Outlandos D'Amour [Digipak] :: Education by Design Store

Customer Reviews

One of mainstream rock's most fluent trios is born

2008-12-28
As assured a rock debut as any, these enforcers blazed onto the scene with a potent combination of bristling energy, cultured chops, and undeniable chemistry. Even when more straight ahead neo-punk structures take the foreground, one cannot help but to feel moved, particularly with Copeland's outstandingly crisp beat-keeping.

"Your brother's gonna kill me, and he's six feet ten."

2008-07-10
This is what The Police would sound like if you got them to play in your garage. Outlandos D'Amour is like taking a snowshoe upside the head, while Copeland, Summers, the other guy laugh at you. A hoot dang.

the police

2008-04-13
The very first Police album doesn't really contain the heavy punk attitude and aggression some of you may be wondering about, but it does show the beginning stages of what punk would soon become, and some emotional vocals and memorable songwriting to make up for the lack of anger and rebellion. Since I'm more interested in quality songwriting skills, count me happy about that. This album is LOADED with underrated songs, such as "Born in the 50's", "So Lonely", and "Peanuts". There's a distinct feeling of loneliness in the singing style of Sting that I happen to find appealing, and to me, that's one of the best things about this album. A must own.

The Police - Hit The Ground Running With Their Debut Disk

2008-01-07
The Police burst on to the scene at the height of the punk explosion in England. Although embraced by the punk crowd The Police were never really a punk band. In fact they were something of an all star project. Drummer Stewart Copeland had come from the progressive rock world of Curved Air. Andy Summers had been a member of The Soft Machine, The Animals and even a touring member of Neil Sedaka's band. All music that was the antithesis of what Punk was rebelling against. From a purely musical perspective all 3 of these guys could play rings around the majority of punk bands of the day. Along with Summers and Copeland vocalist / bassist Sting (Gordon Sumner) completed the trio and they pretty much set the world on fire right out of the gate. "D'amour" contained the huge hit single "Roxanne" and the rest as they say is history. I kind of came late to the Polices early albums and kind of wrote them off at the time they were released, but going back now I think this is a really strong effort. The album is all over the place musically with elements of rock, reggae, jazz and even some experimental stuff thrown into the mix. 3 big hits came from the album "Roxanne", "So Lonely" and "Can't Stand Loosing You", and the album cuts are just as good if not better. I especially like the last half of the album with "Truth Hits Everybody", "Born In The 50's", "Be My Girl - Sally", and "Masoko Tanga". It is easy to see why these guys rocketed to success as fast as they did.

Great debut from the Police

2007-09-27
I enjoy all the songs on this one except "Born in the 50's" and "Be My Girl - Sally". I like how the songs are so varied. You get reggae with "So Lonely" and "Roxanne", punkish sounds with "Next To You" and "Truth Hits Everybody" and even some jazzy chords with "Hole In My Life" Even on this first album you can tell these guys had a boat load of talent and Sting's songwriting was top notch.

My favourite Police album.

2007-09-07
Outlandos D'Amour is a product of the late-'70s British punk scene, but the Police were never really punks. The album lacks the class-conscious awareness that fueled early Clash albums or the angry, antimusical nihilism of the Sex Pistols. The material, although constructed with guitar, bass, and drums, often at tempos that would never be matched in their later studio recordings, stands apart. Andy Summers' guitar textures are here more traditional and without their later ethereal quality, but his chord choices on "Roxanne," for example, or his expansive solo lines on "So Lonely" would have baffled most of the burgeoning punk guitar school. So, too, would Stewart Copeland's drumming, enriched as it is by a multinational upbringing and stage experience in the last gasps of the progressive-rock movement. The rhythms of reggae are woven into the music and Sting's vocals pay conscious tribute to Bob Marley. The songs are mostly about love, or a lack of personal connection, and are frequently obsessive; the hits alone are worth the price of the album. --Al Massa

Where It All Started

2007-08-19
The Police first album "Outlandos d'Amour" (Outlasws of Love) released in 1978 feature the usual suspects. Sting (Gordon Sumner)Bass, Vocals, Stewart Copeland Drums and Andy Summers on Bass. Released in the middle of the Punk invasion, this album is also rawer more direct and punk inspired then any other Police album. But Police was just a Punk band on the surface, they were in reality more of a Rock band combining excellent craftmanship with great melodies and lyrics. They also have a sound that mixes, New Wave Rock, Punk, Reggae and Jazz. However some of those influents became more frequently used later on. But as far as this album goes, it's more Punk oriented then any other thing they made and that can be heard on Sting's lyrics that are rougher and more energic on "Outlandos D'Amour". How good is this album compared to latter albums? Read on to find out.

The most upbeat punkish song you could ever hear them play is the opener called "Next To You". It's very simple and direct and it's fun to hear them do something this diffrent cause later on Police would hardly sound like this. The Reaggae-Rock which was their trademark is featured on the classic song "So Lonely". This song is very direct aswell but more meliodic, and a little repetitive. Obviously it deals with lonelyness. The absolute standout and perhaps the most famous of all Police songs, "Roxanne", a song about a prostitute that shouldn't be doing what she does. With such a great melodicism, Sting almost masquerades the seriousness that the songs deals with. "Hole in My Life" a Beatlesque midtempo is one of the less raw songs here. "Peanuts" starts with a great drum intro and midway there's some great guitar solo. It's another raw punk song about a fallen hero, rumours say it was directed to Rod Stewart. "I Can't Stand Losing You" a song about lonelyness became one of the biggest hits from this album, a meliodic Police classic where the singer say he may take his life if the situation won't change. Controvercial as it was, this was Police in a nutshell. "Truth Hits Everybody" a great rocker from the early Police era is followed by a nostalgic song about being "Born in the 50's". Sound's alot like Huey Lewis and The News actually. "Be My Girl - Sally" is sick. Only Sting could write a song about the love, read: naughtyness for a doll. An African inspired closer with alot of cool drum sounds called "Masoko Tanga", it really doesn't have alot of lyrics but it's kinda twisted and funny to listen to.

Overall, Police's first album is a classic. It doesn't sound alot like their other album by sound, cause it's rawer with more Punk inspired and direct rockers. Compared to other Rock bands at the time, there is no competition. Police are mega talented musicians that combine great songwriting with melodicism. Alot of songs here are classics and the lyrics always deeper message then what you may think. Recommended to check this out if you're interested to start a Police collection.

A Foundation Album for a Hall of Fame Career

2007-07-20
It is hard to believe that a band can become a Hall of Fame band with just five studio albums to their name, but the Police are such a band. This is an honor that the Police are most worthy of. The Police were sort of an off-shoot of the Punk Rock movement of the late 1970s. The band would eventually encompass other influences - namely Classic Rock, Reggae, Jazz, Dance, and even Folk. For the most part, it is fair to say there was a Punk Rock and Reggae influence on the band for their first two albums" - "Outlandos D'Amour" and "Regatta de Blanc". Both of these albums were terrific efforts - mostly because The Police used applied their unique style to a formula that worked. The album that would start it all would be their debut, "Outlandos D'Amour". This album would lay the foundation for what would become a worthy Hall of Fame career.

One thing where the Police really show their potential is through their instrumentation. While many identify the band with Sting's distinctive voice, he often goes underrated for being an outstanding Bass player. While Sting's Bass provides a lot of the nucleus that will drive the Police's sound, it is important to know that Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland play equally key roles on the band's sound. Andy Summers provides the right chords from an Electric Guitar standpoint when needed while Stewart Copeland shows why he is the best in the business.

While this first album does have a "raw" sound, it is the contributions of all three members that really make the Police something special. Here is a brief synopsis of each of the tracks.

"Next to You": This is classic sounding Punk song. This song deals with loneliness - a theme heard on several songs on this album. It has a very raw sound to it, but it is what gives this song its charm. We immediately hear good synchronization between Sting's Bass and Copeland's drumming. Summers' guitar work midway through the song provides a perfect bridge.

"So Lonely": This song was a song that has remained a classic throughout the Police's career. Again this has a raw sound. From the title, it clearly deals with the theme of loneliness. The main verses have a slight Reggae feel to it. Summers' guitar is flawless on the chorus. Copeland's drumming is outstanding throughout - especially as it builds up toward the finale of the song.

"Roxanne": The only thing negative about this song is that it has been overplayed way too much. While Sting's vocals are the highlight, Summers' delivers an Reggae-styled guitar chords throughout the song giving it a nice signature.

"Hole in My Heart": This song takes a little getting used to. This is another raw song shows another nice fusion between Punk and Reggae. Like "So Lonely", this song deals with the topic of loneliness and like "So Lonely", this song has a nice build up at the end.

"Peanuts": Best song on the album and perhaps one of the best Police songs ever. This is a complete effort by the whole band. The band stays true to their Punk influences on this one as it takes aim at the gossip that infiltrates the media. The horn sounds at the end really give this song its own signature. While Sting is the primary songwriter on all ten tracks, this is the one track that Stewart Copeland contributes to.

"Can't Stand Losing You": We hear the cross between Reggae and Punk in this song. This song also hits the loneliness theme. This song also has a very raw feel. Like "So Lonely", this has gone on to become a classic. While this is a very good song, this song when done live is even better.

"Truth Hits Everybody": This song has a Punk feel to it. This song is underrated as it is a complete effort by the band - from Sting's vocals, to Andy Summers' spot-on guitar work to some ferocious drumming by Stewart Copeland.

"Born in the 50s": While the title suggests talking about the 50s, it really talks more about life in the 1960s (i.e. growing up in the 60s, one was born in the 50s). There are references to the Kennedy Assassination, the Communists, Nuclear War, and the Beatles. I've heard references that this song drags a bit. I tend to agree to some extent with those references, but this is still not a bad tack.

"Be My Girl - Sally": While Sting is the primary songwriter on all ten tracks, this is the one track that Andy Summers has a contribution. The song is one of the most unique ones in the Police catalog. It combines Punk sound with a spoken poem read by Andy Summers embedded midway through the song. Despite the "raw" sound of the musical part, there is a good segue between the music and spoken word. This is another underrated track. It is innovative songs like this that helped set the foundation for the Police's Hall of Fame career.

"Masoko Tanga": A lot of people forget that the Police have done several instrumentals throughout their career. Whether this song classifies as a true instrumental is still up for debate as Sting delivers some Caribbean-Sounding reggae words throughout the song. Sting also demonstrates some of his strongest Bass work on the album in this song. This song really picks up midway through the song. Again - another underrated track by the Police.

One thing worth noting about this album being available in a "digipak" - I am not a big fan of it. I still prefer the classic clear jewel case for durability as the "digipak"s tend to wear very quickly. Overall, this is a very good album. It has one of the most unique sounds and clearly sets a foundation for the next four albums made by the Police. Highly recommended.

One of their best

2007-06-12
Okay, don't try to tell me this is a punk album. The only real punk song is "Next to You", which I love. "Peanuts" is sort of a punk song, but that weird instrumental break ain't punk. No, this is reggae, mon, or at least reggae-rock. I mean, how else would you classify "Roxanne"? Damn, that is one good song. No wonder it was such a big hit! It's got the riff, the catchy chorus to end all catchy chorus, the classic "hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold" theme. Boom, boom, boom. Classic. And I think "Can't Stand Losing You" is even better, managing to be depressing, funny, catchy and danceable all at once. Again, it's reggae-rock, leaning towards reggae. And what's "So Lonely" but pure reggae and nothing but? Well, reggae with jazz drumming. Naturally, this reggae-rock stuff is the best, but some of it is downright abominable: the anthem "Born in the '50s"; the immature "Be My Girl/Sally" (which, as it has been noted, is a love song to a friggin' doll - I think it's the most despised song in the Police's catalogue, either that or "Mother"), and the weird experiment "Maskowhatever Tango". In truth, you'd have to get rid of both "Born in the '50's and "Be My Girl/Sally" to bring his up any higher, but so what? Quite good. Maybe the group's best. Maybe not.

Replacing my cassettes with CDs

2007-03-16
I was replacing my very old cassettes with CDs finally...
Love the album.... my only disappointment... casing is cardboard.
Not a plastic case as one expects.

Product feels cheap... but I know what golden music lies within...