Synchronicity 2 - The Police | College Students' FIRST TIME REACTION!

[@andyandalex]

Yayyy more Police!! Make sure you guys vote in the poll over on the community tab, have a great weekend! :)

[@zenclover8468]

"WALKING ON THE MOON " should be the next POLICE song. Best drums, cool reggae feel. "MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE" should be hit up as well !

[@davidrold9770]

Love the Police, if you want pop & a different meaning to a song, you have to do Every breath you take. It's their biggest song ever. It's such a great song, but there's a lot of great music out there by the Police. And my request for the 17 minute psychedelic banger, Iron Butterfly's In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. Love your show guys.

[@catbutte4770]

You two should do an album reaction to one of their albums: Synchronicity, Zenyatta Mondatta or Ghost in the Machine!. 😺

[@randybaker6042]

First two songs off the first album. Next To You and So Lonely. The original Police. The root.

[@SteelyDaddy59]

@@catbutte4770 Love Zenyatta Mondatta!

[@jackconway678]

This is a song that perfectly shows how underrated a guitar player Andy Summers is. His jazzy chords and riffs are amazing.

[@NewOldVideos-d5o]

"And every single meeting with his so-called superior is a humiliating kick in the crotch!" Greatest lyric ever if you've had a shitty boss.

[@user-nb2xs3ss1g]

Always loved that line

[@gunkulator1]

@@user-nb2xs3ss1g My favorite: "We have to shout above the din of our Rice Krispies"

[@tristramcoffin926]

A lot of great explosive consonants in that line too.

[@NondescriptMammal]

This whole song is excellent lyrically, but yeah that line is definitely a highlight

[@jackiesueann3476]

A "so called superior" could also be taken as God. Or someone "in authority" as you had stated. I always felt it was God or "a higher power". Thank you!✌❤🎶😁

[@eidetecker]

The (Loch Ness) monster coming to the surface is in synch(ronicity) with daddy's subconscious monster coming to the surface from deep within the "loch" of his psyche and the "locked in" feeling society breeds. The shadow on the cottage is in synch with the Jungian shadow. Sting was deep into Carl Jung's theories of the psyche at the time of writing this. On the cover of the album, one of the shots of Sting has him reading Jung. The three separate photo strips of each band member alludes to how three different psyches can synchronize to create a greater whole, a gestalt, if you will.

[@mauz4588]

Definitely a strong interpretation. I've also always seen it as an expression of the anxiety of the Cold War. The idea that no matter how you conform to society, there's a potential looming doom that you have no way of avoiding.

[@langdale55]

I don’t know if I agree. What’s a gestalt?

[@eidetecker]

@@langdale55 Gestalt: an organized whole that is perceived as more than the sum of its parts. "I was trying to dramatize Jung's theory of meaningful coincidence." -- Sting "There's a domestic situation where there's a man who's on the edge of paranoia, and as his paranoia increases a monster takes shape in a Scottish lake, the monster being a symbol of the man's anxiety. That's a synchronistic situation." - Sting, 'A Visual Documentary', 1984

[@chalmrast]

I’ve always seen this song as a narrative of Thoreau’s quote: “The mass of men live lives of quiet desperation.” The protagonist has chosen his way out as described by the intertwined lake monster allegory.

[@KH-ol6qz]

Genius lyrics… it feels like we’re in a turn-of-century British Murder Mystery !!! Sting produced a play about his upbringing in a coastal English town

[@endorphinzz]

Love the lyrics to this song. The metaphor of the Loch Ness Monster coming to the water's surface and then to the front door of a cottage mirroring the darkness inside the father coming to the surface as he approaches the front door of his home really hits home, and also underscores the definition of synchronicity.

[@250278]

The father is their monster. The monster is their father.

[@bodhisattva3774]

Andy Summers is one of my favorite guitarists, a master of atmospheric minimalism. Great song.

[@peterquinones3522]

Summers did a whole album of Monk songs, something very few rock guitarists would have the balls to try.

[@crunchyfrog1709]

Such an underrated guitarist. I've also felt sorry for him for being caught in the middle of the Copeland Sting feud

[@lionofhighpark]

Song's meaning according to Sting: "There's a domestic situation where there's a man who's on the edge of paranoia, and as his paranoia increases a monster takes shape in a Scottish lake, the monster being a symbol of the man's anxiety. That's a synchronistic situation."

[@TwelveDeck]

The monster is the Loch Ness Monster.

[@lisakaz35]

I liked the contrast between a suicidal race and a monster living for eons undisturbed.

[@bkunath]

Yes, reminds me of The Second Coming by Yeats. Things falling apart as a beast comes alive in the desert.

[@davemarten280]

Spot on mate, you saved me typing!

[@bsanderfer]

Came here to type this response as well. Funny thing is, I figured it out as a teenager just by listening to the song. Good to know the band intended the message the same as I interpreted it.

[@Rnyargd]

The Sting solo song “Fortress Around Your Heart” is AMAZING!!!!

[@brianmiller1077]

As long as they know it's not really a banger, it's a very odd romantic song.

[@jhohiii]

What about the Queens of the Stone Age song "Fortress"? We need a review of some Kyuss/QotSA/Brant Bjork

[@AmalgaMem]

That chord change into the chorus is one of my favorites of all time.

[@johnmavroudis2054]

His first solo album is pretty epic from start to finish... and the only one I go back to time and again.

[@brianmiller1077]

@@johnmavroudis2054 Nothing Like the Sun has Fragile, Englishman in NY, They Dance Alone (heartbreaking if you know the story behind it)

[@dancingmachine47]

Sting just knows his music theory. He writes chords and melodies impeccably in the most interesting way possible. Never gets boring!

[@MasterTapes1960]

And then some

[@katskillz]

It's interesting how they pick up on this song not being as strongly catchy w/ melody and vocal lines, but what they really mean is this one simply deviates from the radio pop standard melodic and chordal structures. Probably more than any other pop star in the past 40 years, Sting really understood the effect of placing every single note and the rich harmonies implied by melodic lines he could really experiment with this in a way that was genuinely new in popular music. But at first listen people not accustomed to that use of musical language in "radio playlist" songs would mostly pick up on how odd and haunting it sounds for a "pop song". I love that.

[@stevemercer6976]

The word of the day is "foreboding". The feeling that the guy is on the edge of snapping but we don't know when or what he'll do is so much darker than if the song had described it after the fact.

[@slackthompson9231]

I word I was going with was “ominous.”

[@BlazinRiver1]

You have to see the original video to fully appreciate this song.

[@maryklacik5358]

What an awesome way to put it. You hit the nail on the head!

[@61hink]

Exactly exactly. The story doesn't end with the monster's shadow on the door but we're left to imagine the next verse.

[@maryklacik5358]

Reading your post and all the responses just made me think of the movie “Falling Down” where Michael Douglass snaps and wreaks havoc on LA.

[@slackthompson9231]

“Driven to Tears”/“When the World is Running Down…”. This is where it’s at if you want some funky-ass beats and some good Stew.

[@andrewtrotter9023]

Yessir.

[@anthonypeck2448]

Seconded, for the hundredth time. Gotta do it, boys.

[@StaciaAmnaber]

FINALLY someone is doing the Police. Geezus. Horray. Spirits in the material world

[@thorfox3562]

Loch Ness monster

[@frankpentangeli7945]

Spirits in the Material World is arguably their best song. From arguably their best album. Great stuff!

[@steved1135]

Agreed. Bigtime.

[@centuryrox]

@@frankpentangeli7945 Invisible Sun would be a great choice too!

[@VG-iq8xq]

I’ll say cmon guys more of this and less of ho hummers. Go for the arsenal of doom. DEMOLITION MAN

[@chrisdelisle3954]

Nearly 40 years on and that song STILL gives me goosebumps.

[@bigneon_glitter]

Gotta watch the official video to get the full power & majesty of "Synchronicity II". The Police were the biggest band on the planet in 1982 & this song/video is a time capsule of their moment at it's zenith. More Police: 👉 Bring On The Night 👉 Walking On The Moon 👉 Wrapped Around Your Finger

[@deshunsmith2580]

So true 100%

[@donwomick3413]

And... the whole Reggatta de Blanc album (the title track is far from the least, not to mention "The Bed's Too Big Without You" and "On Any Other Day," Copeland's wry contribution). Synchronicity I. Message in a Bottle. Demolition Man.

[@TrashWerewolf]

Sting at his lyrical best, here!!! His phrasing of the lyrics adds to their foreboding and dread. This whole song just brings up dark images of an ordinary man pushed to his limits emotionally and mentally. When Sting sings "Trapped like lemmings into SHINY METAL BOXES", you feel the walls closing in, suffocating you. A brilliant piece of music!

[@maryannanderson1744]

Exactly

[@armorer94]

Lets pump up the anxiety. Minor chords!

[@drewwin794]

What “shiny metal box” do you drive??

[@cdfreester]

I think Mr Sumner shows off his past as an English teacher with this song's lyrics.

[@mocha4paws]

Always thought Shiny Metal Boxes would be a great Police cover band maybe with a grungy feel lol

[@cherinoelke]

Sting has a very unique talent of writing incredibly dark lyrics wrapped in a pretty package. I find it funny how many people got married to Every Breath You Take not knowing it's song about stalking someone.

[@gregscupholm254]

Their "Wrapped Around Your Finger" is a dandy. Sting's solo hit, "Fortress Around Your Heart" (never noticed the similarity in those titles. Ha!) is a stellar listen, as well. Both big hits for a reason.

[@CamiMack5616]

Many people think Fortress Around Your Heart is about war. It is, but not actual war... Sting is an incredible metaphoric writer.

[@tmweber73]

“I will turn your face to alabaster when you find your servant is your master” - Sting is a genius

[@tmweber73]

@@CamiMack5616 he wrote the album after his divorce. The song is a metaphor about a relationship, someone overly protective who creates defenses to protect the one he loves that turn into obstacles for himself. Again, genius.

[@DJMaul1031]

"Packed like lemmings into shiny metal boxes, contestants in a suicidal race." = a lemming is a small, rat like rodent. There's a myth surrounding them that they tend to follow each other blindly off of cliffs. So the analogy is humanity rushing around aimlessly trapped in these unsatisfying patterns of endless drudgery workdays and torturous traffic jammed drives home and we blindly follow these patterns as "normal."

[@maryannanderson1744]

My favorite line..

[@dewdew34]

Normal ... Well said here. We work to make money, so if your lucky and live long enough, you can relax when your old worn out carcass is thoroughly destroyed, and meds keep you alive. Yeah i think there's a better way but few ever find it. Thus the "Marvel World" we live in, escapism is quite popular.

[@fudhater8592]

LOL I'm pretty sure they know what lemmings are

[@clintatk]

"There's a little black spot on the Sun today. That's my soul up there..." , "King of Pain". 👍👍

[@armadillotoe]

"You'll be the rash around my sphincter." Wrapped Around My Finger.

[@murraybozinsky7067]

My fav lyric is from Copeland oddly enough. Darkness makes me fumble, for a key, to a door, that's wide open.

[@clintatk]

@@armadillotoe Well in that case, CCR says "There's a bathroom on the right. "

[@charlesaugust8671]

That is a VERY DARK song

[@tracyzimmerman7912]

Mine too.... awesome song

[@johnp7739]

This is a lyrical masterpiece. It's influence by Jung (synchronicity them) and "The Second Coming" poem by William Butler Yeats. It's also a man's battle against modern society, demasculinizing forces and depression...hence the Loch Ness Monster (depression symbol) continually coming up, seemingly out of nowhere.

[@robertherring9277]

I am an 80's metal guy ( classicly trained musician turned blues/rock bassist), but this whole album is FIRE! I got it as a gift on cassette for a holiday when it came out, and even back then, it went into my rotation. I have the album memorized. Murder By Numbers, Tea in the Sahara, King of pain and Wrapped Around Your Finger... just great tunes and each oddly twisted by that reality of the cold war and life in those times. Just dark enough to make it edgy.

[@wicky4473]

Someone here mentioned Angry Eyes by Loggins and Messina. I wholeheartedly agree it should be played! Brilliant song with a long ‘lost in sauce’ segment.

[@cindynau8068]

Yes! Angry Eyes. Asked them to hit this months ago. Thanks for the nudge!!

[@johndef5075]

Very cool song.❤

[@tinalinge9182]

YES!!!! GREAT SONG!!!

[@orangetabby3229]

YEESSSS!

[@robertmichelson2344]

👍

[@GenXDaddyO]

“We have to shout above the din of our Rice Krispies” One of my favorite lyrics of all time.

[@Meeker128-Amy]

I'm afraid it makes me giggle, which is awkward at karaoke.

[@vermontmoocow]

I always appreciate Sting's lyrics. His English teacher roots

[@shannonhailey7187]

It's dark yet funny

[@histubeness]

Snap, crackle and pop.

[@DeepThawts]

The idea of synchronicity is that there are things that happen in the world that are more than coincidences. They are bound together, not always by causation, but thematically or in meaning. In this song, the sense of desperation rising up in the family man is thematically tied to a creature rising from the "dark Scottish loch". In both cases, the "creature" has been there the whole time, and now they both rise to the surface. Very deep song to ponder.

[@bradsmack1]

Synchronicity......I know, right? I was just thinking the same thing! Hey....That's a.................oh.

[@MissAstorDancer]

@@bradsmack1 - a.......meaningful coinky-dink!

[@bradsmack1]

@@MissAstorDancer A little birdy told me you were gonna say that!😉

[@MissAstorDancer]

@@bradsmack1 Heh heh heh!!!! ;)

[@armorer94]

And this was before they discovered quantum entanglement .

[@JoeD0403]

Moral of the story: deal with your stress or you’ll wake the Loch Ness Monster

[@MadameRaven1]

Exactly!

[@Meeker128-Amy]

lol!

[@carlgibbons5777]

Synchronicity 3: Wake the Trump monster and stress an entire country to the breaking point.

[@MadameRaven1]

@@carlgibbons5777 don’t even think it.

[@carlgibbons5777]

@@MadameRaven1 It already happened. Can't think it into existence at this point. lol

[@laurawalkerJD]

Synchronicity is a term coined by Jung that suggests there are events in the physical world that happen in tandem with internal thoughts, feelings, ideas. The father in this song is on the edge of snapping with the pressures of life. The Scottish Loch monster (hello Nessie) is a metaphor for something dark in the father rising up - something primal and deadly. I always viewed this song as a reference to truly dark events - when someone snaps and takes out their own family and self. Double reference to suicide in the song lyrics sort of nudges that up. Anyway - very, very DARK. But also fascinating music.

[@Easy_Skanking]

It also references Jung's theory of the shadow self. The father, by ignoring his feelings of dissatisfaction, is feeding his shadow self which makes it stronger and can cause him to do things that he would not do normally. Jung suggests that by acknowledging the dark side our our psyches and coming to term with them, we reduce it's power over us allowing us to act in more constructive ways. Allowing the shadow self power can lead to self destructive behavior and psychological problems.

[@iancunningham5576]

Next up by The Police - '"DRIVEN TO TEARS". TRUE TO LIFE S-TIER!!!

[@jasonsumner8482]

Driven to Tears is so great!Right up there with my favorite Police songs!!

[@TheDesertRoseRanch]

The Police were so unique...great album.

[@thecentralscrutinizer5730]

Love his solo material! If Ever Lose My Faith is my favorite

[@Jillyconjem]

“The Bed’s Too Big Without You” “Can’t Stand Losing You” “Message in a Bottle” “Walking on the Moon” “So Lonely” (I like the earlier stuff.)

[@Jillyconjem]

@@Yaktahbay Thank you!

[@clbdyc]

King Of Pain

[@johnramsell8078]

Great list! I’ve been begging for The Beds Too Big for a year for every Deep Cut Livestream!😂

[@Jillyconjem]

@@johnramsell8078 It’s a great tune!

[@Wilss]

Me too. I'd also add 'Bring on the Night' and 'When the world is running down'.

[@doplinger1]

This album was SO HUGE when it was released, big tour, heavy airplay on MTV. Love this track.

[@dmichaelelkins1]

This album was HUGE in the 80s with nearly every song a radio staple.

[@mark-be9mq]

Next?: So Lonely, Invisible Sun, Walking on the Moon, Message in a Bottle.

[@jacksonmorganfroghin4815]

Fortress Around Your Heart by Sting on Dream of the Blue Turtles followed quickly by MOON OVER BOURBON STREET.

[@jamib88]

Absolutely LOVE The Police! Invisible Sun is my favorite song of theirs. Can't ever listen to it just once

[@mark-be9mq]

@Jackson Morganfroghin Fortress is an exceptional song, I'd forgotten about, a great album, too. That song If The Russians Love their Children, Too was memorable if you grew up during the Cold War/ nuclear era. Thanks for the reminder.

[@mark-be9mq]

@@jamib88 my sentiments, too

[@ClavisRa]

If you want a premium deep cut from the Police do "The Bed's Too Big Without You". Fat with reggae, tons of hooks, every player shines, a romp. "Message in a Bottle" is one of the greatest rock/pop songs ever from the early part of their career when they were more tight and aggressive, less atmospheric than Sting pushed them to be in Synchronicity. Also, Stewart Copeland's drum hits in that are some all time greats!

[@funkster007]

This song is an easy A+ for me. It's just one of those tunes that grabs your attention immediately and never lets go. Possibly my favorite Sting vocal. Of course Andy's guitar in this is sublime.

[@DarkeningSkies1]

Carl Jung- his theories on the human psyche, the shadow self and the interconnection between all things- are themes explored on every track on this album (the final Police LP).Understanding a little Jung makes the lyrics far more understandable.

[@hankkonstanty7138]

Synchronicity can be defined as a seeming coincidence between events that are not causally connected... Here the Police are relating the bubbling up of repressed rage of the suburban man with the emergence of an actual beast from the dark Scottish loch

[@DarkeningSkies1]

Yep. How I always interpreted it as well.

[@mll1206]

Saw them in concert 4 times....never disappointed!!!!! you have got to watch Stewart Copeland on drums live!!!

[@nocakeforsusan8701]

Never a bad concert! I saw them OPEN for Pat Benatar (front row ~1979ish) and was just blown away by the entire experience.

[@MrDerKnofi]

@@nocakeforsusan8701 You guys are both very lucky.

[@b00jen81]

"Wrapped Around Your Finger" and "King of Pain" are two other masterpieces from this album. Highly recommend.

[@bobbymcbay1586]

My favorite songs on the album

[@brian2076]

I'm a drummer and King of Pain has one of my top 5 favorite drum notes of all time. Yes, one single drum note. It's just before the 2nd chorus where Stuart Copeland hits the temple block on beat 3. It's one note, and it's one of the most perfectly placed/voiced drum notes of all time, in my humble opinion.

[@b00jen81]

@@brian2076 omg i know the very note you speak of! Would you believe me when I say I just randomly get the chorus to the song stuck in my head all the time and it ALWAYS starts off with just that singular percussive sound by itself first? Just out of nowhere, I'll hear that sound in my mind, then "I've stood here before..." Lol not even kidding! Every single time.

[@brian2076]

@@b00jen81 Ha!! I know. That one note is incredible and it's the first time anybody has ever known precisely which note I'm talking about. It's like Stuart Copeland is saying, with that one note, "Ok, listen up! Here it comes!" Ha! I sort of picture him wrapping his knuckles on my skull.

[@edwardmeradith2419]

Absolutely- my two other (all time) favorites by the Police

[@garyschill7923]

"Zenyatta Mondatta" from the Police would be a good album to track on Patreon

[@ebdigsit1]

Yes !!! Masterpiece

[@SteelyDaddy59]

Yes! My favorite Police album.

[@bonnzzo]

Bombs Away is a great deep cut...

[@kreilly00]

Completely agree

[@alan73795]

Great reaction but this album was by far their most commercial. You need to check out their earlier classic cuts "Next To You", "So Lonely", "Hole In My LIfe", "Regatta De Blanc", "Message In A Bottle", "Walking On The Moon". Basically anything off their first two albums.

[@jcroston3266]

Awesome deep dark banger! The image of the Loch Ness monster describing the father’s violence rising…so epic! One of their best!

[@Critical_Thinker858]

I think Synchronicity I needs to be covered as well. Very different musically, almost a forerunner of some of Sting's jazz fusion solo work but it lays the ground work lyrically for the concept that informs Synchronicity II.

[@gbeachbum464]

I actually prefer it over this one.

[@cdfreester]

I agree. Bring on Synchronicity I !!!!

[@jthomann71]

This is entirely about the desperation and despair and isolation and repetition of modern, middle class life.

[@tymj]

The Police were actually a mid-career influence on Rush in the 80s -- particularly on Neil and Alex. They loved the beats and textures of Stewart and Andy and began to incorporate the influences into Rush's sound.

[@jthomann71]

Seriously, I've never gotten Alex's aversion to 80s rock. So much amazing music. It's definitely a different sound from the 70s, but incredible in its own right.

[@johndef5075]

So much great 80s music. He needs a guide.

[@44thenazz]

Its more the 80s production than the music. Got to agree with him.

[@murraybozinsky7067]

They need The Cure and The Smiths, plus maybe a little Black Celebration or Music for the Masses.

[@SirDoofus2u]

My understanding is he does not like the production values. Not sure that was it for me but looking back, the 80s is when I stopped buying rock albums (mostly) to buy jazz. For me it became about the solos.

[@taradevine6026]

We didn't have the greatest music in the 80s so I agree. But that doesn't mean ALL of it. It just got cheesy.

[@johnmavroudis2054]

Dark Police? Paging "INVISIBLE SUN"... probably my favorite Police song with an OMINOUS tone and lyric. Synchronicity II is pretty damn remarkable with top-notch lyrics.

[@sean---the-other-one]

Sting is a great lyricist, and when he’s on his A game he delivers some masterpieces. His solo stuff has awesome moments, too. This song has great production, but that also probably gets in the way of how much it pumps along. It’s a great live rock song.

[@joshb23]

Who but Stewart Copeland could elicit a stink-face with only a few hi-hat hits transitioning to the next section? The man is sick, in a league of his own.

[@carlgibbons5777]

His unique "style" is in a league of its own. But there are tons of drummers with more chops. Copeland's unique/creative//frantic approach to the drums is what really makes him great.

[@MrUndersolo]

Winter of '83: I was in the Caribbean for a family funeral; my family decided that I needed a distraction and bought this album for me (I was ten). Strange introduction to their work, but one I never forgot (a whole little mini-opera right here). Thanks for choosing this one!

[@DrNothing23]

Fun Fact: Stuart Copland founded the band. It's 'his' baby.

[@loosilu]

The "three numbers" on the cover of Ghost in the Machine are actually portraits of the band. It's supposed to resemble LED numbers, because that's what we had at the time (instead of LCD).

[@allisonreed7682]

Yes! And once you know that, it can never be unseen.

[@johndef5075]

I learn something new everyday! Thanks!

[@Shadowrider1872]

🥰

[@cherylwoodward]

Yup!

[@triggerwarning5762]

Took me 20 years to notice that...

[@davshaw5]

“When The World Is Running Down”, see what they can do with 3 guitar chords….

[@patrickstallings9613]

fav Police song all time

[@krisdoggett483]

Cool song, for sure

[@mde944]

You have to do “Driven to Tears” first.

[@karlkuehn4783]

Stewart Copeland is the drummer. The guy is so underrated. Amazing drummer.

[@aliwantizu]

Truth

[@alexjbennett1017]

Hey people who appreciate real drumming and have heard Stewart Copeland all know and agree he's near the very top, so in that sense, he is not under-rated at all!

[@warren_harrison]

Agree how good he is, disagree on being underrated. Very highly rated by anyone who understands drumming. Not the only source out there, but Rolling Stone Magazine rates him 10th greatest drummer of all time. www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-drummers-of-all-time-77933/al-jackson-jr-153849/

[@cdfreester]

Agreed. One of the best drummers of all time.

[@jaycutts8054]

Much appreciated in the UK

[@alan73795]

These guys were such a tight band and so good live. First saw them in 1979 at the Decade Club in Pittsburgh, a room about the size of my garage. Amazing!

[@alanhynd7886]

“Many miles away there's a shadow on the door, of a cottage on the shore, of a dark Scottish lake.” Most likely to be the Lake of Menteith then. Pretty much every other natural body of water up here is called a Loch. Alba gu bràth

[@ballyastrocade5672]

In the second verse, he does sing "dark Scottish loch", so it could go either way, really.

[@alanhynd7886]

Does he? That would open things up a bit. Best bet would be the family of Pleciosaurs living in Loch Ness then.

[@dazaiosamuda3634]

See, my friends and I took that line and the other corresponding ones as a metaphor for the emotions and feelings (like insanity) coming out of hiding in the dad.

[@trouty42]

I always kinda thought they were loosely referencing Loch Ness and Nessie, but also not necessarily trying to be that specific either. If that makes any sense at all lol.

[@ballyastrocade5672]

@@alanhynd7886 It's easy to miss if you're not listening closely -- and for some reason, the official lyrics printed in the album jacket have it as "lake" as well -- but Sting very definitely pronounces it as "loch" at the end of the second verse. :-)

[@steveschmitz2839]

Murder by numbers. Stewarts intro is epic for drummers, plus its awesome and cheeky AF

[@bradfifty7272]

This song not as catchy as you mention but has such a "feel" too it. Another haunting one is Invisible Sun. Beautiful and haunting.

[@mizzwinter28]

Yessss. Great song. ❤️

[@cherylwoodward]

Love that one.

[@justingutube]

Fuck outta here...this song is catch as hell!!

[@kingofthings7929]

The Police were masters of that kinda thing. Not always catchy in the traditional sense, more about a vibe. And usually a dark one at that and they nail it.

[@kingcassius2586]

Secret Journey!

[@CL-eu7ye]

The lyrics are brilliant. It paints a picture of a typical mildly dysfunctional day-to-day family while off to the side, a horror movie monster readies to pounce. Can you tell Sting was an English teacher? (Btw to this day I still refer to any boss as “my so-called superior” 😂) For something not at ALL dark or deep, check the fun “De Do Do Do,” or even “So Lonely;” then bring it back down with the excellent “Invisible Sun.” (I’m assuming you know “Message in a Bottle” like the rest of the world, but if not, you have no choice but to hear it. No choice.)

[@thewomble1509]

De Do Do Do, is possibly his most misunderstood song....................... He very cleverly combined a relatively poppy, bouncy melody with a lyric about how the ability of words and orators can either create happiness or destruction.

[@matthewlee6168]

As I have understood it over the years, the lyrics describe a father with a bad marriage, a terrible home life, and a dead end job who is being destroyed by the rat race.

[@norton750commando]

They have another song that suits that description. Their best song about the situation you describe is "On Any Other Day", here's the link. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWq9k5KCh8Rrna8

[@Halfabee72]

I actually like Synchronicity 1 a lot as well. It always gets overlooked, but it’s a great song.

[@DM-hk4cw]

I actually like Synchronicity 1 better.

[@mlinderict]

For Synchronicity 1, I'd suggest the live version if you want to truly see how they ripped through things live!

[@cdfreester]

Agree 100%

[@angrysilence1234....]

IMHO, the "Sychronicity I" song is much better, and creates a much wider and "lighter" "thought content", at least in me than "Synchronicity 2" and, at the same time, has a more "upbeat feeling" to it. Maybe my own imagination is more "far-reaching" and "appropriate in range and creation" when concentrating on the "lighter" side(s) of life...IDK.

[@sherryheim5504]

Great song choice. I always liked Sting better with The Police than I did as a solo artist. I loved this band and this song is one of my favorites. Thank you for the reaction.

[@NoCanDu]

Agree. He lost me after the first two solo albums.

[@janicepopham2352]

Another very innovative band from the '80s -- Tears for Fears. Check out "Seeds of Love", "Shout", "The Working Hour" and many many more.

[@aliwantizu]

One of my favorite songs. Up tempo but dark and not upbeat is fantastic. Just SO different than anything else that was around at the time. The video for this really fits the mood of the music, and works well in that regard. Synchronicity 1 is a TOTALLY different song, but is very good in its own manner. The Police were just so very talented in all aspects, and they were firing on all cylinders with this album. ~Be Blessed

[@jenx4115]

This track is so atmospheric and theatrical, I mean that Andy Summers guitar is just haunting and spooky. Love it, love it, love it.

[@allisonreed7682]

The chord structure from “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” that was later used for the “I Want My MTV” line in “Money for Nothing” was inspired by the Buffalo Springfield song “Rock and Roll Woman.”

[@LeChaunce]

Which in turn was inspired by the chord progression of the bridge from the Beatles' "Day Tripper", which was inspired by Muddy Waters' cover of the Everly Brothers' "Devoted To You", which in turn was inspired by the oboe riff representing the Duck in Prokofiev's "Peter And The Wolf." I may have made all that up.

[@allisonreed7682]

@@LeChaunce 😆

[@davecummings2424]

@@LeChaunce LOL! It all tracks back to the wellspring, "Johnny B. Good"

[@Shadowrider1872]

Hi Allison 🥰

[@allisonreed7682]

@@Shadowrider1872 what’s up? Hope y’all have a great weekend and that the weather will be agreeable!

[@suzanneanderson6921]

Yess!!! The Police is my go to music when I clean my house, lol. (no eye rolls, please) Been a fan for 40 years. Peace, young brothers.

[@ptolemyauletesxii8642]

This song fills me with such a sense of nostalgia. It instantly brings me back to the early 80s. The context is important. This was written in a very dark time in British history. The 70s were filled with chronic shortages and general economic depression, and the early 80s were the Thatcher years, which was characterized by the destruction of the working class, manufacturing, mining, and unions. This was a time of deep despair, and conflict between various factions of UK society, and Sting captures it perfectly.

[@ginalolajupiter2942]

On the 1983 Synchronicity tour, this was the opening song and they came out Hard! The stage dressing was post-apocalyptic. The lavender cap sleeve t-shirt is in a frame and hanging in my office at work. Great band, great reaction. Thanks!

[@FurtiveSkeptical]

That album is one of the rare creations that is an effortless listen from track 1 to the end. 😘

[@gordiesumner]

The term synchronicity is coined by Jung to express a concept that belongs to him: the acausal connection of two or more psychic and physical phenomena

[@steveyoung2317]

Seen metronome s all swaying different. Eventually they swing together. Weird. They synch physically

[@steveyoung2317]

@@jefferyhoelscher nope. Metronomes. 24 of them exactly. Seen happen. Took about 3 minutes.

[@dynjarren8355]

This song is a Banger! I saw them live on the Synchronicity Tour in 1983. Great show! And Sting would jump on this mini Trampoline while playing the bass and I was impressed with that. He is really agile! And Sting 🐝 and the Police had the number one album worldwide and they were the biggest band in the world 🌎 then too. Enjoy!

[@alan73795]

Police drummer, Stewart Copeland, was the best of all the great post-punk drummers, and there were a lot of great ones: Terry Chambers/XTC, Stephen Morris/Joy Division, Hugo Burnham/Gang of 4; Pete de Freitas/Echo & The Bunnymen, Martin Chambers/The Pretenders, Larry Mullen Jr./U2, among many others. He was definitely the Police's secret weapon. His brother, Miles Copeland, was also the band's manager and founder of IRS Records; whose artists included R.E.M., The Go-Go's, The Buzzcocks and The Bangles.

[@simply_psi]

Spot on and thanks for mentioning Stephen Morris he's a much underrated drummer in my opinion, he drives the beat with impeccable timing and incredible pace, then add killers fills, but like Stewart Copeland he is never flashy or everyone look at me, they both just gets the job done

[@eboethrasher]

@@simply_psi The Hi-Hat alone on Age Of Consent says it all... Not to mention, Morris used to play along with programming without headphones or anything, just a stage monitor. On the Taras Shevchenko video, the one from 1981, you can see him playing along with programming on Everything's Gone Green and Temptation, and the beat on Senses is simply ridiculous. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4Cymp2LeqqEiqs

[@simply_psi]

@@eboethrasher wow what a great live video Tara's Shevchenko is, I always wish I'd been there every time I watch it. I'm so glad there are others who feel the same way as me, nice to know others appreciate the fact the NO/JD, were more than just Ian Curtis's great voice and lyrics or Bernard's pithy lyrics and Hooky's lead guitar style bass and of course not forgetting the cult banger Murder, one of the best B-sides ever (along with 1963 of course).

[@alan73795]

@@simply_psi I saw New Order in 1983 in NYC at the Paradise Garage; "Dreams Never End" and "Ceremony" were amazing to watch (full song list: Your Silent Face, Hurt, Confusion, Leave Me Alone, Thieves Like Us, Everything's Gone Green, Ceremony, Blue Monday, Dreams Never End, Temptation). On a more somber note, I was on my college's concert committee in 1980 and we planned to book Joy Division to headline a campus event. And then Ian was gone. Six months later came the murder of John Lennon; a very painful year.

[@simply_psi]

@@alan73795 much respect to you, in the US in 1983 New Order were very much an underground cult band, their US tours were pretty much down to Arthur Baker as he was a big fan, and the fact that you booked Joy Division to your Uni is insane, of course it was the eve of that very US tour that Ian ended his life, such a sad loss, but out of it evolved into something very good, a bit rough round the edges but they're my favourite band, there are many better musically like Pink Floyd, Led Zep etc but the is something very special about Joy Division and New Order that is hard to define but it sure is there in spades.

[@Frankincensedjb123]

Carl Jung synchronicity: everything's connected. Humans are caught up in material lives spinning out of control, yet greater meaning swims in the primordial ooze. Many miles away

[@jimvarney511]

blood flow in a strictly southern direction

[@davedrd8829]

Ahead of their time!!

[@8fran08]

Yes I hope A&A read your comment. Not complicated but to the point. 🤙😎

[@NoCanDu]

One of the best bands ever. Hands down.

[@paulcollins5586]

No they're not. You need to listen to more bands.

[@NoCanDu]

@@paulcollins5586 Having a bad day there? Sheesh!

[@HamiltonRb]

@@paulcollins5586 There is no right or wrong answer, but to him, he thinks they are one of the best for his taste in music

[@elink2k1]

Synchronicity was a subject that Sting was exploring... this is the idea that Jung had put forward. Things in the universe happen at the same time and our human consciencness derives meaning from these things happening at the same time. Is it us or is it really how the universe works and we just don't generally see or recognize the synchronicity that is all around us. In Synchronicity 1 these ideas are examined in a more straightforward way... as a principle. In synchronicity 2 two stories are told and their connection is left to the listener to see their connection. Are there similarities between the Father about to have a breakdown and the Monster at the door of a cottage on the shore of a dark Scottish loch (lake)? If you look at the three stripes on the album cover... during production, they rotated separately so that many different synchronicities were formed, and if two albums ended up with the same cover that in itself was another synchronicity. Generally, no two albums were produced in the same way. Many of Sting's lyrics are contemplative and brooding and then there are songs where the one chorus line is repeated so many times that you can't escape it. There are so many gems in their catalog and in Sting's solo career as well. Trying to make a list of songs to hit would be rough because of the diversity but I really feel like the meaning of many of the lyrics is what would win many songs over others. Some would include Fortress Around Your Heart, Shape of My Heart, Fragile, Mad About You, Russians, The Soul Cages, Why Should I Cry?, So Lonely, Wrapped Around Your Finger, Invisible Sun, Message in a Bottle, King of Pain, and Next to You. But there are so many awesome things to explore here and to talk about. Have a great weekend everyone!!!

[@1nelsondj]

Listen to Sting's solo performance of 'Message in a Bottle' from the charity "The Secret Policeman's Ball".

[@flubblert]

Probably his best vocal ever.

[@tgtrout]

One of the few songs I first while driving and I immediately pulled over to listen to it properly.

[@michaelanderson2881]

(Where he plays guitar, not bass.)

[@gunkulator1]

He also solo performs "Roxanne" there too and it's brilliant.

[@jimmyt9345]

"Packed like lemmings into shining metal boxes".....anyone who's been stuck in traffic in the city can relate. All the lyrics were great! When you said it reminded you a bit of Rush it was funny because even though I have heard this a hundred times, I thought of Subdivisions by Rush. This darker of course. I just hadn't never put them together.

[@meganparsons9106]

oddly I got a very Rush like vibe when i listened to it this morning and never really had before. Of course Rush by the time of subdivisions had actually been influenced by The Police .

[@Shadowrider1872]

GOOOOOOOOOD MORNING A&A FAMILY! ☮️♥️♾️

[@allisonreed7682]

Hey @John H!

[@knarf_on_a_bike]

Synchronicity is one of the greatest albums ever. Period.

[@gp8209]

I can never remember if the following are The Police or just Sting - Walking On The Moon, Spirits In The Material World, King Of Pain, Invisible Sun

[@michaelinnj7439]

All of them are Police.

[@bradballinger7761]

All police songs

[@Meeker128-Amy]

No, not King of Pain. Ug.

[@fightersweep]

@@Meeker128-Amy King of Pain is on Synchronicity

[@scotts6702]

next? WALKING ON THE MOON. CANARY IN A COAL MINE. MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE.

[@eboethrasher]

I second Canary in a Coal Mine. That one is delicious.

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

Love Canary in a Coal Mine. Such a galloping song.

[@johnenglish1955]

🤠 Best Police song: "So Lonely!"

[@davebramble2444]

My favorite!👍 always loved the vocal “meltdown” sequence near the end of the song. This or Walking on the Moon next!

[@SvenTviking]

Bring on the night.

[@kevinf8323]

It takes more than one listen to find out how dark this song really is! Others have explained it but the synchronicity of the Worker and the Monster. You don't get that with the first listen. A real masterpiece by the whole band.

[@otisdylan9532]

For your next Police reaction, I recommend either "Walking on the Moon" or "Spirits in the Material World".

[@kbusby4824]

Yes. This.

[@sandymiller3577]

Both are great suggestions 😊

[@angrysilence1234....]

IDK why, but I LOVE...EVERY...SINGLE...CYMBAL...CRASH...in this tune! It just seems to "belong", to me. Every single cymbal crash just seems to "belong", wherever it enters. IDK how else to describe it, about when I hear it.

[@CthulhuWaitsDreaming]

It was actually the other way around with Rush. Rush loved The Police and they very much influenced their sound in the 80s.

[@fightersweep]

Great stuff guys. A classic track. Big Police fan since 79. Call me weird, but I've always loved Stewart's "Does Everyone Stare" from Regatta. Don't know what it is about it, but I love it.

[@ivylady13]

Sting had a concert to do on 9-11, everyone told him to cancel, but he did it and gave all the proceeds to a 9-11 relief fund.

[@KWayne6756]

He recorded it. The somber tone of the entire concert is haunting.

[@sirfriendzone1228]

I used to listen to that album (All This Time) all the time.

[@ravenwind1062]

Synchronicity is a concept about the holistic nature of the universe, that things that don't seem related still are. In this case, a simple man who is emotionally abused at home and work swallows his anger. That anger goes to fuel a monster that stalks people along the shore.

[@theyat]

The "clock with three numbers" album cover is "Ghost in the Machine". Fun note: each "number" is meant to resemble a band member, i.e. Sting with his 80's Mohawk is the center.

[@clfrey75]

Great call-out! I was going through the comments to make sure no one else had mentioned that, but here it is! That is some great and creative graphic design work!

[@MichaelPhillipsatGreyOwlStudio]

The Police, in this era, had a sound that was both unique and iconicly '80s. It's very hard for me to not immediately think of junior high school whenever I hear anything from this album.

[@centuryrox]

This song always reminds me of the job I was working back in the 80s at a major steel mill, with the line "The factory belches filth into the sky". And that was so prevalent down at this mill! Great song, great album! Not a bad song on the entire Synchronicity album!

[@jimtatro6550]

Invisible Sun, Demolition Man, Omega Man, Murder by Numbers and Spirits in the Material World are all classic Police tunes.

[@edoq78]

It’s a dystopian landscape set to rock n roll - an epic track

[@shonsaunders420]

Something about watching people react to these songs I’ve heard hundreds of times, gives me a new appreciation for those songs.

[@orangetabby3229]

I believe the lake and something crawling to the surface references "Nessie", the Loch Ness monster in Scotland. I remember reports of Nessie sightings when I was growing up in 60s-70s.

[@HubertofLiege]

It’s a metaphor for the feeling building in the father in the song. Dark, unknown, slimy, shadow etc.

[@rhondafonda957]

Saw them live on the Synchronicity tour, mid 80’s. One of the greatest concerts I’ve been to. Love The Police!

[@Richard_Jones]

It should be remembered that this was a hit single. Different days.

[@sipesthebest128]

My favorite Police song... easily. This album came out in my senior year of HS, and it blew my mind, and it still holds up nearly 40 years later.

[@kathynicholson103]

"The pain upstairs that makes his eyeballs ache" So great lyrically!

[@davidthibodeau6886]

Driven To Tears and Walking on the Moon are great songs with monster drumming.