Edged and honed

Quite contradictory, the title of my review. Who but the 1995 - eight years after the dissolution of the band - released double live album by The Police sounds, will realize what I want to express it. The two discs documenting two concerts of the trio. The first CD contains the radio recording of a Police presence in Boston from 1979. The second shekel comes up with an official live recording of the Combo from 1983 from Atlanta to. In Boston were shown a band that played down unpolished provided their setlist, raw and with edges. Bass player and singer Sting, guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland, go here still clearly punk and new wave-inspired works. Just listen to only the dirty runtergerotzten "Next to you" or "Peanuts". But the three musicians of course also bring the reggae-inspired songs such as "So Lonely" from "Outlandos." - Or "Walking on the moon" from the "Regatta de Blanc" album to be heard. The majority of the title comes from the debut album "Outlandos d'Amour". In the sound quality you have to make certain compromises. For this purpose, however, more later. Four years later in Atlanta is a noticeably mature band on stage. The trio acts supple, polished and sophisticated. The boys have gained stage routine and radiate serenity successful rock musician from. They have their sound even fairly homogeneous spiced up with three in the Police sound integrating backup singers. Especially good nachzuhören are these differences for '79 concert on the four tracks that are located on two discs: "Message in a bottle", "Roxanne", "Can not stand losing you" and "So Lonely". For me personally the more relaxed dealing with the song material tells more. But this is probably a matter of taste. In contrast to the concert on CD 1 of the Atlanta-recording also shines through its very good sound quality. Especially in a direct comparison, the radio recording of the Boston concert cuts off the worse. When Atlanta gig the band was promoting her latest album "Synchronicity", are interpreted by the seven titles alone the rest. I must not say anything about the class of the three musicians. Alone Stings charismatic vocals crowns again and again the Police songs. Finally, a word to the presentation of the double album. Since this is the legacy of the band live - appeared long after their breakup - would you look at detailed liner notes to the career of the trio desired. Here, however, there is total non-existent. I had the choice, ten live albums of rock bands take on the much-touted deserted island, the Police-recording would probably not among them. A quite successful concert document is "The Police Live!" nevertheless.