The Police’s New Live Recording Is A Mostly Successful Offering

Posted on May 22, 2022 by philspicks

For the first time in more than a dozen years, veteran rock band The Police officially released a new live recording this week in the form of Around the World: Restored & Expanded. Released Friday through Mercury Studios, the recording is the band’s first new live recording since the release of its then latest live recording, Certifiable: Live in Buenos Aires in 2008. That recording was released through A&M Records. This latest presentation is such that it will appeal to a wide range of audiences, from the band’s most devoted audiences to even more causal audiences. That is due in large part to its featured set list, which will be discussed shortly. The audio’s companion tour documentary that is featured in the set’s DVD and Blu-ray platforms adds its own share of interest. It will be discussed a little later. The liner notes penned by The Police guitarist Andy Summers are a welcome companion to the tour documentary and round out the presentation’s most notable elements. They will also be examined later. Each item noted here is important in its own way to the whole of the recording. All things considered they make Around the World: Restored & Expanded a presentation that most fans of The Police will find enjoyable.

Around the World: Restored & Expanded, the new live recording from The Police, is a presentation that most of the band’s audiences will find appealing. That is due in large part to its featured set list. Totaling 11 songs, the set list is pulled from performances that the band held on its then debut global tour in 1980. The songs presented here were pulled from the band’s first two albums, Outlandos d’Amour (1978) and Reggatta de Blanc (1979). That 1978 record is the most heavily represented here, with six total songs. The latter received four nods. As an added bonus, the rare b-side, ‘Visions of the Night’ is also featured here. The song was a b-side to the band’s hit single, ‘Walking on the Moon’. Simply put, what audiences get in this collection of songs is a presentation of The Police from what was at the time still its infancy. To that end, it is a welcome representation of the band’s catalog at the time. Keeping that in mind, this aspect is certain to appeal to plenty of audiences. The only downside to the set list is that it is only made available on the recording’s CD platform. Given, there are live performances of four of the songs featured in the audio side, but it still would have been great having the entire collection, considering that the tour documentary presented on the DVD and Blu-ray runs only an hour and 23 minutes. Beggars can’t be choosers, though. To that end, it is still good to even have this presentation of The Police’s early days both in studio and on the road.

The songs that make up the main body of Around the World: Restored & Expanded are just part of the presentation’s appeal for the band’s noted audiences. The tour documentary that is featured in the collection’s DVD and Blu-ray presentation will appeal just as much to the noted audiences. Audiences see the band make its way around the world, from Asia to Australia, to Africa (more specifically Egypt) to South America and to America, audiences are taken along for the band’s ride in its debut world tour. Along the way, audiences get to see the noted live performances that are also separated as bonus content on the DVD and BD platforms. While the band is in Asia, audiences get to see Summers take on a sumo wrestler, though some might not really want to see him in the glorified diaper that sumo wrestlers wear. Yes, that was meant to be a lighthearted statement. Audiences also get to see the band on board a boat in the waters of what looks like possibly Thailand. When the band reaches Egypt things get a bit tense. At first audiences think that a certain discussion had between a group of individuals was acted out, but as Summers points out in his notes, it apparently was not set up. This will be discussed a little later. Over in Australia, audiences see the band in the countryside as well as on stage. Overall, the documentary builds on the foundation formed by the recording’s audio side and enhances the concert experience that much more for the noted audiences.

Building on the presentation that is the documentary are the liner notes penned by Summers. As already pointed out, Summers explains that the band’s stay in Egypt was anything but good. Summers explains that a comment made by Sting to an Egyptian official and his initial refusal to take back what he said almost caused an international incident. Another incident was narrowly avoided in one South American country when Summers apparently had a physical altercation of sorts with a law enforcement official at a concert. These two items will be left for audiences to discover for themselves, but they definitely build on the experience even more. That is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg that is the liner notes. Summers also writes in his notes that the band had yet another close call in New Zealand, yet again involving law enforcement. This is yet another intriguing anecdote that will be left for audiences to read about for themselves. Between this story, the others pointed out here and everything else that Summers recalls in his notes, the overall content in the recording’s companion booklet puts the finishing touch to the presentation and ensures that much more that the band’s established audiences and casual fans alike will appreciate the presentation. When this content, the audio, and video are all considered, they leave no doubt that the noted audiences will find plenty to appreciate about the recording.

Around the World: Restored and Expanded is a presentation that most fans of The Police will find enjoyable. That is due in large part to the recording’s featured songs. They are in themselves a strong representation of the band in its infancy. That is because the songs that make up the main body of the recording are all pulled from the band’s first two albums. There is even a rare b-side included in the mix for good measure. The tour documentary that accompanies the performances makes for its own interest. That is because it takes audiences along for the ride with the band on its first-ever world tour. Audiences get to see firsthand, much of what the band experienced, including the high and occasional not so high points. The liner notes penned by The Police guitarist Andy Summers work directly with the documentary to enhance the viewing experience therein. That is because they are those firsthand notes. They take audiences even deeper into the band’s tour and finish off the overall presentation. Each item noted here is important in its own way to the whole of the recording. All things considered, they make Around the World: Restored & Expanded a presentation that most fans of The Police will find a welcome new offering from the band and from Mercury Studios.

Around the World: Restored & Expanded is available now. More information on the recording is available along with all of the latest news from The Police at:

Website: https://thepolice.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepolice

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thepoliceband

More information on this and other titles from Mercury Studios is available at:

Website: https://mercurystudios.co

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MercuryStudiosCo

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mercurystudios

To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go online to https://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

The Police Announce New Live Recording

Posted on March 14, 2022 by philspicks

The Police will release its latest live recording this spring.

The band is scheduled to release its new live recording, Around The World: Restored & Expanded May 20 through Mercury Studios. It will release on DVD/CD, Blu-ray/CD, and DVD/LP with never before released live audio. A preview of the new recording is streaming here.

The performances presented in the recording were recorded in 1979 and 1980 in Japan, Hong Kong, and London.

The track listing for the recording is noted below along with the recording’s bonus content.

DVD & Blu-ray track listing:
Features performances of:
Next To You
Walking On The Moon
Born In The 50’s
So Lonely
Man In A Suitcase
Can’t Stand Losing You
Bring On The Night
Canary In A Coalmine
Voices Inside My Head
When The World Is Running Down, You Make The Best Of What’s Still Around
Shadows In The Rain
Don’t Stand So Close To Me
Truth Hits Everybody
Roxanne

Bonus Features:
Complete live performances of:
Walking On The Moon (Live from Kyoto)
Next To You (Live from Kyoto)
Message In A Bottle (Live from Hong Kong)
Born In The 50’s (Live from Hong Kong)

CD
Walking On The Moon – Live from Kyoto
Next To You – Live from Kyoto
Deathwish – Live from Kyoto
So Lonely – Live from Kyoto
Can’t Stand Losing You – Live from Kyoto
Truth Hits Everybody – Live from Kyoto
Visions Of The Night – Live from Hammersmith
Roxanne – Live from Hammersmith
Intro
Born In The 50’s – Live from Hong Kong
Message In A Bottle – Live from Hong Kong
Bring On The Night – Live from Hong Kong

LP
Side A:
Walking On The Moon – Live from Kyoto
Deathwish – Live from Kyoto
So Lonely – Live from Kyoto
Can’t Stand Losing You – Live from Kyoto

Side B:
Truth Hits Everybody – Live from Kyoto
Roxanne – Live from Hammersmith
Born In The 50’s – Live from Hong Kong
Message In A Bottle – Live from Hong Kong
Bring On The Night – Live from Hong Kong

More information on this and other titles from Mercury Studios is available at:

Website: https://mercurystudios.co

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MercuryStudiosCo

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mercurystudios

Lord’s New Record Is A Covers Compilation That Is Actually Worth Hearing

Posted on April 2, 2021 by philspicks

Independent rock band Lord released its latest record this week. Its new covers compilation, Undercovers Vol. 1 released Friday through Dominus Records. The 23-song (yes, 23 songs) comes less than a year after the trio released its then latest EP, Chaos Raining, and approximately two years after the release of its then latest new album, Fallen Idols. This latest compilation stands out from so many other compilations already released this year in part because of its featured songs. This will be discussed shortly. The band’s take on the songs makes for its own share of interest and will be discussed a little later. The songs’ sequencing puts the finishing touch to the record’s presentation. When this element is considered along with the other noted items, the record in whole proves that while it is largely a space filler between albums, is still a positive addition to Lord’s catalog.

Lord’s new covers compilation, Undercovers Vol. 1 is a positive new presentation from the longtime independent hard rock band. The record’s appeal comes in large part through its songs. The songs are important to note in that they are not just a bunch of songs that the band recorded specially for this compilation. Rather, they are mostly covers that the band has recorded throughout its life and has only now made available together. Simply put, they were brought together as a way to entertain the band’s fans in lieu of a live recording and even new live dates while promoters and venue heads decide their next steps for live music. They are not just some random space-filler used to appease contractual obligations.

Bassist Andy Dowling explained the songs’ collection during a recent interview.

“Covers have been a big love of ours since the early days of Dungeon right up to and including now,” said Dowling. “Over the years in Lord these tracks have ended up on limited edition releases, bonus tracks in isolated parts of the world and other weird and wonderful places. These songs have been scattered over so many different places that even we struggle ourselves to remember where on earth all of these songs can be found.”

“While bands around the world continue to navigate these uncertain times, we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to release this collection of cover songs, as well as new recordings, to keep the LORD machine moving while we continue to write new music,” he added.

Additionally, Dowling pointed out that two of the songs featured in the compilation — Savage Garden’s ‘To the Moon and Back’ and Judas Priest’s ‘Reckless’ – were the only songs specially recorded for the compilation. Those two songs are only a small portion of the 23 (yes, 23) total songs featured in this recording, and are important because they are a highlight of the diversity in the collection. The band also took on The Police (‘Message in a Bottle’) here, as well as songs from Bon Jovi, Helloween, Metallica, and Little River Band just to name a handful of other acts featured in the compilation. The short and simple is that the bands covered here come from a wide range of genres. From hard rock –Metallica, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Anthrax – to classic rock – Little River Band – to 80s hair rock – Bon Jovi – to prog – Queensryche, Symphony X – to mainstream pop and rock – The Police, Savage Garden – Lord takes on music from so many influences. That diversity in the bands and music featured here helps to build the band’s reputation and at the same time, perhaps even introduce audiences to music to which they might not have otherwise listened. If for no other reason, that diversity in the bands and songs will keep audiences engaged and entertained. It is of course just one of the elements that make this recording so interesting. The band’s performance of said songs adds to the record’s interest.

Lord’s take on The Police’s ‘Message in a Bottle’ is just one example of the importance of the band’s performances. Lord’s take on the classic song is interesting in that while it stays largely true to its source material, it essentially amps up that original in a sort of 80s power metal style work. That updated take — complete with machine gun-fast bass drum work, melodic guitar lines, and operatic vocals – shows that the song strangely enough works just as well in this case as in the original presentation. It is not one of those woks that hits listeners in its first listen, either. Rather, it will grow on listeners with each listening, highlighting its longevity.

The band’s take on a-ha’s ‘The Sun Always Shines on TV’ is yet another example of the band’s performances here. In the case of this performance, the band has opted more for an 80s hair metal style performance that makes for quite the contrast against a-ha’s keyboard-driven original composition. There is the slightest touch of a power ballad early on in the original composition, what with the string arrangement, but that soon gives way to the band’s more familiar new wave approach, which is more present throughout the song. Lord’s take on the song, as noted, is more of an 80s hair power ballad type work. It gives a-ha’s original quite the unique new identity in this case with its amped up take on the song. Where it ends up standing with listeners will be left for those audiences to decide. That aside, it definitely makes for its own interest.

W.A.S.P. is another of the bands whose work is covered in this compilation. In this case, Lord took on the band’s hit song ‘Wild Child.’ In this case, the stylistic approach taken by Lord is largely the same as that of W.A.S.P. The difference is that Lord’s cover is actually an improvement on the original. It would seem here that is more due to the production. The production makes the song sound so much fuller and richer here than the original. It makes the song sound more modern with a throwback feel. To that end, it is yet another example of the impact of the band’s performances here, and the importance thereof. When it is considered along with the other performances noted here and the rest of the record’s featured performances, the whole of those performances makes for even more engagement and entertainment. It is just one more example of what makes this compilation worth hearing. The sequencing of the songs featured in this compilation rounds out its most important elements.

The sequencing of Undercovers Vol. 1 is important to examine because of its role in the record’s general effect. The record starts in contemplative fashion with its cover of Savage Garden’s ‘To the Moon and Back’ but very quickly after, it picks up with its take of Iron Maiden’s ‘Judas Be My Guide.’ It is not even until the record reaches its midpoint in its take of Cutting Crew’s ‘(I Just) Died In Your Arms’ that the album’s energy even remotely pulls back. From that point on, the compilation’s energy remains relatively high, even as the band takes on what are some otherwise reserved songs. Even in those cases, the band manages to amp up those songs, including their energies. So overall, the sequencing ensures that the album’s energy remains relatively high throughout its 100-minute (one hour, 40 minute) run time. That the record’s energy remains relatively high, and even gives a break point roughly halfway through ensures that the record will run fluidly throughout, ensuring even more, listeners’ engagement and entertainment. When that certain engagement and entertainment is considered with the impact of the band’s unique performances and the variety of songs featured here, that whole makes the compilation overall, its own standout presentation. Add in the fact that this compilation marks the first time that the band has ever united the previously recorded covers in one setting, and the compilation gains even more appeal. It shows that this was not just some randomly recorded presentation used to appease contractual obligations. Between this and everything else noted, the record in whole proves to be a covers collection that is actually worth hearing.

Lord’s new covers compilation Undercovers Vol. 1 is an interesting presentation that rockers and even pop music fans alike will find worth hearing at least once. That is due in part to the songs featured in the recording. The band does not just take on a bunch of hard rock and metal songs here, though there are a lot of those songs featured here. The band also takes on songs from pop and pop rock acts, such as Savage Garden, The Police, a-ha, and even Kylie Minogue. That variety in itself makes for reason enough to hear this presentation. That only two of the songs featured here were specially recorded for the compilation shows that this was not just some randomly thrown together presentation that was made to appease any contractual obligations for the band. Rather, it was a way for the band to bring together so many of the covers that it has recorded over the course of its life. That makes the presentation more special in itself. The band’s performance of the featured covers makes for its own appeal. That is because they give those originals their own unique identities from one to the next. The songs’ sequencing rounds out the most important of the compilation’s elements. That is because it ensures the record’s pacing remains stable throughout while also constantly giving listeners something interesting rather than redundant. Each item noted here is unquestionably important in its own way to the whole of the compilation’s presentation. All things considered, they make the record a work that despite being a covers compilation, still a presentation that is worth hearing, and at least once at that. Undercovers Vol. 1 is available now through Dominus Records.

More information on Undercovers Vol. 1 is available along with all of Lord’s latest news and more at:

Website: https://www.lord.net.au

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lordofficial

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lordofficial

Eagle Rock Entertainment Taking Audiences Through The Life Of The Police In New Doc

Posted on April 28, 2019 by philspicks

Courtesy: Eagle Rock Entertainment

Eagle Rock Entertainment will release a new documentary about The Police next month.

The Police: Everyone Stares — The Police Inside Out is set for release May 31 on DVD, Blu-ray and digital. The doc’s trailer is streaming here. Pre-orders are open now.

The documentary, which starts in the winter of 1978, tells the story of The Police from the viewpoint of its famed drummer Stewart Copeland. The band’s evolution is followed throughout the course of the documentary. He talked about the documentation in a recent interview.

“In 1978, when I was a member of the struggling rock band called The Police, I scraped together enough money to buy a super 8 movie camera,” he said. “As soon as I raised it to my eye and started filming, amazing things began to happen. It was like watching a movie unfold as the band sparked a fire that lit up the world for us. Everyone Stares is that movie.”

Rare live footage of The Police performing serves as the “soundtrack” to the documentary, while Copeland’s own words serve as the doc’s narration. Speaking of commentary, the documentary features an additional 20 minutes of footage and commentary from Copeland and his band mate Andy Summers as bonus content.

From its humble beginnings way back in the late 1970s, The Police have gone on to develop a fan base that spans the world. The band has earned six Grammy awards, two Brit awards and have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

More information on The Police: Everyone Stares — The Police Inside Out and all of The Police’s latest news and more is available online at:

Website: http://www.thepolice.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thepolice

More information on this and other titles from Eagle Rock Entertainment is available online at:

Website: http://www.eagle-rock.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EagleRockEnt

Twitter: http://twitter.com/EagleRockNews

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Serj Tankian Releasing Two New Albums This Summer

Posted on April 29, 2013 by philspicks

Courtesy: Serjical Strike Records

System of a Down front man Serj Tankian will release two new albums this Summer via his own Serjical Strike Records. The first of the two new records, Orca will be released first on June 25^th. It will be followed up with the experimental jazz album, Jazz-iz Christ on July 23^rd. Orca mixes influences of Twentieth Century composers with works written for modern films, showing a vast expanse of influences. Among those influences are the likes of Philip Glass and Ennio Morricone. It was originally composed in Tankian’s home studio, and came to fruition thanks to a Kickstarter campaign that helped bring it to life. Conductor Werner Steinmetz held the baton for the recording of the records four acts.

Courtesy: Serjical Strike Records

Jazz-iz Christ, the second of Tankian’s upcoming release this Summer, started with just Tankian himself. From there, it grew into a large collaborative effort that included work from: pianist Tigran Hamasyan, flautist Valeri Tolstov, and trumpet player Tom Duprey. Also making appearances on the new record are Stewart Copeland (The Police), actor/musician Davis Alpay, and Vincent Pedulla. The album contains a total of fifteen compositions, most of which are instrumental, save for four songs. That group of songs mix together progressive jazz, electronic, ethnic and rock elements.

Both Orca and Jazz-iz Christ will be available worldwide on iTunes, Amazon, and other online outlets including Tankian’s own website, http://www.serjtankian.com and the Serjical Strike website, http://www.serjicalstrike.com. Pre-orders for the deluxe limited editions of Orca begin this Wednesday, May 1^st. The deluxe limited edition of Orca includes a 180-gram picture disc, swag, and a signed copy of the actual score for the record. Pre-orders for Jazz-iz Christ begin Wednesday, May 15^th. Audiences can check out audio samples of both records at the Serjical Strike Records website.

A tour in support of both records will be held beginning September 19^th at the Ukraina Hall in Ukraine. The tour will come on the heels of the current System of a Down tour. The current list of tour dates in support of Tankian’s new records is available below. More dates will be announced at a later date. To keep up with all of the latest tour information and news from Serj Tankian, fans can follow him on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Serjtankian and on his official website, http://www.serjtankian.com.

19 Sep 13 Thu	Kiev	Ukraine	Ukraina Hall
21 Sep 13 Sat	Yekaterinburg	Russia	Kosmos Hall
23 Sep 13 Mon	Novosibirsk	Russia	DK Zheleznodorozhnik
25 Sep 13 Wed	Krasnoyarsk	Russia	Philharmony
27 Sep 13 Fri	Moscow	Russia	Crocus City Hall
28 Sep 13 Sat	St. Petersburg	Russia	Orjktybyrsky Concert Hall
03 Oct 13 Thu	Florence	Italy	Teatro Comunale
04 Oct 13 Fri	Padova	Italy	Gran Teatro Geox
05 Oct 13 Sat	Rome	Italy	Auditorium Parco Della Musica

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