... There was always a busker there who used to sit down in his faded leather jacket and rock out with an acoustic version of “Sultans of Swing.” He always looked so ecstatic to be playing it, and with good reason!
2. LADY WRITER
This is much more upbeat than the previous track. Knopfler’s ... Read review
Advantages: Oh, practically everything Disadvantages: Live performances may not be to everyone's taste
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1. SULTANS OF SWING
With a moody, evocative sound, this song is a great introduction to the unique vocals of Knopfler. His gravely voice and “singspeak” style of vocals gives this a laid back style. It features a blistering guitar solo by Knopfler and it’s really smooth. That’s the best way I can think of to describe it.
When I was a student, I’d go down to the Victoria Market in Melbourne to buy cheap fruit and veg. There ... ...in his faded leather jacket and rock out with an acoustic version of “Sultans of Swing.” He always looked so ecstatic to be playing it, and with good reason!
2. LADY WRITER
This is much more upbeat than the previous track. Knopfler’s voice sometimes loses its strength when he tries to really sing, but the cheeky lyrics make up for it. His little chuckle after the line “but your mother was a jazz singer” is perfectly ... more
I remember listening to Dire Straits as a child when my dad would put his music on. Being young and foolish I would scoff at his musical tastes, snorting with derision and never dreamed that a decade later, he and I would end up with practically the same CD collection! So, I knew Dire Straits by name growing up, but it wasn’t until University that I started listening to them seriously, and being blown away thinking “Damn! My dad has GREAT musical taste!”
For the uninitiated, Dire Straits was formed in 1977 by Mark Mark Knopfler (guitar and vocals), his brother David Knopfler (guitar), John Illsley (bass), and Pick Withers (drums). Their first album was released in 1978, followed in 1979 by the hugely successful album communiqué. The band’s lineup changed frequently, but Mark Knopfler remained the front man until the band’s disolussion in 1995. Their music is well-known for Knopfler’s unique style of guitar playing, which is achieved by “picking” at the strings. You can hear his terrific guitar work in most of the songs on this CD. That, combined with his unique vocal style, is what makes the band’s sound so distinctive.
“The very best of” contains some of Dire Straits’ most well-known songs, although, in my opinion, there are a few songs that should have made the cut. I guess you can’t have everything though, and this CD gives a great overview of their sound. There are sixteen tracks on the CD. Three are live, and the others are studio versions. I will attempt to give a brief explanation of each track, but of course this is all very subjective. I urge you to listen to the CD yourself, and make up your own mind.
1. SULTANS OF SWING With a moody, evocative sound, this song is a great introduction to the unique vocals of Knopfler. His gravely voice and “singspeak” style of vocals gives this a laid back style. It features a blistering guitar solo by Knopfler and it’s really smooth. That’s the best way I can think of to describe it. When I was a student, I’d go down to the Victoria Market in Melbourne to buy cheap fruit and veg. There was always a busker there who used to sit down in his faded leather jacket and rock out with an acoustic version of “Sultans of Swing.” He always looked so ecstatic to be playing it, and with good reason!
2. LADY WRITER This is much more upbeat than the previous track. Knopfler’s voice sometimes loses its strength when he tries to really sing, but the cheeky lyrics make up for it. His little chuckle after the line “but your mother was a jazz singer” is perfectly timed, and rewards those who listen to it obsessively. (Who? Me? No!)
3. ROMEO AND JULIET An absolutely perfect musical interpretation of the play’s sentiments (although this is also rumoured to be about an old relationship of Knopfler’s). With one of the most haunting introductory riffs ever, this is my favourite song. It’s perfect for those who appreciate some intertextuality to your Shakespeare. If you only listen to one Dire Straits song, this is the one. It’s simply sublime.
4. TUNNEL OF LOVE This song has a more instrumental sound, with a nice piano opening which leads into a more “raw” musical sound. This isn’t one of my favourites, but the lyrics have great imagery and Knopfler uses his vocal range to really great effect.
5. PRIVATE INVESTIGATIONS This song changes the pace with a rather slow and melancholy guitar part overlaid by the vocals. Knopfler doesn’t so much as sing as speaks over the instrumentals which makes this song sound all the more regretful and haunting. The mournful guitar solo at the middle of the piece interacts with piano and bass guitar and creates a somewhat unsettling, yet strangely hypnotic sound.
6. TWISTING BY THE POOL This has somewhat of a 50’s sound to it and reminds me of the ‘Monkees’ and brings up images of polka-dot bikinis, huge sunglasses and ice cream cones. The backup vocals rescue this song from being drowned under the heaviness of Knopfler’s growly voice. Not a favourite of mine.
7. LOVE OVER GOLD (LIVE) This track does not suffer adversely by being a live version, at least, in my opinion. The slow ballad-y feel of the song is livened up with dramatic drum crashes and smashes! The lyrics are moving and evocative.
8. SO FAR AWAY This song has a brilliant guitar hook and is one of my favourites. The lyrics are wonderful, describing the frustrations of two lovers living in separate places. Having conducted about a year of my relationship in a different hemisphere to my boy, I can relate to lyrics such as “I’m tired of making out on the telephone”. It’s a little bit sweet, a little bit melancholy and a little bit rocky, all in one. Knopfler’s slightly off-key vocals really make this one all the more charming. Definitely one for anyone who’s ever had a long-distance relationship.
9. MONEY FOR NOTHING I personally hate the swirling synthesiser at the beginning of the piece, but once that lead guitar kicks in, it’s all rock and roll from then on. The lyrics are written from the point of view of a hardware worker lamenting the lifestyles of those he sees on MTV music videos. Who can’t love a song where the protagonist grumbles that rock stars get “Their money for nothing, chicks for free”?
10. BROTHERS IN ARMS It amazing how a man with such a hard voice can make a song sound so gentle, but that’s what Knopfler does in this song. It’s so understated, but it’s moving as hell. I don’t know if this is based on any real-life events, but it tells of young men who fight together as “brothers in arms”. With a slow, haunting guitar part, Knopfler’s voice almost cracks in places, but this just adds to the emotion in the piece. It’s absolutely beautiful, haunting, sad, and ultimately hopeful. For a song to evoke this many emotions in both its lyrics and its instrumentals is a feat of genius.
11. WALK OF LIFE This is an upbeat song (all the better to counteract the previous tear-jerker) which sounds like good, old fashioned rock and roll. It makes you want to get down and do the twist, or is that just me? Knopfler’s little “woohoo’s!” make me smile, and the backing vocals enhance the song immeasurably.
12. CALLING ELVIS A cheeky piece that has plenty of references to Elvis Presley, as well as a tight drumbeat. The “singspeak” is very much in evidence here, but it works. It’s a real toe-tapping, finger clicking song with a great guitar riff.
13. HEAVY FUEL This is real rock and roll with a heavy sound to it, and Knopfler extolling the virtues of Scotch as a hangover remedy and cigarettes for breakfast! The lyrics are funny, but musically, I find that it doesn’t really stand out on this compilation. A good song for any wannabe James Deans.
14. ON EVERY STREET The lovely piano work lifts this song from mediocrity, and the mournful saxophone is the icing on the cake. The lyrics are hard to understand given that Knopfler sometimes disappears under the weight of his own gravely voice, but it’s certainly got a unique sound thanks to the wide(r ) rage of instruments used in this song compared to the rest of the songs on the album.
15. YOUR LATEST TRICK (LIVE) A great percussion introduction leads into a wonderful saxophone solo that makes me think of 80’s lounge singers. The fact that this is a live recording means that you can hear the audience singing along, even to the saxophone interludes, which may annoy some listeners. Oh man, now I have an image of white-suited lounge singers smirking along to the sax in some seedy hotel bar stuck in my head. Thank you very much, Mark Knopfler. But the saxophone is as smooooooooooth as,………well, something smooth.
16. LOCAL HEROES/WILD THEME (LIVE) If you can get past all the screaming (which does distract from the gentle opening chords), this piece has some soothing and (almost) gentle guitar work. It’s completely instrumental, and a nice way to end off the CD. Personally, I prefer the first two-thirds of the CD, but that’s just my own preferences. Overall, though, I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Dire Straits and wants a compilation of some of their best songs (Although where are “Communiqué” and “Industrial Disease”???)
For anyone who has been converted, or at least mildly interested by this review, then the CD is a brilliant introduction to this band. They are unique, and it’s one of the few bands I’ve heard where the lyrics and the instrumentals complement each other so perfectly.
I believe that the CD comes with a bonus CD featuring live performances by the band, but I was given this second hand and only received the first disc. However, I have no reason to believe that the extras wouldn’t be just as good- it depends on whether or not you like hearing live interpretations of studio songs.
Overall, this is well worth it! It can be bought off HMV.com for £14.99, found on amazon.com and eBay for varying prices, or can be downloaded if you’re feeling very naughty.
avacarrdo 19.04.2007 (19.04.2007)
Ciao members have rated this review on average:
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Review of Sultans Of Swing (The Very Best Of Dire Straits) - Dire Straits
...released their Greatest Hits collection: Sultans of Swing. I already had several live albums of theirs, but wanted a studio album and this one seemed to fit the bill, as it contained all of their classic songs.
The track listing is as follows:
1. Sultans of Swing
2. Lady Writer
3. Romeo and Juliet
4. Tunnel of Love
5. Private Investigations
6. Twisting by the Pool
7. Love Over Gold (Live)
8. So Far Away
9. Money for Nothing
10. Brothers ... ...include:
The eponymous Sultans of Swing, with its fantastic guitar riffs that make even the most reserved amongst us want to get up and do an air guitar solo! I particularly like the lyrics to this song as well, and it is definitely amongst my all time favourite tracks.
The beautiful ballad Romeo and Juliet with its clever and thought provoking lyrics.
Money for Nothing with its distinctive and well-known guitar riff, ...
Pumpkin 12.06.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Sultans Of Swing (The Very Best Of Dire Straits) - Dire Straits
Dire Straits are for me the best musical group of the world.
Their music is a sweet pop and often also country.
Their best song is, for me, certainly “Sultans of swing”: pure and sweet music;when I I listen to it I think to stay in a dream…fantastic!
Between their songs I remember “Romeo and Juliet”, “Brothers in arms” and “Communiquè”.
The band was:
Mark Knopfler (Vocals, lead and rhythm ... ...and vocals) and Pick Withers (drums).
Today there is only Mark Knopfler as singer: very good is the album “Sailing To Philadelphia” and “Wag the dog”, the sound track of a film with Robert Redford.
Dire Straits, for my opinion, are the pop – rock band most famous up to 1984-1985.
How long Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits will sing for all us? I hope soon, the sound of his guitar is fantastic...His hands are really wonderful! ...
fortuna 20.08.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Sultans Of Swing (The Very Best Of Dire Straits) - Dire Straits
Advantages: Some very good studio work, Knopfler's live guitar playing outstanding Disadvantages: Most of the live tracks ruin the flow of the album
On the whole, Sultans of Swing is quite a good album, marred by a few live tracks. When this album was put together, nobody suggested that live and studio recorded tracks wouldn't go well together, and as a result the album flits rather ungracefully from one song to another. Add to this the (very annoying) second CD in the special edition, and you'll wonder why you spent your money on this set. The second CD features Mark Knopfler (minus Dire Straits) ... ...The standard of Knopfler's playing is, as usual, outstanding, but the lyrics and the way in which they are uncomfortably shoehorned around the live tracks will leave many Dire Straits fans looking for the eject button. That said, there are some good songs on here, including the (obligatory) Money for Nothing, but do yourself a favour, buy Dire Straits albums without the live tracks on. ...
Pritch 26.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Sultans Of Swing (The Very Best Of Dire Straits) - Dire Straits
Advantages: Great sound, use of vocals and instruments Disadvantages: None
...album is brilliant. Stretching from Sultans of swing right through to Brothers in arms.
The band did an amazing job making all of these songs and there really is a song for every moment on this album. With Mark Knopfler leading this band nothing could go wrong he is a brilliant singer and player. The sounds that they manage to get in this album are incredible and the guitar solos simply blow me away. I can never get enough of this album and it is ... ...a CD that you can keep listening to over and over and over again then this is the one for you!
I never get bored of the awesome rifffs that are out into these songs and the way that they blend the guitar in after the lyrics makes the listener really focus on what is happening at the time and not trying to listen to a mish mash of instruments and vocals. ...
antbaker123 10.08.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Sultans Of Swing (The Very Best Of Dire Straits) - Dire Straits
Originality
Lyrics
Quality and consistency...
How does it compare to ...
Value for Money
Quick review of Sultans Of Swing (The Very Best Of Dire Straits) - Dire Straits
Nice album, featuring the best of Dire Straits. Although Money for Nothing is shortened by half, this dosen't affect the album so much, and it is a good buy. ...
jimmyled 27.07.2008
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Sultans Of Swing (The Very Best Of Dire Straits) - Dire Straits
Product Information for "Sultans Of Swing (The Very Best Of Dire Straits) - Dire Straits" »
Product details
Title
Sultans Of Swing (The Very Best Of Dire Straits)
Performer
Dire Straits
Genre
Rock & Pop
Sub Genre
Hard Rock
Release Date
14/06/2004
Recomended Retail Price
14.99 GBP
Original Release Year
1998
Label / Distributor
Vertigo / Universal Music
Pieces in Set
1
Studio / Live
Mixed
Stereo
Stereo
Format
Performer
EAN
731455865820
Catalogue Number
5586582
Additional notes
Album Notes
Full title: Sultans Of Swing: The Very Best Of Dire Straits. Dire Straits: Mark Knopfler (vocals, guitar); David Knopfler (guitar, keyboards); Hal Lindes (guitar, background vocals); Guy Fletcher, Phil Palmer (guitar); Paul Franklin (pedal steel guitar); Chris White (saxophone); Alan Clark (keyboards); John Illsley (bass, background vocals); Pick Withers, Terry Williams, Chris Whitten (drums); Danny Cummings (percussion). Additional personnel includes: Sting, Jeff Porcaro, Joop de Korte. Producers include: Barry Becket, Jimmy Iovine, Jerry Wexler, Guy Fletcher, Muff Winwood. All tracks have been digitally mastered using HDCD technology.
Album Reviews
Entertainment Weekly (12/11/98, p.80) - "...Dire Straits' best songs seem as singular today as when they first appeared at the supremely unlikely peak of '70s British punk....on the strongest numbers--the courtly `Romeo & Juliet' or graceful `Tunnel Of Love'--Knopfler helps keep the faded '60s notion of the romantic guitar hero alive." - Rating: B+
Titles on disc 1
1.
Sultans Of Swing
2.
Lady Writer
3.
Romeo And Juliet
4.
Tunnel Of Love
5.
Private Investigations
6.
Twisting By The Pool
7.
Love Over Gold (live)
8.
So Far Away
9.
Money For Nothing
10.
Brothers In Arms
11.
Walk Of Life
12.
Calling Elvis
13.
Heavy Fuel
14.
On Every Street
15.
Your Latest Trick (live)
16.
Local Hero/Wild Theme (live)
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Listed on Ciao since
27/06/2000
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