Police

Ghost in the Machine

Very dark...

Review Score:

(10/10)
"Ghost In The Machine", the penultimate studio album from The Police is the most interesting recording they ever did, and arguably the most consistent. Unlike on other albums where there could be a mix of instrumental jams and novelty tracks as well as their signature reggae infused rock, "Ghost..." is very focused and musically more consistent than the others.

The sound is very different here than on previous albums. The making of this record coincided with Sting starting out on the saxophone so there's little bits of that thrown in (almost incongruously) as well as a heavy emphasis on synth and keyboard. This entails a sonic density never present before on other albums. Another thing that will strike you upon listening to this album is that it's just generally faster. The tempo doesn't slow down until Copeland's contribution, the last track, "Darkness".

The mood is very sombre, even darker than Synchonicity. Songs like "Spirits In The Material World" and "Invisible Sun" (two singles) set a dark mood for the rest of the album. In this way, "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" seems rather out of place with its perky carribean feel. Other highlights include "Secret Journey" which is beautifully atmospheric and "J'Aurais Toujours Faim De Toi", where Sting shows off his rather woeful French accent.

I would like to point out that Mr. Banned gave Britney Spears' albums, Jessica Simpson's album and an American trance compilation 5 stars, and gave a Rolling Stone's album, some Police albums, some Led Zeppelin albums and nearly every Beatles album 1 star, i.e. he wouldn't know music if it kicked him up the a$$.

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