About a month ago I came across a performance by Hasidic reggae star Matisyahu from an appearance he made on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Having been a casual fan of his for a while it seemed reasonable to think that the performance would be somewhat entertaining, so I blindly starting watching (listening) to it. Moments in, I realized what song was actually playing and I became frozen in thought…it was “Message in a Bottle.” How perfect, I thought, was it that a relatively unthreatening artist played a cover of an unthreatening song originally written and performed by an unthreatening group. Going on with my daily business I figured that, while there was something odd about the performance, it was best if the whole thing was forgotten. And then it happened, a few days later it was announced that The Police would reunite and seemingly everyone went crazy about the news. The same band that was helmed by Sting, the unholy enemy to good music everywhere, were suddenly rock golden gods again. In the slight chance you’re still not sure we’re talking about the same Police, the band in question is the same that litters classic rock radio with its light, transparent rock on a daily basis – those Police. And the reunited group were to reform to celebrate its thirtieth anniversary with a performance kicking off the The 49th Annual Grammy Awards – the bastion for the year’s greatest music.

And then it started making sense as to why that Matisyahu performance meant something. “Message in a Bottle” is a smooth, unimposing track by a group who flourished with the release of many similar songs – all draped in the shroud of faux-reggae without the pesky socio political message associated with bands like The Clash. Many may believe Matisyahu to be “the real deal” but in his essence he is simply a white guy reinterpreting a sound that holds little historical relevance to his culture; and though it sounds good it’s pretty much the same thing The Police did. But does it sound good? You can go to either a Matisyahu or Police concert and find something that will no doubt allow you to tap your foot or nod your head with even slight satisfaction, but to say that the music is truly good might be a stretch.

Last year a friend and I took part in a discussion surrounding the relevance of musicians from rock’s past who had released new material in 2006. Our ultimate conclusion was that the majority of the musicians (especially the recent Grammy Award winner Peter Frampton) had little to offer with their releases and were far past their rock star expiration date. That being said, it came down to four acts that we agreed were the best of the bunch: Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Neil Young. These musicians have continued to expand on their craft continually over the course of their entire careers and in doing so continue to find new fans who respect their modern work, sometimes even without knowing much of their ocean-sized back catalogs. Also, though it was never addressed at the time, it should be noted that none of the artists on the list (Meat Loaf included) strayed into releasing lazy renditions of 16th Century composers. Just sayin’…

Matisyahu has the capability of solidifying himself as a truly distinct artist, one that will be treasured for years to come as he fills a niche that no one ever fantasized a need for. However, by passing up the opportunity to cover culturally significant hip hop, reggae or R&B artists when addressing a national audience instead of a played out group, one that even wedding DJs have grown tired of spinning, he has helped secure his own fate: that of a short-lived novelty. The Who proved last year that even a group who has changed the lives of millions with its music needs to continually present powerful, innovative material if it wants to find significance amongst modern listeners. And if a group with a tremendous history cannot prove itself substantive in today’s musical landscape no one should even bat an eye at The Police, a band who even in its prime, never created music close to as original or moving as The Who (or even Yusuf Islaam for that matter).

Matisyahu “Message in a Bottle (JKL 01/05/07)”
Matisyahu “Message in a Bottle (JKL 01/05/07)”
Additional Matisyahu Audio Here

The Police “Roxanne (Grammys 02/11/07)”
The Police “Roxanne (Grammys 02/11/07)”
Additional Police Audio Here

Oh, but it’s OK to like Sting solo (if you’ve completely lost the will to live).