The Police - We are celebrating something big....

[TheEqualizer]

My only minor quibble is that the alternate mixes did not do much for me.

[ManWithGoodTaste]

There is a reason why the alt mixes are not the final mix. 9 times out of 10 it's because the final mix is the best one.

Also, nice to have real and final proof that Message in a Box still hasn't been dethroned. ALSO also, finally the Derangements are getting a non-bootleg release.

[Dietmar]

that's the one big omission - "Murder By Numbers" in its original form (with Sting's count-in and all instruments starting at the same time) is not on this box

otherwise almost all of the variations I have described over the years are on that box !
would have loved to hear a Miss Gradenko demo
or any Andy demo

so plenty of stuff for another release

[ManWithGoodTaste]

I love the Murder by Numbers album mix too much to care, but that is just me. As far as things missing or not missing, the Blur big box set from 20.....13? is much much worse. Synchronicity Super Deluxe Extra Amazing Box is damn near perfect.

Also, to this day I want to know if Stewart wrote the guitar arpeggio for Miss Gradenko, or Andy went uncredited.

[TheEqualizer]

Been listening to this since it came out. Gotta tell you. I LOVE IT. Didn't expect to like it this much. STEWART has always said that it was Andy that really allowed Sting to develop in the maestro he is. I am not sure I every fully got it before. But after listening to the demos on this box set, I totally get it now. The Murder by Numbers demo is hilarious in comparison to what it eventually became. However, some of the other demos (like Tea in the Sahara) were much better than I expected. And the other versions of O My God are pretty interesting in that it almost seems like a Derangement with Walking in Your Footsteps.

[Krokodyle]

Wow, I wasn't expecting to actually like the "Mother" Alternate Version as much as I do.

I still don't think they should have included this song on Synchronicity album at all, but I am oddly attracted to this version. I can't say why, exactly....

[Fingers]

This is from a recent Q&A with Stewart on the website of UK newspaper The Guardian, might go some way to answering the questions about the other Police albums having deluxe reissues like Synchronicity, looks like there's two more albums before we get Reggatta!...
Why is [the Police’s 1983 album] Synchronicity being reissued [as an expanded box set] now? Dmitry-S
The Police had an epiphany courtesy of the Beatles’ documentary, Get Back. Each of us learned, in our separate ivory towers, that the final master isn’t in any way diminished by showing the sketches or demos along the way. Ghost in the Machine [the previous album] had taken us into stadiums and then Synchronicity made us even bigger, but the recording sessions were very dark. We beat the crap out of each other. We’ve laughed about it since, but going back into that black hole isn’t something we tended towards. But it was such fun listening to the demos and songs that didn’t make it, so there will be more reissues. We’re starting at the end and working backwards, like Wagner’s Ring Cycle.

[Krokodyle]

"We’re starting at the end and working backwards, like Wagner’s Ring Cycle."

We can indeed hope this will come true. It would be nice to have these come out every six months, rather than yearly, as I kind of expect.

[Johnny2000]

Firstly, it's certainly a fantastic box set to have... I'd almost given up on anything like this being released from The Police.

A couple of minor gripes:
- It would have been great in the book to feature photos from the recording session (I'm pretty sure Danny Quatrochi's book featured quite a few).
- It would have also been nice to see Sting joining in talking about the album in those promotional video clips that Stewart and Andy did.... but that does not surprise me.
- No 'So Lonely' at the Oakland gig .... did they have a curfew? That must have been a rare occasion that it was not played (Policewiki might have the answer to that)

The news that (hopefully) all the albums will now get this kind of release is something to look forward to, but I wonder if we'll get demo outtakes like 'Dont Think We Could Ever Be Friends' and 'Dont Give Up Your Daytime Job' from Ghost In The Machine .... here's hoping!

[Fingers]

[quote="Krokodyle"][quote="Fingers"]"We’re starting at the end and working backwards, like Wagner’s Ring Cycle."[/quote]

We can indeed hope this will come true. It would be nice to have these come out every six months, rather than yearly, as I kind of expect.[/quote]

Every six months would be great, but I seem to remember Andy saying there was a 10 year plan for Police releases, so it could be every 2 years, hopefully we don't have to wait that long!

[Howstupidmrbates]

After listening to it a few times now, I realized the Roxanne backing track has Stewart counting in. My original vinyl single didn't have that.
Nice.