- Outlandos D'amour

Description

.com Britain's Police got its start in the late-'70s days of punk, but the trio's background in jazz, fusion, and rock belied the punky image suggested by the band's dyed-blond hair. Indeed, where many punks were inspired amateurs, the Police (Sting on bass and vocals, Andy Summers on guitar, and Stewart Copeland on drums) were accomplished players who quickly developed a sophisticated approach to the power-trio format. Still, this debut album is filled with growing pains, with a handful of tracks far more interesting than the rest. The Police's primary stylistic innovation was to put the pulse of reggae into a rockier context, a strategy evident in the up-tempo "Can't Stand Losin' You" as well as in the band's first hit single, "Roxanne," a love song to a prostitute that would remain Sting's best- known tune until he wrote "Every Breath You Take." To this day, the first two notes of "Roxanne" are among the most recognizable melodic hooks in contemporary music. --John Milward