The 500 - #323 - Ghost In The Machine - The Police

 I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Once again, at the start of 2022, I offered the students in my class the opportunity to guest post on my 500 blog. To my delight, Austin took up the challenge and when we looked over the upcoming records he was quick to pick #323, Ghost In The Machine by The Police. I was happy with his choice. I have already written about the other three records by The Police on The 500, so I was fresh out of stories about my experiences with the band. So, it's nice to get a fresh perspective on this influential post-punk trio.

Album: # 323

Album Title: Ghost In The Machine

Artist: The Police

Genre: New Wave

Recorded: AIR, Montserrat, Le Studio, Quebec

Released: October, 1981

My age at release: Mr. Hodgkinson was 16, I wasn't born

How familiar was I with it before this week: Not at all

Is it on the 2020 list? No

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Invisible Sun

Here’s what Austin chose to write:

Hi, my name is Austin, I am twelve years old and I am in Mr. Hodgkinson's Grade 7 class at Sir Arthur Currie Public School in London, Ontario. 

Austin C. (Age 12)

The first time I heard the title Ghost in the Machine I instantly knew this was going to be a great album. Well, I also literally thought about a ghost inside of a machine. To be exact, I thought about an arcade machine like Pacman and the little ghosts that chase around our yellow hero. Anyway, no more jokes, the title really interested me.

Ghosts in a Pac Man Machine

At first, I thought the title meant a glitch in a system or a loophole in a program. I wasn’t entirely wrong. The title is based on a book of the same name by writer Arthur Koestler. He was trying to explain human violence in psychological terms.

The Ghost In The Machine - Arthur Koestler

I think the “Ghost in the Machine” is also when your brain is on autopilot. For example, when you are dreaming and something important creeps in, such as a date, a time, a place or anything that can actually help you with your future decisions and choices. Let me explain with an example. Two days before I was going to have surgery, I dreamed that everything went perfectly and my dad bought me a new Playstation 5 video game system. When I went to get the surgery, I wasn’t scared. I just knew that everything was going to be alright. I guess I was deciding to trust the Ghost in my Machine. Sadly, I didn’t get the Playstation 5, because it was not available at the time. I did get some money to buy games for my Playstation 4.

Playstation 4 gaming system

The song on the record that I was most drawn to was Invisible Sun. Invisible Sun is a work of art that, for me, is a mix of a simple happy melody (sort of like songs I love from The Beatles) with a dark grittiness. It is unlike any song I have ever heard. When I was researching it on Wikipedia, I saw this amazing quote from songwriter, singer and bassist Sting:

“I wanted to show some light at the end of the tunnel. I do think there has to be an 'invisible sun'. You can't always see it, but there has to be something radiating light into our lives."

— Revolver Magazine, 2000

Wow, that is one deep quote. But, I kind of understand what he is saying. Amazing people come into and leave your life and you need to cherish those good moments. The song's message is a sad and happy one. It was written about how war torn countries move on and try to rebuild, even as they’re getting bombed. 

Album cover for the single, Invisible Sun

They have to live with death and destruction, but there has to be an “Invisible Sun” to light their way. It is a metaphor for hope. I hope the people of Ukraine are finding an invisible sun to help them get through the war that is happening there.

Lyrics for the chorus of Invisible Sun

To conclude my post, I knew my dad saw The Police in concert when he was younger so I wanted to ask his thoughts on this album.

Are you a fan of The Police?

A: Yes, I was always a fan. But my best friend in school was an ardent fan and taught me a lot about the band.

Do you ever listen to this album?

A: Not always. I tend to listen to songs by The Police instead of the albums.

What’s your favorite song?

A: Definitely Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic. I saw The Police when I was 30 at Madison Square Garden. That song was the best part of the performance.

Do you like the song Invisible Sun?

It’s one of the best on the album. I think that it’s a thoughtful meditation on socio-political events at the time Sting was writing this. But sonically it is a bit too cumbersome and heavy.

In conclusion, this was a highly rated album among fans and it hit number one on the US Billboard 200 and was in the Top Ten Records that year (1981).  It has also been ranked #76 on the Greatest British Albums of all Time. I think it deserves these rankings and the fact that it is album #323 on Rolling Stone Magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time is an honour it deserves.

Thanks for reading,

Austin