086: The Police - Synchronicity (1983)

Happy holidays from Discord & Rhyme! We got you a big enough umbrella, though you’ll probably still end up getting wet. To close off our fourth(!) calendar year as a podcast, Phil, Rich, John, and Mike have decided to sit around the fire and talk about an album we all know and love. When the Police recorded their final album, 1983’s Synchronicity, the trio of Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland were at the peak of their popularity, but were also on the verge of collapse, fracturing under the stress of three very different personalities moving in opposite creative directions. The album often receives criticism as a prelude to Sting’s solo career, but we argue that it’s much more nuanced than that, and that even at their most incoherent, the trio had a natural chemistry and an ability to check and balance one another’s excesses that all came together into some truly remarkable arrangements. Whether Synchronicity is the best or worst Police album is very much up for debate, but it’s certainly one of their most interesting.

Cohosts: Rich Bunnell, Mike DeFabio, Phil Maddox, John McFerrin

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/086-the-police-synchronicity-1983

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod