Ghost in the Machine is the fourth album by The Police, released in 1981. M… Read Full Bio ↴Ghost in the Machine is the fourth album by The Police, released in 1981. Much of the material in this album was inspired by Arthur Koestler's The Ghost in the Machine, which also donated the title.
The cover art for Ghost in the Machine features an LED-inspired graphic that depicts the heads of the three band members each with a distinctive hair style (from left to right, Andy Summers, Sting with spiky hair, and Stewart Copeland with a fringe); the band was unable to decide on a photograph to use for the cover. The album's cover is ranked at number 45 on VH1's 50 Greatest Album Covers.
The album was the first Police record to feature heavy use of keyboards and saxophones. "Spirits in the Material World" used a synthesizer to mask the song's reggae influence, and the middle twenty minutes of the record ("Hungry for You (J'aurais Toujours Faim de Toi)" through "One World (Not Three)") has a great deal of saxophone harmonies. The opening to "Secret Journey" is a guitar layered with effects pedals. As Andy Summers recollects:
“ I have to say I was getting disappointed with the musical direction around the time of Ghost in the Machine. With the horns and synth coming in, the fantastic raw-trio feel—all the really creative and dynamic stuff—was being lost. We were ending up backing a singer doing his pop songs." ”
The LP opens with "Spirits in the Material World," a dark pop song with keyboards dubbed over Summers' original guitar line. Following that is "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic", which features piano and a strong Caribbean vibe. "Invisible Sun" refers to The Troubles in Northern Ireland. "Hungry For You (J'Aurais Toujours Faim de Toi)" is sung mostly in French. "Demolition Man," the band's longest song, almost six minutes in length, features a strong bass line and saxophone, and was written by Sting while staying at Peter O'Toole's Irish mansion. Grace Jones and Sting have both recorded solo versions of the song. Manfred Mann's Earth Band also recorded a version of the song — rearranged and with extensive use of synthesizers — in 1982 for their "Somewhere in Afrika" album.
"Too Much Information," "Rehumanize Yourself," and "One World (Not Three)" all concern various political themes. "Rehumanize Yourself" also features the only expletive on a Police record: the word "cunts". The final three songs return to the darker sound which opens the album: "Ωmegaman" features lyrics dealing with personal pressure, "Secret Journey" is a moody song about inner strength and enlightenment, and "Darkness," the album's Stewart Copeland-penned closer, is a dark and hostile ballad about the pressures of life. "Ωmegaman" was initially chosen to be the first single before the album but Sting was against the idea.
"Invisible Sun," released as a single instead, was a large success in the UK, making it to #2 even though the video was banned by the BBC for including footage referring to the conflict in Northern Ireland. Later, "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" made it to #3 in the U.S. and #1 in Britain, and "Spirits in the Material World" made it to the U.S. Top 20.
Arthur Koestler's reaction to the album is said to have been muted. He knew little about the burgeoning New Wave scene, and said in an interview with the Paris Review (compiled later on in Writers At Work vol. Seven):
“ Look at this. Did you ever see a magazine called the New Musical Express? It turns out there is a pop group called The Police — I don't know why they are called that, presumably to distinguish them from the punks — and they've made an album of my essay The Ghost in the Machine. I didn't know anything about it until my clipping agency sent me a review of the record. ”
In his younger days, Sting was an avid reader of Koestler. Another of The Police's albums Synchronicity was also inspired by Koestler's The Roots of Coincidence, which mentions Carl Jung's theory of synchronicity.
In 2000 Q magazine placed Ghost in the Machine at number 76 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever. In 2003, the album was ranked number 322 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
The cover art for Ghost in the Machine features an LED-inspired graphic that depicts the heads of the three band members each with a distinctive hair style (from left to right, Andy Summers, Sting with spiky hair, and Stewart Copeland with a fringe); the band was unable to decide on a photograph to use for the cover. The album's cover is ranked at number 45 on VH1's 50 Greatest Album Covers.
The album was the first Police record to feature heavy use of keyboards and saxophones. "Spirits in the Material World" used a synthesizer to mask the song's reggae influence, and the middle twenty minutes of the record ("Hungry for You (J'aurais Toujours Faim de Toi)" through "One World (Not Three)") has a great deal of saxophone harmonies. The opening to "Secret Journey" is a guitar layered with effects pedals. As Andy Summers recollects:
“ I have to say I was getting disappointed with the musical direction around the time of Ghost in the Machine. With the horns and synth coming in, the fantastic raw-trio feel—all the really creative and dynamic stuff—was being lost. We were ending up backing a singer doing his pop songs." ”
The LP opens with "Spirits in the Material World," a dark pop song with keyboards dubbed over Summers' original guitar line. Following that is "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic", which features piano and a strong Caribbean vibe. "Invisible Sun" refers to The Troubles in Northern Ireland. "Hungry For You (J'Aurais Toujours Faim de Toi)" is sung mostly in French. "Demolition Man," the band's longest song, almost six minutes in length, features a strong bass line and saxophone, and was written by Sting while staying at Peter O'Toole's Irish mansion. Grace Jones and Sting have both recorded solo versions of the song. Manfred Mann's Earth Band also recorded a version of the song — rearranged and with extensive use of synthesizers — in 1982 for their "Somewhere in Afrika" album.
"Too Much Information," "Rehumanize Yourself," and "One World (Not Three)" all concern various political themes. "Rehumanize Yourself" also features the only expletive on a Police record: the word "cunts". The final three songs return to the darker sound which opens the album: "Ωmegaman" features lyrics dealing with personal pressure, "Secret Journey" is a moody song about inner strength and enlightenment, and "Darkness," the album's Stewart Copeland-penned closer, is a dark and hostile ballad about the pressures of life. "Ωmegaman" was initially chosen to be the first single before the album but Sting was against the idea.
"Invisible Sun," released as a single instead, was a large success in the UK, making it to #2 even though the video was banned by the BBC for including footage referring to the conflict in Northern Ireland. Later, "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" made it to #3 in the U.S. and #1 in Britain, and "Spirits in the Material World" made it to the U.S. Top 20.
Arthur Koestler's reaction to the album is said to have been muted. He knew little about the burgeoning New Wave scene, and said in an interview with the Paris Review (compiled later on in Writers At Work vol. Seven):
“ Look at this. Did you ever see a magazine called the New Musical Express? It turns out there is a pop group called The Police — I don't know why they are called that, presumably to distinguish them from the punks — and they've made an album of my essay The Ghost in the Machine. I didn't know anything about it until my clipping agency sent me a review of the record. ”
In his younger days, Sting was an avid reader of Koestler. Another of The Police's albums Synchronicity was also inspired by Koestler's The Roots of Coincidence, which mentions Carl Jung's theory of synchronicity.
In 2000 Q magazine placed Ghost in the Machine at number 76 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever. In 2003, the album was ranked number 322 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
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Ghost In The Machine
The Police Lyrics
Darkness I can dream up schemes when I'm sitting in my…
Demolition Man Tied to the tracks and the train's just coming Strapped to…
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic Though I've tried before to tell her Of the feelings I…
Invisible Sun One, two, three, four, five, six Whoa-oh, oh, whoa-oh Whoa-o…
Omegaman The night came down, jungle sounds were in my ears City…
One World (Not Three) One world (not three) One world is enough For all of us One…
Rehumanize Yourself He goes out at night with his big boots on None…
Secret Journey Upon a secret journey I met a holy man His blindness was…
Spirits in the Material World There is no political solution To our troubled evolution Hav…
Too Much Information Too much information running through my brain Too much infor…
Vincenza
on Wrapped Around Your Finger
You consider me the young apprentice
You view me as inexperienced and naive.
Caught between the Scylla and Charibdes
Trapped between two equally difficult and dangerous situations.
Hypnotized by you if I should linger
If I spend enough time with you, I become entranced by your charm and allure.
Staring at the ring around your finger
Fixating on the fact that you are already in a committed relationship.
I have only come here seeking knowledge
My intentions were purely to gain insight and understanding.
Things they would not teach me of in college
Subjects beyond typical education, particularly pertaining to relationships and seduction.
I can see the destiny you sold turned into a shining band of gold
I can see you devoted your life and heart to another through marriage vows
I'll be wrapped around your finger
I will be entirely under your control and influence.
Mephistopheles is not your name
You are not the devil, but you have a similar power and influence over me.
I know what you're up to just the same
I understand your motives and intentions, even if they are not explicitly stated.
I will listen hard to your tuition
I will pay close attention to your teachings and guidance regarding seduction and relationships.
You will see it come to its fruition
You will witness the success of your efforts to control and mold me.
Devil and the deep blue sea behind me
I made the decision to avoid the trap of temptation and turn away from this sin.
Vanish in the air you'll never find me
I will end our relationship and disappear into the background.
I will turn your face to alabaster
I will reveal the truth about your manipulative actions, leaving you pale and guilty.
When you'll find your servant is your master
You will find that I taught you a hard lesson about love and relationships.
You'll be wrapped around my finger
You will realize that I meant more to you than you thought when you had me under your influence.
Daniel
on Roxanne
Algum leitor sabe a letra de Saludos Caballeros ?
Até agora não conseguí !
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