Do you consider the Police prog rock?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by vinylphile, Nov 7, 2018.

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  1. planetexpress

    planetexpress Searchin' for light in the darkness of insanity.

    Location:
    Chicago
    Good to hear. I definitely need to check them out then; a local critic who's opinion I trusted called it self-indulgent noodling so I never really got into them.... :shrug:
     
  2. jon9091

    jon9091 Master Of Reality

    Location:
    Midwest
    I don’t consider them Prog rock in any way, shape, or form. They were a new wave/ rock band heavily influenced by reggae, punk, and jazz.

    I wish this poll was public, so we could see who voted yes.
     
  3. Instant Dharma

    Instant Dharma Dude/man

    Location:
    CoCoCo, Ca
    No, but Synchronicity did have its proggy bits.

    But a hard no.
     
    Rose River Bear likes this.
  4. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Prog?
    Reggae Rock.
     
  5. Instant Dharma

    Instant Dharma Dude/man

    Location:
    CoCoCo, Ca
    Actually there are two kinds of music

    Country AND Western.
     
  6. Eleventh Earl of Mar

    Eleventh Earl of Mar Somehow got them all this far.

    Location:
    New York
    I mean, I'd call them hard rock

    As much as I'll call The Police art rock but not prog rock. Stuff like Behind My Camel, Voices Inside My Head, and Mother are really nice. I'd probably label Zenyatta at least under art rock, if nothing else.
     
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  7. wavethatflag

    wavethatflag God is love, but get it in writing.

    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    That's a typical criticism of bands that jam by someone who doesn't like bands that jam. :D
     
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  8. PhoffiFozz

    PhoffiFozz Forum Resident

    Well said.
     
  9. Neonbeam

    Neonbeam All Art Was Once Contemporary

    Location:
    Planet Earth
    ... and I thought calling them a "punk" or "new wave" band was absurd! :biglaugh:
     
    Purple Jim likes this.
  10. Nothing is off-limits. All of it influenced all of it. Bands are not gangs, and music is not inherently a political statement. It's music, which is good enough to stand without any of the walls and borders that non-musicians like to put up.
     
    klockwerk likes this.
  11. tommy-thewho

    tommy-thewho Senior Member

    Location:
    detroit, mi
  12. SurrealCereal

    SurrealCereal Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    Not at all. However, I do consider them to be art-rock. A lot of people consider the two terms to be synonymous, but I think of prog as a much more specific genre that happens to have a lot of overlap with art-rock.
     
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  13. wildstar

    wildstar Senior Member

    Location:
    ontario, canada
    Interestingly Ian Anderson has called 'The Police' the last great prog band.
     
  14. ostrichfarm

    ostrichfarm Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
  15. Duckman

    Duckman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Belgium
    Police a prog band? nope
    Copeland's drumming is kinda ... 'busy'. And wasn't Curved Air (his previous band) considered Prog?
     
    Say It Right likes this.
  16. Kingsley Fats

    Kingsley Fats Forum Resident

    Pretty hard to believe nowadays but early on in the piece they (along with Tom Petty) were marketed by their record label as being a punk band.
     
  17. Carl Swanson

    Carl Swanson Senior Member

    They coulda been, but they chose not to be.
     
    vinylphile likes this.
  18. Yovra

    Yovra Collector of Beatles Threads

    New Wave to Pop Rock via Reggae Light
     
  19. tmwlng

    tmwlng Forum Resident

    Location:
    Denmark
    Definitely no. I know Ian Anderson has referred to them as being one. I just cannot see it. The musicianship is top notch, and while some of their approaches to writing are a bit unorthodox, it is nowhere near progressive rock. I would say it is much more pop rock, new wave. Born out of punk rock but quickly evolved into a more mainstream sound while still being credible in terms of writing and musicianship. Arena rock, corporate rock; I know in terms of sales, popularity and the odd song here and there they could count as being such, but personally I would never call them that.
     
  20. RJD1954

    RJD1954 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Perth, Australia
    No. I consider them ordinary. Apart from the stunning Every Breath she Takes, and the initial rush of Roxanne, they were bloody lucky. Almost every song after Roxanne was a simple rehash of it. Synchronicity and Zenyatta Mondatta are contrived pieces of rubbish too, to me.

    Excellent musicians, no doubt. Ordinary music though.
     
  21. Hollow Horse

    Hollow Horse To pretend to be happy could only be idiocy

    Alternative / New Wave

    The Police are about as progressive as a hibernating tortoise.
     
  22. spondres

    spondres Forum Resident

    Location:
    Germany
    No caped crusader on keyboards no sale.
     
  23. vinylphile

    vinylphile Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Wasn't really asking anyone's opinion on the QUALITY of their music. But your unusual opinion is noted. (Calling their other songs a simple rehash of Roxanne is just silly IMO).
     
    samskeyti likes this.
  24. vinylphile

    vinylphile Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I generally agree with you in principle. But as humans we do communicate with each other using descriptive language so classifying things is just a natural part of that. When someone asks me to describe the music of The Police, progressive rock is definitely not a term I would use - hence being taken aback by hearing it being described as such and prompting me to see whether others heard things that way too.
     
  25. libertycaps

    libertycaps Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR, USA
    So. You want multiple pages of replies on SH.com? Post silly questions. Get 'em. Got it.
     
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