Sting and The Police

Walking in Their Footsteps

AvAaron J. West

Inbunden, Engelska, 2015

Del i serien Tempo: A Rowman & Littlefield Music Series on Rock, Pop, and Culture

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Beskrivning

During the 1980s, when pop icons like Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, and U2 reigned supreme, many regarded The Police as the biggest band in the world. Yet after only five albums—and at the peak of their popularity—The Police disbanded and Sting began a solo career that made him a global pop star. Today, artists from Puff Daddy to Gwen Stefani credit The Police and Sting as major influences on their own work, reflecting that The Police were not only a popular, polished rock act, but a powerfully influential one as well.In Sting and The Police: Walking in Their Footsteps,Aaron J. West explores the cultural and musical impact of Stewart Copeland, Andy Summers, and Sting. West details the distinctive hybrid character of The Police’s musical output, which would also characterize Sting’s post-Police career. Sting’s long-lived solo career embodies the power of the artful appropriation of musical styles, while capitalizing on the modern realities of pop music consumption. The Police—and Sting in particular—were pioneers in music video, modern label marketing, global activism, and the internationalization of pop music. Sting and The Police: Walking in Their Footsteps will interest more than just fans. By placing the band within its various musical, cultural, commercial, and historic contexts, Sting and The Police: Walking in Their Footsteps will appeal to anyone interested in global popular music culture.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum:2015-10-01
Mått:159 x 237 x 20 mm
Vikt:431 g
Format:Inbunden
Språk:Engelska
Serie:Tempo: A Rowman & Littlefield Music Series on Rock, Pop, and Culture
Antal sidor:204
Förlag:Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
ISBN:9780810884908

Utforska kategorier

Populärmusik inom Kultur
Tonsättare och låtskrivare inom Kultur
Musiker, sångare och grupper inom Kultur

Mer om författaren

Aaron J. West has written numerous articles on jazz and popular music. He is currently professor of music history at Collin College. A professional musician, he has performed with jazz and pop legends Arturo Sandoval, Brian Wilson, Norah Jones, and the Glenn Miller Orchestra.

Recensioner i media

Historian and musician West’s book is an excellent look at how the Police accomplished success by synthesizing disparate influences into 'marketable, mainstream music, which has remained viable for generations.' The band combined Stewart Copeland’s reggae-influenced drumming, Andy Summer’s progressive rock–style rhythm guitar, and the punk-inspired bass and literary pretensions of primary songwriter Sting. West’s musical biography consists of a series of essays that examine Sting and the Police within larger cultural and musical contexts, from early songs such as 'Bring on the Night' ('a colorful mosaic of musical styles like dub, classical guitar, ska, and even psychedelic rock') to Sting’s later solo work. West is especially good at examining how the band used the nascent MTV to define themselves through videos filmed at exotic locations around the world: 'The image of the Police as international travelers certainly reinforced their equally multicultural music.' He also insightfully analyses how Sting’s musical mission to have a global appeal dovetailed perfectly with various activist movements, observing that 'the cultural gravitas of Band Aid set the stage for his more mature persona.'

Innehållsförteckning

Series Editor ForewordTimelineAcknowledgmentsIntroductionChapter 1: The Police and the Progressive Rock, Punk, and Reggae StylesChapter 2:The Police and the Style MosaicChapter 3: Sting and the Album MosaicChapter 4: Selling The Police and Sting to the WorldChapter 5: Sting in the Age of Global ActivismChapter 6: The Police and the Rock TrioChapter 7: The Music After The PoliceFor Further ReadingFor Further ListeningIndexAbout the Author