How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Outstanding
Value for Money
Excellent
Advantages:
Oh, practically everything
Disadvantages:
Live performances may not be to everyone's taste
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
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.
Thanks for Reading!
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Outstanding
Cover / Inlay Design and Content
Good
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