Police - Zenyatta Mondatta [Digipak]
![Zenyatta Mondatta [Digipak]](/images/Zenyatta-Mondatta-Digipak-B00008BRDV-L.jpg)
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Category: Music CD
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CD Details
Artist: PoliceEdition: Music CD
Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2003-03-04
Music Label: Interscope Records
Soundtracks:
- Don't Stand So Close To Me
- Driven To Tears
- When The World Is Running Down, You Make The Best Of What's Still Around
- Canary In A Coalmine
- Voices Inside My Head
- Bombs Away
- De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
- Behind My Camel
- Man In A Suitcase
- Shadows In The Rain
- The Other Way Of Stopping
Music reviews of Zenyatta Mondatta [Digipak]
Music Review: ZM is mostly a jam session
Rating: 5 Stars
ZM was hastily written and recorded. The result was a lot of raw songs with musical ideas not fully developed. The exception being the two lead tracks "Don't Stand So Close to Me" and "De do do do, De da da da."
So why am I giving this record 5 stars? Because it has stood the test of time and I never get tired of listening to it. The Police's sound is distinct, and it is very distinct when compared to what rock music typically sounded like in the 1980's. Obviously, there is a lack of heavy distorted lead guitar or prominant solos at the bridge of each song. But, an even more important (and more subtle) distinction is the lack of heavy reverb on the drums or grandiose synthesizer ambiance. The production on this recording is fairly minimal, so what you hear is just the three lads playing with their basic gear. And that is why the record hasn't aged and that is what makes it so listenable. The talent and musicianship of Sting, Summers, and Copeland is what this record stands upon.
The main flaw of ZM is that it seems too short and too sparse on ideas. It breezes by rather quickly and leaves me feeling like I didn't quite get a full meal. But, I certainly wouldn't mind a second helping of the same. This flaw is perfectly simple to understand. They were pressed for time and they did not fully flesh out most of these songs. Fortunately, this does not sink the record because they had enough time to create two gorgous pop gems (the afformentioned songs) and because sometimes less is more. Case in point: compare "Man in a Suitcase" on ZM to "Rehumanize Yourself" on GITM. Both are ska ditties with a sense of irony in the lyrics. Both are clever and catchy. But I prefer "Man in a Suitcase" even though it only has two stanzas and sounds like it is missing the other half of the song. I prefer it because "Rehumanize Yourself" is almost ruined by the noisy experimental sax solo, which was an intellectual conceit (the sax solo represents the sounds of violence in a song about dehumanization from violence). If The Police had been more rushed for time, when recording GITM, they would have left out the awful sax solo and the song would have been much better. Like I said, sometimes less is more.
"Don't Stand So Close to Me" is easily one of their best songs (arguably their best) and it really kicks off this record. In fact, I think the record falls apart without it, because it sets the tone: dark and humorous. DSSCTM is one of Sting's best lyrics, and it the rhythm of the vocal is quite unique. I really can't think of any other song that is like it. "Young-tea-cher/the sub-ject/of schoolgirl fan-tasy/She wants him/So bad-ly/Knows what she wants to be." Lyrically and musically the song builds to a crescendo of dramatic tension and the tension is never resolved. "Wet bus stop/she's wai-ting/his car is warm and dry" is how the song ends. Does the teacher stop his car and invite her in? What happens? We never know and this is a brilliant way to end the song. It also works prefectly in the context of the record because the tension spills over into "Driven to Tears." And "Drviven to Tears" carries that tension over into the next song as well.
In some ways, Stewart Copeland is the star of this record. Copeland is pretty much universally critically acclaimed as one of the best rock drummers ever. I think it is fair to say that an entire record, consisting of just Copeland jamming with Sting on bass (no vocals) would be a joy to listen to. Which is why I think a lot of the credit for the listenability of this record should be given to Copeland. Thankfully, this record lacks the typical overproduced drumming typical of 1980's music. We just get to listen to Copeland do his thing without a lot of studio tricks (which would probably sound outdated by now). The Police were clearly a rock band and there wasn't much of anything jazz in their sound, however, there was a definite jazz sensibility to their style. Part of that comes through in the way that Copeland constantly improvises throughout the record. There is no soloing in The Police, but in a way, Copeland is the band's soloist. The minimalism and crystal clarity of their sound left a lot of open space for Copeland to play with. And he fills it in with verve and originality. Copeland's playing is instantly recognizable. And for a drummer to be that distinctive, that is quite an accomplishment. His playing is also pure joy. There is a sense of lightness and cleanness to it. Even though, he is technically masterful, one isn't inclined to dwell on the difficulty of what he is doing (as many of the more skilled rock drummers try to impress the audience with their chops) but rather meditate on how he constantly delights by punctuating Sting's vocals and drving the songs forward with juicy fills.
So, this record is a couple of The Police's best songs, filled in with a lot of good song ideas that are not fully developed, but nonetheless delightful because Sting, Summers, and Copeland are a delight to listen to. ZM is defintely a cut above the first two Police records and I think it is the best example of The Police operating as a trio, rather than operating as a Sting vehicle, which they would become moreso on Ghost in the Machine and even moreso on Synchronicity. If pressed I would say that Ghost in the Machine is their best and then it is more or less a tie between Synchronicity and Zenyatta Mondatta for second best. Synchronicity is much more fully realized, lyrically more enchanting, but it also has some clunkers and pretentious moments. Zenyatta Mondatta doesn't really have any bad songs or bad moments, but I am sure if they had more time to work on it, they would have added some (unintentionally of course).
Description of Zenyatta Mondatta [Digipak]
Vinyl Reissue of the Police's third album Zenyatta Mondatta which was released in 1980.The album was written during the band's second tour and recorded in just four weeks (minus several days for a short tour of the Netherlands), the album is often regarded as one of their best works and it went to #5 in the U.S. and #1 in the UK and Australia, spurred by the success of the Sting-penned singles "Don't Stand So Close to Me" and "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da". It would later receive glowing reviews from re-assessments in Rolling Stone and Q Magazine, among others. Drummer Stewart Copeland, who contributed the songs "Bombs Away" and "The Other Way of Stopping", said about the time pressures: 'We had bitten off more than we could chew. We finished the album at 4 a.m. on the day we were starting our next world tour... It was cutting it very fine.' 11 tracks.Alternative Rock CDs
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