Brothers In Arms - Dire Straits (1985)
Even if you discount a billion amateur air guitarists gesticulating to Money For Nothing, Dire Straits produced a monster with this release; A layered, nuanced, thoughtful record that stands as one of their best.
More than just a blues band, Dire Straits kept a pop sensibility that always made them more than what they might have seemed on the surface. They made their sound as big as they could, often to great effect.
Mark Knopfler could break off a devestating guitar solo here and there, but was always happy to stay back and add to the vibe rather than going for the throat.
This was a favorite of mine from the moment I acquired it, and it’s seldom been very far from my mind.
Tracks I Liked
Walk of Life - typical Knopfler lyric that quotes and works in concepts from other songs to weave the narrative. One of his best lyrics
Ride Across The River / The Man’s Too Strong / One World - a one-two-three punch of awesome deep cuts that make this album so much more than big hits plus filler.
Brothers In Arms - a meditation on war and recovery
