Do you think the Police should be on Progarchives

I think they should be on progarchives because of the soundscapes on their music, their musicianship that is compared to prog musicians in my opinion and their various influences. They also played with prog musicians. I think they should be labeled as Prog-Related.

Edited by geneyesontle - June 29 2012 at 20:12

Sort of.  For Synchronicity.  As you go back further chronologically in their discography you move further away from prog.

Edited by Slartibartfast - June 29 2012 at 20:24

Find it hard to decide.  Synchronicity and Ghosts of a Machine...maybe even parts of Zeynatta have something to do with prog.  And the musicians DID have some prog pedigree in their individual capacities.  Going with a yes because I am in favour of inclusion rather than exclusion.  I don't think Police is a ludicrous choice, though not a watertight one.

Oh come on now. I love The Police as much as anyone, but they were punk/pop/new wave through and through. You'd have a better time making the argument for Sting's solo career, or any of theirs for that matter.

Two opportunistic band wagon jumping musicians in their late 20's and one the wrong side of 30 'on the make' - Reggatta de Blanc (honky reggae sums it up best) Even by the standards of a soulless music industry there was never a more disingenuously calculating and engineered group than the Police. (although perhaps Asia would have given them a good run for their filthy lucre) The Police did write some truly brilliant pop singles and Synchronicity is from a Prog perspective, perhaps their most interesting album. The Curved Air, Soft Machine, Fripp and Youth Jazz Orchestra lineage only serves to cloud people's judgement. I have even read comments that they heavily influenced 80's Rush (during a period when the latter band were widely acknowledged to have abandoned Prog- hardly underlines their credentials now does it?)

A resounding NO for any category we have on PA

Originally posted by Atavachron Originally posted by The Doctor Originally posted by Atavachron Prog Related is not for 'proggy artists',  it's for those that were/are related or directly connected with, contributed to, or fundamentally influenced by the Prog Movement.   None of the Police's album reflect this; the fact that they made original and unique rock music that had elements of other styles doesn't make them ProgRelated because that is the basis of much successful Pop music;  e.g. Graceland, Purple Rain, and of course Sting's first two albums (which were arguably more progressive than anything the Police ever did).   Do you think Police fan's would've been happy with an album that was truly ProgRelated?   I don't. But didn't The Police arise out of the ashes of Strontium 90 (which included all three members of the Police and Mike Howlett from Gong)?  There is a rather tenuous relationship to prog there.  Although, I've never thought of the Police, one of my favorite non-prog bands btw, as particularly proggy.  Maybe Synchronicity II had some hints of progginess, but that was about it. Perhaps, but the problem with that logic is that many musicians did or would play together that were from all number of backgrounds, or who would take all number of new directions.   It's one of the things that was so cool about that time, it was strange if an artist was not progressing or experimenting in some way.   The connections that could be drawn between different musicians are almost infinite, and is not the crucial factor in determining ProgRelated.

I'm a no on this too.  I don't think the Police should be here.  Just pointing out that they do have some "relation" to prog.  In fact, wasn't Stewart Copeland married to Sonja Christina or at least living with her?  Can't get much more "related" to prog than that.  Still, I don't really believe they are prog-related.  I've never equated their sound with any level of progginess, except for the aforementioned Synchronicity II which did have a bit of progginess to it.  Not enough for them to be here though. 

Originally posted by The Doctor In fact, wasn't Stewart Copeland married to Sonja Christina or at least living with her?  Can't get much more "related" to prog than that.

A couple of slightly proggy songs does not make them prog.

Also Mother.   Very Crimsonic.

Edited by Slartibartfast - June 30 2012 at 08:19

Start a new Sub-genre 'Ever so Slightly Prog Related on one or Two Songs and Have worked with other Artists Listed Here' Sub-Genre.?