Speculations on the Police
What makes a rock band great?
When I first heard the Police, I told everyone I could that this was going to be a great band although I didn't know why. At the time, they were quasi-punk but they had something no other band had. At first, I thought it was all about Sting, his unique vocals and his bass. As I listened more, I thought it was Andy Summers lead guitar that was the key. Lastly, I thought it was Stewart Copeland's precision and snap (rent the Coppola movie, Rumble Fish and you'll understand).
When I saw them in concert for the first time (1980?), I understood it was the interaction of the three. Last Monday's concert re-confirmed that for me. The Police are the tightest of trios because of the space they give each other. Despite Sting's huge ego, these guys give each other the room needed to make the song determine the emphasis. Roxanne still kills because Sting's sorrowful wails come forward. De Doo Doo Dah rocks because Copeland nails that pick-up beat perfectly. Every Breath is a monster because Summers syncopation runs like a freight train that makes us all get on board.
To me, great rock is about giving it up to the moment of the song. Keith Richards may actually hate Jagger but you see him grinning with his dry gulch face when that rooster struts the stage. Jagger turns it over to Richards because on certain songs, guitar power trumps showmanship.
When I was in Morocco, some legendary woman sang on a special holiday for hours while the whole city of Marrakech listened on the radio. I asked our pension manager what it was that fascinated everyone. He said, "Just listen to the spaces she leaves in between the notes."