Customer Reviews

Walking on the Moon: The Untold Story of the Police and the Rise of New Wave Rock

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Chris Campion's "Walking on the Moon: The Untold Story of the Police and the Rise of New Wave Rock" is, quite simply, the most negatively-toned rock "biography" - and I use that term very lightly in this case - I can recall ever reading. While there is some interesting information contained within its 300 pages, each of those pages is so thoroughly laced with such glaring disdain on the author's part for his subject matter, one is left truly puzzled over what motivated him to write the book in the first place. Is it pure sour grapes over the success of a band whose music he clearly dislikes, a band whose popularity he can't understand unless dismissed away as the result of clever, aggressive marketing and the political climate of the time? Is it just a cheap shot at trying to cash in on the band's name before buzz over their reunion tour fades away?

I'm not sure. What I am sure of is that Campion has put considerable time into researching his subject, if only to make sure there is no negative comment ever made about the band or its members, nor any questionable or scandalous incident about them, that he misses including.

The negativity starts subtly, but begins to creep in through even the simplest word choices used to describe the band members, their associates and their actions. Andy Summers "fumes", "whines" and "sneers" throughout the book, painted by Campion as an intensely bitter man of questionable skill as a guitarist, clinging desperately to The Police as his last chance at stardom after failing to make it earlier in his career. Stewart Copeland is portrayed as a spoiled youngest child, an immature "frat boy" type, a pothead whose drumming is only referred to by Campion when he can bring up criticisms of Copeland's time-keeping. Sting is a cruel egotist who Campion spends considerable effort trying to psychoanalyze, repeatedly referring to his Catholic upbringing and mother's infidelity as the root of his many problems. Miles Copeland III is focused on nearly much as the band members themselves, illustrated as the ruthless force behind their success through his promotion and marketing schemes - even as all of his problems with other acts and artists (and later the Police themselves) are thoroughly detailed. The only one who gets off relatively unscathed is Ian Copeland, "the only good one of the bunch", supposedly. Oh, and of course any of the band or Miles' associates through the years who were interviewed directly by Campion so that they could air their personal grievances, including Cherry Vanilla, Jayne Country, Nigel and Chis Gray, and members of the band Squeeze.

Those looking for any real analysis of the band's music? Look elsewhere. Campion has little interest in doing so beyond taking shots at Sting's lyric writing and discussing the struggles they had in the studio, recording. Those hoping for good details on the three band members' post-Police careers? Not to be found here. Sting is given the greatest focus, but mostly so he can be taken to task for everything including his poor acting, profiting off of black music and musicians, his dubious charitable causes and also his financial and personal relationship woes. Stewart is mostly dismissed except for Campion going into great detail over criticism of Copeland's opera "Holy Blood and Crescent Moon". Andy's solo years barely merit two pages of coverage, primarily devoted to Campion mocking his photography as "little more than nicely-composed snapshots printed in black and white to give them a semblance of artsiness."

The band's reunion tour is briefly covered in the last chapter, primarily rehashing details well-covered in the press already and here used to further Campion's argument that the band had no real impact on music except as an extreme marketing success story. He repeats much of his earlier criticism of the entire new wave movement, which has been almost as central a subject of the book as the band it's advertised as being about. What he seems completely unaware of - or chooses not to acknowledge - is the lasting influence the band's music has had on generations of musicians who have followed them. The Police made solid pop-rock music that was well-crafted and featured musicianship that was inspired, and inspiring. Whether they were as groundbreaking or revolutionary as The Beatles or Elvis Presley is not and should not be the question, nor the only meter by which their merit as musicians should be measured.

Looking through the notes and sources at the end of the book leaves the impression that Campion was quite thorough in his research, as previously noted. But he was also careless and sloppy. He makes numerous small mistakes that devoted Police fans are sure to pick up on, and it leads one to cast doubt on the veracity of all matters presented in the book as a result. For example, he gives the wrong date for the band's final concert of the reunion tour at Madison Square Garden (August 9, 2008 when in fact it was August 7, 2008). He also claims they came out on stage in Police uniforms for the show, which was untrue; Sting donned a Police hat at the beginning of the show but that was it. He makes mistakes about which songs were cut from the second leg of the reunion tour and which ones were added. All minor details, yes, but it adds up to contribute to this reader's poor impression of the work as a whole.

Which in the end is a shame, as a good book thoroughly covering the band's complete history without an obvious agenda and bias would be much appreciated. This book simply isn't it. One is much better off reading the respective autobiographies of each of the band members, and looking to find the truth somewhere in the middle of their individual recollections and points-of-view.

If you hate The Police this is the book for you. Through a third of the book you start wondering why Mr. Campion even bothered to write about the group. In his eyes they cannot do anything right. They are selfish, terrible musicians (that's a funny one) and absolutely talentless. Sting's bare chest has more mentions that all of their records combined. Their 2 CD/2 DVD from their last tour taped in Buenos Aires is missing in action, Oysterhead, the great band that Copeland played with for one record is not even mentioned at all (perhaps it was too good and didn't fit the overall negativity of the book). Andy Summers is considered a poor excuse for a guitar player all along.
The after taste is that Mr. Campion needs to criticize everything and everybody to validate himself in some way. Really, a person that says that after 1983 "...never again would a single defining genre of music sweep the music world."(p.267) one is left thinking if this guy knows anything about music. What about Grunge Chris?
Unfortunately I have the habit of finishing every book I read, but this one almost broke my record.

Very few books get me to actually write a review but this one got my attention.

I never got to see the Police when they were in their prime (missed Queen also) and was very happy to catch them on the 2nd 1/2 of their final tour here in California. They were *very tight* and fixed all the (self acknowledged) problems from the 1st half.

They were really good and it is astounding how we all knew every song.

I started to read up on them as I do with all folks I find interesting. I've read 4 books on them and have a pretty good picture of who they are - both good and bad.

This book seems to imply that I'm an idiot for liking their music? Their music is good - why do you think 1.7 million tickets sold out for their final tour? Are we all idiots?

Every successful story has some ugly and dumb luck involved. I like reading facts and not this nonsense this author has created. He connected some really silly dots and left quite a bit out.

Author - you were unsuccessful - I still like the music and their concert was one of the best I've ever seen (and I've seen a lot)

Save your money - I'm not even going to donate this to charity - don't want others to read it.

Matt

I agree completely with the other two reviewers. I got this book as a Xmas present and I wish the person who gave it to me had read the reviews (maybe she did and wanted to mock me for liking the Police). This is a completely biased look at the group and its history which, as far as I can tell, does not have a single positive comment about the group. We all know Sting is an egotist and that Andy and Stewart have flaws but it is also pretty evident that they are talented and driven musicians. Their music has made millions of people happy and become part of important moments in their lives.

Chris Campion is a "hater" or perhaps he considers himself "pure" musically and morally. He appears to think that the punk movement was the zenith of musical and political expression (a very questionable assessment of that genre). Maybe that's why his book is full of anger and negativity. In my view, it's harder to create beautiful things than to just criticize and tear down other people's work. And it was dishonest to not clearly label this is a critique or expose of The Police. Instead, Campion cashes in and exploits the hard work done by The Police and their staffs. I saw four of the reunion shows and thought they rocked. Yes, they are older but wiser and still very talented. They deserved a more fair analysis of their work and lives.

Chris Campion's book details the good, the bad, the ugly, and the VERY ugly about the Police and their mercurial rise to the top. Campion argues that the Police were a band that could have only existed in the Reagan/Thatcher/Neo-Conservative '80s, as they (and the New Wave movement they ushered in) represented a powerful projection of Western mores and ideals.

Campion's thesis is interesting, but the book's biggest strength is also its biggest flaw; you see, Campion is NO fan of the Police, both as a band and as individual musicians. This can be a good thing, in that the world doesn't need any more psychophantic rock bios. But on the other hand, it makes Campion look bizarrely bitter. He dismisses Andy Summers (a fabulous guitarist, according to most other guitarists I've asked) as "atonal" and "lacking in emotional resonance." (And these are some of the nicer things!) Sting and Stewart Copeland also get slammed, and Campion often seems befuddled by the band's popularity.

Part of Campion's feelings may come from his belief in the "importance" of rock as a a cultural force, but such idealism is, frankly, juvenile. Perhaps the reason many people bought Police records, and perhaps the reason many musicians, to this day, of ALL ages, are influenced by them is because the records are, well, good? With catchy melodies and strong choruses? Isn't that all what anyone asks for? Regardless of whatever significance one attaches to the band in the context of a cultural zeitgeist? To paraphrase Freud, sometimes a band is just a band, and while Campion is certainly entitled to his opinion, the book ends up being a downer because of it, as he gives NO credit to them at ALL.

To its credit, the book is an fascinating and quick read due to his critical angle, but one is left wondering why Campion bothered in the first place.

The author went to a lot of trouble researching this book to substantiate his character assassination of this band. It's very brutal and mean. If you'd never heard The Police you would assume by reading this book that it was about three no talent hacks who dyed their hair blonde and got lucky being represented by a money obsessed fascist manager. By association it's also about the stupid mouth breathing fans that bought into them and made them millionaires.

The author wrote a book about a band he truly hates. I suspect it's personal. Though the book seems credible from a research standpoint with a bunch of omissions and errors, it's laced through and through with negative OPINIONS. He points out negative aspects of the band's individual personalities, their body of work and attempts to make the reader feel like an idiot for enjoying their music. I don't mind the dirt, but where's the balance? Where's the love?

He sucks the joy of the music right out of the room and goes out of his way to diminish some of their best songs. The Police had their problems, shortcomings, egos, credibility issues, etc, on many levels. It goes without saying that success in the music industry is a crapshoot. The Police were lucky and worked the system, but they were also very talented. The book skips this last point. No matter how lucky you get, you get nowhere with crappy music. It also fails to mention the many successful concert tours that moved people on an emotional level and the many musicians and songwriters they influenced.

The author despises the band, the music, the management, and feels they are a fraud for jumping on the punk/reggae bandwagon. I hope he feels better now that he's worked so hard to purge all this hate. The book makes you want to put on a DVD of their 80's shows to remind yourself about the thing you loved so much about the band. This book is about jealousy and hatred for a great band. If you want artistic and musical insights go elsewhere. It ain't here.

I have to agree with most of the negative reviews of this book: Campion does not seem to like the band or its music much, so why write about them? Although I had little problem with his critical tone and found his analysis and psychological profiles interesting to a point, what Campion misses most is the music and its impact.

Quoting Stewart Copeland ("in a rare moment of humility") as to "[w]hat legacy did the Police bequeath to the world of pop and rock," the answer is "nothing that important... introducing a reggae influence into popular music, and he [Copeland] wasn't even sure they could claim credit for that." Campion lists other musicians (Hendrix, Van Halen) who have inspired "new generations of kids" to play guitar, etc., then asks "Would anyone ever aspire to be Sting?"

I don't know about Sting, but many of us have aspired to be Stewart Copeland. As a drummer, he has one of the most identifiable and original voices on the instrument. His use of the hihat (often coupled with delay effects, e.g. "Walking on the Moon," "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic"), unexpected cadence points in his fills (the upbeat breaks before the chorus of "Don't Stand So Close to Me," over the barline madness on "Driven to Tears"), use of splash cymbals (on just about everything)... I could go on, but suffice to say Copeland's impact on the drumming community has been forceful and lasting. Certainly the drummers hired by Sting would never deny his influence (and the giant shoes he left to fill).

No doubt a similar argument could be made for Andy Summers--not as a soloist, but a stylist. His use of jazz voicings and delay effects shaped the Police sound. I don't imagine "Every Breath You Take" would have had the same success without his arpeggiated guitar hook throughout what is basically a very tired and cliched chord progression. These issues are NOT addressed in this book.

One last example: After Zenyatta Mudatta (and the loss of Nigel Gray as engineer), Sting brought in completed demos to which the other two had to fight to add their own voices. On "Every Little Thing She Does...", Campion writes "Copeland's and Summer's input into the song would be minimal at best... Copeland was relegated to playing a phoned-in back beat that replicated the rhythm of the digital click track."

What version was Campion listening to? If Campion were discussing "Every Breath..." I couldn't argue, but ELTSDiM? Copeland's drum track is a MASTERPIECE, very unusual, propulsive, perfectly serving the song. If Sting's demo sounded like that, I would be shocked to say the least.

Okay, okay. Anyway, entertaining read if you want the dirty laundry, Miles Copeland's machinations, etc. But clueless about the music.

One has to wonder why Chris Campion hates the Police so much. If you like biased writing and have your own personal grudge against the Police then this is the read for you. He goes out of his way to play down their contribution to rock music and makes a poor attempt to tie all of this in with the 'new wave' movement; he makes a shoddy attempt at doing so and should find himself a job with Fox news where he can make use of his biased writing.

What a waste of my time. This book is utter trash. All it does is tear The Police down, especially Sting. It offers little insight to their music and is in fact, a weak attempt at bashing the subject over and over.
Who was this for exactly? It became irritating after a few chapters and blantlty obvious that the "author" had an agenda here which was to destroy The Police and those around them (including Miles Copeland) and their music. If there's anything positive in there, good luck finding it.
There are also large sections that have absolutely NOTHING to do with the subject matter with useless, painful to read junk like talking about A Soviet Crusade Against Pop in 1985 which was an essay nobody in their right mind could possibly care about that also had ZERO to do with The Police and New Wave. And we also get a large section dedicated to a talentless hack writer/pervert Arthur Koestler. Again this seems like an attempt by the "writer" to enlighten us fools who listen to fantastic music like The Police by including this bile.
Every opportunity to rip The Police and Sting or include quotes from equally talentless old journalists and their dated quotes is used. This is a terrible book, poorly conceived and written and it is truly amazing any publisher would approve of such a hatchet job. Campion did not need to endlessly praise The Police-just to write a good history.
The cardinal sin he made (aside from not being remotely neutral)-it's not even interesting.

Like a lot of people here, I was thorougly dismayed by this book. I don't understand Campion's motives really. I suspect he was a fan of punk and blames the Police/New Wave for bringing about its demise. I've written a fuller take on the book and the legacy of the band which can be found in the link below, but my main point is do not waste your money if you are a fan. The best Police book is still Summers' memoir. It's the most sensitive and complete. Sting's is a thoughtful build-up to the band's prime, but he needs to write a follow-up covering the most compelling and dramatic years of his career. Stewart's is good for a behind-the-scenes look at the reunion tour, but like Sting's virtually ignores the peak years of the band.

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