AAJ Rediscovery: Dire Straits, Brothers in Arms

[jkelman]

Today's Rediscovery? Dire Straits' On Every Street, today at All About Jazz.

After a lengthy hiatus, Rediscovery returns with a Japanese SHM CD edition of Dire Straits' final studio record, 1991's On Every Street. While many folks who bought it on the strength of the mega-selling Brothers in Arms (Warner Bros., 1985)—which contained so many hits so (still) consistently overplayed that, for some, it's taken literally decades to begin loving it again—were disappointed at On Every Street's relative lack of radio-friendly hits and (worse!!) more country-inflected undertones, for me it completely restored my faith in Knopfler as a songwriter and bandleader. The one thing that had never lost its potency was his guitar work, and his playing on Brothers in Arms was as good as ever.

Emerging in the late '70s, Knopfler made it immediately clear with the group's debut, Dire Straits (Warner Bros., 1978), that despite the still popular low-fi punk and, to a lesser extent, new wave, it was once again okay to be a guitar hero—albeit, in Knopfler's case, one with none of the usual posturing or histrionics. If anything, the amiable, low-key Knopfler was the antithesis of the guitar hero...except damn, that guy could play. And over the course of three more studio records and one live double album, Dire Straits, with Knopfler at the helm as lead guitarist, lead singer and songwriter, went from strength to strength and success to success, evolving into a group at which its first two albums could only hint.

Not that Brothers in Arms was bad; far from it. The simple, singsong nature of "So Far Away" was so eminently catchy and subversively deep that, when he revisited it on his live duo record with Emmylou Harris, Real Live Roadrunning (Warner Bros/Nonesuch, 2006), all the years of it being overplayed were instantly forgiven, as Knopfler's relaxed vocal delivery meshed perfectly (and, perhaps, surprisingly) with Harris' sweet harmonies. A refreshing reminder of just how strong that song really was, Brothers in Arms' title track has fared the test of time even better; capable of raising those little hairs on the back of the neck every time Knopfler solos on his thick-toned, heavily overdriven Les Paul—as ever, all the better for the sound of flesh rather than pick on string—in between verses of despair...optimism...and hope. The almost naive innocence of "Why Worry" (also covered with Harris) remains compelling too, while the atypically synth-driven, reggae-tinged "Ride Across the River" and more folkloric "The Man's Too Strong" demonstrate that, despite an overall simplification of his approach to prose and storytelling on Brothers in Arms, Knopfler still had the ability to captivate—and on many levels.

Continue reading here...

[Dave (in MA)]

The thread title is "AAJ Rediscovery: Dire Straits, Brothers in Arms". Might want to fix it.

[3LockBox]

I was underwhelmed by On Every Street initially, but I eventually warmed up to it just because of its sumptuous production - too good to not listen to it. I haven't listened to BiA in years but just listened to 'Street the other day and it still holds up, still sounds superb.

[bob_32_116]

After reading the OP, I am still not quite sure which of the two albums is the topic of the post.

I remember when On Every Street came out it kind of took people by surprise, because it had been a long time since Brothers in Arms and many people assumed they had called it a day album-wise.

Anyway, I don't think they ever topped Love Over Gold, but they had the sense not to try and make Love Over Gold II.

[jkelman]

The thread title is "AAJ Rediscovery: Dire Straits, Brothers in Arms". Might want to fix it.

D'oh! I can change the post but not, it appears, the thread title.

[jkelman]

After reading the OP, I am still not quite sure which of the two albums is the topic of the post.

I remember when On Every Street came out it kind of took people by surprise, because it had been a long time since Brothers in Arms and many people assumed they had called it a day album-wise.

Anyway, I don't think they ever topped Love Over Gold, but they had the sense not to try and make Love Over Gold II.

I'm a huge fan of Love Over Gold too - between that and On Every Street,for personal faves.

As for not being sure which album I was writing about, I think it was clear it was about OES; but it is impossible to really discuss that album and properly contextualize it without discussing BiA and the expectations that came as a result of its mega success.

[jkelman]

After reading the OP, I am still not quite sure which of the two albums is the topic of the post.

I remember when On Every Street came out it kind of took people by surprise, because it had been a long time since Brothers in Arms and many people assumed they had called it a day album-wise.

Anyway, I don't think they ever topped Love Over Gold, but they had the sense not to try and make Love Over Gold II.

Or, perhaps more importantly since BiA was their most successful album commercially, they had the good sense (well, not they, Knopfler, as by this time it had become pretty clear that DS was Knopfler) not to try and make Brothers in Arms II...

[Trane]

I never warmed up to OES.

TBH, after the perfect and awesome LOG and the superb flipside of BiA (don't appeciate nearly as much the A-side >> hate Walk Of Life), that one was a big deception mainly because i was

disappointed at On Every Street's relative lack of radio-friendly hits and (worse!!) more country-inflected undertones

(I loathe country)

OES is IMHO from far their weakest album, though one day, I may have to revisit it.

[jkelman]

I never warmed up to OES.

TBH, after the perfect and awesome LOG and the superb flipside of BiA (don't appeciate nearly as much the A-side >> hate Walk Of Life), that one was a big deception mainly because i was

(I loathe country)

OES is IMHO from far their weakest album, though one day, I may have to revisit it.

Well, if you hate country that would explain our thinking it's their weakest record.

A suggestion, if you can do it, because truth be told, every song on OES that sounds country could be made to sound otherwise by simple rearrangement and removal of pedal steel (which I happen to love, mind you); it you can try to listen to the record for the songs rather than the treatment...including my feeling, as expressed in the review, that Knopfler was back to the better poetry of pre-BiA, then you might see why I think it's such a strong record. Sometimes I think it's important to see the songs without the window dressing of their arrangements. I know it's what some artists do when they take a song from someone else and completely reinvent it to,their own style.getting to the heart of the song....

As for BiA! Well, like you i don't particularly like "Walk of Life," and I suspect I'd have liked "Money for Nothing" more if (a) it didn't get so overplayed, and (b) Sting wasn't on it (nothing against Sting, as I liked what he was up to at that time...but I don't like what he does here).

But other than that? I love the ambling groove of "So Far Away" and think "Why Worry" is one of the best ballads Knopfler has ever written.

Of course,back to that country thang, it's interesting that when he did the studio and live albums with Emmylou Harrris (who I love... Her on her own and both those records), it doesn't slip by that when they chose tunes from the DS catalog, it's those two songs – "Why Worry" and "So Far Away" - that they picked...and nailed, with Emmylou's sweet harmony adding something the originals, as it turned out, really could have used. I'd not suggest you check 'em out because those albums, while not country, are definitely country-leaning more than some of MK's other past-DS records...but I sure do like 'em.

I'm not a huge country fan, btw; but there are some folks: Emmylou, Rodney Crowell, Rosanne Cash (especially her recent stuff), her dad Johnny's American Music series and box of extras/leftovers, Lyle Lovwtt, Albert Lee...and on the bluegrass front, Alison Krauss, Nickel Creek, Punch Brothers, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas and Newgrass Revival all really do it for for me when I'm in the right place. And while some of Vince Gill's albums are a bit syrupy for my tastes, man, can he ever play guitar (and, in the right context, sing with real guts); he made one album, High Lonesome Sound, that he should have used as a template for other records as he demonstrated a far broader palette, with a love of everything from Little Feat and Bonie Raitt to The Band and Dylan, in addition to more hardcore country.

Ok, you got me going. Sorry

[3LockBox]

I'm not a huge country fan, btw; but there are some folks: Emmylou, Rodney Crowell, Rosanne Cash (especially her recent stuff), her dad Johnny's American Music series and box of extras/leftovers, Lyle Lovwtt, Albert Lee...and on the bluegrass front, Alison Krauss, Nickel Creek, Punch Brothers, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas and Newgrass Revival all really do it for for me when I'm in the right place. And while some of Vince Gill's albums are a bit syrupy for my tastes, man, can he ever play guitar (and, in the right context, sing with real guts); he made one album, High Lonesome Sound, that he should have used as a template for other records as he demonstrated a far broader palette, with a love of everything from Little Feat and Bonie Raitt to The Band

agreed to all. I grew up in Tennessee, abhored country music as a teen. However, in the '90s I had a sort of renaissance with country. I loved Lovett. Roseanne Cash's Kings Record Shop (produced by Rodney Crowell) is a fave of mine. Emmylou Harris (like Dolly Parton) has the uncanny ability to harmonize with anyone. I think Willie Nelson showed a certain synergy with Paul Simon's canon. The '90s was a good time for country really.

[Trane]

Well, if you hate country that would explain our thinking it's their weakest record.

Ok, you got me going. Sorry

Your thread, and I intruded

For the A-dose of BiA, MFN did get overplayed, but yeah, Knopfler doid everything to sell out (with that "I want my MTV" plea in the song's intro. So far away, Your Latest Trick and Why Worry are all OK, but not that special : they could've fitted on other albums as well).

Walk Of Life is a facet of DS I don't appreciate at all: they'd done the same type of stuff before with Twisting by the Pool (and I didn't like the rest of that EP either)



TBH, DS is reallly about three albums for (except the Alchemy deal): the début, LoG and BiA.... Never cared much for MM and Communiqué (le tatter which might dispute the weaker spot with OES, actually).

[bob_32_116]

^^ I thought Communique was quite a weak album, and a disappointment after the debut. The single, Lady Writer, led me to expect better. It's saved by the two closing songs, Single Handed Sailor and Follow me Home, which I think of as a pair and a fine finish to the album.

Making Movies I found a similarly low-key album, though it does have Tunnel of Love and the excellent Skateaway. I wish they had closed the album with something other than the ridiculous Les Boys.

[jkelman]

^^ I thought Communique was quite a weak album, and a disappointment after the debut. The single, Lady Writer, led me to expect better. It's saved by the two closing songs, Single Handed Sailor and Follow me Home, which I think of as a pair and a fine finish to the album.

Making Movies I found a similarly low-key album, though it does have Tunnel of Love and the excellent Skateaway. I wish they had closed the album with something other than the ridiculous Les Boys.

See, and I thought, while similar in tone to the first album, I though Communiqué was, at least in parts, a step up. LOce Upon a Time in the West," for example,

What it did shine a spotlight on was that the group was severely limited, IMO, by rhythm guitarist/brother David Knopfler. The change was massive when he wa gone for Making Movies. But as a follow up goes,I thought Communiqué was more than just fine,

[grego]

I love the first two. And the last one.