect the Police the way it would, say, the Rolling Stones or Rod Stewart. Or the Spice Girls, for that matter.

[Drake]

I think that they would be good without the song Roxanne. I really dislike that one... I like Miss Gradenko's bass line a lot.... Oh well just my 3 cents.