Andy vs. Stewart: Police smackdown!
I'm really not sure if this was planned, or if it was just synchronicity, but Andy Summers has released a book about his Police days, while Stewart Copeland has released a movie on DVD. Every trying to be the helpful Musicglutton, I read the book and watched the DVD to help you, the Police consumer, make a wise decision that fits your lifestyle and entertainment preferences. Actually, it's more that I always really liked the Police, so both of these were on my list of things to check out...
First, I picked up One Train Later by Andy Summers. But thanks to the end of semester rush, I didn't get to read it until after Christmas break. The timing turned out to be pretty good, as I was able to listen to the Sound Opinions podcast with a fantastic Andy Summers interview. That made me even more enthusiastic about reading Andy's book.
I found the language in the first chapter a bit flowery, but once Summers gets that out of his system, the writing becomes more straightforward. Even so, the first half of the book moves slowly, with many details about Summers' early career. I was surprised by the extent of his career prior to the Police, and Summers does a good job explaining his frustrations as his peers move on to fame and fortune as he continues to struggle.
The second half of the book, which covers the period after Summers joins the Police, picks up the pace dramatically, and eventually becomes a blur of travel, fans, and shows. This is the section of the book where I wanted more details, but some issues seem to be glossed over. I'm sure this is by design, both to echo how that phase of Summers' life felt, and possibly also to avoid irreparable damage to relationships between the Police members. The book does cover the breakup while alluding to Sting's growing fame and his reduced reliance on Stewart and Copeland as songwriting partners. Summers sounds relieved when the Police ride is over and he can get back to something resembling a normal life.
Copeland's film, Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out is a wonderful companion piece to the Summers book. There are very few details given, but it's a lot of fun to see the Police behind the scenes. For those who haven't heard the premise of this film, Copeland bought a Super 8 camera early in the career of the Police. What's more, he seemed to keep it running even during photo shoots, autograph sessions, and especially in concert. We have some great scenes shot from behind Stewart in concert, with him playing drums and offering commentary mid-show.
For those who are only familiar with the dour, serious version of Sting, you may be surprised by Sting the pop idol. In most of the scenes, he looks like he's having a good time, and it's nice to be reminded that the man knows how to party.
There are some live tracks to be heard throughout the film, but of course they're lo-fi, and the sound is muddy in places. But Copeland did a great job of remixing some of the classic Police songs as soundtrack music, and there's some fantastic stuff to be heard there. In fact, I would buy a CD of Copeland's remixes if it was available. I really enjoyed the "Tea in the Sahara" remix that appears early in the film.
While Summers' book covers some of the issues behind the breakup of the Police, Everyone Stares just goes through the Ghost in the Machine album. I really was hoping for some Synchronicity coverage and the views of the big tour that followed, but no luck there... Still, it's an amazing film for Police fans and, as mentioned earlier, it's a great companion to the Summers book. If you can only do one or the other, get the Summers book. But if you're a Police fan, splurge and buy both.
I was excited to read in the New York Times the other day that the Police will be reuniting to play the Grammies on February 11th... And of course rumors continue to fly that the Police will reunite for a 30th anniversary tour this year. My fingers are crossed! And if you don't know much about the Police, use One Train Later and Everyone Stares to get educated and psyched...
First, I picked up One Train Later by Andy Summers. But thanks to the end of semester rush, I didn't get to read it until after Christmas break. The timing turned out to be pretty good, as I was able to listen to the Sound Opinions podcast with a fantastic Andy Summers interview. That made me even more enthusiastic about reading Andy's book.I found the language in the first chapter a bit flowery, but once Summers gets that out of his system, the writing becomes more straightforward. Even so, the first half of the book moves slowly, with many details about Summers' early career. I was surprised by the extent of his career prior to the Police, and Summers does a good job explaining his frustrations as his peers move on to fame and fortune as he continues to struggle.
The second half of the book, which covers the period after Summers joins the Police, picks up the pace dramatically, and eventually becomes a blur of travel, fans, and shows. This is the section of the book where I wanted more details, but some issues seem to be glossed over. I'm sure this is by design, both to echo how that phase of Summers' life felt, and possibly also to avoid irreparable damage to relationships between the Police members. The book does cover the breakup while alluding to Sting's growing fame and his reduced reliance on Stewart and Copeland as songwriting partners. Summers sounds relieved when the Police ride is over and he can get back to something resembling a normal life.
Copeland's film, Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out is a wonderful companion piece to the Summers book. There are very few details given, but it's a lot of fun to see the Police behind the scenes. For those who haven't heard the premise of this film, Copeland bought a Super 8 camera early in the career of the Police. What's more, he seemed to keep it running even during photo shoots, autograph sessions, and especially in concert. We have some great scenes shot from behind Stewart in concert, with him playing drums and offering commentary mid-show.For those who are only familiar with the dour, serious version of Sting, you may be surprised by Sting the pop idol. In most of the scenes, he looks like he's having a good time, and it's nice to be reminded that the man knows how to party.
There are some live tracks to be heard throughout the film, but of course they're lo-fi, and the sound is muddy in places. But Copeland did a great job of remixing some of the classic Police songs as soundtrack music, and there's some fantastic stuff to be heard there. In fact, I would buy a CD of Copeland's remixes if it was available. I really enjoyed the "Tea in the Sahara" remix that appears early in the film.
While Summers' book covers some of the issues behind the breakup of the Police, Everyone Stares just goes through the Ghost in the Machine album. I really was hoping for some Synchronicity coverage and the views of the big tour that followed, but no luck there... Still, it's an amazing film for Police fans and, as mentioned earlier, it's a great companion to the Summers book. If you can only do one or the other, get the Summers book. But if you're a Police fan, splurge and buy both.
I was excited to read in the New York Times the other day that the Police will be reuniting to play the Grammies on February 11th... And of course rumors continue to fly that the Police will reunite for a 30th anniversary tour this year. My fingers are crossed! And if you don't know much about the Police, use One Train Later and Everyone Stares to get educated and psyched...
posted by Steve at 6:16 AM
1 Comments:
Yeah, for me, the bottom was seeing Sting play his lute on Studio 60. At that moment, I had horrible visions of a possible future album of all the Police songs covered on the lute...
I think a Police tour would be good for Sting... Perhaps it will remind him of the old days. He was capable of covering some serious topics, but still seemed to be having a good time. I'm not sure how, but Bono has managed to maintain that balance for the most part.
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