The Police - Ghost in the Machine

[progman1975]

Purchased this on cassette back in '81 at the mere age of 11 and never looked back. To me, its their **Masterpiece**

[JAMOOL]

The Police were great - I think all five albums rule! (well, Synchronicity is kind of shaky, but man, the second half of that record...)

Funny enough I also bought this CD when I was 11. First CD I ever bought. The year was 1997 though

[Rufus]

Great singles band but a crap albums band!

[Digital_Man]

Yeah I really like this one. I do agree that they are kind of spotty when it comes to albums. It can be really hard to pull off a solid album all the way through(even the Beatles struggled with this imo)but that said I think they are still worth hearing. "Secret Journey" is possibly my favorite on here but I like others also.

[JAMOOL]

Great singles band but a crap albums band!

I really disagree with this. Their singles were usually the best songs but most of the album tracks were great as well. I had the Message in a Box set a while back and was astounded how few duffer tracks the band ever did.

[bob_32_116]

I must admit I have not heard all of Ghost In the Machine, but I was put off by the big "Every Little Thing..." single, which I never liked for some reason. Nor did I particularly like "Invisible Sun", the other track that got significant airplay here.

Synchronicity, on the other hand, is just about flawless. If only it did not have "Mother."

[Soc Prof]

Gotta love Andy Summers' guitar synths.

The Police ended up having a strong influence on Rush, which as most noticeable on the Signals album.

[Finch Platte]

I really disagree with this. Their singles were usually the best songs but most of the album tracks were great as well. I had the Message in a Box set a while back and was astounded how few duffer tracks the band ever did.

This ^^^^

[Nearfest2]

I bounce between this and "Zenyatta Mondatta." Both are great albums.

[JKL2000]

The only real problem I have is "Sting's" fake Jamaican accent that he uses for the entire album.

[JJ88]

Haven't played it in years, but I remember it being one of their more even albums. I think 'Rehumanise Yourself' and 'Invisible Sun' are the first flowerings of the more socially conscious Sting lyrics.

I really disagree with this. Their singles were usually the best songs but most of the album tracks were great as well. I had the Message in a Box set a while back and was astounded how few duffer tracks the band ever did.

Well, the real howlers weren't on this particular album- 'Mother' is particularly horrific. 'On Any Other Day' is another dodgy one. I suppose there's a rather off-the-wall humour on such tracks, but they should have been dumped on B-sides IMHO.

[dropforge]

Apart from the overplayed "Roxanne," "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" (which is a song they had from the Howlett sessions), and "Every Breath You Take," The Police are a killer band I can listen to just about anytime. "Spirits In The Material World," "When The World Is Coming Down," "Synchronicity II," "Wrapped Around Your Finger," "Secret Journey," "Walking On The Moon" are among their best songs. The 2CD live album is a good cross-selection of material from their '80 and '84-'85 tours.

[Halmyre]

I picked up this 'greatest hits' for about £3 in Tesco a couple of years ago. Probably as much Police as I'll ever need:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Police/dp/B000R3VUQS

[JAMOOL]

Well, the real howlers weren't on this particular album- 'Mother' is particularly horrific. 'On Any Other Day' is another dodgy one. I suppose there's a rather off-the-wall humour on such tracks, but they should have been dumped on B-sides IMHO.

I kinda like "On any Other Day" - it's stupid but at least quite catchy. "Mother" is bad but you have to give it some credit, it's bad in a way that's a lot stranger than just mere filler; it's sonically ugly as hell but the underlying structure of it is very odd for something you'd find on a #1 hit album. Plus both songs are rather short. The one I really don't like is "Be My Girl - Sally", not only is it longer but it obviously doesn't stand up over multiple listens. Not only that but the song it was based off of ("3 o'clock Shot", back when they were Strontium 90) is really quite good, I wish they'd just have recorded that!

[Sputnik]

Great singles band but a crap albums band!

Not sure I'd go as far as to say "crap," but I do tend to agree that their albums are a little spotty. For me, The Police are good in very small doses, but I don't find any of their albums to be that compelling a listen from start to finish.

That said, probably the closest they cam to making an album I do like from start to finish is Ghost in the Machine. I don't own it currently but may try to pick up a copy at some point and give it another shot. I did have all their studio albums at one time, but sort of gave up on them. Ghost is the one I really sort of miss.

Nor did I particularly like "Invisible Sun", the other track that got significant airplay here.

Interesting. I don't ever recall hearing that on radio or EmptyV. It is my favorite song on the album. Go figure.

Bill

[gearHed289]

Love this band, particularly the last 3 albums. I saw them on the "Ghost...." tour, and it was one of the most energetic performances I had ever seen. A lot of people love to hate Sting, but he was kind of a hero to me with the Police and his early solo stuff. And I get to blame him for my mullet.

[Wounded Land]

I think that Ghost in the Machine is the Police's best album. They sustain a great mood and there's not a bad track on it. Great '80s production too. Andy Summers kills on this.

[SteveSly]

The police are a band that I have learned to appreciate a lot more over the years than I did back when they were huge. When they did their re-union tour a few years ago, a buddy of mine wanted to go, so I kind of went back and explored their back catalogue and found that I really dug most of it. For me “Synchronicity” is their best, but I would put “Ghost” a close second.

[zeprogmeister]

This is my favorite of theirs.

[Adinfinitum]

Regatta and Ghost are solid albums. Not a bad song on either of them.

[Phlakaton]

I really disagree with this. Their singles were usually the best songs but most of the album tracks were great as well. I had the Message in a Box set a while back and was astounded how few duffer tracks the band ever did.

I listened to the singles the least... so I guess I'll disagree too.

[elliottnow]

This is my least favorite Police album and I love Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

I missed the debut back then (looking back, it *is* rather miss-able anyway) and only discovered them on Regatta De Blanc which I think is one of their top 3. I remember when I first heard Walking On The Moon... thinking 'this was the greatest Pop Rock song I have ever heard!'... still love it to this day. I remember when Zenyatta Mondatta came out and loving nearly all of it from the first few spins too. Then when Ghost came out I noticed a definite shift in their sound but it grew on me quickly. Synchronicity was not quite as good as the previous 3 IMO.

[Dusty Chalk]

I got into them after the fact, so my purchases consisted of the box set. And I have found I really dig all of their oeuvre.

But especially "Behind My Camel".

And I much prefer side one of Synchronicity.

And Murder by Numbers.

[bob_32_116]

I find that sides 1 and 2 of Synchronicity are almost like two different albums. Both excellent in their own way. Like most people I have probably heard every Breath You Take more tijmes than I need to, and it's probably the least intersting song on the album, but still decent enough.

For me however the gems on that album are Synchronicity II and King of Pain.