The Police - Message In A Box (CD 1993)

I bought this because I wanted to get all The Police albums, and since I managed to get this on eBay for about £10, it was an absolute bargain (retail price is £40. Of course at £10 it was much cheaper than buying all the 5 albums separately. You get all the b-sides and non-album tracks thrown in as well.

The box and book make a nice package. The only awkward thing is that the book it quite hard to read as the paper is quite stiff and it's stapled into the middle of the box. You need to be very careful not to rip the book from the box. Fortunately my book was already detached from the box, which I guess is why it was cheaper, but it made the book my easier and more enjoyable to read.

It's worth reading the book too, as it reasonably frank about the tensions within the band, which is kind of refreshing.

Well, it does exactly what it says on the tin. This is the complete Police, Sting et al's whole body of work. Sure there are some high/low lights but the vast majority of the material is interesting. It shows a different side to the group than just their singles. It also reminds the listener that there were three very talented gentlemen in the Police despite only Sting having a much more public life after the groups demise.

For the fans of The Police, this amazing Message In A Box...

In 4 Cds, you have all the songs they ever recorded, sometimes in two versions (studio and live as for Tea In The Sahara), with emphasis being put on studio recordings. The quality of the CDs is immaculate.

The booklet's very interesting depicting The Police's story in a linear and chronological way, with chapters devoted to each of the three members (Stewart Armstrong Copeland, Gordon Matthew Sumner (Sting) & Andrew James Summers). Henri Padovani, founding member, is also mentionned.

The booklet's nicely done with clear texts and beautiful colour & black and white photos. At the end of it, a double page with thumbail colour pictures & information of all their records.

The only missing thing is the lyrics to all their songs... A pity as it would otherwise have had really been a FULL STORY.

But as these lyrics can be found otherwise, this recording nevertheless enables the listener to enjoy all of The Police in one go. Brilliant!!!