Police

Ghost in the Machine

Dark social and political commentary you can dance to!

Review Score:

(10/10)
I still can't decide whether I like this album or Synchronicity better. Almost immediately after you slip this album into your CD Player and are greeted by the opening drumbeats to "Spirits in the Material World", you will hear the basic musical germ that would be taken to new levels on Synchronicity. But on Ghost in the Machine, the Police offer us a more unrefined version of their rapidly maturing musical talent.

On their previous album, Zenyatta Mondatta, the band's lyrics became more political and philosophical. For this album, the music evolved as well. Influences of reggae and jazz become even more noticable in Sting's songwriting, and he manages to incorporate them brilliantly into the stew of pop, punk, and hard rock that already made up the Police's signature sound. The result: an album of explosive rhythm and energy, both lyrically and musically. Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland are all in outstanding form. Here's a few thoughts on some of the songs to better illustrate:

-As I stated earlier, the first song reaches out and grabs you with the reggae beats of Copeland's drums. Stings lyrics are melodic, and a perfect rythmic complement to the music. But while being catchy, he also waxes philosophy at the same time ("There is no political solution/To our troubled evolution/Have no faith in constitution/There is no bloody revolution"). This style, started on Zenyatta Mondatta, becomes more mature here, and is repeated in many forms on this album.

-Probably the best known song on this album is "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic." The bouncing drums and keyboards are almost enough to make you forget that Sting is singing about the personal torment of being unable to tell the woman he loves exactly how he feels ("Oh, I've tried before to tell her all the feelings I have for her in my heart..."). The same thing happens on the song "Too Much Information." Sting's lyrics and Copeland's music are a perfect match, even though you wouldn't think it. Sting appears to be singing about the torture of living in the information age and being connected to entirely too much news on several different media, but he sings about it over a horn and guitar-laden beat that sounds almost like club music.

-As their style changed, Andy Summers's guitar became less a solo instument, and more a rhythm instrument. But I consider "Demolition Man" one of his finest moments of musicianship. The high point here is definitely the long-winded guitar solo that the song finishes up with. Summers's guitar sounds wonderfully dirty, and yet he manages to make it sing. It's truly incredible, and it makes "Demolition Man" one of my favorite songs on the album.

-"One World (Not Three)" is a song that smacks of reggae. But in a good way. The stereo-fading and reverb of the vocals (especially at the end) gives it a very spooky quality. But again, it's done over music that Bob Marley probably would have written if he were still alive.

All in all, the Police manage to cram so much into just 45 minutes of music. As I said in my review of Synchroncity, Sting's glory days were with the Police, and not in his solo career at all. This is definitely one of the best albums to come from the 1980s, from one of the best bands in that time period.

More Reviews: