Police Academy [Original recording reissued]

Strontium 90, ???????90 | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 21, 2000)
• Original Release Date: July 29, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued
• Label: Ark 21
• ASIN: B000001YOP
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #226,774 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Visions of the Night

2. New World Blues

3. 3 O'Clock Shot - Live

4. Lady of Delight

5. Electron Romance

6. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

7. Towers Tumbled

8. Electron Romance

9. Lady of Delight [Live]

Editorial Reviews

Clever title, as this band (formed by ex-Gong bassist Mike Howlett) featured future Police-men Stewart Copeland, Andy Summers and Sting. These cuts capture a jazz-rock group offering tantalizing glimpses of the superstar band they'd become; dig Sting's vocals on the punky Visions of the Night , the Copeland-penned 3 O'Clock Shot and the early version of Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic ! --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great stuff for Police fans, but it could have been better., January 15, 2005

By 

Nicole N. Pellegrini "sockii" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Police Academy (Audio CD)

If you are a diehard Police fan, you are probably already familiar with the story behind this unusual snippet of the band's history. As the Police (at the time with Stewart Copeland, Sting, and Henry Padovani) were struggling to break onto the scene, the chance came to make some extra money helping out Mike Howlett with some demos and a Gong reunion at a concert festival. Henry was not needed for Mike already had a guitarist lined up: Andy Summers. As such this became the first time Sting, Andy, and Stewart performed together, and Andy would soon join the Police, setting the stage for the band's eventual worldwide success.

Therefore the live tracks on this album represent an important historical moment and are fascinating to listen to for that reason. "Three O'Clock Shot" is great as you can hear lyrics and music taking shape that would eventually become part of other Police songs, and it bristles with energy. "Visions of the Night" would later become a Police b-side. Most of the other tracks are Howlett compositions, and the difference is obvious--they aren't bad but they lack the vitality and freshness of the Sting tracks. A demo version of "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" is a wonderful piece, although it feels completely out of place on the album.

Why three stars? Because as a Police fanatic, I want to hear the entire 5/28/77 performance, not just the songs included here. The booklet and notes are sparse, coming only from Mike Howlett's perspective. And while I do recommend this for Police fans, this is not really an album that would be of much interest or great value to anyone else.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Before The Police, December 17, 1999

By 

RMiller (Milwaukee Wi) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Police Academy (Audio CD)

This is a must if you are a fan of the Police. The re are a few gems on this cd. Three O'clock Shot had all the trademarks of the early Police tracks and was clearly the inspiration for Be My girl and O My God. Sting's vocals were fantastic on this one. Another highlight was the live version of Electron Romance (a Mike Howlett composition) featuring Sting on the bass. Andy Summers guitar work makes this version stand out. The 1976 version of Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic was a testament to Sting's song writing skills, although the Police version is much more polished, the original shows you how far Sting and the Police had come in a few short years. New World Blues was also a captivating tune. The worst part of this cd was the recording quality otherwise it would get 5 stars.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Stuff, August 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Police Academy (Audio CD)

This album contains previously unreleased tracks from a band that consisted of Gong member Mike Howlett and Sting, Andy Summers and Stuart Copland who later became The Police. The album is a mixture of Sting and Howlett compositions from the mid seventies. For Police fans, this has a song called 3 O'Clock Shot which shares the same intro as Be My Girl. This record also preserves the (hypnotic) first ever recording of Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic which Sting composed on a porta-studio in 1976.