The Police returns!

It seems the last of the rock bands holding out on reuniting are looking for a big pay day in '07, because a rash of them are regrouping for big tours this year. Among them are Van Halen, reuniting with original singer David Lee Roth for the first tour since 1984. And now...The Police are back. Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers have reteamed to play a series of concerts with their still distinct reggae rock sound. What's next? Will Michael Jackson return with the face he had on Thriller?

I've already written about Van Halen a few weeks ago, but I don't recall writing about The Police. When I first started listening to music, The Police were THE new wave band. They had great songs, a signature sound, artistic credibility and a modern look. My next door neighbor was in a big Police phase at the time and I copied all of his tapes. My summer of '83 included repeat plays of Synchronicity and Zenyatta Mondatta during a particularly hot weather period. Looking back, I guess I was the original "Sweatin' To The Oldies" listening to The Police in my room in between Journey and Duran Duran.

Synchroncity will always bring back memories of that summer, it was the last summer I really spent time with childhood friends playing baseball all day, trading music tapes and getting repeatedly killed off in various role playing games (never could get the hang of Dungeons & Dragons, too many damn rules and counterrules). To cap it off, I went to a Police concert that also included The Fixx, Oingo Boingo, Madness and the Thompson Twins. I'll never forget The Fixx playing "One Thing Leads To Another" three times in a row to try to kill enough time for the sun to go down. I remember accidentally getting kicked in the head by someone walking behind me when I moved my head back to stretch after sitting in the same seat for hours. And of course, I'll never forget the show itself where The Police played every hit song they ever had.

The Police broke up a little while later, stopping while on top and never recording a bad album as a result (Sting can't say the same for his solo career). I don't know if I'll catch their reunion tour, but it's totally gnarly that this seminal 80's band has reunited. Awesome.