To follow up on the last post, I think the Police were a much better live band than a studio band. The earlier records were under-rehearsed and the best parts weren’t worked out, and the later records lost all spontaneity. Most of the songs, including the three in the link above, got much better live.

There are some exceptions though. I always really liked the studio versions of Message in a Bottle, Roxanne, Spirits in the Material World and Secret Journey. But probably the song where I most think the live versions are inferior to the studio version was Every Little Thing She Does is Magic. The high hat in the verses and the bell during the choruses are so spontaneous, then well produced. I don’t think it’s possible to duplicate that performance. Sheer magic.