Digging Into My Amour

Okay, so The Police's Outlandos D'Amour is one of my favorite albums. You can peruse my previous posts to see what I’m talking about. But beyond a little snooping into criticism about the album, and writing a bit about my "feelings," I haven't really taken much time to research its creation and its reception. So, I decided to go out and dig… and dig… and dig…

Below, you will find the cream of the crop (or at least the three most interesting things I've been able to find).

Early Review

Carson, Tom. Rev. of Outlandos D'Amour, by The Police. Rolling Stone 14 Jun. 1979. Rollingstone.com. 16 Feb. 2009 .

Tom Carson's review of Outlandos D'Amour is mostly negative. While he trumpets the energy, complexity and overall technically savvy of the album, he faults it for what he considers lack of heart. Carson claims that the album fails emotionally because The Police come off "posturing as cool art-rockers and heavy, meaningful New Wavers at the same time."

Something About The Music

Mike Alleyne. "White Reggae: Cultural dilution in the record industry." Popular Music and Society 24.1 (2000): 15-30. Research Library. ProQuest. DCCC Library, Lexington. 8 Apr. 2009

This is an interesting article that details the cultural genesis and exploitation of the genre of music known as "reggae." Key amongst Alleyne's points is that the commercialization (commodification) of reggae represents an antithetical force against the very political and artistic purpose of the music. Alleyne defines reggae before analyzing chief architects of the genre and how the music shifted in audience and eventually became co-opted by white artists. A lengthy segment about The Police notes, "observations by the group's members reveal an interesting awareness not only of reggae's peculiar instrumental mechanics but also of the band's own assimilation and reinterpretation of key elements."

Something About Everything

Palmer, Robert. "The Pop Life." The New York Times 7 Oct. 1981. 8 Apr. 2009 .

Palmer's article is a cross between an album review (of Ghost in the Machine) and a short profile. It offers some background information—The Police's hardworking roots, their rise to fame, and pressures from an increasingly anticipatory audience—and notes how "radical a departure" in sound the band's fourth album is from their previous outings. Palmer offers a few snippets from Sting, who claims the new sounds on Ghost in the Machine are a product of the breathing room afforded by the band's success. Sting comments about recording the album: "We really did it to please ourselves."

Where Do I Go From Here?

I'm still not completely satisfied by this bunch. There's more I'd like to know. I'd like to uncover a good book (or two). I will say that the Alleyne article was the best find, and I'm looking forward to writing more about Outlandos D'Amour in regards to it (and what I've already said about the music, the energy, the love). But for now, this will have to do!