‘Ghost In The Machine’ was The Police’s fourth album, and features a different sound away from their first three albums; part experimental and with a hi-tech vibe.
Written by: Eric
ARTIST: The Police
ALBUM: Ghost In The Machine
LABEL: A&M
SERIAL: SP-3730
YEAR: 1981
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: England
LINEUP: Andy Summers – guitar, vocals * Stewart Copeland – drums, vocals * Sting – vocals, bass
TRACK LISTING: 01 Spirits In The Material World * 02 Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic * 03 Invisible Sun * 04 Hungry For You (J’aurais Toujours Faim De Toi) * 05 Demolition Man * 06 Too Much Information * 07 Rehumanize Yourself * 08 One World (Not Three) * 09 Omegaman * 10 Secret Journey * 11 Darkness
WEBLINK: Site Link
Background
Unless you were living in a cave during the late 70’s early 1980’s or are too young to remember, everyone knows The Police although opinions on the band’s music vary.
I recall when I first heard ‘Roxanne’, thinking it was dreadful and was later dismayed that it became the hit it was. To this day much like Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers first hit ‘Breakdown’ from the same period, I think it’s one of the most overrated and unworthy singles that ever hit the charts and their first three goofy titled stripped-down faux reggae-influenced albums are not much better, but what do I know.
Fronted by the enigmatic, spiky haired and full of himself Sting, the quirky threesome were one of the biggest bands on the planet, sold mountains of records and filled baseball stadiums with freshly scrubbed MTV weaned fans who couldn’t seem to get enough.
The Songs
Like much of the music the 80’s had to offer, I never got it, but ‘Ghost In The Machine’ I enjoyed in part for a couple reasons. First, the reggae was gone. Never liked the style or its infatuation with reefer and other than 10cc‘s ‘Dreadlock Holiday’ and maybe a couple of other examples, I don’t think it makes for good pop.
Second, the band seemed to experiment a little more on this record and while I wouldn’t call this ‘progressive’ per se, it took some chances, all of it not entirely successful but interesting nonetheless.
The stabbing keys of ‘Spirits In The Material World’ and chorus show a band letting loose of the past stripped-down new wave and embracing the go-go hi-tech 80’s and a pretty cool track to boot.
The most upbeat cut on the album and one of the band’s biggest hits ‘Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic’ is a sure-fire improvement over ‘Roxanne’ and indeed The Police had come a long way in the songwriting department.
Dark, but mysteriously beautiful, ‘Invisible Sun’ is easily one of the most haunting songs they ever recorded and my personal favourite while ‘Hungry For You (J’aurais Toujours Faim De Toi)’ rocks at a pretty good clip.
It’s not to last though as the lengthy ‘Demolition Man’ wears out its welcome and other than ‘Omegaman’ which could almost pass for Yes circa ‘90125’, the album becomes very funky and uninteresting leaving ‘Ghost In The Machine’ a half and half proposition and underlining the fact the trio never released a true classic worthy of their obvious talents.
In Summary
One more album ‘Synchronicity’ and The Police went their separate ways. Sting went on to a successful solo career as both a musician and actor while both Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland busied themselves with several side projects up until the inevitable and unneeded 2007 Police reunion.
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