Zenyatta Mondatta [Digipak] [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

The Police | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 4, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 1980
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Interscope Records
• ASIN: B00008BRDV
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (78 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,394 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #15 in Music > Alternative Rock > Hardcore & Punk > General AAS
  • #15 in Music > Alternative Rock > New Wave & Post-Punk > Post-Punk
  • #52 in Music > Alternative Rock > New Wave & Post-Punk > New Wave

Editorial Reviews

Vinyl Reissue of the Police's third album Zenyatta Mondatta which was released in 1980.The album was written during the band's second tour and recorded in just four weeks (minus several days for a short tour of the Netherlands), the album is often regarded as one of their best works and it went to #5 in the U.S. and #1 in the UK and Australia, spurred by the success of the Sting-penned singles "Don't Stand So Close to Me" and "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da". It would later receive glowing reviews from re-assessments in Rolling Stone and Q Magazine, among others. Drummer Stewart Copeland, who contributed the songs "Bombs Away" and "The Other Way of Stopping", said about the time pressures: 'We had bitten off more than we could chew. We finished the album at 4 a.m. on the day we were starting our next world tour... It was cutting it very fine.' 11 tracks. --This text refers to the Vinyl edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Their Best Album Ever! Great Remastered Sound Too!, February 19, 2006

By 

Frederick Baptist (Singapore) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Zenyatta Mondatta [Digipak] (Audio CD)

This is by far their best album and this very well remastered version makes this the best sounding version as well. This album and especially the track "Don't Stand So Close To Me" was the one that introduced me to the Police and just blew me away! I was just so fortunate to be a teenager at the time of the New Wave movement that was sweeping the world from Britain at the time and The Police was just one of the many great bands that were riding the crest of that Wave. Having also heard all their albums since, this one stands out head and shoulders over the rest. Firstly, it's the one coherent album in which every track flows very well and there are really no weak tracks here. Sting's brilliant lyric-writing skills also find a peak here on this album. From the first track about teacher-student romance where Sting makes references to "Lolita" in the brilliant lyric "just like the old man in that book by Nabokov" to the second track about politics and apathy keeping people poor in 3rd World nations: "too many cameras and not enough food"; brilliant, intelligent lyrics that were unheard of before then in pop/rock music. Andy Summers also does his best work here, even winning the Grammy award that year for the Best Instrumental Performance with "Behind My Camel" but check out the great work he does on "Canary in a Coalmine" and on "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" as well. This album represents The Police at their creative best and this version which is excellently remastered represents the best sound quality that you can currently get out there. Very highly recommended!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get Yourself Arrested by These Police., October 28, 2002

By 

The Groove (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zenyatta Mondatta (Audio CD)

When rock critics discuss the greatest bands of all time, the Police are rarely, if ever, mentioned. Why is that? Before Sting became a boring VH-1 staple, his onetime punk outfit rose to critical and commerical heights through its winning fusion of rock, reggae, and jazz. Sting effortlessly pulled off what few blue-eyed British guys can do: perform smooth guitar-laced pop with its roots firmly planted in soul. The group's third and best album, "Zenyatta Mondatta" shows Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland at its artistic zenith. The instrumentation of "Driven to Tears" is brilliant as the band playfully swings between edgy rock and reggae. There's the memorable hooks of "When the World is Running Down..." and "De Doo Doo Doo." And we're also treated to the sizzling reggae lilt of "Shadows in the Rain" and the soulful swing of "Voices in My Head." There's not a single dud on this release; it was one of my most-played albums in my preteen years, and very little of it sounds dated. A true classic by any standard.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice Sound, May 8, 2001

By 

Johnny (Leesburg, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zenyatta Mondatta (Audio CD)

Often times I've heard that this record doesn't quite measure up to the other Police albums. I would dispute that assertion in a heartbeat. More often than not the Police deliver solid and uptempo pop music on 'Zenyatta Mondata' (What does that mean?). The overall sound quality is a definite step up from the first two records. The drums sound as tight and crisp as drums ever have, and Andy Summer's jazzy guitar licks are clear and innovative. The record starts off with a hot "Don't Stand So Close to Me," and continues with several other gems, such as "Man in a Suitcase," "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da," "Driven to Tears," and an instrumental called "Behind My Camel." There are a couple of rough spots, namely a silly "Bombs Away." 95% of the record, however, is right on target. I wouldn't rank this as the best ever Police album recorded, but I also wouldn't claim it to be the worst, either. I would recommend this record for new Police fans.