the police were at my door today

Today, my copy of the new Police CD collection arrived at my doorstep. My initial impression is that the design is pretty cool with a see-through black and white overlay sleeve and some glossy-on-matte yellow artwork (I really dig that look on CDs). All of the favorite tracks are there, as expected.

Listening to this new collection, my all-time favorite track from the Police has to be "So Lonely". Some songwriters do such an awesome job of embodying how you feel in their music, and this song is near the top of the list when it comes to break-ups. The self-pity, the guilt, lamenting and more - all of it goes hand-in-hand with that gut-wrenching feeling of being left by one that you love(d). This is just one of the shining moments on the new Police CD.

The track has a definite Jamaica feel to it, as well - something of a slow "ska meets reggae" rhythm. One could easily argue the influential factor of the Police when seeing how later pop and new wave bands began to include these tropical infusions in their compositions. In fact, I've made a few compilation discs over the years in which the Police fit in fine alongside more ska-influenced pop acts like English Beat, Madness and Fishbone.


Win a New York fly-away to see The Police live.