Reggatta De Blanc [Digipak] [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

The Police | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 4, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 1979
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Interscope Records
• ASIN: B00008BRDX
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (74 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,300 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #55 in Music > Alternative Rock > New Wave & Post-Punk > Post-Punk
  • #82 in Music > Alternative Rock > Hardcore & Punk > General AAS

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Their 2nd Best Album! One of My All-Time Favourites!, February 11, 2006

By 

Frederick Baptist (Singapore) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Reggatta De Blanc [Digipak] (Audio CD)

This digipak version of this great album is a real treat because they did a great job remastering this. The sound quality is very good and seems to have given the whole album a whole new lease of life; it's almost as if I'm listening to this for the first time.

Although many people like "Synchronicity" and probably first started being Police fans after that album, I was a fan from the early days when I first heard "Don't Stand So Close To Me" from the "Zenyatta Mondatta" album. The sounds I heard just blew me away; the uniqueness of the music and the fact that the band, almost zen-like, used like the Eastern artists do, no sound or silence as an important part of their music.

If you look at Eastern, Chinese or Japanese art, the space that is not painted on is just as important as the part that is painted. One could "over-paint" and destroy what would have been a great piece of art. Similarly in the music of the Police, you'll notice that the space or the parts without any music allows the tracks to breathe and the "spaci-ness" actually is a Police trademark and works very well for them; too many notes and it just wouldn't work.

Perfect examples of this are on "Walking On the Moon" and "The Bed's Too Big Without You." Contrast this with the more "busy" tracks like "Message In a Bottle" and "No Time This Time" and you'll see what I mean about like fine wine, letting the music breathe to attain maximum aural effect and The Police were masters at doing this.

From an overall great complete, coherent, flowing album perspective, this album is second only to "Zenyatta Mondatta" but miles ahead of "Synchronicity" which had great singles but sounds very disjointed as an overall album and truth be told had some pissed poor tracks like "Mother" and "Synchronicity 1" and if ever an album would have been better off with one less track, that one was it as "Murder By Numbers" although a great track on its own, should never have been on the album.

No weak tracks on this baby, though and given the great digipak packaging and the great remastered sound, this is the version that you should get. Highly recommended.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Their best album, January 12, 2008

By 

K. Swanson (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Reggatta De Blanc [Digipak] (Audio CD)

The second side of Ghost is genius, and all of their records are four stars at least, but Regatta created the template for everything that followed. Reggae grooves mixed with rock energy, incredible open-throated singing from Sting, fabulous pop songs mixed with dialogues of internal turmoil, Copeland's tremendous drumming, Summers' brilliant rhythm concepts and use of heavy compression, delay, and chorusing; no other band ever got this funky and yet uniquely poppy on a massive scale.

When Walking On The Moon came out, it was the best single for years, and is still one of the great pop songs. Simple and yet so full of character.

Every song on this record is good, even the non-Sting tunes (SC and AS are not great songwriters, as evidenced by their solo careers). Bring On The Night and Bed's Too Big are among the all-time classics.

I'm listening to a live tape of their 11.24.80 Toronto show, right when Zenyatta came out, and as good as it is, you can tell that they're already plateaued. But to plateau at the very top of your game and stay there for four years is no shame! I saw them a few times at this point and on the next few tours, and they always made audiences very happy indeed, creating a huge sound for a three-piece band by using space wisely.

Sting's politics are often right on, but when he kept his lyrics pointed at interpersonal politics, as on here, he was at his very best.

Ignoring all of the above, this album rocks and bops and is full of catchy melodies...that's enough reason to love it forever.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Their best next to Zenyatta Mondatta (4.5 stars), October 19, 2006

By 

John Alapick (Wilkes-Barre, PA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Reggatta De Blanc [Digipak] (Audio CD)

Although The Police's second album, Reggatta De Blanc, doesn't receive the recognition of their other albums, it is a very underrated release and their best album next to Zenyatta Mondatta. Sting's tenor and bass playing were in fine form, Stewart Copeland's drumming continued to be very creative, and Andy Summers' distinctive guitar work was more upfront than on their future releases. Even though none of the songs hit the U.S. Top 40, the melodic "Message in a Bottle" and the sparse "Walking on the Moon" have now become timeless classics and continue to receive steady rotation on classic rock radio. While these songs are top notch, several tracks like the power-pop of "It's Alright for You", the solemn piano-driven "Does Everyone Stare", and the driving instrumental title track are just as good. In fact, the best track on the album is the seldom played melancholy love song "The Bed's Too Big Without You." Other strong tracks include the reggae tracks "Deathwish" and "Bring on the Night", the frantic rocker "No Time This Time", and the humorous "On Any Other Day", which is the only Police track to feature a lead vocal from Copeland. All told, Reggatta De Blanc is a great album that would pave the way for the Police to become international superstars. Highly recommended.