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A message in a bottle — or a Molotov cocktail?

Posted at 5:10 PM on January 3, 2007 by Hans Eisenbeis (4 Comments)

Your rabblerousing provocation of the day:

There are bands that get more credit than they're due (the Clash spring immediately to mind. The Only Band That Matters? Feh. Just because they were better musicians AND better human beings than the Sex Pistols doesn't automatically make them the greatest evah) and bands that don't. There are bands that have virtually no hits but all kinds of cred (again, the Clash) and bands with dozens of hits but no hardcore fans among the critics.

Where do the Police fall in that continuum?

It's hard to say, mostly because Sting has corrupted their memory by sort of entering into Phil Collins territory in recent years. Still, we're a little excited about this: News of a potential actual for-real reunion tour in 2007.

What do you say to that?

Comments (4)

I was deep in thought about the question at hand until I read the words "Phil Collins". This prompted shudders at the thought of enduring a Genesis Reunion Tour in my lifetime, and then the tune Sussudio began to play in my head.. at which point I threw up in my mouth a little bit.

Sure, Sting has become a bit uncool and the soccer-moms own his later albums, but he's not so uncool that he deserves to be compared to Phil Collins.

Posted by kate | January 4, 2007 9:22 AM

hans, why do you hate me? look, i could take a little good natured back-and-forth over the pros and cons of yoko ono, patti smith and fleetwood mac. but you're picking on the clash? THE CLASH? c'mon. you can't be serious. they didn't give themselves the "only band that matters" tag. it was foisted upon them. (though at the time, they did kind of seem like it.) do you fault dylan for being called the voice of his generation? enough with the nay-saying, the "feh"ing. leave my sacred cows alone!! ;)

Posted by Ali Lozoff | January 4, 2007 5:34 PM

heh, i knew i could count on you Ali...

Mostly i'll never forgive the Clash for Rock the Casbah, nor the radio conspiracy that resulted in its being played once for every man woman and child who ever lived on the planet. not their fault, maybe.

to be sure they were all cool and interesting artistes (though some would say a little mannered), i just never found a groove with them the way i was supposed to. i was a broken boy, i guess. perversly, i preferred Stiff Little Fingers, Johnny Thunders, The Jam, Buzzcocks.

i knew i was SUPPOSED to like 'em, god knows...

Posted by Hans | January 4, 2007 6:29 PM

For me the only band that mattered were The Police.

Yes Sting has clouded the minds of people with elevator music and some less than stellar solo stints but so what?

The band is great together and forget about the Phil Collins comparisons... The Police will rock.

... even if they have to wheel Summers out to play.

Posted by M | January 8, 2007 8:23 AM

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