Good evening!
I’m a long-time lurker and first time member/poster. It’s exciting for me to be here.
Until recently, I didn’t own a single Police recording (!). Though I enjoyed every song of theirs that I had heard, most of my musical attention focused on my favorite band, the Grateful Dead, and groups like Rush, Led Zeppelin, the Stones and other old legends. (I also was raised to listen to blues, classical composers, Middle Eastern music and bluegrass.)
This April, I said, "Why not?" and purchased the entire Police discography on a whim. It had seemed obvious to me that since I liked songs from each of the group’s albums (I’m a heavy radio listener), it would be a worthy gamble of my time and money.
It’s not April anymore, and addiction is not a sufficient word for my love of this music! I found myself so impressed with the band’s sound - and Stewart specifically - that I actually started looking into getting drum lessons again (which I haven’t taken since I was 15 years old). I listen to the way the band incorporates polyrhythmic shifts into their live material, and as a result have been writing out drum notation to see if I can apply these techniques to other Police songs.
I feel like I’ve had a “Where have you been?” moment with this music because it truly inspires me. The Police are now in my top five when it comes to favorite groups. I own solo albums, concert DVDs, photographic collections, you name it.
Any musician whose work insists that I pick up the sticks again is a special inspiration. Copeland is an outstanding drummer and writer, and I’m glad I began listening to him and learning about him. I hope I can learn and listen yet through my time spent here.
…So that’s my introduction. Hello, people!