Hidden gems
The Police
Known for their masterful blend of elements of rock, reggae, punk, and new wave, British rock trio, The Police, has one of the strongest studio album catalogs in music history. Though they certainly had their fair share of hits, four decades later, some of their best work is still criminally underrated.
PUBLISHED
JULY 12TH, 2024
WRITTEN BY
MITCH DIECKHONER
Akin to countless other classic rock outfits that disbanded due to creative differences after being active for only a few years, British rock band, The Police, undoubtedly have one of the strongest studio album portfolios in music history. Known for their incredibly unique and ear-grabbing synthesis of elements of rock, reggae, punk, and new wave, the trio of Gordon Sumner (AKA Sting) on vocals and bass guitar, Andy Summers on guitar, and Stewart Copeland on drums delivered numerous iconic and infectious hits over their nine years as a collective, including “Roxanne,” “Don’t Stand So Close To Me,” and “Every Breath You Take.” However, The Police delivered much more than just their Billboard-charting hits over the years. The Police delivered five incredibly solid records during their time as a group, boasting some of my personal favorite classic rock deep cuts of all time. Here, we’re gonna take a deep dive into some of the tracks that I think should’ve gotten more praise upon release by digging into my personal favorite “deep cut” off of each one of their five studio albums. As a disclaimer, for all of these picks, I limited my available choices to the five least-streamed songs on each record, according to Spotify, in order to pick out tracks that only the most diehard fans would be super familiar with, though the group’s smaller hits, such as the brilliantly intricate “Driven To Tears,” or pensively groovy “Bring On The Night,” absolutely deserved and still deserve more shine and praise as well.
“Born In The 50s”
Click above to listen to “Born In The 50s” on Youtube
Starting with the group’s punky 1978 debut, Outlandos D’Amour, I ultimately went with the nostalgia-infused, straightforward rock cut, “Born In The 50s.” Absolutely chock full of imagery calling back to the tumultuous and anti-establishment culture of the 1960s in the U.S. and abroad, “Born In The 50s” is easily one of the most unique and illustrative songs in the band’s catalog lyrically. The song’s concept of being proud to be a Baby Boomer is something I’ve never really heard another group attack, and The Police do it excellently here.
Vocally, Sting delivers what I believe to be one of his most brazen and impassioned performances throughout all of his time with The Police on this track, especially during the bridge, where his anti-establishment yelling actually causes the microphone to peak out right before going into the final chorus. Copeland’s harmonies during the choruses pair excellently with Sting’s as well, making it super catchy and infectious.
Instrumentally, this track is definitely one of the simpler cuts on the record, but this is by no means a bad thing. In fact, I think this track being a little simpler provides a nice change of pace from the frantic and punk-infused sound of the rest of their debut. Rhythmically, Copeland is totally in the pocket on this cut, keeping a driving and straightforward beat while adding some tasteful cymbal-heavy flairs. Summers’ guitar work on this cut is great as well, seeing him transition seamlessly between plucky, reggae-inspired passages and distorted, garage rock-esque passages.
“no time this time”
Click above to listen to “No Time This Time” on Youtube
Moving onto their more mellowed-out sophomore record, Reggatta De Blanc, I went with the uncharacteristically chaotic album closer, “No Time This Time.” Surely a relatable track to many, this B-side from their smash single, “So Lonely,” provides a brash commentary on the always-in-a-rush mentality of modern society, lamenting the pressing need to always get from one thing to another without ever having a moment to breathe.
What I love most about this track is how well the sentiment of the lyrics is embodied by the punky, frantic nature of everything on this cut sonically. Vocally, Sting is jumping all over his register here, particularly during the verses and the choruses. Impressively though, Sting’s delivery somehow manages to be jarring yet catchy at the same time. Summers follows Sting’s lead with equally pressing and pensive guitar passages throughout the track, going all over the place in tone seamlessly.
The final repetitions of “no time at all” at the tail-end of the track cascade like the narrator is going through some sort of never-ending downward spiral of madness as a result of his plight, which I think is a great touch as well. Meanwhile, Copeland is going absolutely berserk on this cut rhythmically from start to finish, incorporating a brilliant mix of panicky snare rolls, agitated cymbal hits, and super tight drum fills that really boost the track’s sense of urgency. All in all, “No Time This Time” is a fantastic showcase of The Police at their most punky.
“shadows in the rain”
Click above to listen to “Shadows In The Rain” on Youtube
For the band’s third studio album, Zenyatta Mondatta, I went with the entracing, mysterious, and eerie penultimate track, “Shadows In The Rain.” This nuanced commentary on the struggles of mental health disorders, particularly Schizophrenia, has to be one of The Police’s most lyrically intriguing and illustrative tracks of their entire catalog, bringing in a wealth of hallucinatory imagery that really highlights the blurring of reality associated with such a disorder.
Much like “No Time This Time,” the band masterfully matches the lyrical sentiment of this track with the vocal and instrumental performances, really sucking in the listener and giving the track a great deal of atmosphere. The drowned-out, echo-heavy mix of Sting’s vocals throughout the track as well as his somber wailing at parts are executed perfectly, making it feel like you’re trapped inside the head of the narrator with all of these intrusive thoughts bouncing around your head, truly bringing story of the track to life.
Instrumentally, the stark and sparse piano hits, cyclical bass thumps, buried and distorted guitar passages with sporadic noodling from time to time, and the crisp and punchy drum performance, all do an excellent job of adding to the eerie and mysterious atmosphere of the track as well. Particularly, my favorite part of this track has to be the disjointed, haunting soloing from Summers during the outro of the track, using abstract phrasing and heavy distortion that resemble auditory hallucinations.
“darkness”
Click above to listen to “Darkness” on Youtube
Incorporating elements of jazz, reggae, new wave, and post-punk into their classic sound, Ghost In The Machine is by far the band’s most sonically eclectic and consistently standout record in their entire catalog, showcasing the strongest batch of deep cuts yet. The strongest of all though has to be the album closer, “Darkness,” a hauntingly beautiful and downtrodden ballad dealing with resenting the pressures of fame and struggling with depression as a result of always being in the limelight.
Above all, “Darkness” is a key example of just how much the songwriting of the group had evolved over the years to become much more mature and introspective. Once again, the forlorn nature of the lyrics is matched perfectly by the vocal and instrumental passages on this track. Sting’s melodies and harmonies throughout the track are phenomenal, and his delivery is incredibly compelling as well, particularly during the line, “life was easy when it was boring,” in which he sounds especially desperate for a reprieve from this constant state of feeling judged by the public.
Far and away, the best additions to this track instrumentally have to be the engulfing, shimmering synths and elongated piano passages as well as the thunderous, heavily echoed tom hits from Copeland, all of which greatly add to the melancholic atmosphere of the track. The distorted, distant guitar shrills from Summers and deep, brooding bass passages from Sting add a lot of texture and color to the track as well, showcasing a prime example of the group’s compositional prowess.
“o my god”
Click above to listen to “O My God” on Youtube
Closing out with the group’s final and most commercially successful record, Synchronicity, I had to go with the jazzy, infectiously groovy, and angst-ridden new wave cut, “O My God.” Filled to the brim with fantastic imagery and religious metaphors, this cut deals heavily with themes of religious disillusionment and immense desperation to find a greater meaning among the chaos of the world that surrounds us.
Vocally, Sting sounds super confident, defiant, and charismatic on this track, pairing another powerful delivery with some of his most intriguing melodies to date, jumping all over his register once again. The intensity behind Sting’s performance on this track is further amplified by Copeland’s stellar drum performances throughout the track, particularly during the repetitions of “fill it up” during the chorus, where Copeland incorporates some trademark punchy fills and in-the-pocket polyrhythms.
The swelling, ethereal synths on this cut are pure bliss as well, especially when complemented by Summers’ trademark clean tone guitar chords. Sting shows up with one of his grooviest bass parts on this track too, showcasing many funky slides and bends. Above all though, the biggest standout of this track instrumentally has to be the groovy saxophone licks throughout, giving it a very swingy feel and further driving the intensity behind Sting’s vocal delivery. At the end of the day, it’s clear that, while The Police’s hits are well-deserved and expertly-crafted in their own right, a vast majority of their deeper cuts have just as much personality and creativity, if not even more.