NEW Police Book "Walking on the Moon" by Chris Campion

[giovanni]

>And on an entirely different note- You wrote a book too? Sorry for my lack of prior knowledge on this bit.

The book was written around 5 years ago, and was released on April 2005 (or something around that time).
No chance to read it in English, sorry; no-one was interested in, but it's a more complicated thing to tell the truth, that goes beyond a real interest for the book (the publisher should find a way to have the whole series of books that includes mine about The Police, but of course no foreign publisher would also be interested in having most of the titles dedicated to Italian artists).

It was a great experience writing that book...I remember talking with Stewart about some facts that I had some doubts about; I never wanted to write a book about The Police, but when a very important Italian publisher asked me about writing one, I said yes, why not...and it's good to see my book side by side with Sting's autobiography as the only books about Sting & The Police available in Italy (not including some photographic books that were released around The Police Reunion tour).
It's still available and easy to find in the main book shops in Italy, so it's nice to be around and see my name in the shelves; going back in time, I remember my days spent in the main books stores looking for Police books ... ahaha, life is surprising sometimes.
Same with some magazines; when they talk about Sting, Andy or Stewart, their articles very often bring my name, or anyway my name is there...
By the way: the foreword to my book was written by Stewart.

[dufmanno]

That's too bad, I would have loved to have gotten my hands on your book. Maybe you need to write another one picking up where the other left off? Still, I'm sure it was a massive undertaking. Most people I know who have attempted to write or have successfully written any kind of book had to take a mental health break for an extended period of time afterward.

[stevel]

Giovanni mate man you should be proud.
I agree how about another - youve loads of stories!

[ltwoman]

Giovanni, I say forget about a second book,just re-release the original book and add updates. I can't remember what they call it; the word escapes me now, but you know what I mean. Second edition... whatever. And someone will help you translate, right nutters???

[Shangeris]

And someone will help you translate, right nutters???

Sure

[giovanni]

>I agree how about another - youve loads of stories!

Sure I got them, but most of them can't be told...
Anyway, the title could be...let me see....THIS IS IT (any reference???)

The only thing that my book missed were some pics; no pics at all, sorry; the publisher said that the series of book where The Police one was insterted was with no pics, just the covers of the albums, that's it. And I could use many of the ones I did to the guys, separately I mean.

[Shangeris]

Well, you could might go to another publisher, for exsample an English one, and release it in English

[giovanni]

Not as easy as you may think I'm afraid...

[vespapod]

Breezed over the book while watching the Eagles kick the Flacons asses....not bad....not a book for a diehard POLICE FAN...rather superficial around the edges...

[sockii]

Well, I finally slogged through and finished the book. Here's the text of the review I just posted on Amazon (not sure if it's up yet, but should be shortly):

* * * *

Chris Campion's "Walking on the Moon: The Untold Story of the Police and the Rise of New Wave Rock" is, quite simply, the most negatively-toned rock "biography" - and I use that term very lightly in this case - I can recall ever reading. While there is some interesting information contained within its 300 pages, each of those pages is so thoroughly laced with such glaring disdain on the author's part for his subject matter, one is left truly puzzled over what motivated him to write the book in the first place. Is it pure sour grapes over the success of a band whose music he clearly dislikes, a band whose popularity he can't understand unless dismissed away as the result of clever, aggressive marketing and the political climate of the time? Is it just a cheap shot at trying to cash in on the band's name before buzz over their reunion tour fades away?

I'm not sure. What I am sure of is that Campion has put considerable time into researching his subject, if only to make sure there is no negative comment ever made about the band or its members, nor any questionable or scandalous incident about them, that he misses including.

The negativity starts subtly, but begins to creep in through even the simplest word choices used to describe the band members, their associates and their actions. Andy Summers "fumes", "whines" and "sneers" throughout the book, painted by Campion as an intensely bitter man of questionable skill as a guitarist, clinging desperately to The Police as his last chance at stardom after failing to make it earlier in his career. Stewart Copeland is portrayed as a spoiled youngest child, an immature "frat boy" type, a pothead whose drumming is only referred to by Campion when he can bring up criticisms of Copeland's time-keeping. Sting is a cruel egotist who Campion spends considerable effort trying to psychoanalyze, repeatedly referring to his Catholic upbringing and mother's infidelity as the root of his many problems. Miles Copeland III is focused on nearly much as the band members themselves, illustrated as the ruthless force behind their success through his promotion and marketing schemes - even as all of his problems with other acts and artists (and later the Police themselves) are thoroughly detailed. The only one who gets off relatively unscathed is Ian Copeland, "the only good one of the bunch", supposedly. Oh, and of course any of the band or Miles' associates through the years who were interviewed directly by Campion so that they could air their personal grievances, including Cherry Vanilla, Jayne Country, Nigel and Chis Gray, and members of the band Squeeze.

Those looking for any real analysis of the band's music? Look elsewhere. Campion has little interest in doing so beyond taking shots at Sting's lyric writing and discussing the struggles they had in the studio, recording. Those hoping for good details on the three band members' post-Police careers? Not to be found here. Sting is given the greatest focus, but mostly so he can be taken to task for everything including his poor acting, profiting off of black music and musicians, his dubious charitable causes and also his financial and personal relationship woes. Stewart is mostly dismissed except for Campion going into great detail over criticism of Copeland's opera "Holy Blood and Crescent Moon". Andy's solo years barely merit two pages of coverage, primarily devoted to Campion mocking his photography as "little more than nicely-composed snapshots printed in black and white to give them a semblance of artsiness."

The band's reunion tour is briefly covered in the last chapter, primarily rehashing details well-covered in the press already and here used to further Campion's argument that the band had no real impact on music except as an extreme marketing success story. He repeats much of his earlier criticism of the entire new wave movement, which has been almost as central a subject of the book as the band it's advertised as being about. What he seems completely unaware of - or chooses not to acknowledge - is the lasting influence the band's music has had on generations of musicians who have followed them. The Police made solid pop-rock music that was well-crafted and featured musicianship that was inspired, and inspiring. Whether they were as groundbreaking or revolutionary as The Beatles or Elvis Presley is not and should not be the question, nor the only meter by which their merit as musicians should be measured.

Looking through the notes and sources at the end of the book leaves the impression that Campion was quite thorough in his research, as previously noted. But he was also careless and sloppy. He makes numerous small mistakes that devoted Police fans are sure to pick up on, and it leads one to cast doubt on the veracity of all matters presented in the book as a result. For example, he gives the wrong date for the band's final concert of the reunion tour at Madison Square Garden (August 9, 2008 when in fact it was August 7, 2008). He also claims they came out on stage in Police uniforms for the show, which was untrue; Sting donned a Police hat at the beginning of the show but that was it. He makes mistakes about which songs were cut from the second leg of the reunion tour and which ones were added. All minor details, yes, but it adds up to contribute to this reader's poor impression of the work as a whole.

Which in the end is a shame, as a good book thoroughly covering the band's complete history without an obvious agenda and bias would be much appreciated. This book simply isn't it. One is much better off reading the respective autobiographies of each of the band members, and looking to find the truth somewhere in the middle of their individual recollections and points-of-view.

[DirtyMartini]

Nice job, sock. A couple of other reviews on Amazon agree with you -- and are amusing as well:

http://www.amazon.com/Walking-Moon-Unto ... ewpoints=1

[Maud138]

Sockii: yep that's what I thought when I read the book. I'm not completely finished yet.

I kept thinking: Man, that guy must HATE our boys. What have they ever done to him? It's all a lot of bad gossip.