I loved the entire album… Even today after 30 years, listening to the songs “Calling Elvis,” “Planet of New Orleans” – it seems like meeting old friends. I still remember seeing the On Every Street music cassette at a music shop in 1991 and rushing to buy it. While I waited for a new Dire Straits album for over 6 years, I had explored their back catalogue. Knopfler also formed another band called The Notting Hillbillies and released an album in 1990. Mark Knopfler was now focused on solo work and film soundtracks, and so were his other band mates like John Illsey. In the late 1980’s fans like me in India, didn’t have any idea that by end of the world tour, Dire Straits had broken up. The first time I heard “So Far Away from Me,” I was in love with Knopfler’s distinctive voice and sweetest guitar sound ever.īrothers in Arms was a humongous success and it spawned a multi-year world tour. The rest, are songs that are best appreciated in the peace and quiet of your home.At the outset, I will declare that I am a Mark Knopfler fan. Only “Sultans of swing” have remained in Dire straits’ live playlist by 1994, but somehow it was the only fitting song that has changed and expanded, in order to be the centerpiece of their live act. Even Clapton, in his autobiography admitted, upon listening to Mark Knopfler, that he feared his star would eclipse. Finger picking was never so inspired in rock. The key element that everybody heard but refused to admit was the unique guitar work. Cale, when critics called them a “pub” band.Critics failed to see that all the similarities with types of music and musicians were totally superficial. All these lyrics were crafted so carefully and narrated with such fluency that they work even without the music.īut it was the same case, with the similarities with Dylan and J.J. Stories of people in dire straits - the financial state they were in, was terrible and thus they didn’t have to look any further for a name- (“Southbound again”), people in love and despair (“Six blade Knife”,“Setting me up”,“Water of love”), the problems of finding your way through the world with jobs and arts (“In the gallery”) and last but not least scenes of everyday life (“Wild West End”, “Lions”). The album is filled with slower paced songs (with the exception of “Southbound again”), that gave many reasons to the critics, to label them a “pub” band. "Down to the waterline", the opener of the album is another classic, showcasing the abilities of the band, for upbeat songs. The rest of the songs are marvelous showcases of sincere songwriting and brilliant musicianship. The song in question was no other than "Sultans of swing", which is such a classic that needs no other introduction. The executives/scouts of the record industry had their ears open and it was only a matter of time for one of the major labels to sign them. Their demo tape was sent to the late Charlie Gillett, a radio producer, who was so amazed by a song that he played it over and over during his radio hour. Of course the luck factor for a music band is very important, even if they are always ready, and they were pretty lucky in a sense. His playing made him a household name from the very beginning (Steely Dan, Bob Dylan, Mavis Staple asked for his guitar work, before the release of Dire straits' second album) and eventually a guitar hero, in an era that dismissed all such heroes. Although the similarities do exist and, after all, it is a great compliment to compare you with such established musicians, the point is that none of them had the authenticity of Knopfler's guitar playing. Then trying to label it somehow, in order to sell it, they compared the virtues of the music with the ones fou nd in a Bob Dylan and a J.J. It had to be a major hit in the U.S.A., first, before they recognized the value of the record. And it started with this very record, in the middle of the punk era.
The only difference with the other guitarists is that his rise to stardom started when he was 29 years old, in 1977, more than a decade after all the other guitarists had made it big. His status as a composer (for soundtracks as well), producer and guest musician has grown over the years. Mark Knopfler ranks among the best guitarists in the world, along with Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Steve Cropper, Peter Green and others, too many to mention. A mature debut that surprised the punk world
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