The Police: Sting (vocals, saxophone, keyboards, acoustic & electric bass); Andy Summers (guitar, keyboards, background vocals); Stewart Copeland (keyboards, drums, percussion, background vocals).

Producers include: The Police, Stewart Copeland, Nigel Gray, Tim Summerhayes, Hugh Padgham.

Compilation producer: Stewart Whitmore.

Engineers: The Police, Tim Summerhayes.

Includes liner notes by Phil Sutcliffe.

Digitally remastered by David Collins (A&M Mastering Studios).

Adapter: Syd Brak.

Personnel: Sting (vocals); Henri Padovani, Andy Summers (guitar); Stewart Copeland (drums).

Audio Mixers: The Police; Tim Summerhayes.

Liner Note Author: Phil Sutcliffe.

Photographers: Lynn Goldsmith; Duane Michals; Chris Craske; James Wedge; Adrian Boot; Watalu Asanuma; Danny Quatrochi; Paul Cox; Jill Furmanovsky; Janette Beckman; Miles Copeland; Simon Fowler.

Unknown Contributor Roles: John Bauldie; Mark Mazzetti; Joe Bennett.

Despite their legendary status, the Police only released five albums during their brief reign from 1978-1983. In addition, the trio had amassed a healthy amount of both studio and live B-sides, plus songs that only appeared on soundtracks. For the 1993 four-CD box set Message in a Box: The Complete Recordings, every single song the Police ever recorded is included. All the tracks were digitally remastered for the project, sounding superior to the original CD versions of the single albums. Also included is a 68-page booklet that includes an interesting (and often humorous) biography, a time line, and notes from all three bandmembers regarding the rarities that appear for the first time on compact disc here. But of course, the real charm of the box set is the music -- album tracks ("Hole in My Life," "It's Alright for You," "Driven to Tears"), hits ("Message in a Bottle," "Can't Stand Losing You," "Spirits in the Material World"), and rarities ("Fallout," a live version of "Next to You") are all timeless classics. While the set is highly recommended to newcomers just discovering the wonders of the Police, longtime fans should consider replacing their tinny-sounding single CDs with the definitive Message in a Box. After all, it contains a total of 24 tracks unavailable (for the most part) anywhere else. ~ Greg Prato

Although the Police lasted for less than a decade, they recorded enough material to fill out the four CDs that make up MESSAGE IN A BOX. In addition to everything on their five studio albums, this box set contains soundtrack material, singles and demos featuring the contributions of guitarist Andy Summers' predecessor Henri Padovani (on the band's first single "Fallout" b/w "Nothing Achieving"). The Police's most consistent quality was their anomalousness.

Their path started in the punk environs of mid-'70s London despite the fact that all three were older and had considerably better chops (due to varying jazz backgrounds) than their rebellious contemporaries. Despite these differences, the Police combined biting lyrical imagery with a musical fusion of reggae, punk and pop that resulted in material as mainstream as "Don't Stand So Close To Me" and "King Of Pain" and as wonderfully quirky as "Be My Girl-Sally" and "On Any Other Day." Along the way, the Police released songs about generational differences ("Born in the '50s"), Irish politics ("Invisible Sun") and the ultimate ode to manipulation and their only number one hit ("Every Breath You Take").