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RE: [Police] DVD and other stuff
by Fred Berthelot 24 Mar '03

24 Mar '03

I was very disappointed with the audio mix on the DVD. The songs sound remixed rather than remastered. There are drum and guitar parts that weren't there before. Sting's vocals have too much echo. And the worst tragedy of all -- they left out the background vocal "...every breath you take, every move you make..." at the end of EBYT. It's just Sting singing "I'll be watching you..." You just don't need to mess with EBYT. You're not gonna make it better by stripping or adding anything. I don't know if the 5.1 mix is better (I'm assuming it's the same 5.1 mix that was released a couple of years ago) but the stereo mix is bad. It just doesn't sound like the songs we know and love. Most of us know every little nuance of these songs, and now they just don't sound like the originals... The redeeming factor is the Montserrat documentary. I could listen to Sting pick all his songs apart and describe the writing process -- I find it fascinating. And the Old Grey Whistle test is a classic :-) Fred

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re: Sting discography
by your sequin baby! 24 Mar '03

24 Mar '03

Brian T. wrote... Does any one have a current link for Mitch Darby's incredibly comprehensive Sting discography (in particular bootleg recordings)? I've tried finding this recently and all links that I find on the web have expired. This page must still be on the web somewhere. Ooooooh! That flatters me! Once upon a time, you could get to it by going here: http://snow.prohosting.com/aceface3/index.htm and clicking on the "Ghost In The Machine" logo. But alas, the files are no longer online. It seems that since 1999, I have a) lost interest, b) lack the time, c) lack the skill, e) lack the space, d) all of the above, to keep the bugger up to date! I think I may have the files ... somewhere. I'll have to poke around and see - perhaps I can upload them later this week. Assuming I find them, of course. Until then, you could search for them using the "Wayback Machine" (http://www.archive.org/) *or* have a look at this fine discog: http://www.stingoop.com/ Mitch

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Re: [Police] DVD and other stuff
by Angel C Little 24 Mar '03

24 Mar '03

On Mon, 24 Mar 2003 16:10:00 -0800 "Maggie White" <mwhite(a)gw.smbsd.k12.ca.us> writes: > I tried to send this earlier today, but had a glitch, I guess. > > I watched the new DVD last night. Here's a quick review. > > Best Buy has the DVD for $18, Borders has it for $20. My local > Wherehouse didn't have it at all. Circuit City = $15.99 > I've got a lot of this stuff on video, but it's been ages since I've > watched it, so my memory is faulty. But I think some of the videos > are ones I've never seen before. > > The Roxanne video isn't the guys with the red backdrop, which is the > one I'm used to. It's a mostly live concert video with Sting in his > jumpsuit looking intently into the camera a lot. Often, the vocals > don't match what's on screen. Yeah it would of been great to have the original red room video on DVD... kinda sucks since its on VH1 Classic all the time too. > I think So Lonely was new to me, as was De Do Do Do (standing in the > snow is soooo exciting). The "So Lonely" video is from the "Around The World" video. > The video for Don't Stand 86 is just terrible. Horrible. Stewart and > Andy are Photoshop cardboard cutouts who stand with their arms > folded the whole time. Sting isn't much better. At the end, when > they flash pictures of the Police's album covers and magazine covers > over their heads, you can see that Dream of the Blue Turtles is one > of the covers flashed. I hadn't noticed it before. Interesting. Not to mention that Sting's DOTBT band was also shown in the video too. Angel C. Little

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Re: Police DVD
by Balin Family 24 Mar '03

24 Mar '03

Well, we sat down as a family...(or rather, I made everyone watch the DVD with me) ...last night, and loved it! I've seen all those before on the VHS version, but the DTS sound was great--at least, I enjoyed it. My thirteen-year-old is really into Stewart's style now; that's cool. The bit during the Montserrat trip where Stewart explains about drumming styles was nice. And may I say that my love/admiration of Stewart has begun all over again--he's just incredible! [sigh]--thanx, guys, for re-releasing that digitally. Really appreciate it! Peace, Love, & Sting, (and Stewart & Andy), Jen "all dressed up and nowhere to go"

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HOF 2003
by EndoxArts! 24 Mar '03

24 Mar '03

Well, I finally got to see the HOF on VH1 UK last night and have come out of lurk-mode to share some comments with the list:) 1) they only played EBTY - ONE SONG!!! 2) I didn't like the way the EDGE dismissed Sting as "white reggae". Is there some feud going on, considering he walked out during the boys'performance? Didn't Andy dismiss him as "effective in his context" in an interview recently? 3) the guitar track is definitely different from the ASF tracks on the VH1 website. The mistake Andy makes in EBYT (F#m9 instead of A(9)) is gone. I was, however, surprised that the guitar was still sloppy - with lots of pinched notes and string noise! It sounds like it was laid down quickly after the performance? 4) the VH1 mix was poor, and I think it was broadcast in MONO. Anyone else notice this? 5) Andy's guitar was muffled. AFAIK, this is the Fender Strat he used on "The Golden Wire" which has custom pickups and has a naturally soft sound. I suppose he didn't use the Telecaster because its finish is worn and it may have looked "dirty" for such an occasion - he could however have switched the Strat to the rear pickup for some bite! Anyway - just my two cents. Sorry if it seems like complaints but nevertheless it was great to see the boys play together again, and to see some of the backstage footage of them joking together. Long live The Police!!!

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DVD and other stuff
by Maggie White 24 Mar '03

24 Mar '03

I tried to send this earlier today, but had a glitch, I guess. I watched the new DVD last night. Here's a quick review. Best Buy has the DVD for $18, Borders has it for $20. My local Wherehouse didn't have it at all. I've got a lot of this stuff on video, but it's been ages since I've watched it, so my memory is faulty. But I think some of the videos are ones I've never seen before. The Roxanne video isn't the guys with the red backdrop, which is the one I'm used to. It's a mostly live concert video with Sting in his jumpsuit looking intently into the camera a lot. Often, the vocals don't match what's on screen. I think So Lonely was new to me, as was De Do Do Do (standing in the snow is soooo exciting). Most of the early videos are, how shall I say???...pretty basic. The video for De Do Do Do looks like it was shot in about 12 minutes, though I do like the clip of Sting wiping his nose on the back of his hand in a big swiping motion. Some fun footage of Sting and Stewart hamming up their fighting for the camera. Stewart looks kind of uncomfortable in the early videos because he has to stand around clutching his drum sticks while Sting and Andy at least get to pretend to play their bass and guitar. Occasionally, Stewart gets to bang on something like a chair or the side of a rocket burner, but still, it seems pretty awkward for him. I guess I noticed it more because I got to see the videos back to back and he just holds the drum sticks a lot. There's a discussion on Ian's message board about people who think some of the songs on the DVD are slightly different versions or at least sound like they are mixed differently. I have to agree. The Jamaican sounding drums in Every Little Thing sound more prominent. Excellent. I'm sure there's more, but I wasn't really paying attention to that. Clearly, the best videos are from Synchronicity. Of course, that was the video age, so they couldn't get away with the "videotape us goofing around in the dressing room" kind of videos they had done previously. Which brings me to a question. Is there a video for King of Pain??? I don't remember one, but 1983 was more than half my lifetime ago, so I could be mistaken. If there isn't, why??? It was a huge hit. The video for Don't Stand 86 is just terrible. Horrible. Stewart and Andy are Photoshop cardboard cutouts who stand with their arms folded the whole time. Sting isn't much better. At the end, when they flash pictures of the Police's album covers and magazine covers over their heads, you can see that Dream of the Blue Turtles is one of the covers flashed. I hadn't noticed it before. Interesting. The Police in Montserrat is OK. The studio footage (which ended up as the videos) is the best. As are the jams with Jools Holland. Studies in Synchronicity is a waste. It's a black and white film of the objects used as the props on the Synch cover, including that damn goat. Now, it was the goat that convinced my parents that the Police were satanic (you know, goat = Satan, lamb = God). If Sting had used a frickin' lamb on the cover, my parents might have let me see them in concert. Alas...... In other news, Fiction Plane is playing in LA tonight and Wed. I might go to the Wed show. Depends on how tired I am this week. LA and back is a long night for me. Rolling Stone's Fiction Plane review is pretty bad. 2 stars out of 5. "It's one thing to grow up poor and cynical, like Kurt Cobain. It's another to be raised in wealth and still be perpetually bummed and snarky, like Nirvana fan Joe Sumner, leader of the English guitar threesome Fiction Plane. "Touch me 'cause my daddy's rich," he sings in "Cigarette," and he's not kidding: Sting's his father. You can tell that from the younger Sumner's voice, but only when he whines, which is often. As you might guess, Fiction Plane suggest Nirvana crossed with early Police. That's a novel combo, and musically it works: Driven by session drummer Abe Laboriel Jr., the taut trio rocks on the beat's edge, impeccably anxious but in the groove. Yet there's little soul behind the smug discontent of tracks such as "I Wish I Would Die," and the well-played result sounds inconsequential. At the end of the day, Fiction Plane never feel real." You can write your own review at www.rollingstone.com Oh, almost forgot, Dave, Wendy and Tina are thanked in the "Special Thanks" liner notes on the back inside cover. Maggie

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RE: [Police] DVD and other stuff
by Fred Berthelot 24 Mar '03

24 Mar '03

I wonder if the Rolling Stone review would have swung the other way had the reviewer not known about the Sting connection. Unfortunately it's something they're always going to be fighting against. Joe will always be compared to his dad, which is tough when your dad is Sting. But Fiction Plane are an excellent band in their own right, they are each talented musicians, and Joe has inherited his dad's vocal chords and writing ability. That Rolling Stone reviewer will be biting his tongue in a couple of years. If you have the opportunity to see Fiction Plane in your area, don't miss it. If you had the opportunity of seeing The Police back in 1978 but you didn't, how much would you hate yourself today? I also suggest giving your rating and review on Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/cd/review.asp?aid=2046124 This reviewer is really pathetic -- his review STARTS with the fact that Sting is Joe's father, before even mentioning the music. The fact that guys like these have a job really irks me... "Hell is full of high court judges, failed saints. We've got Cardinals, Archbishops, barristers, certified accountants, music critics..." Fred -----Original Message----- From: Stingfan222(a)aol.com [mailto:Stingfan222@aol.com] Sent: Monday, March 24, 2003 5:54 PM To: mwhite(a)gw.smbsd.k12.ca.us; police(a)mailman.xmission.com Subject: Re: [Police] DVD and other stuff Thanks for the great update, Maggie! I was just looking for the dvd today with no luck... I saw FP twice a couple weeks ago. They're even tighter than two years ago in Boston and I think that the Rolling Stone reviewer better take another listen. I Love the CD and love them live. So much so that my kids are now hooked! ~ Hope you can make it to at least one of the shows if you haven't seen them perform live yet. They've got me hook, line and sinker! At first I went to see them out of curiosity (in Boston). I was afraid to bring any friends, because honestly, what if they sucked? There's that Lennon (Sean or Julian, can't remember) precedent you have to think of, you know! I've been telling the world now how amazing they are. Forget the Sting connection. They're their own band as far as I'm concerned and have put out a solid CD. My 11 yr. old son (who HATES everything Sting and connected to Sting) begged me for a CD after seeing them perform at the instore last week. So they have their youngest fan (my 4 year old, and oldest fan (me at 37) all in one family! I did have to plug my daughter's ears for the end of Cigarette though : ) I'm just so excited for them because I think they have so much to offer and a great future ahead of them. Nice to see the birth of a super group. Michelle _______________________________________________ Police mailing list Police(a)mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/police

2 1

DVD and other stuff
by Maggie White 24 Mar '03

24 Mar '03

I watched the new DVD last night. Here's a quick review. Best Buy has the DVD for $18, Borders has it for $20. My local Wherehouse didn't have it at all. I've got a lot of this stuff on video, but it's been ages since I've watched it, so my memory is faulty. But I think some of the videos are ones I've never seen before. The Roxanne video isn't the guys with the red backdrop, which is the one I'm used to. It's a mostly live concert video with Sting in his jumpsuit looking intently into the camera a lot. Often, the vocals don't match what's on screen. I think So Lonely was new to me, as was De Do Do Do (standing in the snow is soooo exciting). Most of the early videos are, how shall I say???...pretty basic. The video for De Do Do Do looks like it was shot in about 12 minutes, though I do like the clip of Sting wiping his nose on the back of his hand in a big swiping motion. Some fun footage of Sting and Stewart hamming up their fighting for the camera. Stewart looks kind of uncomfortable in the early videos because he has to stand around clutching his drum sticks while Sting and Andy at least get to pretend to play their bass and guitar. Occasionally, Stewart gets to bang on something like a chair or the side of a rocket burner, but still, it seems pretty awkward for him. I guess I noticed it more because I got to see the videos back to back and he just holds the drum sticks a lot. There's a discussion on Ian's message board about people who think some of the songs on the DVD are slightly different versions or at least sound like they are mixed differently. I have to agree. The Jamaican sounding drums in Every Little Thing sound more prominent. Excellent. I'm sure there's more, but I wasn't really paying attention to that. Clearly, the best videos are from Synchronicity. Of course, that was the video age, so they couldn't get away with the "videotape us goofing around in the dressing room" kind of videos they had done previously. Which brings me to a question. Is there a video for King of Pain??? I don't remember one, but 1983 was more than half my lifetime ago, so I could be mistaken. If there isn't, why??? It was a huge hit. The video for Don't Stand 86 is just terrible. Horrible. Stewart and Andy are Photoshop cardboard cutouts who stand with their arms folded the whole time. Sting isn't much better. At the end, when they flash pictures of the Police's album covers and magazine covers over their heads, you can see that Dream of the Blue Turtles is one of the covers flashed. I hadn't noticed it before. Interesting. The Police in Montserrat is OK. The studio footage (which ended up as the videos) is the best. As are the jams with Jools Holland. Studies in Synchronicity is a waste. It's a black and white film of the objects used as the props on the Synch cover, including that damn goat. Now, it was the goat that convinced my parents that the Police were satanic (you know, goat = Satan, lamb = God). If Sting had used a fucking lamb on the cover, my parents might have let me see them in concert. Alas...... In other news, Fiction Plane is playing in LA tonight and Wed. I might go to the Wed show. Depends on how tired I am this week. LA and back is a long night for me. Rolling Stone's Fiction Plane review is pretty bad. 2 stars out of 5. "It's one thing to grow up poor and cynical, like Kurt Cobain. It's another to be raised in wealth and still be perpetually bummed and snarky, like Nirvana fan Joe Sumner, leader of the English guitar threesome Fiction Plane. "Touch me 'cause my daddy's rich," he sings in "Cigarette," and he's not kidding: Sting's his father. You can tell that from the younger Sumner's voice, but only when he whines, which is often. As you might guess, Fiction Plane suggest Nirvana crossed with early Police. That's a novel combo, and musically it works: Driven by session drummer Abe Laboriel Jr., the taut trio rocks on the beat's edge, impeccably anxious but in the groove. Yet there's little soul behind the smug discontent of tracks such as "I Wish I Would Die," and the well-played result sounds inconsequential. At the end of the day, Fiction Plane never feel real." You can write your own review at www.rollingstone.com Oh, almost forgot, Dave, Wendy and Tina are thanked in the "Special Thanks" liner notes on the back inside cover. Maggie

4 4

Re: [Police] DVD and other stuff
by Stingfan222＠aol.com 24 Mar '03

24 Mar '03

Thanks for the great update, Maggie! I was just looking for the dvd today with no luck... I saw FP twice a couple weeks ago. They're even tighter than two years ago in Boston and I think that the Rolling Stone reviewer better take another listen. I Love the CD and love them live. So much so that my kids are now hooked! ~ Hope you can make it to at least one of the shows if you haven't seen them perform live yet. They've got me hook, line and sinker! At first I went to see them out of curiosity (in Boston). I was afraid to bring any friends, because honestly, what if they sucked? There's that Lennon (Sean or Julian, can't remember) precedent you have to think of, you know! I've been telling the world now how amazing they are. Forget the Sting connection. They're their own band as far as I'm concerned and have put out a solid CD. My 11 yr. old son (who HATES everything Sting and connected to Sting) begged me for a CD after seeing them perform at the instore last week. So they have their youngest fan (my 4 year old, and oldest fan (me at 37) all in one family! I did have to plug my daughter's ears for the end of Cigarette though : ) I'm just so excited for them because I think they have so much to offer and a great future ahead of them. Nice to see the birth of a super group. Michelle

2 1

Re: HoF
by Angeline Adams 24 Mar '03

24 Mar '03

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