Set List Journal Entry No. 9 : Walking On The Moon - The Police v. Duran Duran

In July 1969, the Apollo 11 mission touched down on the moon.  In the infancy of NASA, there seemed to be no way this would happen.   John Glenn's three orbits around Earth was impressive.  The first American spacewalk by Ed White left NASA control  holding their breath and in intense anxiety.  White was attached to the rocket with a tether.  While there was a secure connection, the tether had a mind of its own and wrapped itself around a fighting Ed White.  From a medical standpoint, he was not well with rising blood pressure, increased heart rate, and acute panic.  On the ground, the NASA physician was monitoring White's health levels.  White fought his way out of the tangled tether and back into the rocket.  Based on the physically stressed experience, he did not want to do that (spacewalk) again...

"I'm coming back in...and it's the saddest moment of my life."

In this Journal Entry No. 9, I am comparing musical honors to Apollo 11 by The Police and Duran Duran.  For Ed White's part in the Gemini 4 mission, a song should have been written and recorded in his honor.  Alas, touching down on the moon was every American astronaut's dream.  And when that did happen...

versus

Somewhere in the Set List archives, I have compared the two bands over the same song.  "Walking On The Moon" vocals, notes, and instrumentals came naturally to The Police.  What they had to offer to the song is all that was needed to make it a success.  "Walking On The Moon" vocals, notes, and instrumentals by Duran Duran tried hard to match The Police but the stamp they put on the song was not so much.  The keyboards did not exist in the original and therefore did not make sense in the cover.  I personally find Sting's natural pitch and Simon's natural pitch to not meet, which felt awkward to listen to.  The pace sounded a bit slower than The Police, although the original did pay great attention to the guitars.

With my opinion aside, The Police and Duran Duran are unique in their own sound and performance.  I will of course always be a fan of both.