STEWART COPELAND

Hi,

Can any of you good people point me in the direction of a good mp3 of BTBWY from the reunion tour?? Haven't managed to hear a decent copy of it although I know there are a few on YouTube.

Also anyone know what's happening with the unreleased material that was spoken about??

Go to ThePolice.com or Policefans.org and get the Seattle show or, I think, the St. Louis show. Not saying these are the best performances of that song from the tour, but they are probably the best in terms of sound quality.

Try this link
Bed's Too Big from Auburn Hills Michigan on July 17th 2007.

One of the best performances of this track from the tour...

http://www.sendspace.com/file/0tg50i

Thanks for the post, but in my humble opinion, it is not as good as the 79 Boston live version. I kind of understand why it was removed from the set list.

I gotta personally disagree there, Mario. Had direct comparisons to Police 1.0 been a consideration, then just about any song on the setlist could have been on the chopping block.

I was sad to see a few songs disappear during the reunion tour, but "Bed's" was the one song that I was actually gutted enough to see lost that I was willing to get all stupid and embarrassingly petiony about it. (Hi, Stewart.) Not just because it's a killer song but because it was one of the few times in the set during the tour where the band had/made some space to play around and explore -- and even challenge themselves a bit.

Was it 1979? No, but then, neither am I. But while the song didn't always click, you could see an effort behind it, an attempt at something beyond what was prescribed and scripted. "Spirits" was kind of a mess and "Murder" was a goner almost before it even began, but "Bed's" had potential. "Bed's" forced the band to pay attention. While not every performance of "Bed's" this go-round was orgasmic, every now and then, IMO, it sure did come damn close.


ETA: Good to see you 'round, bluescoobyblue.

I never really dug the beginning of the 07-08 version of Bed's.

[quote="TheEqualizer"]I never really dug the beginning of the 07-08 version of Bed's.[/quote]

I agree. Also agree w/Mario.

Mario is referring to a completely different band though.
If the 2007 Police tried 1979 Police they would pull a collective hamstring.
I thought BTBWY 07 was brilliant in its own right.
I also teared up watching them run through Truth Hits Everybody and you cannot compare that to 1979 either.

Any Police is good Police

[quote="secretjourneyranch"]Mario is referring to a completely different band though.
If the 2007 Police tried 1979 Police they would pull a collective hamstring.
I thought BTBWY 07 was brilliant in its own right.
I also teared up watching them run through Truth Hits Everybody and you cannot compare that to 1979 either.

Any Police is good Police[/quote]

Any Police is interesting Police (IMO) - not always good. THE was really not good for me. Interesting, but not good. To my ears it didn't ever adapt to a new way of doing things, in the way some of its contemporaries did. (Confessions of a previously main stream fan: I swear, prior to this tour, I thought I never, ever needed to hear frigging Roxanne again on radio, on stereo, or at a gig. By the end, it was doing unspeakable, addictive things to me.)

I completely understand that there was no way everything could be (or should be) played full tilt. I can't imagine anything worse than being at a gig in 2007/8 with a band trying to party like it's 1979, and failing - but THE never seemed to gain escape velocity on the back of 30+ years of experience.

Wish Beds had survived the cull though.

It just took me way too long to figure out why smudge was emphasizing "the." ^ Never mind. I caught up.


[quote="TheEqualizer"]I never really dug the beginning of the 07-08 version of Bed's.[/quote]

Ahh, see, I always did. I thought it was jangly and moody and made for a nice steady burn into that wonderful dry snare bit.


[quote="secretjourneyranch"]Mario is referring to a completely different band though.
If the 2007 Police tried 1979 Police they would pull a collective hamstring.
I thought BTBWY 07 was brilliant in its own right.[/quote]

Agreed on all counts. Don't get me wrong: I love the '79 version. But the only thing about the '07 version that bugged me -- and this was consistent across the tour and the setlist -- was Sting's phrasings.

[quote="smudge"]

Any Police is interesting Police (IMO)

I completely understand that there was no way everything could be (or should be) played full tilt. I can't imagine anything worse than being at a gig in 2007/8 with a band trying to party like it's 1979, and failing - but THE never seemed to gain escape velocity on the back of 30+ years of experience.
[/quote]

I know I'm in the minority with Truth but it was one of 20 highlights of the show for me.

I don't mean insinuate that I think the polished mature Police is better than the previous band also called the Police. I just found lots to like in both versions.

Someone needs to start a thread regarding what songs the Police did better in 07-08 than before. I would, but I'm not a thread starter...

[quote="secretjourneyranch"][quote="smudge"]

Any Police is interesting Police (IMO)

I completely understand that there was no way everything could be (or should be) played full tilt. I can't imagine anything worse than being at a gig in 2007/8 with a band trying to party like it's 1979, and failing - but THE never seemed to gain escape velocity on the back of 30+ years of experience.
[/quote]

I know I'm in the minority with Truth but it was one of 20 highlights of the show for me.

I don't mean insinuate that I think the polished mature Police is better than the previous band also called the Police. I just found lots to like in both versions.

Someone needs to start a thread regarding what songs the Police did better in 07-08 than before. I would, but I'm not a thread starter...[/quote]

.... which is why I do think you should start that thread - it would be an interesting discussion.

Having listened to Certifiable in the car for the last few days, I've really been getting the power behind the reunion performances. In fact, what was previously not one of my faves "Walking In Your Footsteps" is now on constant play. I managed to see them at Twickenham UK and have to say the DVD performance is better......guess they'd truly warmed by then.

I agree with the comment about Beds Too Big. As outstanding as the 79 version is, it just wouldnt work right now. Although this new version could do with leaning more towards that version. I'm missing the old reggae sound I guess.

I just hope this isn't the last we have seen of them. Shame we just all have to get old........... (sob sob!!!)

The powers that be have to get their act together and give us fans some more back catalogue, unreleased stuff.......NOW!!

What bugs me on the 07/08 version is the fact that although it is adventurous, it is not such a departure from the 79 version. (Except for the intro that does not work, for me) It is just not as inspired, but this is a matter of taste and personal opinion. I really miss Stewart snare figure, it sounds kind of strange without it, to me...

I just think that there are great moments on the reunion tour (i.e. Walking on the moon, Hole in My life, Wrapped around your finger, etc) Some versions from the reunion tour are actually better than any other versions.

I understand that the band in 07/08 sounded different (not better or worse) than 79 and Thank God for that! And I agree any Police is interesting Police, rather than good or bad Police. This is a band that is risky on stage and the price you pay for some incredible adventurous playing and improvising is a few falls here and there and I cheer the boys for that!

As Sting says: "I think God rewards the risk taker".

I liked both The Police of the eighties and The Police of the XXI century...the first one have this agressive energetic jamming rythm combo, on the other hand we had a perfection of squared harmmony added more jazzy than reggae atmosphera... I liked both eras... but also I miss some musical tricks from The Police early formula like Stewart's octobons, ringins cymbals and tight snare beat effect with echoe, Sting's Brian Double Bass and fretless bass, or Andy's synth guitar effects or light clean reggae chords... but also I liked so much Sting's voice and chorus, Stewart's gong, percussion section and uptempo dolby surround 5.1 dts sound of his drum kit, and Andy's new guitar effect like little stars that added a new modern sound to the songs...also some of his long guitar riffs and voice chorus :roll:

I liked the new "Spirits in the Material World" with the addittion of the end guitar chords with effects... It sounds pretty good for me 8)