The Police

Even compared to the rest of their catalog -- one of the strongest in all of modern rock -- the Police's debut could be considered the band's greatest moment. More punky, less polished, Outlandos (with its nonsensical pseudo-French title) shows signs of the Police's later radio-ruling pop sensibilities with skuzzy up-rockers like "Next to You" and "So Lonely" and of course the iconic "Roxanne." But there's a subversive wink in the unpredictable reggae-rock production, long run times, and "(Be My Girl) Sally" -- the first hint of Sting's penchant for kinky sex.

On the Police's debut album, Outlandos d'Amour, lead vocalist/bassist Sting sings in a
sleight-of-hand variety of styles: there's a high-pitched quaver reminiscent of Ray Davies on
the love songs, some Jamaican patois trotted out for the reggae cuts, a bit of Roger
Daltrey's phlegm-that-swallowed-Kansas howling for a big rabble-rouser like "Born in the
50's." Sting sounds like a guy who's just made sergeant and is looking for a voice... More >

Tuneful, straight-ahead rock and roll is my favorite form of mindlessness, and almost all of these songs--riffs-with-lyrics, really--make the cretin in me hop. But only "Can't Stand Losing You" makes him jump up and down. And the "satiric" soliloquy to an inflatable bedmate makes him push reject. (Grade - B+)