For me this is a far better album than "Zenyatta Mondatta." I even prefer it over "Synchronicity." Here the band is sour, relaxed, & robust. Some of their previous work seemed a little forced, but with these songs they appear to gel. I'll only focus on four of them. "Spirits In The Material World," is a cutting testament to the shallow material things that many view as essential to their momentary contentment. The reggae feel enlivens the somber mood. "Everything She Does Is Magic," is a spunky love song with a soaring bridge. "Invisible Sun," here Sting is at his sardonic best. His matter of fact voice blended well with Copeland's strong percussion & Summer's echoing chords. This is one of the few anti-war anthems I have ever liked. "Omegaman," is a good rocker with Andy Summer's standing out.

The Police were predominantly a singles band; whilst every album contains at least several well-known singles or album tracks, each also has a certain amount of filler. Here's a test: remove the best 5 tracks from each album and see how the remainder sounds. In my opinion, 'Regatta' and 'Synchronicity' come off poorly with lots of filler, 'Outlandos' is OK, 'Zenyatta' is a creditable second, but the easy winner is 'Ghost'; I believe it has very little music that could be called filler.

A number of reviewers have panned the middle section of 'Ghost', but to my ears it lends the album a cohesive energy and groove lacking on the other albums. Sure, those middle tracks are a bit repetitive, but so is James Brown! It's the sound of the Police trying, with varying success, to add a bit of funk'n'groove and early eighties eurodance to their white reggae and pop/rock. There was a sense of burning ambition in many of the releases of that era and this is no exception. Yes, it can be a dark and sometimes sombre listen, perhaps in places its grasp exceeds its reach, but give me an exciting failure over a dull success any day. Also, of all of the Police's albums, 'Ghost' has matured best with age; twenty-plus years later it still sounds fresh and involving.

For me, a good album should be one that flows from start to finish without my attention wandering, where I feel no inclination to skip tracks, where each song is framed by the others and the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. For me, 'Ghost' is one of those albums, and I never seem to tire of it.

I give Ghost in the Machine the nod over Zenyatta Mondatta and Synchronicity because of its wonderful unique tone and sound. Sting really takes over on Synchronicity, so this is the last record in which The Police, as a trio, (particularly Stewart Copeland) contribute to the creation of the music.

The synth work on GITM is outstanding. None of it sounds dated, which is atypical of 80's rock music. The synths sound gorgous, warm, dark, and evocative. The first three tracks heavily feature synths, beginning with the angry opening Spirits in the Material World, followed by the joyous/sad Every Little Thing She Does is Magic, and continued into the dark, throbbing Invisible Sun. The first three tracks almost seem self-contained and should be listened to in the order they are presented. They fit together perfectly.

Then the record takes a nosedive. Hungry For You, Demolition Man, and Too Much Information are the weakest tracks and they are bunched together (I suppose better that, than interspersed). The fundamental problem with these tracks is that Sting tries to be funky. Bad choice. Sting is not funky, never has been, never will be. Instead of groovy, he comes off dull, repetitive, and silly.

Even though this is the best Police record, I still tend to skip these tracks. It may seem illogical that I would rate this record so highly, and yet asmit that there is a significant weak spot here to be avoided. But, the fact is that even if you cut out the bad spot, what remains is a wonderful rich selection of music. And even though it isn't a full album's worth, the fact is that neither Zenyatta Mondatta nor Synchronicity devlivered a full album's worth of perfection.

Once you get past Too Much information, the rest is gold. Rehumanize Yourself does have one anoying flaw: the noisy sax solo. I blame Sting for this. In his attempt to infuse horns that remind us of violence he put something into the mix that just doesn't blend, and the overall effect is somewhat grating. One World is one of the best Police jams. Stewart Copeland really shines on drums.

The closing tracks Secret Journey and Darkness are a fantastic finish. I almost think of Secret Journey/Darkness as one song, much like Spirits in the Material World/Every Little Thing She Does is Magic/Invisible Sun blend together at the beginning of the record. One could even take it one step further and notice that Hungry For You/Demolition Man/Too Much Information also blend together (it just happens that they are much weaker than the rest of the record).

I can't help loving the way this record opens and closes. I am more than able to forgive it for falling flat in the middle. Every Little Thing She Does is Magic was a megahit for The Police and I suppose if I had to pick one song from Ghost in the Machine for my mix tape, that would be the one. But, I would rather listen to Spirits/Every/Invisible in order, skip to Rehumanize Yourself, and then close the album with One World/Secret/Darkness. When I hear Secret Journey/Darkness I always get the sensation of entering into a dark tunnel or (I know it sounds silly) the beginning of the Space Mountain ride at Disneyland when your car passes through the tunnel with the laser beams and begins climbing. This music gives me that strong emotional/physical sensation of being pulled into something intriguing, mysterious, and dark. I love it.

One thing I forgot to mention is that The Police are, as usual, a great band and a joy to listen to. The album is unique in their cannon because the synths play such a strong role, they bring a 4th sound to the overall presentation. Unlike Zenyatta Mondatta which was mostly just Vocal, Bass, Guitar, and Drums, Ghost in The Machine is a much fuller sound. I don't necesarily think it is a better sound, but on this particular record, it works fabulously.

There is an eternal-spiritual-hypnotic drive to this that is just magical. Every song is either a masterpiece or very good. Head and Shoulders above the Poice's other efforts, it remains a mystery to me why Ghost In The Machine isn't regarded with the very best records of the last two decades, because this can hold it's own with any of them.

Those who thought The Police had peaked on 1980's ZENYATTA MONDATTA were proved wrong when their subsequent album, GHOST IN THE MACHINE, was released. It's a flawless blend of reggae, rock and new wave; it's also the group's darkest album. GHOST IN THE MACHINE is also the band's most focused release, with most of the songs revolving around politics or government; the biggest exception is the megahit single "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic", an upbeat pop masterpiece ranking among the band's best compositions. Every song is magnificent; stand-outs include the singles "Spirits In The Material World" and "Invisible Sun"; the explosive "Omegaman"; the razor-edged, fast-paced "Rehumanize Yourself"; and the addictive "Hungry For You (J'Aurais Tojours Faim De Toi)". Sting's songwriting has rarely been better; Stewart Copeland's drums and Andy Summers' guitars are excellent. The band's jazz influence comes out on numerous songs, thanks to some great saxophone parts by Sting. As Police imitators began popping up, the group started shedding its reggae influence, as seen on GHOST IN THE MACHINE; but on their subsequent album, they tossed out their reggae-rock once and for all.