The Police: Reggatta de Blanc 1979

The reason why not too many Italian albums will appear in my Top 100 list is simple and it’s all because on what happened on April 2nd 1980 to this 16 year old teenager at the Palalido of Milan. The “Branco” met at Bar Cinque Vie as we did every week day after Football practice. On this particular Wednesday the boredom was especially high and when someone suggested to go “crash” the Palalido we all thought that it would be a good idea, notwithstanding the fact that none of us had ever heard of “The Cramps” nor “The Police”.
We arrived late and the Cramps where already destroying the scene, I looked in disbelief, I had never seen nor heard such energy and anger, and as we settle down in the Arena I suddenly realized that there were far too many of us there and an overwhelming feeling of approaching danger hit me and when The Police started their set with “Next To You” played at 148 BPM instead of the album’s 98 BPM the entire place nearly fell down. To this day I have NO idea how the Palalido structure held up to 12,000 jumping maniacs. he next 1 hour and 22 minutes changed my musical life forever and as Punk Rock, Reggae, Ska, Rock, and everything else washed upon me I could no longer accept a pretty melody, and all my musical boundaries came crashing down and an endless boundary of musical possibilities opened.
I choose Reggatta de Blanc, but I could have picked “Outlandos D’Amour” or even go with “Zenyatta Mondatta”, however Reggatta de Blanc is a more polished and complex record, and besides, what record can possibly match two Track 1’s such as “Message in the Bottle” on Side 1 and “Walking on the Moon” on Side 2. Through the years, Reggatta de Blanc has been a faithful companion and has never failed me and the memories connected to this record are with me forever. From the heartbreaking “The Bed’s Too Big Without You” to quite possibly one of my favorite end of day songs “Bring on the Night”:

The afternoon has gently passed me by
The evening spreads its sail against the sky
Waiting for tomorrow
Just another day
God bid yesterday goodbye

This album BELONGS in your collection.