- Hardcover: 376 pages
- Publisher: Taschen GmbH; illustrated edition edition (25 Sep 2007)
- Language French
- ISBN-10: 3822813052
- ISBN-13: 978-3822813058
- Product Dimensions: 31.9 x 25.6 x 3.9 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 442,596 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Review
?When The Police toured in the early ?80s, the band brought a photographer to capture the excitement?he also happened to be the band's guitarist. Somewhere between photojournalism and an illustrated diary, the book's photos capture not just the proverbial sex, drugs, and rock and roll, but fans, landscapes, still lifes and occasional passers-by. A must-have for fans of The Police and photography alike.?
Product Description
In the early 1980s, The Police went on tour accompanied by a photographer who documented the band behind the scenes in a series of candid and striking black and white photos. This talented photographer also happened to be the band's guitarist, Andy Summers. Yes, it's true - the man responsible for the guitar lick from "Every Breath You Take" was not only the backbone of one of the most popular bands of all time, he also possessed a visual gift for composition and mood that allowed him to capture the spirit of The Police better than anyone else could have. This book, somewhere between photojournalism and an illustrated diary, follows The Police around the globe between 1980 and 1983. From the American West to Australia to Japan, Summers recorded not only the band members rehearsing and partying - the proverbial sex, drugs, and rock and roll - he also photographed fans, landscapes, still lifes, and passersby in a reportage style reminiscent of Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Frank. Containing over 600 photos and filled with diary-style entries, "I'll Be Watching You" is a sumptuous volume beating with musical energy, nostalgia, and atmospheric beauty. It is a must for photo buffs and Police fans alike. It contains over 600 photographs personally selected from the photographer's archive of over 25,000 thousand negatives (1980-83). Most photos are previously unpublished, and many of them have never even been printed prior to this project. Highlights include: rehearsals and recording sessions with band-mates; Sting and Stewart Copeland; exclusive back-stage and on-stage footage from concerts including Plaza de Toros (Barcelona, 1980), Budokan (Tokyo, 1981), Wembley Stadium (London, 1981), and Shea Stadium (New York, 1983); inside the tour busses, limousines, helicopters, private planes, parties, and hotel rooms; behind the scenes on music video shoots, at press conferences, and in-store appearances; life on the road with other bands including The Go-Go's, XTC, and The B-52's; and rain-soaked train windows, trashed hotel rooms, island retreats, over-capacity stadiums, and thousands of screaming, singing, sobbing, fans.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I didn't realise just how good Andy Summers is as a photographer - these aren't just random poor quality snapshots, they're brilliantly shot, evocative pictures of the band in their heyday. I'd recommend it to photographers and Police fans alike.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
10 reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
You Gotta Be a Fan for This One
22 Aug 2008
Format:Hardcover
The Police were far and away my favorite band when I was growing up. I recently had a chance to see the last show in their reunion tour at Madison Square Garden, which reminded me again how each of the three members of the group are excellent musicians in their own right. Sting may have had more fame in the intervening years, but Stewart Copeland's drumming is magnificent to behold and Andy Summer's guitar work help define the sound of the band. There is nothing like the three of them together.
So, sitting in the middle of this perfect storm of nostalgia, I decided to take a look at this collection of Mr. Summers' photographs so I could spend some more time in those early years of the `80's. A couple years back, I had read Mr. Summers' autobiography, One Train Later, and enjoyed it quite a lot. I am also familiar with his other photo collection, Throb, which I also liked. Unfortunately, this book didn't quite live up to either of those.
In some ways, this book is a strange amalgamation of those other two books. There are a number of brief informational/autobiographical blurbs with the photos. But the blurbs don't really tell us much and, in the end, neither do the photos. Unlike photos designed to stand alone as art, these are meant to tell a story but, in the end, they don't seem to do that. Certainly, for someone not interested in or somewhat knowledgeable about the band, they would say almost nothing.
Still, there are some good shots here. It's clear to see that Mr. Summers is at the beginning of developing a real talent. I particularly liked the wide shots of some of the arenas they played and Andy's more "private" hotel room pictures. But you have to sift through a lot of stuff to find those jewels. For someone not really invested in the band, it would be too much work.
So, sitting in the middle of this perfect storm of nostalgia, I decided to take a look at this collection of Mr. Summers' photographs so I could spend some more time in those early years of the `80's. A couple years back, I had read Mr. Summers' autobiography, One Train Later, and enjoyed it quite a lot. I am also familiar with his other photo collection, Throb, which I also liked. Unfortunately, this book didn't quite live up to either of those.
In some ways, this book is a strange amalgamation of those other two books. There are a number of brief informational/autobiographical blurbs with the photos. But the blurbs don't really tell us much and, in the end, neither do the photos. Unlike photos designed to stand alone as art, these are meant to tell a story but, in the end, they don't seem to do that. Certainly, for someone not interested in or somewhat knowledgeable about the band, they would say almost nothing.
Still, there are some good shots here. It's clear to see that Mr. Summers is at the beginning of developing a real talent. I particularly liked the wide shots of some of the arenas they played and Andy's more "private" hotel room pictures. But you have to sift through a lot of stuff to find those jewels. For someone not really invested in the band, it would be too much work.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Crashingly good!
2 Nov 2007
Format:Hardcover
A very well put together coffee table tome. Stunning photographs of one of the best 70's- 80's iconic bands. Well worth every penny of my hard earned cash, a joy to look at from cover to cover or just merely dip into in an add hoc way. Well recommended for any fan of the band or from a photographers standpoint. Seriously good reportage style of photography.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
On the outside looking in...
15 Oct 2007
Format:Hardcover
Andy Summers is more than a brilliant guitarist. He's an amazing photographer. His technique is very "shoot at the hip" and really gives people a birds-eye look into The Police during the high point of their career. His pictures are beyond beautiful. They are intimate portraits with small journal excerpts that describe feelings and emotions that go with the pictures being displayed. It's like being right there in the action...all these years later.
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