I’m the biggest Police fan you know – seriously, all three of you who read this can’t possibly know a bigger Police fan than I am – and yet, I was disappointed with the performance by Sting, Stewart, and Andy at the Grammy’s. Granted I tuned in only to watch the opening act and turned off the television almost immediately (I did manage to see that Bela Fleck and the Flecktones won a Grammy for best redneck/jazz fusion combo album of the year) because I know as well as anyone that, like all awards ceremonies, the Grammy’s are a big fat waste of time. But even the little bit I did watch seems like a waste to me now.
Sure, it was a lot of fun for me that my favorite band was playing together for the first time since I was seven years old, but I hadn’t expected the song they would play to be as familiar as it was. Don’t get me wrong, I totally expected the Police to come out and play their first single (“Roxanne”) on the 30th anniversary of its release, but I didn’t expect the version that came out. It started the same as it always did – guitar deity Andy Summers (now 65 years old) chopping away at the opening riff, Sting’s syncopated bass line giving the counter melody, and Stewart Copeland’s complicated and precise yet subtle percussion leading the way for the wailing vocal – but after the first chorus, the song was no longer the one I knew from the Police, it was the version that Sting has played with every incarnation of his melting-pot, jazz-influenced back-up bands since his second solo album.
I’m not saying it’s not good music; I’m saying it’s not the Police, and the opening number to their (anticipated) upcoming world tour seems to have started the Police off on the same note that broke them up before: Sting’s control of the group’s music. I hope that the Police do indeed have a reunion tour and that I can get tickets at an affordable price, but if all I’m going to see is Sting covering some of his old material with yet another back-up band who won’t get to showcase their talent without his say-so, then I’m not going.
6 comments:
I'm sorry you were disappointed. I know you were looking forward to this. The disillusionment in seeing your favorite artist somehow ruin your enjoyment of your favorite band must be horrible. Ok , now I’ve confused myself…
I just kind of wish there were some sort of Yoko Ono to blame; maybe I'll blame Apollo Ohno, I don't like him anyway.
I'll jump on that bandwagon. Down with Apollo Ohno!!! I guess I am just morally against spandex even for Olympic caliber athletes. I don’t see how this applies to The Police, but at least we have a scapegoat…come to think of it, I don’t really like goats either. Down with goats!!! Ok, that’s plenty of competition clothing and farm animal bigotry for one comment.
I just got an email from 740 KVOR saying this:
It's official! The Police are coming to Colorado! They'll be at Pepsi Center on June 9th!
If they're going to be so close, you should go, even if it might not be the perfect reunion scenario!
Good call Kacie! I think you should go Coach. If you don't, I think you'll kick yourself later. Just my opinion.
Now I know why I didn't watch the "Crappies" for 10 years. At one point I thought, "hey, Flea from the Chili Peppers is acting like he's high on drugs". But later I thought, "you know what's even funnier, he's probably not! That's just how wacked out he really is".
Post a Comment