Message in a Box: The Complete Recordings [BOX SET]

The Police

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 28, 1993)
• Original Release Date: September 28, 1993
• Number of Discs: 4
• Format: Box set
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: A&M
• ASIN: B000002G23
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (108 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,715 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

"This is it: Everything the Police released," boasts the notes in the 66-page booklet included with this box set. Obsessive fans have already written to rock magazines indignantly pointing out the omission of this or that obscurity. But everyone else will find that these four discs include all the Police they'd ever want to own. The first two discs include all of Outlandos d'Amour, Reggatta de Blanc, and Zenyatta Mondatta in their original order, interspersed with live rarities and singles B-sides. Discs 3 and 4 are more satisfying, including the band's well-crafted studio high points, Ghost in the Machine and Synchronicity, plus more outtakes and live tunes. The set ends with "Don't Stand So Close to Me '86," a dismal remake of the early favorite. By this point, the musician's egos were running rampant and they were barely speaking. If anyone wonders why the group called it quits so abruptly, this tune makes it clear that the split was smart and timely. --Jim DeRogatis

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every little thing they did was magic, November 17, 1999

By	tcbnyc "tcbnyc" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

The Police were the closest thing the late 70s/early 80s had to the Beatles: smart songs with pop hooks and commercial appeal and plenty of juicy licks by great instrumentalists. And they were photogenic. A little something for everyone. And by and large, all of their music is worth hearing. Unlike Led Zeppelin, whose great box set is a little all over the place, the Police were smart enough to keep it more or less in chronological order. It works especially well for them since their albums have distinct feels to them. And there are a bunch of tasty treats to boot, such as the spooky "I Burn for You." People who think of Sting as a pompous blowhard should listen to tracks like "Demolition Man" or "Canary in a Coalmine" and realize that there was a time when his priority was rocking out, not yoga or 7/8 time signatures. At the same time, the band had an extraordinary sense of space and never felt the need to fill every possible bar with their prodigious instrumental abilities. See "Walking on the Moon" or "Voices inside my Head" for examples. And Stewart Copeland is one of rock's all-time premier drummers. His crisp, fluent attack brings the music to an exaltant level, a level which is rarely reached in Sting's often pretentiously self-aware solo work.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All of the Police studio disks, plus bonus outtakes/live, January 6, 2003

By	Jack Fitzgerald "JFD" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

The Police Box Set is one of the few definitive collections that includes nearly everything put out by a recording artist. The listener gets to enjoy the transition from would-be punks evolving to seminal New Wave bleached blonds, and then to arena rockers. I still enjoy their distinctive "white reggae" sound as well as fine instrumental performance.

The disks include Outlandos d'Amour, with great cuts "Roxanne," "Can't Stand Losing You," "So Lonely" and other early nuggets. Regatta de Blance includes "Message in a Bottle," "Walking on the Moon," and sleeper gems such as "Bring on the Night," "The Bed's too Big Without You," and "Does Everyone Stare." These three guys could really rock. Stewart Copeland is one of the finest drummers of his generation. Andy Summers has always been an underrated guitarist. Before going adult contemporary, Sting could really churn some grooves on the bass.

Halfway through disk 2 we get Zenyatta Mondatta, with "Don't Stand So Close to Me," "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da," "Driven to Tears," and some great instrumental jams.

Disk 3 features the excellent Spirits in the Material World, with the title song, "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic," "Demolition Man," and a personal favorite by Stewart Copeland called "Darkness."

Disk 4 covers the Synchronity period, with their biggest hits and the swansong of this great band. It was sad to see the ego battles dissolve the group, but at least these guys went out on top. Well, not counting "Don't Stand So Close To Me '86."

Interspersed are some live cuts and b-side studio outtakes.

My only regret is that the disks do not preserve the original song sequences of the individually released disks, but I can understand from an economic point of view. Still, this is a great set.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a box set that has EVERY song from the band., July 12, 2001

By	Bill M. "bill_m1" (MA, USA) - See all my reviews

It seems that every few years, I see yet another box set released for Elvis, Led Zeppelin, or Pink Floyd. Even Jimi Hendrix seemed to create 3 albums while alive, but 40 albums after he died (which I find a bit spooky, but I digress). Thankfully, there is no such marketing scheme here with The Police's "Message In A Box". These four discs include everything from The Police, all remastered. Yes, EVERYTHING: the pre-debut songs, all tracks from all 5 studio albums, all the B-sides, songs that only showed up on soundtracks and compilations, and all the way through to their final song, the '86 remake of "Don't Stand So Close To Me". The book includes what you'd expect from a good boxset: excellent photographs, thorough history and biographies, commentary notes from the band on the non-album songs, and a complete discography (not only from the Police, but from each individual band member).

I also like the way the songs on these discs were ordered, for two reasons. First of all, the original album songs are each grouped together. Being a long-time fan, I'm used to hearing the albums as they originally sounded as separate releases, and I can do this without having to skip tracks. Second, the songs are aranged chronologically. It's fascinating to hear how this trio evolved musically over just 6 years, from their original raw punk-edged early work, through the gloomy feel of albums like "Ghost In The Machine", to the refined and mystical sounds of "Syncronicity". So many amazing songs, from a band so talented as individual musicians, yet greater than the sum of their parts. If you have any interest in The Police, just buy this box set, and get it all for one good price.