How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Outstanding
Value for Money
Advantages:
See op .
Disadvantages:
See op .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Dire Straits have never been fashionable, but are an enduring band who have long been one of my favourites – a fact which seems to surprise many people, as I guess I don’t seem like your average Dire Straits fan, but believe me I can play a mean air guitar!!! Dire Straits’ music is ‘easy listening’ – not in the true sense of the phrase, but in as much as it is easy to listen to and is just as good as relaxing background music as it is to play in the car and have a good singalong! I actually first became a fan some years ago, at the age of around 14, when I used to spend many weekends in the car with my parents visiting relatives, and my Dad (who is also a fan!) had a live album of theirs which we played to death in the car! It is difficult to pigeonhole them, as they don’t fit comfortably with any of the other well-known rock bands of the 70s and 80s, having a style and sound all of their own, which is quite timeless.
The band have been around since the late 1970s. The band members have varied since then, but the focus of the band has always been singer, songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler. The band no longer perform together, bit Mark is still going strong, touring with his own band, and still playing a lot of Dire Straits favourites. Mark is not the world’s greatest vocalist, nor does he claim to be, although he can definitely carry a tune, and his voice blends perfectly with the sound of Dire Straits. The best way I can describe his voice is a less gravelly version of Chris Rea! He always pronounces his words clearly, which is important for a band whose songs often have complex and interesting lyrics. Mark’s real strength, however, is his guitar playing. His style differs from many of the well-known guitar legends, in that he is very laid back in his playing. However I would really rate him up there amongst the greats. He is also a great performer. It is unusual for someone so laid back to have such stage presence, but he carries it off superbly.
Dire Straits have released many albums, and are as well known for their live albums as their studio releases. Their 1985 album, Brothers in Arms, was one of the best selling albums of all time and is regarded by many as a classic, although critics have been known to attribute its phenomenal success to the fact that it was the first album by any artist to be released on CD format in the UK.
In 1998, some 7 years after they last recorded a studio album together, the band 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 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)
Sixteen tracks may not seem like many for a Greatest Hits album, however you certainly get your money’s worth as many of the tracks are over 5 minutes long. Also, even people who are not avid fans will be surprised at how many of the tracks they know once they listen to the album, as many of them have been used in TV advertisements and films. On Every Street is currently being used at the end of the NTL Adverts.
My personal favourites 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, evocative of its then ground-breaking (but now creaky and dated!), MTV friendly video! This is probably the only song on the album which doesn’t quite fit in with their usual style, being much heavier and more commercial than the other tracks. An interesting bit of trivia is that Sting guested on this song, singing backing vocals and specifically the line “I want my MTV”. He made this up himself (he’s a clever chap!) so his record company insisted he be given a writing credit, despite the fact that he wasn’t bothered! Hence, the writing credit is always given to Mark Knopfler and Sting!
Your Latest Trick with its haunting saxophone solo, which is one of their few songs which doesn’t feature a particularly prominent use of the guitar.
The uplifting instrumental theme from the film Local Hero, which if my memory serves me correctly was used in a commercial for Maxwell House coffee some years ago!
Low points for me would be Walk of Life, which has a kind of organ backing, which I have to say always reminds me of the test match cricket music, and Twisting By The Pool, which for some reason I always think is a cover version of a 60s song, as it sounds very much like this and doesn't quite fit in with the other tracks on the album!
However, there are no songs on the album which I could honestly say I don’t like, and I will happily listen to the CD from start to finish without skipping any tracks, and it remains a firm favourite with me when I go on long journeys in the car on my own as I can sing along to my heart’s content without anyone hearing my tuneless singing (although I do get some funny looks at traffic lights!) My only complaint would be the fact that two live versions of songs are included, as I would have preferred to hear the studio versions on a greatest hits album.
Dire Straits have never been influenced by current music trends, preferring to stick with their own style. Hence, the album is timeless, and the tracks almost all fit together well, despite spanning a time period of some 15 years.
The CD cover features Mark Knopfler’s distinctive silver guitar, previously pictured on the Brothers In Arms album cover. It also contains some biographical notes on the band’s career, written by music journalist Robert Sandall. At the time of release, a Limited Edition 2 CD package was available, which came in a silver cardboard sleeve. I don’t know if any of these are still knocking around the shops, but if they are then it is definitely worth getting one, as the package includes an additional CD featuring previously unreleased recordings of Dire Straits songs by Mark Knopfler from his Royal Albert Hall performance on his solo tour in 1996.
The bonus CD only contains 7 tracks, but each is very long, with the total CD length being over 50 minutes. I was lucky enough to catch Mark Knopfler live at the Albert Hall earlier this year, and can confirm that the CD really captures the atmosphere of the live show. Its highlight for me is a version of Sultans of Swing which lasts for over ten minutes! Unlike many artists, Mark’s live performance actually improves upon the studio versions of the songs, adding in extra guitar solos, and variations on the lyrics.
All in all this is a great album by a great band, which contains some enduring classics and in my opinion is a must for any discerning music fan!
More details
How does it rate alongside the competition
Outstanding
Cover / Inlay Design and Content
Good
Evaluate this review
How helpful would this review be to someone making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
