Underrated.

JoelSim

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The Police and some of Sting's solo stuff too. Really excellent type of sound. Little'n asleep and lady out. Very peaceful yet uplifting.

 
 

matthewpiano

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Saw him live about 4 years ago and he was incredible. Some fabulous musicians on stage with him as well including Chris Botti and Jason Rebello. He did both Police and solo material and it was a superb gig.
 
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Anonymous

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Calling them underrated is a hyperbole I think, but they indeed made some fine music. It gets a fair share of listening time here.
 

Gerrardasnails

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Jan Hibma:Calling them underrated is a hyperbole I think, but they indeed made some fine music. It gets a fair share of listening time here.

I agree, they were huge and Sting is famous all over the world, he has won almost every award. I find his solo stuff painful though.
 

survivor

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I thought The Police were great back in the day. Loved early singles such as `Roxanne` and `Can`t Stand Losing You`. Unfortunately when they became mega the magic was for me lost a little. Guess it had something to do with hearing their records a little too often. Of course that doesn`t mean they are not still great records, just that I grew tired of them. They did have a certain `texture` to their sound which was quite unique and well, very good indeed.

You know the song that I felt was good but could have been even better is `Don`t Stand So Close To Me`. It had a storyline and great verses which promised so much but when it came to the chorus I felt it should have had a touch more `Ooomph` to it. A missed opportunity. Maybe there exists a slightly rockier live version?

Got `Ten Summoners Tales` which I like.

My favourite solo song written by Sting is `Fields Of Gold` and I thank him for it. However, it wasn`t until I heard Eva Cassidy`s version that I suddenly realised that this brilliant song suited a female vocal much more than a male. A real spine tingler!

Still on `Fields Of Gold` I remember Nadine from Girls Aloud singing this during `Popstars - The Rivals` tv show. She sang it very well and I`ve since been a little disappointed with her vocals during her time in Girls Aloud. I expected better from her. Perhaps the style of GA doesn`t suit her voice that well?
 

mike aitch

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don't shout, but i find when people who've been part of bands as good/influencial as the police go solo,rarely is any material as good as the stuff they produced with the band.imho neither lennon nor mcartney did anything comparible to their previous efforts? there are exceptions of course,the genius that it peter gabriel springs to mind.
 

survivor

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Hi Mike,

In a band you have more than one persons input. Also when you first start out you`re bursting with ideas and possibly find it more and more difficult as you get older to come up with original ideas.

Just quoting the names you used as examples - Lennon/McCartney sorry Lennon and McCartney! You need to try to put their earlier material out of your mind so as to give their solo material a better chance to impress you. I never expected them to be as good as they were together so by not expecting or judging I`ve managed to enjoy a lot of their solo work. Particulary McCartney who I feel is still making some very good music.

Gabriel is great though I loved him in Genesis too!
 

idc

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Don't see how the Police and Sting are underrated. Sting is a brilliant lyricist - Every Little Thing She does is Magic, Every Breath You Take and Invisible Son as just some of many examples.
 
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Anonymous

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I never really listened to them much when they were doing their thing. I liked them well enough but was either listening to 60's and 70's rock or working. About a year ago I bought the "Message in a Bottle" collection and totally enjoy it. Lots of talent and some excellent music.
 

mike aitch

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hi survivor,don't get me wrong,i like a lot of Lennon and McCartney's solo stuff,No 9 dream,imagine,most of the band on the run album,but it did'nt have the pure,organic quality of the beatles stuff(sorry for spelling sir paul's name wrong,i've had a drink or two)

do i detect, by the quote at the bottom of your posts, a journey fan? now there's a voice!
 

Big Chris

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I quite like some of The Police/Sting stuff. He had a track out a good few years back called 'Seven Days' or something similar. I used it as a drum exercise as the stuff was quite intricate (or I thought so at the time, it's a breeze to play now. :)) as the guy was playing a 3:4 pattern under a 4:4 bar.

I don't even mind his preachy-ness, as it feels like he actually lives his life that way. Not like Bono, who seems to be a bandwagon jumper of the worst kind.
 

survivor

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mike aitch:

hi survivor,don't get me wrong,i like a lot of Lennon and McCartney's solo stuff,No 9 dream,imagine,most of the band on the run album,but it did'nt have the pure,organic quality of the beatles stuff(sorry for spelling sir paul's name wrong,i've had a drink or two)

do i detect, by the quote at the bottom of your posts, a journey fan? now there's a voice!

Hello again Mike, just to let you know I didn`t get you wrong and I agree of course that The Beatles material is superior to the solo output. I was just explaining how I try to put the Beatles out of my mind when I listen to any Lennon or McCartney solo material. I did the same thing with Meat Loaf when he made an album called `Midnight At The Lost And Found` which was the first one after he parted company with Jim Steinman. To give the record a chance I had to put `Bat Out Of Hell` and `Deadringer` to the back of my mind and just listen to the record on it`s own merit.

You are quite correct, I am a big Journey fan and yes indeed...what a voice! Also a good example to back up your original post of a singers solo material being inferior to his earlier work in a band. Shame so relatively few people own material sung by Steve Perry. Missing out or what?!

All the best.
 

basshound

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What was underrated about The Police was their drummer Stewart Copeland IMO he was by far the best musician in the band and somewhat wasted playing cod reggae stuff like walking on the moon
 

manicm

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The Police underrated? First I've heard of that, they were hugely popular all over the world.

I loved 3 of Sting's solo albums - Nothing Like The Sun, The Soul Cages (not for everyone admittedly but it's edgy and the closest thing to rock he's done) and Ten Summoner's Tales.
 

idc

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basshound:What was underrated about The Police was their drummer Stewart Copeland IMO he was by far the best musician in the band and somewhat wasted playing cod reggae stuff like walking on the moon

By coincidence watched a programme on the Yesterday Channel last night about the history of rock and stadium rock, and it featured interviews with the Police. Stewart Copeland talked on the influence of his early years living in the Middle East on his style of drumming. His solo work has numerous styles from the electronica of the soundtrack for the Equaliser to the African rhythums on the brilliant album The Rhythmatist. Basshound, I agree he is underrated, but totally disagree about being wasted playing 'cod reggae', that was one of his many styles. To my ear he is one of the best drummers ever, period.
 

basshound

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idc:
basshound:What was underrated about The Police was their drummer Stewart Copeland IMO he was by far the best musician in the band and somewhat wasted playing cod reggae stuff like walking on the moon

By coincidence watched a programme on the Yesterday Channel last night about the history of rock and stadium rock, and it featured interviews with the Police. Stewart Copeland talked on the influence of his early years living in the Middle East on his style of drumming. His solo work has numerous styles from the electronica of the soundtrack for the Equaliser to the African rhythums on the brilliant album The Rhythmatist. Basshound, I agree he is underrated, but totally disagree about being wasted playing 'cod reggae', that was one of his many styles. To my ear he is one of the best drummers ever, period.

Yeah,maybe I was a bit harsh there,what I meant was that perhaps he was not able to show his full ability and range whilst in the Police (but suppose he made a s**t load of money!)
 

Johnno2

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I have Ten Summoners Tales and Nothing Like the Sun,good well recorded albums,I Love Englishman in New York, very jazzy and airy sounding recording with uplifting beat.
 
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Anonymous

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I have at my parents the tape of "Dream of the Blue Turtles" which I bought when it came out about 20-odd years ago now after our English teacher played us "Russians" in class. Some of the instrumental tracks on this album are very very good (IMO).
 

Lost Angeles

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momo72:

I have at my parents the tape of "Dream of the Blue Turtles" which I bought when it came out about 20-odd years ago now after our English teacher played us "Russians" in class. Some of the instrumental tracks on this album are very very good (IMO).

It's not just the instrumental tracks on Dream of the Blue Turtles that are very good, the lyrics of some of the other tracks are a good view of the early 80s
 

bretty

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fragile. They dance alone. Shape of my heart. Fields of gold. Fortress around my heart. Mad about you. Everybody laughed. All absolute classic Sting solo efforts.
 

JoelSim

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An illegal alien, I'm an Englishman in New York.

Inspired lyrics and spot on with everything that is wrong with the yanks' outlook on life

ÿ
 

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