The Police - Reggatta de Blanc Audio CD
A fair review of the The Police "Reggatta de Blanc" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all
The Police reviews here, or go back to the
The Police tabs.
Slightly less then great Like with all of their discs, a handful of songs truly standout and nearly forges its own sub-genre, but the slight majority of streamlined punk-polish takes center stage. 3 1/2
Negating a bit of the visionary vocabulary to help make their debut such a standout, Reggatta still churns along at an alarmingly high rate. .
the police were a spectacular band
From top to bottom, the songwriting is wonderful and very inventive the entire time. Whether the Police had intentions of saving rock and roll in the late 70's, being a revolutionary new punk band, or just liked the idea of mixing reggae with rock, their second album is a MASTERPIECE. If you're looking for melody, it's here. In fact, it's truly an album designed for people who specifically appreciate vocal melodies above everything else. The way the album was recorded sounds very good and packs a LOT of energy and punch.
Early Police is a lot better than the commercially lackluster 80's stuff that most people seem to remember the Police for. Remember the band for the energy and daring creativity of the early years, and buy Reggatta de Blanc in particular. .
White of Reggae
But when i did i was just knocked out. Have had this album on cassette tape since 1979! hadnt played it for a long long time. This is such a strong Follow up Album. Every song is a winner. The Re issue CD's are great, faithfull mixes to the Originals.
The Future is but a Question Mark
All their albums are good, but this one really stands out to me. This was the first Police album I ever owned, and in my opinion, the best album they ever recorded. There was a great deal of musical growth between this album and the band's debut, Outlandos d'Amour. Andy Summer's guitar playing really developed, becoming more intricate without losing its distinctive edge. All of the songs are strong and well constructed. My favorite Police song is "Bring on the Night", which is worth the purchase of the album alone. The deserved classics "Message in a Bottle" and "Walking on the Moon" are both incredible songs as well. Other standouts are "Deathwish" and "Contact", but in truth there's not really a bad song here. Even the goofy Stewart Copeland song "On Any Other Day" has its charms, one of the best Police songs Sting didn't write. A first rater and a true classic that has withstood the test of time.
Their best album
Reggae grooves mixed with rock energy, incredible open-throated singing from Sting, fabulous pop songs mixed with dialogues of internal turmoil, Copeland's tremendous drumming, Summers' brilliant rhythm concepts and use of heavy compression, delay, and chorusing; no other band ever got this funky and yet uniquely poppy on a massive scale. The second side of Ghost is genius, and all of their records are four stars at least, but Regatta created the template for everything that followed.
When Walking On The Moon came out, it was the best single for years, and is still one of the great pop songs. Simple and yet so full of character.
Every song on this record is good, even the non-Sting tunes (SC and AS are not great songwriters, as evidenced by their solo careers). Bring On The Night and Bed's Too Big are among the all-time classics.
I'm listening to a live tape of their 11. 24. 80 Toronto show, right when Zenyatta came out, and as good as it is, you can tell that they're already plateaued. But to plateau at the very top of your game and stay there for four years is no shame! I saw them a few times at this point and on the next few tours, and they always made audiences very happy indeed, creating a huge sound for a three-piece band by using space wisely.
Sting's politics are often right on, but when he kept his lyrics pointed at interpersonal politics, as on here, he was at his very best.
Ignoring all of the above, this album rocks and bops and is full of catchy melodies. . . that's enough reason to love it forever.
You can see a complete list of all The Police discography, or go back to the The Police tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.