My #24 All-Time Favorite Album: Ghost in the Machine by The Police

GHOST IN THE MACHINE, my #24 all-time favorite album, represents the fourth of five albums by the reggae-inspired rock band THE POLICE and came out late in 1981, receiving much radio play the following year.  Every Little Thing She Does is Magic was a Top Forty pop singles hit and the opening track, Spirits in the Material World, was very popular on album rock radio.  Until the 1990s my exposure to The Police's catalog of music was limited to their radio songs and videos.  Then I bought all five albums and became deeply impressed with their music.  Ghost in the Machine hints at the generally serious themes of mysticism and dystopia, with some romance and a little optimism included.  Sting (Gordon Sumner) is the band's main creative force as well as its bassist and lead singer.  Andy Summer plays lead guitar and Stewart Copeland is on drums: since he's American the band is technically only two thirds British.  Here are my rankings of the album's eleven tracks, along with some brief commentary...

1 Invisible Sun--I first heard this pretty scary song watching its video on MTV.  Sting's portrayal of a world run down into anarchy and violence is chilling and, ominously, I fear, prescient: I can see it all happening.  One of my very top favorite songs for decades...

2 Darkness--I gradually caught on to this closing track of the album...the strong instrumental accompaniment reminds me of the trademark "wall of sound" that legendary (and, regrettably, homicidal) record producer Phil Spector used with the Beatles and George Harrison. Drummer Stewart Copeland wrote it: awesome!

3 Spirits in the Material World--When I first heard this song on the radio early in '82, it freaked me out.  I realized that the Police had taken a very serious lyrical turn in their music.  The beat to this song is nothing less than bizarre...it's the perfect opening track...

4 Secret Journey--Captures my imagination when I want to just get away from it all and have an adventure. It was a late singles release from the album...

5 Hungry for You (J'aurais Toujours Faim de Toi)--the words here are almost all in French.  It's a relentless, driving love song that reminded me a bit of their great long-titled track When the World Is Running Down You Make the Best of What's Still Around from their previous album...

6 Too Much Information--Speaking of prescience, this song bemoans the omnipresence of information, true and fake.  It could have been written today and folks would say, "Yeah, and tell me something I don't already know"...

7 Omegaman--Maybe Andy Summers' most significant composition, he speaks of seeking a more perfect life as his tired surroundings fade away...

8 Every Little Thing She Does is Magic--On its merits this song should rank on this list much higher, but as with other albums I've been reviewing there are some tracks that are played so much on the radio that I get sick of them.  It's a great love song, though...

9 Demolition Man--Sting's the Demolition Man and he is determined to wreck everything he comes in contact with...it's all rather funny.  I liked it, but like with some other Police songs, it drags on way too long...

10 One World (Not Three)--A catchy, pleasant little upbeat song with an annoyingly condescending message: yeah, I know we're all on the same planet and should be more united and caring for each other, duh...

11 Rehumanize Yourself--Another Stewart Copeland song (along with Sting), it describes various people doing things he disapproves of and that they all should "rehumanize themselves": like #10 it's kind of preachy for my tastes...

Check out Ghost in the Machine on YouTube when you get a chance. Next week I reveal and discuss my #23 all-time favorite album...