Too Much Information

The Zoo Crew is spinning "Too Much Information" by The Police from their 1981 album Ghost in the Machine, and the Zoo Freaks are surely vibing to its frenetic energy. This track, the opening song on the album, captures the band’s shift toward a more experimental sound, blending their signature reggae-rock with synth-driven textures. In a 1981 interview with Rolling Stone, Sting described the song as a reflection on the overwhelming flood of media and data in modern life, a theme that feels even more relevant today. The lyrics, with lines like “Too much information running through my brain,” pulse with a manic energy, mirrored by Stewart Copeland’s sharp, syncopated drumming and Andy Summers’ jagged guitar riffs. A quirky piece of trivia: the band recorded the album in Montserrat at AIR Studios, where the tropical setting contrasted with the album’s darker, tech-anxious themes. Sting later quipped in a 2007 Billboard interview that the island’s laid-back vibe helped them “channel the chaos” of songs like this one.

Delving into the song’s creation, The Police were known for their intense studio sessions, and "Too Much Information" was no exception. In a 2017 post on X, Stewart Copeland shared a throwback photo from the Ghost in the Machine sessions, noting how the band pushed to “break the mold” of their earlier punk-reggae sound. The song’s production, handled by Hugh Padgham, introduced layered synths and a polished edge, which some fans initially found jarring. A 1981 review in NME praised the track’s “claustrophobic intensity” but noted its departure from the band’s rawer roots. On Facebook, fans in the group The Police Fans often cite the song as an underrated gem, with one fan recalling how its driving rhythm got them through late-night study sessions in the ‘80s. The song’s relevance persists, with a 2022 X post by the band’s official account joking that it’s “the anthem for anyone drowning in notifications.”

The Police, formed in London in 1977, began as a trio of Sting (Gordon Sumner), Stewart Copeland, and Henry Padovani, though Andy Summers soon replaced Padovani to complete the classic lineup. Sting, a former schoolteacher and jazz bassist, met Copeland, an American drummer with a progressive rock background, through the vibrant London punk scene. Copeland, who’d played with Curved Air, was itching to start something new and recruited Sting after spotting his raw energy at a gig. As Sting recalled in a 2003 Guardian interview, “We were nobodies, just three guys with big dreams and cheap amps.” Summers, a seasoned guitarist who’d toured with Soft Machine, joined after a chance jam session, bringing a sophisticated edge to the band’s sound. Their early days were scrappy, with the trio dyeing their hair blond for a chewing gum commercial to fund their first tour, as Copeland shared in his 2009 memoir Strange Things Happen. This hustle paid off when their debut single, “Roxanne,” caught fire in 1978, launching them to global stardom.

The band’s rise was meteoric, fueled by their genre-blending mix of punk, reggae, and pop, but their creative process was often tumultuous. Sting’s songwriting, Copeland’s polyrhythmic drumming, and Summers’ atmospheric guitar work created a unique sound, but egos clashed. A 1983 Musician magazine interview quoted Summers saying, “We’d fight like cats and dogs, but it made the music better.” By the time Ghost in the Machine dropped, they were at their commercial peak, though tensions led to their breakup in 1986 after Synchronicity. They reunited briefly in 2007 for a world tour, which fans on the Sting.com Community still rave about. Today, you can keep up with the band on their official website, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Fan hubs like Sting.com Community and the The Police Fans Facebook group are great spots for Zoo Freaks to connect and share their love for tracks like "Too Much Information."