Two Almost Greatest CD's Of All-Time: Police's "Synchronicity" & Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense" (Updated Nov. 17th, 2014)

Hello,

I love 80's music, but not all 80's music is classic. There are some 80's CDs that looking back I think that's an all-time greatest CD! Then I listen to them again with fresh ears and find that they don't quite live up to what I remember. Two of those CDs are The Police's "Synchronicity" and the Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense". I'll highlight the best songs on both of these CDs.

First up The Police's "Synchronicity". As Wikipedia's "Synchronicity" entry states "Synchronicity is the fifth and final studio album by The Police, released on 1 June 1983." 

The Police were made up of Sting (Gordon Sumner), Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland. After a slow build "Synchronicity" launched the Police into the stratosphere at the time of this record's release. They went on to probably being the biggest band in the world for about 6 months. "Synchronicity" went on to be Rolling Stone's 1983 reader's poll album of the year. "Synchronicity" is # 448 on Rolling Stone's 2012 Top 500 CDs of all-time.

As lead singers are wont to do, Sting went out on his own in 1985, releasing and touring behind the excellent "The Dream of the Blue Turtles" (perhaps a themusicaddict greatest CD of all time?). In July of 1986 the Police did reunite in order to try and make their 6th album, but it was not to be. The Police broke up and the three members went their separate ways. They briefly reformed in 2007 to celebrate their 30th anniversary and went on a world wide tour. The "Certifiable" live CD came out of this reunion, the Police sounded like they hadn't lost a thing. (Thanks to Wikipedia and Rolling Stone.)

Although this CD has many great songs, overall there are a lot of filler here. To be a truly greatest CD of all-time every song has to at least be good. But thanks to the Police for so many great songs!

1) "Synchronicity 1":

2) "Walking In Your Footsteps":
3) "O My God"

4) "Mother"

5) "Miss Gradenko"

6) "Synchronicity 11":

7) "Every Breath You Take":

8) "King of Pain":

"King of Pain" (live):

9) "Wrapped Around Your Finger": (Is this the best Police song ever?)

10) "Tea In the Sahara"
11) "Murder By Numbers" (I have to include at least one non-hit.)

Generally live and greatest hits CDs wouldn't qualify for greatest CDs of all-time as I prefer to focus on original CDs. But in this case I'm including The Talking Heads' "Stop Making Sense" as it feels like a coherent and original CD.

The "Stop Making Sense" concert was recorded over three nights in December, 1983 at Hollywood's The Pantages Theatre and was released in September, 1984. The movie was directed by Jonathan Demme, who directed such classic movies as "Silence of the Lambs" and "Philadelphia".

The Talking Heads consisted of David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison and Tina Weymouth. Additional musicians appeared on the filming of the "Stop Making Sense" concert film.

1) "Psycho Killer":

2) "Heaven"
3) "Thank You For Sending Me An Angel"
4) "Found a Job"
5) "Slippery People"
6) "Burning Down The House":

7) "Life During Wartime":

8) "Making Flippy Floppy"
9) "Swamp"
10) "What A Day That Was"
11) "This Must Be The Place"
12) "Once In A Lifetime":

13) "Genius of Love": (Tom Tom Club)

14) "Girlfriend Is Better": (The "stop making sense" title comes from this song.)

15) "Take Me To The River":

16) "Crosseyed and Painless"

Here's a bonus 1980 Talking Heads concert from Rome:

themusicaddict