Emily: First, to our loyal readers, I must apologize for the egregiously long delay between posts. Second, to our new/random readers, welcome to our 136th album review! I hope you take the time to go back and read the other 135. Or just a couple, that’s cool too. Anyway, let’s talk about Reggatta de Blanc. It’s a fake French translation that’s supposed to mean “white reggae,” which actually sums up the album pretty well. It’s fake reggae by three British white dudes. Now, that could be disastrous in the wrong musical hands, but Sting and Co. handle it rather well. They infuse the new wave, rock, and post-punk sounds of the era with instrumental breakdowns (like the whole title track) and a little island flavor. It’s a surprisingly good combo, especially in the album’s best-known track, Message in a Bottle. The song is a bit more rock than the rest of the album, but the reggae influence is clear yet subtle – perhaps the best example of “reggatta de blanc.”
Favorite Tracks: Message in a Bottle; On Any Other Day; Bring on the Night
Zack: Let me start off my review of The Police by saying that I went through a phase in the summer of 2010 where I think I listened to Roxanne like 150 times over a weekend. I have no idea why. But I do know that there is a somewhat simplistic drinking game devoted to the songs where everyone divides into teams, one designated “Team Roxanne” and the other “Team Put on the Red Light.” Whenever you hear the lyrics that correspond to your team name, you drink. Those of you who know how the song ends will probably realize how suicidal this is. And also why I’m arranging a game this weekend. Anyway, Reggatta de Blanc is not the album with Roxanne, which is tragic. But it is the album with Message in a Bottle, which is awesome. Reggatta de Blanc is a very true Police album. It encapsulates the merger of reggae with more traditional rock compositions that they did so well. I understand that later Police albums, most notably Synchronicity, move on from this sound in favor of something a little bit more polished and New Wavey. Well I don’t know how that will turn out, but this was pretty good. They struck the perfect compromise between the fun of reggae and the jammability of some good ol’ fashioned rock and/or roll. There was a consistency throughout the album that never touched upon repetitive or boring. All in all, I would say that the album easily lived up to the lofty expectations that my Roxanne phase instilled in me.
Favorite Tracks: Bring on the Night; Message in a Bottle; No Time This Time
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