Label A&M Records (USA)
Orig Year
1993
Catalog# 314540150-2
Discs 4
Street Date Sep 28,
1993
Studio/Live Mixed
Mono/Stereo Stereo
Recording Time
285 minutes
Format: EAC, Flac, CUE, Full HQ Scans
Quote
:eng:
Review by Greg Prato Despite their legendary status, the Police only
released five albums during their brief reign from 1978-1983. In
addition, the trio had amassed a healthy amount of both studio and live
B-sides, plus songs that only appeared on soundtracks. For the 1993
four-CD box set Message in a Box: The Complete Recordings, every single
song the Police ever recorded is included. All the tracks were digitally
remastered for the project, sounding superior to the original CD
versions of the single albums. Also included is a 68-page booklet that
includes an interesting (and often humorous) biography, a time line, and
notes from all three bandmembers regarding the rarities that appear for
the first time on compact disc here. But of course, the real charm of
the box set is the music -- album tracks ("Hole in My Life," "It's
Alright for You," "Driven to Tears"), hits ("Message in a Bottle,"
"Can't Stand Losing You," "Spirits in the Material World"), and rarities
("Fallout," a live version of "Next to You") are all timeless classics.
While the set is highly recommended to newcomers just discovering the
wonders of the Police, longtime fans should consider replacing their
tinny-sounding single CDs with the definitive Message in a Box. After
all, it contains a total of 24 tracks unavailable (for the most part)
anywhere else.
1. "Fall
Out" (Stewart Copeland)* – 2:04
2. "Nothing Achieving" (Copeland)* –
1:56
* Tracks 1-2 originally released as a single (UK only) in
1977.
3. "Dead End Job" (Sting, Copeland, Andy Summers)* – 3:35
* B-side of the singles "Can't Stand Losing You" (UK), and "Roxanne"
(U.S.).
4. "Next to You" (Sting) – 2:50
5. "So Lonely" (Sting)
– 4:49
6. "Roxanne" (Sting) – 3:12
7. "Hole in My Life"
(Sting) – 4:52
8. "Peanuts" (Copeland, Sting) – 3:58
9. "Can't
Stand Losing You" (Sting) – 2:58
10. "Truth Hits Everybody"
(Sting) – 2:53
11. "Born in the 50's" (Sting) – 3:40
12. "Be
My Girl - Sally" (Sting, Summers) – 3:22
13. "Masoko Tanga" (Sting)
– 5:40
* Tracks 4-13 originally released on the album Outlandos
d'Amour.
14. "Landlord" (Live) (Sting, Copeland) * – 2:36
15.
"Next to You" (Live) (Sting)* – 3:11
* Tracks 14-15 originally
released on the compilation album Propaganda in 1980.
16.
"Landlord" (Sting, Copeland) * – 3:09
* B-side of the single
"Message in a Bottle".
17. "Message in a Bottle" (Sting) – 4:51
18. "Reggatta de Blanc" (Copeland, Sting, Summers) – 3:06
19.
"It's Alright for You" (Copeland, Sting) – 3:13
20. "Bring on the
Night" (Sting) – 4:16
21. "Deathwish" (Copeland, Sting, Summers) –
4:13
* Tracks 17-21 originally released on the album Reggatta de
Blanc.
1. "Walking on the Moon" (Sting) – 5:02
2.
"On Any Other Day" (Copeland) – 2:57
3. "The Bed's too Big Without
You" (Sting) – 4:26
4. "Contact" (Copeland) – 2:38
5. "Does
Everyone Stare" (Copeland) – 3:52
6. "No Time This Time" (Sting) –
3:17
* Tracks 1-6 originally released on the album Reggatta de
Blanc.
7. "Visions of the Night" (Sting)* – 3:05
* B-side of
the singles "Walking on the Moon" (U.K), and "Bring on the Night"
(U.S.).
8. "The Bed's too Big Without You" (Mono) (Sting) * – 3:29
9. "Truth Hits Everybody" (Live) (Sting) * – 2:26
* Tracks 8-9
originally released as a single (UK only) in 1980.
10. "Friends"
(Summers)* – 3:36
* B-side of the singles "Don't Stand So Close to
Me" (UK), and "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" (U.S.).
11. "Don't Stand
So Close to Me" (Sting) – 4:04
12. "Driven to Tears" (Sting) – 3:20
13. "When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's
Still Around" (Sting) – 3:38
14. "Canary in a Coalmine" (Sting) –
2:26
15. "Voices Inside My Head" (Sting) – 3:53
16. "Bombs
Away" (Copeland) – 3:09
17. "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" (Sting) –
4:09
18. "Behind My Camel" (Summers) – 2:54
19. "Man in a
Suitcase" (Sting) – 2:19
20. "Shadows in the Rain" (Sting) – 5:02
21. "The Other Way of Stopping" (Copeland) – 3:22
* Tracks 11-21
originally released on the album Zenyattà Mondatta.
1. "A
Sermon" (Copeland) * – 2:33
* B-side of the singles "De Do Do Do,
De Da Da Da" (UK), and "Don't Stand So Close To Me" (U.S.).
2.
"Driven to Tears" (Live)(Sting) * – 3:29
* Originally released on
the compilation album Urgh! A Music War in 1981.
3. "Shambelle"
(Summers) * – 5:00
* B-side of the singles "Invisible Sun" (UK),
and "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" (U.S.).
4. "Spirits in
the Material World" (Sting) – 2:59
5. "Every Little Thing She Does
Is Magic" (Sting) – 4:22
6. "Invisible Sun" (Sting) – 3:44
7.
"Hungry for You (J'aurais Toujours Faim de Toi)" (Sting) – 2:53
8.
"Demolition Man" (Sting) – 5:57
9. "Too Much Information" (Sting) –
3:43
10. "Rehumanize Yourself" (Copeland, Sting) – 3:10
11.
"One World (Not Three)" (Sting) – 4:47
12. "Ωmegaman" (Summers) –
2:48
13. "Secret Journey" (Sting) – 3:34
14. "Darkness"
(Copeland) – 3:14
* Tracks 4-14 originally released on the album
Ghost in the Machine.
15. "Flexible Strategies" (Sting, Summers,
Copeland) * – 3:43
* B-side of the singles "Every Little Thing She
Does Is Magic", (UK), and "Spirits in the Material World" (U.S.).
16. "Low Life" * (Sting) – 3:45
* B-side of the UK single "Spirits
in the Material World".
17. "How Stupid Mr. Bates" (Sting, Summers,
Copeland) * – 2:41
18. "A Kind of Loving" (Sting, Summers,
Copeland) * – 2:03
* Tracks 17-18 originally released on the
soundtrack album Brimstone & Treacle in 1982.
1.
"Synchronicity I" (Sting) – 3:23
2. "Walking in Your Footsteps"
(Sting) – 3:36
3. "O My God" – 4:02
4. "Mother" (Summers) –
3:05
5. "Miss Gradenko" (Copeland) – 1:59
6. "Synchronicity
II" (Sting) – 5:02
7. "Every Breath You Take" (Sting) – 4:13
8. "King of Pain" (Sting) – 4:59
9. "Wrapped Around Your Finger"
(Sting) – 5:13
10. "Tea in the Sahara" (Sting) – 4:19
* Tracks
1-10 originally released on the album Synchronicity.
11. "Murder
by Numbers" (Sting, Summers) – 4:36
* Not included on original LP
release of the album Synchronicity.
* B-side of the single "Every
Breath You Take".
12. "Man in a Suitcase" (Live) (Sting) * – 2:17
* originally released on the maxi-single "Every Breath You Take" (UK
only).
13. "Someone to Talk To" (Summers) * – 3:08
* B-side of
the singles "Wrapped Around Your Finger" (UK), and "King of Pain"
(U.S.).
14. "Message in a Bottle" (Live) (Sting) * – 4:51
15.
"I Burn for You" (Sting) * – 4:49
* Tracks 14-15 originally
released on the maxi-single "Wrapped Around Your Finger" (UK only).
16. "Once Upon a Daydream" (Sting, Summers) * – 3:31
* B-side of
the single "Synchronicity II".
17. "Tea in the Sahara" (Live)
(Sting)* – 5:06
* B-side of the singles "King of Pain" (UK), and
"Wrapped Around Your Finger" (U.S.).
18. "Don't Stand So Close to
Me '86" (Sting)* – 4:51
* Originally released on the album Every
Breath You Take: The Singles.
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