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Rating:
Much has been said about the Police. Perhaps too much. Perhaps too little, or poorly.
Many remember them only for their blonde hair. Or for Sting's striking personality. Or for Du du du etc.
No one has ever thought about the fact that these 3, I repeat 3, managed to produce:
a) intelligent records
b) that covered many facets of rock music
c) that live were simply devastating.
Ghost In The Machine reflects the hangovers and disappointments of the post-Zenatta: the group had tasted worldwide success, and in practice had... gone a bit off track.
Rightly, they retreat to a Caribbean island, isolated, and entrust the production, the change of direction, to a young producer, intelligent and with a good ear (Hugh Padgham). Copeland always armed with his tough Tama and his beloved Octobans, Summers with a suitcase full of harmonizers and the new toy, the Roland synth guitar. Sting... bass, voice, highly inspired and very dark.
It starts with "Spirits...": dry sounds, the snare drum hitting as stiff as ever, and... those verses with 20 vocal overdubs. This will be the characteristic of the whole album: Sting's voice leveled with the other instruments, not dominating, rather, it’s smoothed with many harmonizations and counterchants. It emphasizes the group's collegiality, or at least they try to steer it back on track.
"Every Little Thing" is a pop jewel, in which a sinuous piano and a synth line played on Sting's Oberheim appear. It starts to break away from the "pop-reggae" stereotype....
"Invisible Sun": Christ, what a guitar chorus! Summers confirms himself as a GENIUS of rhythm, a wizard at creating very little but extremely valid. Copeland hits very effectively on the toms, the famous "rythmatist" spreads his Paiste over the whole sound space.
"Too Much Information": and who says it's a shame to play funk, without mimicking disco? Let's draw inspiration from Sly and the Family Stone, add a touch of sax and... zap! Incredible groove!
"Omegaman": in the series, how to do a solo on the synth guitar of 5/6 notes, and enter the legend better than the 20,000 notes played by any show-off... speed pop gem.
"Darkness": Here Copeland develops his not inconsiderable compositional talent and pulls out a dark and strange ballad, with a fantastic piano break.
Has anyone, by chance, never listened to them? Curious? Good, start with this album. Then you will move on to the others.
But first, appreciate the vocal harmonies, the somewhat dark mood at times, and cheerfully funky at others. Let yourself be drawn in by Copeland's "African" groove. The real Police, here, found themselves again, without any lights or various glam: real, essential and baroque at the same time, but definitely a terrible war trio...
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Spirits in the Material World (02:59)
There is no political solution
To our troubled evolution
Have no faith in constitution
There is no bloody revolution
We are spirits in the material world
We are spirits in the material world
We are spirits in the material world
We are spirits in the material world
Our so-called leaders speak
With words they try to jail you
They subjugate the meek
But it's the rhetoric of failure
We are spirits in the material world
We are spirits in the material world
We are spirits in the material world
We are spirits in the material world
Where does the answer lie?
Living from day to day
If it's something we can't buy
There must be another way
We are spirits in the material world
03 Invisible Sun (03:44)
I don't want to spend the rest of my life
Looking at the barrel of an armalite
I don't want to spend the rest of my days
Keeping out of trouble like the soldiers say
I don't want to spend my time in hell
Looking at the walls of a prison cell
I don't ever want to play the part
Of a statistic on a government chart
There has to be an invisible sun
It gives its heat to everyone
There has to be an invisible sun
It gives us hope when the whole day's done
It's dark all day and it glows all night
Factory smoke and acetylene light
I face the day with my head caved in
Looking like something that the cat brought in
There has to be an invisible sun
It gives its heat to everyone
There has to be an invisible sun
It gives us hope when the whole day's done
And they're only gonna change this place
By killing everybody in the human race
And they would kill me for a cigarette
But I dont even want to die just yet
There has to be an invisible sun
It gives its heat to everyone
There has to be an invisible sun
It gives us hope when the whole day's done
05 Demolition Man (05:57)
Oh! Demolition, demolition
Demolition, demolition
Tied to the tracks and the train's fast coming
Strapped to the wing with the engine running
You say that this wasn't in your plan
And don't mess around with the demolition man
Tied to a chair, and the bomb is ticking
This situation was not of your picking
You say that this wasn't in your plan
And don't mess around with the demolition man
I'm a walking nightmare, an arsenal of doom
I kill conversation as I walk into the room
I'm a three line whip, I'm the sort of thing they ban
I'm a walking disaster, I'm a demolition man
Demolition, demolition
Demolition, demolition
You come to me like a moth to the flame
It's love you need but I don't play that game
'Cause you could be my greatest fan
But I'm nobody's friend, I'm a demolition man
I'm a walking nightmare, an arsenal of doom
I kill conversation as I walk into the room
I'm a three line whip, I'm the sort of thing they ban
I'm a walking disaster, I'm a demolition man
Demolition, demolition
Demolition, demolition
Tied to the tracks and the train's fast coming
Strapped to the wing with the engine running
You say that this wasn't in your plan
And don't mess around with the demolition man
Tied to a chair, and the bomb is ticking
This situation was not of your picking
You say that this wasn't in your plan
And don't mess around with the demolition man
06 Too Much Information (03:42)
Too much information running through my brain
Too much information driving me insane
Too much information running through my brain
Too much information driving me insane
I've seen the whole world six times over
Sea of Japan to the Cliffs of Dover
Oh
I've seen the whole world six times over
Sea of Japan to the Cliffs of Dover
Oh
Overkill
Overview
Over my dead body
Over me
Over you
Over everybody
Too much information running through my brain
Too much information driving me insane
Too much information running through my brain
Too much information driving me insane
I've seen the whole world six times over
Sea of Japan to the Cliffs of Dover
Oh
I've seen the whole world six times over
Sea of Japan to the Cliffs of Dover
Oh
Too much information running through my brain
Too much information driving me insane
Too much information running through my brain
Too much information driving me insane
I've seen the whole world six times over
Sea of Japan to the Cliffs of Dover
Oh
I've seen the whole world six times over
Sea of Japan to the Cliffs of Dover
Oh
Overkill
Overview
Over my dead body
Over me
Over you
Over everybody
Too much information running through my brain
Too much information driving me insane
Too much information running through my brain
Too much information driving me insane
(to fade)
07 Rehumanize Yourself (03:10)
He goes out at night with his big boots on
None of his friends know right from wrong
They kick a boy to death 'cos he don't belong
You've got to humanise yourself
A policeman put on his uniform
He'd like to have a gun just to keep him warm
Because violence here is a social norm
You've got to humanise yourself
Re-humanise yourself
Re-humanise yourself
Re-humanise yourself
Re-humanise yourself
I work all day at the factory
I'm building a machine that's not for me
There must be a reason that I can't see
You've got to humanise yourself
Billy's joined the National Front
He always was a little runt
He's got his hand in the air with the other cunts
You've got to humanise yourself
Re-humanise yourself
Re-humanise yourself
Re-humanise yourself
Re-humanise yourself
I work all day at the factory
I'm building a machine that's not for me
There must be a reason that I can't see
You've got to humanise yourself
A policeman put on his uniform
He'd like to have a gun just to keep him warm
Because violence here is a social norm
You've got to humanise yourself
Re-humanise yourself...
09 Omegaman (02:47)
The night came down, jungle sounds were in my ears
City screams are all I've heard in tewnty years
The razor's edge of night, it cuts into my sleep
I sit upon the edge now
Shall I make that leap?
I'm the Omegaman
I'm the Omegaman
The sky's alive with turned on television sets
I walk the streets and seek another vision yet
The echo makes me turn to see that last frontier
The edge of time closes down as I disappear
I'm the Omegaman
I'm the Omegaman
I'm the Omegaman
I'm the Omegaman
Always talking to myself
Oh!
The time that's best is when surroundings fade away
The presense of another world comes close to me
It's time for me to throw away this paper knife
I'm not alone in reaching for a perfect life
I'm the Omegaman
I'm the Omegaman
I'm the Omegaman
I'm the Omegaman
I'm so tired
Of the Omegaman
(to fade)
10 Secret Journey (03:33)
Upon a secret journey
I met a holy man
His blindness was his wisdom
I'm such a lonely man
And as the world was turning
It rolled itself in pain
This does not seem to touch you
He pointed to the rain
You will see light in the darkness
You will make some sense of this
And when you've made your secret journey
You will find the love you miss
And on the days that followed
I listened to his words
I strained to understand him
I chased his thoughts like birds
You will see light in the darkness
You will make some sense of this
And when you've made your secret journey
You will find the love you miss
You will see light in the darkness
You will make some sense of this
You will see joy in this sadness
You will find this love you miss
And when you've made your secret journey
You will be a holy man
(repeat to fade)
11 Darkness (03:13)
I can dream up schemes when I'm sitting in my seat
I don't see any flaws 'til I get to my feet
I wish I never woke up this morning
Life was was easy when it was boring
I could make a mark if it weren't so dark
I could be replaced by any bright spark
But darkness makes me fumble
For a key, to a door, that's wide open
Instead of worrying about my clothes
I could be someone that nobody knows
I wish I never woke up this morning
Life was easy when it was boring
I can dream up schemes when I'm sitting in my seat
I don't see any flaws 'til I get to my feet
I wish I never woke up this morning
Life was easy when it was boring
I wish I never woke up this morning
Life was easy when it was boring
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Other reviews
By claudio carpentieri
This album marks a real departure from the reggae of their beginnings, aiming straight at catchy pop.
An album that ... remains without a doubt a milestone for the sound achieved, as well as the most concrete manifestation of the courage of the three in having risked their reputation.
By Rax
Despite being a very British man, Andy Summers has spoken out harshly against this electronic conversion of Sting.
'Invisible Sun' is perhaps the ultimate masterpiece of the Police, with a calligraphic Summers and a wonderfully restrained Copeland making almost solemn a very dark piece.
