The Police – Synchronicity

There’s an awesome quote by Carl Jung that goes something like “a particularly beautiful woman is a source of terror. As a rule, a beautiful woman is a terrible disappointment.” I’m not exactly sure if it’s entirely out of context, without much explanation, but I think the meaning is self explanatory: the most beautiful is not always the best. Nonetheless, I thought of that quote because of Synchronicity, which is something Jung did coin. Basically, the meaning behind that word is the ‘experience’ of two or more things that normally, wouldn’t go together (casually unrelated) and yet are ‘experienced’ together in a meaningful way. It’s basically a conceptual way of thinking where certain coincidences gain more meaning. I know some people that regard any sign, any kind of hint, any kind of coincidence as having meaning: basically feeling that any coincidence happens for a reason. That kind of thinking would defy synchronicity but it’s also a bit more complicated.

Anyways, all of this reaches The Police’s album, their fifth and final studio album as a band. Released in 1983, the Police wasted little time creating magnificent music together as a band. I remember hearing this album blasted when I was younger (I imagine my dad bought the album that year or the year after and had it on current repeat; he actually says it reminds him of my sister since she was born a year before it) and fortunately realizing just how awesome Sting is. There’s a book on synchronicity that Jung inspired someone else to extensively write, on where Sting got the title from, and eventually also wrote two parts for a title track. The first synchronicity here starts with clashing cymbals and a high-paced feel. It immediately sucks the listener in to the band’s dense concept and into sounds that are both dated in their 80s scope and still, downright stunning. The band layers their voices and Sting commands a stark control as the drums and synths shake and roll behind him.

Jung also said, “Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol, or morphine, or idealism” which basically relies that there is a certain limit to controlling the mind. The second synchronicity is definitely a lot more reaching with a stormy opening and Sting’s voice towering over the synths and drums this time. But it’s his bass that takes the spot light as he recalls stories of a young man walking throughout his life, never realizing the synchronicity around him. The way that certain people are wearing some colors, how it’s just another ugly morning, there’s “The pain upstairs that makes his eyeballs ache,” and well, it all melts away.

There’s a lot of rambling on this post. I apologize for that, yet The Police are a band that really sucked me into music and Sting is a genius no doubt. The synchronicity happens all the time and for good measure, well here’s the biggest song off that album, the best maybe? – Bryan