Share the post "Book review: On track…THE POLICE – Every Album, Every Song by Peter Braidis"
Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 12.04.24]
Forming when punk was starting to become a force, The Police – drummer Stuart Copeland, vocalist/bassist Sting and guitarist Andy Summers – released five albums between 1978 and 1983, coupled with a succession of hit singles, including ‘Message In A Bottle’, ‘Don’t Stand So Close To Me’ and ‘Every Breath You Take’. The Police split in 1986, with Sting going on to massive solo success, and a reunion tour in the 2000′s broke box office records and remains the finale of the band.
This is second book for Sonicbond Publishing by Peter Braidis, having penned the enjoyable book on Asia published in 2020. He certainly loves the band and music he writes about, covering the early days of the Police when Henry Padovani was briefly the band’s guitarist before Andy Summers joined in 1977.
You knew a band like the Police were onto a good thing back in 1978 as their debut album, ‘Outlandos D’Amour’, which featured three hit singles in ‘Roxanne’, ‘So Lonely’ (with its chorus ‘Feeling Sue Lawley’ a classic mondegreen!) and ‘Can’t Stand Losing You’. They went on to clock up five number one singles in the UK and all bar their debut album, topped the UK album charts. Their final album ‘Synchronicity’ was their biggest seller overall, including topping the album charts in the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Spain. The album went eight times platinum in the US.
No new interviews but plenty of historic interviews with the band are used throughout the book. Interesting too that the compilations, box sets and live albums are given a decent write up.
A caption on the first photo in the book says ‘nobody can ever replicate the Police’. The author is bang on there, as they were a unique trio who produced many a memorable song, and were never easy to pigeonhole musically straddling rock, pop, reggae, pop rock, punk and new wave with ease.
An interesting read for the casual fan and like any book in the ‘Every album, every song’ series bound to provoke debate amongst fans over the author’s views on each album and songs. For me though it always takes you off to listen to the music described within the pages and reconnect with it, or in many cases listening to it for the first time.
Review by Jason Ritchie
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.
Latest session: Sunday 14 April
Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio
David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 14 April 2024.
UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 9 April 2024.
How to Listen Live?
Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)
Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”
Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.
More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com
Power Plays w/c 29 April 2024
BRIGITTE PURDY Sugar Fried Candy (Dirtshack Records)
ATTIC THEORY The Legacy (indie)
THE HOWLERS I Need Your Love (indie)
VELVETEEN QUEEN Bad Reputation (indie)
WILLS AND THE WILLING Scuffed Knees (Smash & Grab Music Ltd)
READY THE PRINCE Still Believe (indie)
Featured Albums w/c 29 April 2024
09:00-12:00 PRAYING MANTIS Defiance (Frontiers)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023
To see our Tweets you need to be logged in to an X (Twitter) account
Popular (last 10 days)
Share the post "Book review: On track…THE POLICE – Every Album, Every Song by Peter Braidis"
PDF - you can delete unwanted sections
