"Outlandos D’Amour" by The Police
Another day, another anniversary celebration for a landmark debut.
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Welcome to a new edition of the Daily Music Picks newsletter!
Today’s music pick celebrates the 45th anniversary of the Police’s adrenaline-charged, reggae-infused debut.
Genre: New Wave, Post-Punk
Label: A&M
Release Date: November 2, 1978
Vibe: 🤘
For a group with so many mainstream hits under their belt, I think it’s a shame that Outlandos d’Amour, the group’s new wave-y debut from 1978, often gets cast aside in favor of their later, more pop-oriented releases. What this record and its follow-up, Regatta de Blanc, lack in songwriting polish, they more than make up for in sheer urgency. Whether it’s Stewart Copeland’s hard-driving tom hits on “Next to You” or the heartbroken earnestness of “Hole in My Life” and “Can’t Stand Losing You,” this is a collection of love songs that play every emotional moment to the back of the room, and I mean that as a compliment. Even the album’s best-known cut, “Roxanne,” is a deceptively complex piece of work. Sting embodies a character that moves quickly from gallant (”You don’t have to sell your body to the night”) to jealously obsessed with his carnal muse (”I know my mind is made up/So put away your makeup/Told you once/I won't tell you again/It's a bad way”).
According to Andy Summers, the intermittent recording sessions were completed with borrowed money (from manager Miles Copeland) whenever they could sneak into the studio for free. In that context, there’s a remarkable consistency in how tight the trio’s playing is, especially in the face of all the genre fusion going on. That dynamic makes the deeper cuts highlights in their own right. There’s “Peanuts,” featuring an instrumental that always reminded me of the Hawaii Five-O theme, the odd spoken-word charm of “Be My Girl - Sally,” and the island-inspired groove of “Masoko Tanga,” all of which showcase the band’s ability to add just the right amount of left-field influence to spice up their post-punk attack. With so much musical and behind-the-scenes baggage weighing down the Police’s early-80s hits, there’s something refreshing about listening to this debut, back when they weren’t bogged down by the expectations that came with being such a household name.
👉 Don’t forget to click the album image to stream the album on your favorite platform 👈