"SYNCHRONICITY II" THE POLICE (1983)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

As a member of The Police, Sting was many things. A captivating frontman. An underrated bassist. And a sharp, witty lyricist. His lyrics were like poetry one moment, prose in another. And the words he used in “Synchronicity II” are some of the most memorable lyrics in rock history. They have the power to make you laugh just as they’re able to keep you settled in awe. It was always all about the words.

“Synchronicity II” is a rock song. And it’s not a rock song. It’s written and performed as if it came from an opera composer. Sting, Summers and Copeland were always intelligent rockers, but they made something here that elevated new wave, post punk and all the other labels that we wanted to attach to them. “Synchronicity II” cannot be categorized. It can just be appreciated for what it is. A brilliant commentary on a bleak, mundane suburbia with a sound we’d never heard before.

“The secretaries pout and preen like cheap tarts in a red light street.”

"TEA IN THE SAHARA" THE POLICE (1983)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

Synchroncity is an anomaly in music history. It contains some of The Police’s biggest hits, including “Every Breath You Take” and “Wrapped Around Your Finger”. These songs were accessible for a wider audience. But this same album also birthed some of the band’s most experimental tracks, including “Mother” and “Miss Gradenko”. Synchronicity spanned several genres, from hard rock (“Synchronicity II”) to jazz (“Murder By Numbers”). But, more than anything, it was a study in space. The Police knew how to use space to their advantage as good as any other band out there. “Tea in the Sahara” is a solid case in point.

The song theme is inspired by a book that Sting read by Paul Bowles called “The Sheltering Sky”. There’s a story within the greater story about three sisters who wait to have tea in the Sahara with a prince. It’s a story of gratification and dreams pursued, achieved, and lost again. The story required an atmospheric approach to the instrumentation, which Andy Summers created through space and layers. His guitar thrives in open space with a series of feedback expressions and echoes that immediately transport us into the scorching desert. Copeland’s percussion approach is light and airy like the Sahara sand. “Tea in the Sahara” is a soundscape that appears like a mirage and then seems to vanish into thin air in an instant.

“WE HAVE THIS STRANGE OBSESSION. YOU HAVE THE MEANS IN YOUR POSSESSION.”

"SO LONELY" THE POLICE (1978)

This month, I’m jumping into the #APlaceInTheSong challenge from @JukeboxJohnny2. Great songs have that special ability to describe places in a way that makes us feel like we’re right there. Each day, I’ll pick a track that I think accomplishes that feat.

One of the most unique sounding bands from my childhood years, the music from The Police always stood out to me. The music traversed a seemingly wide territory shared by rock and reggae like a musical Venn diagram. Unusual, but highly accessible. Sting’s lyrics were exceptionally clever and took seemingly straightforward topics into the stratosphere. He wrote prose and poetry. Case in point: “So Lonely”.

Listening back to “So Lonely”, I’m struck by the rawness of the song. The simplicity of sound from the three-piece certainly contributes to the garage band feel. But this is also a reminder of the band’s roots. It was never about slick production when it came to The Police; it was always about the songs. The melodies. The lyrics. The ever-so-catchy chorus. “So Lonely” is angsty, miserable, cathartic and celebratory all at once. It’s so damn catchy, you can’t help but sing along to it – alone or in a crowd.

“In this theater that I call my soul I always play the starring role.”

"SYNCHRONICITY II" THE POLICE (1983)

This month on Twitter, @sotachetan hosts #BrandedInSongs – which is a head-on collision of my personal world of music and my professional world of branding and advertising. The challenge is to simply pick a song with a brand name in its lyrics or title. I added one more criteria to my picks, which is this: the songs themselves must be as iconic as the brands they mention. No filler here.

As a member of The Police, Sting was many things. A captivating frontman. An underrated bassist. And a sharp, witty lyricist. His lyrics were like poetry one moment, prose in another. And the words he used in “Synchronicity II” are some of the most memorable lyrics in rock history. They have the power to make you laugh just as they’re able to keep you settled in awe. It was always all about the words.

“Synchronicity II” is a rock song. And it’s not a rock song. It’s written and performed as if it came from an opera composer. Sting, Summers and Copeland were always intelligent rockers, but they made something here that elevated new wave, post punk and all the other labels that we wanted to attach to them. “Synchronicity II” cannot be categorized. It can just be appreciated for what it is. A brilliant commentary on a bleak, mundane suburbia with a sound we’d never heard before.

“Another suburban family morning. Grandmother screaming at the wall. We have to shout above the din of our Rice Krispies.”

"TEA IN THE SAHARA" THE POLICE (1983)

I started Mental Jukebox nearly three years ago at the beginning of the pandemic. During this time, I’ve discovered new music, rediscovered old favorites and I’ve met passionate music fans around the world. And when things opened up, I kept on blogging. This month, the jukebox goes deeper. The term “deep cut” has multiple meanings. It can refer to lesser known album tracks from well-known artists. It can also refer to tracks from lesser known artists. This month, I’ll be featuring both types. #DeepCutsFeb

Synchroncity is an anomaly in music history. It contains some of The Police’s biggest hits, including “Every Breath You Take” and “Wrapped Around Your Finger”. These songs were accessible for a wider audience. But this same album also birthed some of the band’s most experimental tracks, including “Mother” and “Miss Gradenko”. Synchronicity spanned several genres, from hard rock (“Synchronicity II”) to jazz (“Murder By Numbers”). But, more than anything, it was a study in space. The Police knew how to use space to their advantage as good as any other band out there. “Tea in the Sahara” is a solid case in point.

The song theme is inspired by a book that Sting read by Paul Bowles called “The Sheltering Sky”. There’s a story within the greater story about three sisters who wait to have tea in the Sahara with a prince. It’s a story of gratification and dreams pursued, achieved, and lost again. The story required an atmospheric approach to the instrumentation, which Andy Summers created through space and layers. His guitar thrives in open space with a series of feedback expressions and echoes that immediately transport us into the scorching desert. Copeland’s percussion approach is light and airy like the Sahara sand. “Tea in the Sahara” is a soundscape that appears like a mirage and then seems to vanish into thin air in an instant.

“WE HAVE THIS STRANGE OBSESSION. YOU HAVE THE MEANS IN YOUR POSSESSION.”

"SYNCHRONICITY II" THE POLICE (1983)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #31DaySongLyricChallenge

Day 5

As a member of The Police, Sting was many things. A captivating frontman. An underrated bassist. And a sharp, witty lyricist. His lyrics were like poetry one moment, prose in another. The words he used in “Synchronicity II” are some of the most memorable lyrics in rock history. They have the power to make you laugh just as they’re able to keep you settled in awe.

“The secretaries pout and preen like cheap tarts in a red light street. But all he ever thinks to do is watch. But every single meeting with his so-called superior is a humiliating kick in the crotch.”

"TEA IN THE SAHARA" THE POLICE (1983)

It’s time to get back to my favorite decade. For the month of March, I’ll be looking back at some of my favorite jams from the 80s. These songs often came to me via MTV or the radio. NYC-area stations WDRE, WPLJ, WNEW, K-ROCK and Z100 introduced me to everything from irresistible pop confections to under-the-radar post-punk anthems. I would not be who I am today if it weren’t for the 80s. It was the decade when I discovered music can be a truly powerful thing. #31DaysOf80sSongs

Synchroncity is an anomaly in music history. It contains some of The Police’s biggest hits, including “Every Breath You Take” and “Wrapped Around Your Finger”. These songs were accessible for a wider audience. But this same album also birthed some of the band’s most experimental tracks, including “Mother” and “Miss Gradenko”. Synchronicity spanned several genres, from hard rock (“Synchronicity II”) to jazz (“Murder By Numbers”). But, more than anything, it was a study in space. The Police knew how to use space to their advantage as good as any other band out there. “Tea in the Sahara” is a solid case in point.

The song theme is inspired by a book that Sting read by Paul Bowles called “The Sheltering Sky”. There’s a story within the greater story about three sisters who wait to have tea in the Sahara with a prince. It’s a story of gratification and dreams pursued, achieved, and lost again. The story required an atmospheric approach to the instrumentation, which Andy Summers created through space and layers. His guitar thrives in open space with a series of feedback expressions and echoes that immediately transport us into the scorching desert. Copeland’s percussion approach is light and airy like the Sahara sand. “Tea in the Sahara” is a soundscape that appears like a mirage and then seems to vanish into thin air in an instant.

“We have this strange obsession. You have the means in your possession.”

"THE BED'S TOO BIG WITHOUT YOU" THE POLICE (1979)

The decade in which I was born has given me a strange perspective on its music. I discovered pretty much all of the 70’s sounds – from prog rock to punk to disco – well after they came into the world. It wasn’t until the late 80’s that I discovered what I was missing. I would characterize the decade as one where budding genres leaped off their inspiration pads and came to fruition. For the month of February, Mental Jukebox will feature some of these gems with a different 70’s song each day. #28DaysOf70sSongs

The Police are that unique breed of rock that we can look back at and affirm one thing: no one else was doing what they were doing at the level in which they were doing it. There are countless bands that merged rock with punk. Many others who merged rock with new wave. But no other relevant band did what they did with rock and reggae so seamlessly. The sound is invigorating and has a very improvisational feel even in its calculated nature. One of the more pronounced examples of this is the eighth track off Regatta De Blanc: “The Bed’s Too Big Without You”.

It’s a song about a former girlfriend of Sting’s. It’s a song of loneliness and remorse. It’s not an unusual topic for a rock song, but it’s a lament told on a bed of reggae rock, a genre that The Police seemed to be defining almost overnight. There’s nothing else like it. Over the course of the band’s career, Sting’s most obvious contributions have been his songwriting abilities and his soaring tenor vocals. But critics have said his bass playing is a bit lacking, almost pedestrian. Well, that’s simply not the case with “The Bed’s Too Big Without You”. The song puts the bass playing at the forefront. The bass line cascades downward along with Sting’s waning spirit. Just maybe you might feel a little bit of what Sting was feeling when he wrote the song.

“Living on my own was the least of my fears.”

"DRIVEN TO TEARS" THE POLICE (1980)

For the month of October, I’m selecting a song each day from the decade that has the most meaning to me: the 80s. It was the decade that I grew up in. The period of time where I discovered my love for music — and explored many different genres. For the next 31 days, I’ll highlight a handful of songs that I truly loved and that were representative of the decade. #31DaysOf80sSongs

There’s rock. There’s reggae. And then there’s The Police. No other band blended the two worlds together better than Sting, Summers and Copeland. They took all the best elements of both and bended them into these fantastic forms that were both extremely fun and extremely smart. While trios like Rush and Muse have made a name for themselves with the amount of sound they created from three guys, The Police made a name for themselves by working in space. A perfect example of this is “Driven to Tears”.

It may not be my favorite Police song (that distinction belongs to “Synchronicity II”), but “Driven to Tears” is a song that I have serious respect for structurally and stylistically. Along with reggae-infused sound, it seems to have a jazz mentality with its percussion style and emphasis on giving individual instruments their moment in the spotlight. Summers’ guitar solo at the 1:40 mark feels improvised and hardly on the nose. Copeland plays more like Max Roach than a traditional rock drummer with a heavy emphasis on the cymbals. And Sting wields note repetitions, arpeggios and space on his bass guitar. On “Driven to Tears”, the pregnant pauses further the song along as much as the notes do.

“My comfortable existence is reduced to a shallow meaningless party.”

"MURDER BY NUMBERS" THE POLICE (1983)

This week I’m featuring 80’s deep cuts on Mental Jukebox. They’re the non-charting singles. The forgotten b-sides. The unheralded album staples. While they may not be the first songs that come to mind when you think of the 80’s, they’re some of the most important musical statements of the decade.

With a prolific output of five studio albums in a six year stretch, The Police catalog came together brilliantly and quickly. For my last 80’s deep cut, I’m going with the band’s final studio output—”Murder by Numbers”, the final track on Synchronicity. It’s a song that sounds less like The Police and more like the jazz-infused solo work of Sting that the world would soon hear. “Murder by Numbers” is the foreshadowing of a different era.

“Now you can join the ranks of the illustrious in history's great dark hall of fame. All our greatest killers were industrious. At least the ones that we all know by name.”

"SYNCHRONICITY II" THE POLICE (1983)

This is a rock song. And it’s not a rock song. “Synchronicity II” is written and performed as if it came from an opera composer. Sting, Summers and Copeland were always intelligent rockers, but they made something here that elevated new wave, post punk and all the other labels that we wanted to attach to them. “Synchronicity II” cannot be categorized. It can just be appreciated for what it is. A brilliant commentary on a bleak, mundane suburbia with a sound we’d never heard before.

“The secretaries pout and preen like cheap tarts in a red light street, but all he ever thinks to do is watch. And every single meeting with his so-called superior is a humiliating kick in the crotch. Many miles away something crawls to the surface of a dark Scottish loch.”