When Stewart Copeland gets dressed, he has an identity crisis. Should he put on 'leather pants, hostile shirts and pointy shoes?'Or wear something more appropriate to the 'tax-paying, property-owning, investment-holding lotus eater' his success has allowed him to become? This dilemma is at the heart of Copeland's vastly entertaining memoir-in-stories-that-could-be-told-over-a-meal, "Strange Things Happen". The world knows Copeland as the drummer for The Police, one of the most successful bands in rock history. But they may not know much about his childhood growing in the Middle East as the son of a CIA agent. Or his film-making adventures with the Pygmies in the deepest Congo. Or his passion for polo ('Brideshead Revisited on horses'). Stewart Copeland counts himself fortunate to have been the founder of the most played and successful trio of the 1980s. More recently he has travelled the world in search of exotic rhythms and musical celebration, from mysterious Easter Island to Mozambique, and from the outback of Australia to the remotest regions of the Congolese jungles.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Best known as the drummer for the rock power trio, the Police, Copeland has developed a successful career composing for film and stage, post-Police, as well as a deep passion for polo. Given such a pedigree, his autobiography might be read as that of a seriously rarefied man—a rock star, composer and English country gent. Yet Copeland's natural humility and sincerity encourage a most intimate, even familiar read. However, his memoir emerges as a series of extended but sometimes haphazardly arranged reminiscences, which occasionally distort his personal chronology. During such disjunctures, Copeland's otherwise smart and easygoing prose morphs into a rather laborious, even confusing read. But the work is worth it. Copeland's confessions from the 2007–2008 reunion tour of the Police, which make up the more engaging second half of the book, form a seamless and irresistible narrative. The ego-driven tempests that have articulated the life and times of the Police are laid out by Copeland in a fresh and honest way, not without self-implication either. More than anything else, however, Copeland makes readers feel as if they were on stage with him, Sting and Andy Summers, sharing with us the thrill of performing with one of the great bands of all time. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
“The well-written and funny memoir is an entertaining journey through the strange rhythms, adventures, ritual, and mojo after the breakup of [The Police]...This is the stuff that makes rock-n-roll memoir.” (Sacramento Book Review )
“[Copeland’s] multifaceted and generous embracing of many kinds of experiences give this book an especially rich texture. He has an entertaining style and a flair for the witty and well-timed anecdote.” (Library Journal )
“Copeland’s confessions from the 2007–2008 reunion tour of the Police form a seamless and irresistible narrative...Readers feel as if they were on stage with him, Sting and Andy Summers, sharing with us the thrill of performing with one of the great bands of all time.” (Publishers Weekly )
“[Copeland’s] multifaceted and generous embracing of many kinds of experiences give this book an especially rich texture. He has an entertaining style and a flair for the witty and well-timed anecdote.” (Library Journal )
“Copeland’s confessions from the 2007–2008 reunion tour of the Police form a seamless and irresistible narrative...Readers feel as if they were on stage with him, Sting and Andy Summers, sharing with us the thrill of performing with one of the great bands of all time.” (Publishers Weekly )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Copeland Book's a Hit,
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This review is from: Strange Things Happen: A Life with The Police, Polo, and Pygmies (Hardcover)
Stewart Copeland's first foray into publishing, "Strange Things Happen: A Life with The Police, Polo, and Pygmies," is in itself wonderful and strange. In addition to his storied career as drummer for 1980s juggernaut The Police, Copeland has a slew of other abilities: film composer, videographer, musical-instrument-inventor. Luckily for the reader one of Copeland's additional talents is a flair for hilarious, insightful prose. It seems unlikely that a person known for generating a theatrical hail of thunder on stage would generate this, one of the rarest of items in the rock world: a memoir nearly devoid of pretense or self-deception. Yet the book is 300+ pages of exuberant recollection, without the abundance of twisted rationalization so common in the rock genre.
Copeland on music, pg. 18: "I am nothing, no one. Just the beating heart of a larger body, enveloped by the soul of the faithful. A synapse closes in the mind of the enraptured protoshaman. Next morning, when my head clears, it seems obvious that music isn't just a tool or weapon, it's what my life is for. It's powerful juju, and I want to own it as much as it owns me." Some of the tales here will be familiar to readers of Copeland's official website, on which he's maintained a trove of first person essays for the past couple of years, the felicitously-titled "Dinner Tales." However, only a couple of the chapters are pulled word-for-word from the website - and, as a plus for Copeland-philes of recent vintage, there's an entire new chapter concerning a green-flag project conducted during the 2007-2008 Police tour by the denizens of the website itself. In addition to entertaining bons mots on subjects as diverse as Gene Simmons' organization of the kids' school choir and the hoi polloi of the Brazzaville, Congo immigration authority, Copeland pulls no punches when it comes to ladling out an occasional deserved black eye: the founders of Cleveland's Rock Hall of Fame are described as "fat cats" trying to convince musicians of their importance in order to gain access. It's actually quite a refreshing side of Copeland's personality; most big-time rock musicians are too cowed by what one might assume is fear of lawsuits to dish anything containing much substance. Of course, many will review this book looking for juicy details on Copeland's reputed stormy relationship with former bandmate Sting. Unfortunately for those readers, there's nothing new here on the subject, other than a few generalities. One common complaint about this book will inevitably be its lack of inside detail on the years of meteoric rise to fame by The Police. According to Giovanni Pollastri, Copeland's sometime promoter and manager of his official website, Copeland simply believes he's already revealed most interesting tidbits on the subject of his seminal band. There's plenty more to the man and the music, so why not provide details of lesser-known aspects of his life and career? The downside of Copeland's book is an assumption of familiarity with his works which may be unavailable to the casual reader who knows Copeland only as "that guy who played for Sting." However, its strength is a quality found in abundance in Copeland himself: a genuine, gee-whiz enthusiasm that leads him, by his own admission, to say yes to virtually any adventure on offer. The reader is treated to a discussion of the ins and outs of Copeland's conversations with Les Claypool and Trey Anastasio, who played with him in Oysterhead - one of the best jam bands of the early half of the 21st century, and the early stages of preparations for the Police reunion tour of 2007-2008. Copeland is given the keys to the city of Melpignano, Italy after befriending members of the local musician's community and we're there to witness. Copeland seems genuinely to want to convey to the reader his own sense of wonder at the world and its experiences, as that expressed by fellow Anglophile JRR Tolkien: "You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to." There's also an insider's guide to day to day life as part of a famous rock and roll outfit, which Copeland has served up before in his feature film, "Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out." There's really nothing new here on that subject. However, Copeland's willingness to divest the rock-star mystique of some of its inscrutability is also something quite different than one might expect from an artist who could be expected to continue to benefit from its prestige. Pg. 54: "[There are] folks who are so bewitched that they think they are in the presence of an apparition. Two of them will stand in front of me and talk about me as if I'm a painting on a museum wall..."Tell him he's tall!"...As I was starting to experience this I was pretty sure it wasn't normal, but for the moment it was the role I had chosen. It didn't occur to me until years later that I'm just some guy." Readers looking for day to day minutia on The Police might wish to purchase Andy Summers' excellent memoir "One Train Later" or, for less detail but valuable insights, "Broken Music" by Sting. The spiritual companion to "Strange Things," however, is neither of these two books but the narrative "Wild Thing," produced by drummer Copeland's older brother Ian in the mid-1990s. Not only does that book provide detailed information on early decisions regarding management of The Police, but many other bands signed to agencies helmed by Ian himself and older brother Miles Copeland, founder of legendary label IRS Records. It's also a delight to read, and reveals Ian Copeland's effusive personality - which regrettably was extinguished when the elder Copeland died of cancer in 2006. This book will appeal most readily to those who already possess at least a passing familiarity of Copeland's work since leaving The Police. Even if Copeland were only "some guy," as he dismissively refers to himself, his reflections would be terrifically entertaining reading. Copeland is possessed of an intellect that makes quick work of a wide range of subjects, and his talent for turns of phrase is likely unparalleled by any autobiography by a musician of similar stature - with the possible exception of Ray Davies' excellent and shaded self-portrayal "X-Ray." In short, "Strange Things Happen" is a must-buy for anyone with even a passing interest in Copeland's life and recent career. I'll give it five stars, even though Copeland will almost surely produce a work of similar quality sometime down the road - he's that prolific. ;)
22 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This might not be the book you are looking for...,
By Nicole N. Pellegrini "Life was easy when it w... (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Strange Things Happen: A Life with The Police, Polo, and Pygmies (Hardcover)
I feel a little bit like pulling a Jedi Mind Trick here to start off this review. Or that perhaps Stewart Copeland has pulled one over on all of us readers, or that he should do before the angry shouts and rampant confusion surely begins.
Police fans looking for, at long last, Stewart's definitive statement on The Police? *handwave* "This is not the book you are looking for." As far as I see it, Stewart made his definitive statement on the early Police years with Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out. If you're expecting much more here, you'll be disappointed, although there are a few brilliant gems of observation that slip through the cracks when and where you least expect it. Diehard Stewart fans--the self-proclaimed Nutters and Snarks--looking for deep personal insight and a detailed history of Stewart's life and all his various projects? *handwave* "This is not the book you are looking for." Stewart Copeland is not here to divulge all his secrets, nor dish the dirt on his past relationships, musical or personal. If you're looking for either type of information, you'll be highly disappointed (go read band mate Andy Summers' book "One Train Later" instead). What Stewart is here to do is share some stories with us, and most of these stories are quite lighthearted and fun in their nature and tone. They're the kind of stories you'd share at a dinner party to good friends, people who will get all the in-jokes and references you'll be making. It's no wonder that when Stewart first shared some of these stories on his website, it was in a section of the site entitled "Stewart's Dinner Tales". But if you're looking for a traditional autobiography? Seriously, listen carefully to me, right now: "This is not the book you are looking for." * * * Structurally? Strange Things Happen is kind of a massive hot mess. It's divided into four sections: Stewart's early life (where he sticks The Police); immediately after The Police; the years 2000 - (roughly) 2007; and lastly the reunion tour. I found myself oddly reminded of a Kurt Vonnegut novel as I read through it all, with the various chapters jumping here and there through time--some very short, some longer; the narration from Everyone Stares stuck in-between the prose as a substitute for a developed chapter on the Police's early years. However this jumpy shatter-shot structure seemed to emphasize the surreal nature of some of these events and adventures Stewart describes in his tall (drummer) tales. How does one go from being at the top of the world with The Police to seeking out pygmy tribes in Africa? Playing polo matches against Prince Charles? Becoming a reality show "celebrity"/villian? It's a wild life story that probably could have filled several volumes if described in detail, but that's not the intent here. We get the highlight reel instead--and with Stewart's clever prose and eye for pertinent, well-chosen detail, a great deal is often revealed in just a few words or sentences. Some Police fans seem put off by the fact that The Police (v 1.0) is dismissed so quickly in the book. I think the important points Stewart wants to share about that time were, again, already made in his movie and then emphasized in the brief chapter that follows here, "Police Rule". He doesn't talk about the band, his bandmates, the creative (and other) tension between them. He talks about the disorientation of being The Rock Star, an idolized one, and the effect it has on one's mental well-being: "It was getting claustrophobic. Privacy deprivation is something like sleep deprivation. The love that surrounds you becomes vexatious. "I often wished that I could merely turn my collar up and shun the light." But Police fans really should relax and take a deep breath, as they get more than enough about the band in the last section of the book. Again mostly snippets from here and there as the reunion tour rumbled along, it is an enjoyable look into the machinery of the band: rehearsing and road rituals, major tensions and how and where they were resolved; what brought out the best and worst in each of them as musicians (and individuals) and why it was painfully, clearly obvious that there could never be a "new" Police album after all of this was over. As far as individual incidents go, I especially enjoyed the chapter "Raging Kumbaya", Stewart's story of hanging out with Rage Against the Machine as well as the section in the "Toast in the Machine" chapter on what happened when Sting and Les Claypool crossed paths. * * * The book's Afterward, entitled simply "The Green Flag", apparently seems troubling to some members of Stewart's fandom and is getting very mixed reactions so far. I personally find it a very suitable ending in its ambiguity and the quandary presented. The afterword is placed side-by-side in the book by a full-page picture of Stewart with his wife and family, with the caption "This is who I really am". The message is not very subtle, I don't think: "I am not a superhero (Halloween costumes excluded.) I'm just a regular family guy who has had some strange things happen to me." The story of The Flag has been told well by others elsewhere, and will continue to be told by the fans who participated in its travels for years to come. (Goodness knows, whenever I can finally find the time to edit together my book of fans' recollections from the tour, that story will be told many times over!) But fandom is a funny thing. I spend a lot of time thinking about and writing about fandom, having been involved in various ones for most of my life. Fandoms very much are communities which develop their own rules and rituals, symbolism and language, as Stewart hints at here in the Afterward. And they can develop an almost religious fervor about them. Fans converge at conventions and at concerts, often donning ritual gear and costumes to identify themselves in a crowd and feel united. Fandom can by joyous; sharing in a common love for a band, artist, film or tv show can be great fun. Yet it can also turn ugly very quickly and harmful quite easily, both for the members of that fandom and for those at the center of all that attention. Everyone Stares certainly gave many of us a first-hand view of what it could be like to be in the middle of that kind of fannish mania and attention, and one gets the sense that Stewart is rather cautious about anything that could encourage or set off that crazed adulation again. Which is not to say I necessarily believe that Stewart "reads" the Flag as such. But I do get the feeling that there's a sense of caution in embracing it too closely lest it get out of control--for those waving the Flag as much as for him. Throughout the book, we've read his stories of what it's like to try to find a normal life in the aftermath of being The Rock Star one time around. And as much as he may have enjoyed the ride this second time during the reunion tour, there's an understanding of where taking it too far can lead. "The folks at the concerts aren't bowing down so much as rising up in exultation, but I'm just saying that I have an idea of what it feels like to be a golden calf." It's cautionary in tone as much as it is a loving (well, I think so, anyway) acknowledgment of this "nutty" fandom that Stewart has, which he's long been more than generous with supporting and encouraging for these many years. In the end, this is a book I'm very happy to be able to add to my collection of materials related to The Police and the members of the band. At times it's frustrating, at times it's hysterical, and some times it's utterly brilliant. It's another piece to the puzzle that is/was The Police that probably has no solution nor answer, but a piece I'll enjoy going through again from time to time for a good chuckle and to mull over in my mind--like any good dinner tale that deserves retelling amidst the best company.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Before and After Pictures,
By
This review is from: Strange Things Happen (Kindle Edition)
In STRANGE THINGS HAPPEN, Stewart Copeland summed up his original experience as drummer for one of the greatest bands of all time as follows:
"The Police took up only eight of my fifty-seven years, and those years went by fast. They were big years, and they left a mark, but the really important things happened outside of band life." That, incidentally, is about as much time as he devotes in his book to the time in which he contributed to making some of the best music ever recorded. People expecting a tell-all book about his time with The Police during their original incarnation are therefore warned that this is not a memior about his time with that band, but the story of Copeland's life with "those eight big years" almost completely omitted. It is, I have to say, an interesting life. A truncated list of the experiences recounted in this book include growing up in Lebanon as the son of a CIA agent, palling around with the son of notorious British traitor Kim Philby, learning how to play the drums, early life as an amp-hustling roadie, shooting a movie in the Congo, playing polo against the Prince of Wales (you know, Charles), playing gigs with Oysterhead, Phish, the Foo Fighters and Incubus, making soundtracks for films (like "The Outsiders") and television shows (like "The Equalizer"), making solo music with Klark Kent, touring with Curved Air, performing La Notte della Taranta (a dance festival) all over Italy, writing and conducting opera, and making EVERYONE STARES, an award-winning docimentary about his days in the Police, which he shot on 8mm during the lifetime of the band, and later edited into a documentary. In the average month, Mr. Copeland seems to experience more "strange things" than most people would in a 100-year lifetime. A lot of the chapters are entertaining, and Copeland's writing style, while occasionally a bit "out there", is for the most part enjoyable. He has a restless, brilliant mind and virtually no pretension; his wit is skewering but self-depreciating, and he's been around long enough to understand that fame is a double-edged sword at best. His insights into the musical process, the mind-sets of musicians and music-makers, is absolutely fascinating, as are his observations on the technical aspects of recording and touring. He's been rocking for forty-odd years, and he knows the business like the back of his hand. The biggest sin the book makes, aside from excluding 99% of his original Police experiences, is its structure, which leaps around timewise, and which mixes up extremely interesting stories with some which are kind of boring. His experimental writing style, often catchy and hip, is occasionally turgid and confusing. And he commits the very disheartening sin that in discussing other people's music, he is generally too politically correct: there are times I felt he must have wanted to ridicule certain singers or bands, but was holding back out of politeness. Lest the Police fans feel cheated, the last fifth of the book (or so) is devoted to their reunion tour, which went from 2007 - 2008 and grossed almost three hundred million dollars. This is, by far, the most fascinating and rewarding part of the book, as Copeland discusses the dynamics of the band, the mechanics of touring, and the tensions which frequently exploded between himself, Sting and Andy Summers, who hadn't worked together in 20 years, and who hadn't parted on the best of terms. He also explains why The Police did not, and will not (though "never say never" comes to mind) record any new music for their tour. I found this book in the bargain bin at B & N, and for the price of a latte I consider it to be a good buy. Not literary greatness by any means, but a mostly enjoyable look at what it means to be a rock star in your late 50s, to whom strange things just keep happening.
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