| features in: Album Chart of 1978 ● Album Chart of the Decade: 1970s |
Just as well they called it “Outlandos d'Amour” coz “Outlaws of Love” just sounds naff! Cheap japes aside, this decent debut arrived in November '78, the London trio lining up: Gordon 'Sting' Sumner (27, bass guitar, vocals, harmonica), Andy Summers (35, guitar, backing vocals, spoken word, piano), Stewart Copeland (26, drums, percussion, backing vocals). It has three excellent singles to recommend it, all of which eventually became big UK hits, despite facing airplay challenges due to the controversial subject matter. Reggae rockers one and all, “Roxanne” (#12) sung about a French prostitute, “Can’t Stand Losing You” (#2) referenced teenage suicide and “So Lonely” (#6) talked about isolation and depression. They did well to get all that lot out there! Explaining a little about their brilliant reggae-rock fusion Sting later commented: “People thrashing out three chords didn't really interest us musically. Reggae was accepted in punk circles and musically more sophisticated, and we could play it, so we veered off in that direction. I mean let's be honest here, 'So Lonely' was unabashedly culled from 'No Woman No Cry' by Bob Marley & The Wailers. Same chorus. What we invented was this thing of going back and forth between thrash punk and reggae. That was the little niche we created for ourselves.” I nod my head in approval at this honesty and the modus operandi is rebel-approved; I only wish there was more of it.
The Jukebox Rebel
14–Jul–2016
| Tracklist |
| A1 | [02:55]  The Police - Next To You (Gordon Sumner) Proto-Punk |
| A2 | [04:50]  The Police - So Lonely (Gordon Sumner) New Wave |
| A3 | [03:12]  The Police - Roxanne (Gordon Sumner) New Wave |
| A4 | [04:55]  The Police - Hole In My Life (Gordon Sumner) New Wave |
| A5 | [04:02]  The Police - Peanuts (Gordon Sumner, Stewart Copeland) Punk |
| B1 | [02:59] The Police - Can’t Stand Losing You (Gordon Sumner) New Wave |
| B2 | [02:55] The Police - Truth Hits Everybody (Gordon Sumner) Punk |
| B3 | [03:45]  The Police - Born In The ’50s (Gordon Sumner) Proto-Punk |
| B4 | [03:24]  The Police - Be My Girl / Sally (Gordon Sumner - Andy Summers) Novelty |
| B5 | [05:42]  The Police - Masoko Tanga (Gordon Sumner) New Wave |
