The enormity of the Police’s success was a paradox, in a way: there was nothing grandiose or stadium-shaking in their music — no bluster, and precious little rock and roll. They were a trio, using intimate small-band dynamics to create a chilly, almost futuristic sense of space. Everyone who grew up in the ‘80s, fan or not, has a Police moment in the memory banks: a crystalline instant in which he or she was confronted with the haunting oddity of “Invisible Sun” or “Tea in the Sahara.” “My sisters and I/Have one wish before we die . . .” If you’re catching any of the shows on the reunion tour, you’ll have a chance to see if this oddity has survived the intervening years. I, meanwhile, will be working on my film script.
Scene two: the gang boss sits down in his grotto of sports memorabilia and Scarface posters, examines with clinical disinterest the tooth marks on his knuckles, and puts on “King of Pain.” He sighs, and then smiles. He’s going to buy a cat and name it Roxanne.
James Parker, who sometimes gets dizzy even walking in a straight line, can be reached at jparker@phx.com
Related:
She’s got legs, Filth and Wisdom, Remix revolutions, More 
- She’s got legs
Far from mellowing with age, Madonna hit us with wonderfully mean-spirited aggression wrapped up in a misleading sexual come-on.
- Filth and Wisdom
As the lead character narrates his “filthy” story, and those of his London flatmates/neighbors, we hit upon boredom long before wisdom can arrive.
- Remix revolutions
For decades now, remixes have been a tool to get pop songs into dance clubs.
- Flashbacks: July 28, 2006
These selections, culled from our back files, were compiled by Sam MacLaughlin and Hannah Van-Susteren.
- Pride of the Irish
I have a short addendum to Mike Miliard’s excellent piece on current trends in the Irish and Irish-American communities of Boston .
- Dancing queens
Speaking as someone who's always wondered what would've happened if Madonna had stayed in crappy punk bands and never graduated to pop, I always cheer when she picks up a guitar. Slideshow: Madonna at TD Banknorth Garden, July 6, 2006
- Who’s that girl (now)?
I’d wager that Madonna is not much of a fun person.
- Recapturing the magic
Watch a slideshow of the Police at Fenway Park.
- Police force
Along came the Police, packing cold, steely hits with flashes of heat.
- Good vibrations
In honor of dancing dirty, as well as Patrick Swayze’s open-shirt-pelvic-thrusting summer camp fantasy, we offer this list of the dirtiest dancing music videos we could find.
- The Bladerunners
Freestyle music is an overlooked chapter of dance music. The Bladerunners, "Work It, Shake It (remix edit)" (mp3)
- Less
Topics:
Music Features
, Madonna (Entertainer), Entertainment, Music, More
, Madonna (Entertainer), Entertainment, Music, Pop and Rock Music, Movies, Punk Rock, U2, Stewart Copeland, Carl Jung, Crime and Gangster Films, Less
