Greatest Hits [Import]

The Police | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 18, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Musicrama/Koch
• ASIN: B000A2GREQ
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #214,484 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Roxanne

2. Can't Stand Losing You

3. So Lonely

4. Message in a Bottle

5. Walking on the Moon

6. The Bed's Too Big Without You

7. Don't Stand So Close to Me

8. De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da

9. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

10. Invisible Sun

11. Spirits in the Material World

12. Synchronicity II

13. Every Breath You Take

14. King of Pain

15. Wrapped Around Your Finger

16. Tea in the Sahara

Editorial Reviews

Import only collection originally released in 1992. Features 16 tracks including 4 tracks that did not make the US 'Every Breath You Take: The Classics'collection, 'So Lonely', 'The Beds To Big Without You', 'Synchronicity 2' & 'Tea In The Sahara'. This import edition also contains the original versions of 'Message In The Bottle' & 'Don't Stand So Close To Me' whereas the aforementioned US collection contains updated versions. The remaining 10 tracks are the tracks everybody knows, 'Roxanne', 'Can't Stand Losing You', 'Walking On The Moon', 'De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da', 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic', 'Invisible Sun', 'Spirits In The Material World', 'Every Breath You Take', 'King Of Pain' & 'Wrapped Around Your Finger'.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The very Best of all the Compilations for the band...., March 29, 2005

By 

fetish_2000 (U.K.) - See all my reviews

For a band that were at the height of their fame, It seemed a shock to hear that 'The Police' were to disband. (Due to tensions between 'Sting', and the rest of the band, "Andy Summers (Guitar)" & "Stewart Copeland (Drums)". But what they did leave behind, was a collection of incredibly well-crafted, slick, literate & lively songs that touched upon Jazz (a particular favourite of Sting's, and one he would explore on his solo albums), Album rock, Pop/Rock ("Message in a Bottle", was the perfect encapsulation of intelligent Pop music, for a more discerning listener). New Wave (The spookily infectious anthem, "Don't Stand so Close to me" was one of the most successful new Wave-oriented tracks to climb the singles chart). Alternative Pop (The angst-ridden swagger of "Roxanne", was as reflectively beautiful enough for it to become one of their most requested/Covered songs, of their career). Songs with a slight reggae-ting to them ("Cant stand Losing you", toyed with elements of reggae instrumentation to marvellous effect). Alternative Rock/Post-Punk (The spaced out freeform guitar on "Walking on the Moon", perfectly summoned weird images of life on another planet), Cerebral Pop (The unforgettable catchiness of the mildly melancholic "Message in Bottle" will arguably remain one of their best known songs). Singer/Songwriter tracks (the Haunting "Every Breath you Take", is all the more disturbing, when you realise the song is about a 'Stalker' watching his victim, read the lyrics for the song again, and it'll start to make sense).

And, so it's fairly safe to say that the most popular /classic tracks are included in this comprehensive complition of the work of The Police. And although there are likely to be several personal favourites that didn't make the tracklisting on this compilation, this compilation still truly shines and is undoubtedly more than worthy of 5 stars. There may be those to bemoan the lack of a couple of inclusions, but then, that's always to be expected, when you have a band, that was as big as 'The Police', and whom made so many worthwhile singles, it would be virtually impossible to completely please everyone. And even though my personal favourite...the Exotic/World music influenced "Masoko Tango", is absent. It would be pointless to bemoan the fact, especially and the compilers have tried to offer as broad (and appealling) overview of the bands work, as is possible.

Of all the police compilations available...(and there are a few), this is easily the best of them. It might not be the cheapest, but it not only offers the most tracks (16 tracks, as opposed to the next best compilation offering only 14 tracks). And unlike some of the other compilations, it doesn't try and pad out the compilation with various 'Remixes' of songs, instead preffering to place emphasis on the original tracks. To be honest no compilation of 'The Police's' work is completely without merit, but if you (the buyer) want the absolute best summary of their work, (along with the most songs included), this is by far the best of all the compilations currently available.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great collection, far superior to the US collections, June 21, 2006

By 

Tom Benton (North Springfield, VT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

There have been three collections of the "best" of The Police. The first, EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE: THE SINGLES, was released in 1986. More recently, we were given the U.S. release EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE: THE CLASSICS, which contains the biggest Police titles as well as "Don't Stand So Close to Me '86" and a remixed version of "Message in a Bottle". What most people don't know about is this lovely little set, titled simply GREATEST HITS.

It contains all your basic Police tracks - "Roxanne", "Message in a Bottle", "Don't Stand So Close to Me", "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic", "Every Breath You Take", etc. But it also adds some - the essential "So Lonely" from OUTLANDOS D'AMOUR, "The Bed's Too Big Without You" from REGGATTA DE BLANC, and "Synchronicity II" and the essential "Tea in the Sahara" from SYNCHRONICITY. Though The Police only released five albums (not including 1995's LIVE!), they were such a magnificent band that they had many outstanding songs - so many that it would be impossible to collect them all on a single-disc set. If you could, however, make a set of The Police's greatest songs with only a disc to spare, GREATEST HITS does it. Every song here is brilliant, even if the set doesn't contain every great song The Police ever recorded.

When compared to the other two compilations - THE SINGLES and THE CLASSICS - GREATEST HITS is far superior. If you're looking for a good introduction to The Police or to get a taste of what their music was like, I would highly recommend GREATEST HITS.

TRACK HIGHLIGHTS: "Roxanne", "Can't Stand Losing You", "So Lonely", "Message in a Bottle", "Walking on the Moon", "The Bed's Too Big Without You", "Don't Stand So Close to Me", "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da", "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic", "Invisible Sun", "Spirits in the Material World", "Synchronicity II", "Every Breath You Take", "King of Pain", "Wrapped Around Your Finger", "Tea in the Sahara"

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All the hits are here!, May 17, 2004

By 

radiogold "radiogold" (Sydney Australia) - See all my reviews

I could never really get my self into any of the Police's albums. They were the kind of album you'd borrow off someone else, and tape the few good tracks. Through their career, the police released about four variations of best ofs and greatest hits. They did release a greatest hits in 1986 that featured a remix of "don't stand so close", but missed out on many of the popular hits. Out of all their material they have produced, this compilation is IT!

This one has all their hits from their reggae roots in the mid seventies through to their new romantic sound in the mid eighties. All my favourites are on here including "every little thing she does is magic", "Roxanne", "Can't stand loosing you", "message in a bottle" and and and at long last, the original version of "don't stand so close". I hated that remix that was done in the late eighties. Other hits on this set include "every breath you take", "spirits in the material world", "wrapped around your finger", "de do do do, de da da da" and "synchronicity". This CD covers all their great hits with 16 selections. If you like the police in any way, you can't go wrong with this disc.