 "where's the truth in advertising?" | 2009-07-08 |
| - Reviewed By junkman6841 |
Certainly not every note of every song THE POLICE ever recorded. While it is fantastic to get FALLOUT and all the other obscure tracks digitally, I can't help but feel let down by all of the tracks that were NOT included in this set. Here's what I know for sure that has been released and is not on this set:
TRUTH HITS EVERYBODY - REMAKE: b-side on some European singles of SYNCHRONICITY II. This is totally different than the original version -- slow and moody.
DE DO DO DO, DE DA DA DA: versions sung in Japanese and Spanish.
DON'T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME '86 (DANCE MIX)/DON'T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME (LIVE): both on the 12" vinyl single of DON'T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME '86.
ROXANNE - BACKING TRACK ONLY: never heard this, but read that is was the b-side to some obscure single released in Latin America at one time.
BEWITCHED: written by Andy Summers (probably during the ZENYATTA MONDATTA sessions) and featured in the video THE POLICE AROUND THE WORLD. This song was eventually released on Andy's second solo project with Robert Fripp, titled BEWITCHED.
And while we're at it, how about including some of the VIDEO MAGIC session work with German keyboardist EBERHARD SCHOENER? THE POLICE were side men for Schoener in late 1977, and recorded a full length album with him several months BEFORE they recorded OUTLANDOS D'AMOUR. And it sound nothing at all like 'em.
Plus there's Sting's single SPREAD A LITTLE HAPPINESS that was taken from the BRIMSTONE & TREACLE soundtrack, and it's b-side ONLY YOU.
How about Stewart Copeland's original demo for DOES EVERYONE STARE? Or Copeland's alter ego KLARK KENT and the song that got them on TOP OF THE POPS as KLARK KENT before they appeared as THE POLICE, titled DON'T CARE? Anyone who was around for the early days of MTV will recall another KLARK KENT tune being used as the theme music for a show called I.R.S.'s THE CUTTING EDGE -- this was THEME FOR KINETIC RITUAL.
If I didn't already know about these other lost tracks, I'd probably give the set five stars. The booklet and pictures are fantastic, and the set as it is should really be enough for the serious POLICE fan. But how can a company put out a statement that it contains every track, when it so obviously doesn't? |
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 "EVERY Police compilation is WOEFULLY LACKING, get this!" | 2009-04-16 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1FU9F3YBKD9IV |
My Faves:
1. It's Alright For You (contains the best Police guitar "hook"!)
2. Message in a Bottle
3. Visions Of The Night (Hard Rockin' Police!)
4. Roxanne
5. Peanuts (..sang his song for much too long..brain is gone...)
6. Too Much Information
7. Next To You (Sting's first great song!)
8. A Sermon (written by Stewart, sung by Sting, very perceptive!)
9. Reggatta De Blanc (great instrumental!)
10.Synchronicity I
11.Truth Hits Everybody
12.When The World Is Running Down (James Brown and T.A.M.I. show)
13.Omegaman
14.Masoko Tanga (Whatever Sting is saying, I like this song!)
15.Invisible Sun
16.Flexible Strategies (another great instrumental!)
17.De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
18.Deathwish
19.Rehumanize Yourself
20.On Any Other Day (Stewart Copeland sings!)
21.Demolition Man
22.Synchronicity II
23.Don't Stand So Close To Me
There's many great Police songs that you'll be missing if you get the individual albums or compilation discs first!
Get Message In A Box first, THEN get the remastered individual albums (that are strangely lacking bonus tracks!) (They could have spread all the singles/b-sides/live tracks on the newer Police albums' five discs if they fit on these four discs!)
My FAVORITE BOX SET, hands down, because there's pieces of the ¨Police puzzle" that are filled in quite nicely with non-album tracks!
Message in a Box is not EVERYTHING. (And I don't mean those awful rap remixes!)
And don't get me started on the MIA Message in a Box Volume 2!!!
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| "Essential, of course, but..." | 2008-09-18 |
| - Reviewed By User: A38A0OFGOHL720 |
I love The Police and this is the definitive collection. A must-have.
But there's one tragic flaw: at least in the version I have (the original boxed set release from 1993), there's a serious mastering error at the beginning of "Roxanne," arguably the most essential track in the bunch. It sounds as if the analog master tape was not up to full speed when the digital master was being recorded -- the pitch and tempo are slightly off as the track starts and then it slides up to the correct pitch. No!
I haven't heard any later pressings of the boxed set so I don't know if this problem has been remedied... but if you buy this, you might still want to spend the extra 99 cents to get the Outlandos d'Amour MP3 of "Roxanne." |
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| "Every Note That The Police Recorded!" | 2008-08-07 |
| - Reviewed By rock777 |
What a great idea this is! Basically this box set gathers the band's five excellent albums together which are "Outlandos d'Amour" (1978), "Reggatta de Blanc" (1979), "Zenyatta Mondatta" (1980), "Ghost In The Machine" (1981), and "Synchronicity" (1983) plus many b-sides that range from studio recordings not included in the albums or live tracks.
Of course all tracks have been remastered so if you are thinking about getting the Police albums, this is the way to do it!
For fans of the late 70's new wave movement or rock in general this group featuring Sting on vocals/bass, Andy Summers on guitar and sometimes vocals, and the awesome drumming from Stewart Copeland is essential listening as their fusion of reggae, rock, and other styles became hugely influential.
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| "A great classic" | 2008-06-27 |
| - Reviewed By chris109755 |
| The complete works of The Police in a four disc collection. A great classic compilation of the recordings done by The Police. If you are a fan then this collection is well worth it. |
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| "The Police are the Greatest Band Ever!!!!!" | 2008-04-13 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1Z296I1EP4X58 |
| Message in a Box is an amazing box set, with every song The Police have ever played, and it is all neatly placed in chronological order. The Box Set also comes with a biography of the band, from their humble beginnings as a pseudo punk group, to the amazing Reggaesque group that epitamized there career. Sting and The Police were lyrical geniuses, and were candid when discussing anything from temptation(Don't Stand So), obsession(Every Breath You Take), and even the misery of war(Canary in a Coalmine, and Invisible Sun). For any classic rock listener out there, I highly recommend this band, it just kicks butt! |
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