Love That Album Podcast episode 109 - The Police’s “Synchronicity”

If we’re discussing an album with songs about stalking, emotional control of another human being, Carl Jung, the Loch Ness Monster appearing as a result of a suburbanite’s frustration with life and Oedipus, you’d probably surmise Love That Album podcast is focusing on the Synchronicity by The Police….and you’d be right.

For LTA episode 109, I am joined by songwriter and singer Shannon Hurley (aka Numbers Girl on All Time Top Ten Podcast) to talk about the final studio album released in 1983 by Gordon Sumner, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland. Synchronicity was hugely popular in its day, but for some reason, the band’s detractors have seen them as a singles band at best and pretend-punk at worst.

Yes, their singles were hugely popular on the radio (a cardinal sin for the cool kids), and yes, their albums did contain filler. However, many of the deeper cuts on all 5 albums revealed some gems played by 3 fantastic musicians who knew the dynamics of how to play as a band, not just 3 excellent musicians trying to outdo each other. All 3 wrote songs, some blackly comical, some too earnest, but none of it seemingly the sort of material that would be of interest to the teenagers who were buying the records.

Shannon and I delve into Synchronicity track by track (a rare return to an earlier LTA format) to discuss the album’s themes, musicianship, and whether it’s dated.

Eric Reanimator chimes in with his thoughts about The Crack by another punky reggae band, Ruts as well as cultural appropriation for his Album I Love segment.

You can download the show by searching for Love That Album in the iTunes store or downloading streaming directly from http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com.

Send the show feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum.

My huge thanks to Shannon for coming onto the show and bringing some great conversation. You can check out her website at http://shannonhurley.com 

which will have links to her albums and social media. She’s a fantastic musician and I particularly recommend her albums with Ben Eisen under the Lovers and Poets moniker. You can also hear her dulcet tones on the All Time Top Ten podcast….more on that in episode 110 of LTA.

If you enjoy what you hear on the podcast, please tell a friend or ten to tune into the Love That Album.

Right click to download episode 109 here.