Weekday Wayback: The Police- Outlandos D'Amour

This week, dear readers, you're in luck because I'm writing a second Weekday Wayback! It wasn't easy picking a favorite album by the Police, especially when Zenyatta Mondatta is also the name of a very cool racehorse who has a diet of oats and Guinness! Random trivia tidbits aside (I swear I've mentioned that one pretty regularly on my show), Outlandos D'Amour is the band's first album; it was released in 1978. The title track "Next to You" has the aggressive influence of punk, while it is followed by "So Lonely" with a distinct reggae sound. Other random trivia tidbit: the laughter heard at the beginning of "Roxanne" occurred when Sting accidentally sat on the keyboard. Look at the Wikipedia entry for the song if you don't believe me; he's credited for butt piano on it. For a debut album, Outlandos D'Amour is awesome because the reggae influence that would become the band's signature really shines through. It's worth noting said reggae influence has rubbed off on subsequent generations, most notably Vampire Weekend whom we adore here at KRCX.

Natalie Doggett