jff Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 Hands down, my favorite band that came out in that period (late 70s - mid 80s). That's about as high as high praise gets. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
uncool2pillow Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 Saw Mark Knopfler playing with Chet Atkins on PBS last night. Pure joy. I don't listen to DS much, but when I do, I'm glad I did. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NightOfJoy Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 Now I'm going to have to put Making Movies on the turntable when I get home. Its been prolly a decade since I've had that one playing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 Money for Nothin is one of the great singles of all time. Had WXRT not played the living shit out of them over the years, I might actually have picked up their LPs used, but I have never seen any reason to listen to them at home since I know they will be played for all eternity on XRT. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tweedling Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 I think of Knopfler's knose. Not even jokin. Every time! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The Inside of Outside Posted March 13, 2010 Share Posted March 13, 2010 Some say they ended their career on top, which is true from a commercial standpoint, but creatively I think their best was Making Movies, with Love Over Gold close behind. I agree with jakobnicholas that the best cuts off of Brothers in Arms are the deeper cuts that got less airplay. Definitely an album that got way overplayed on the radio and MTV. Brothers in Arms came out in the heyday of MTV - that headband is so memorable as a result. It was also one of the first albums to sell well on CD; I remember people raving about the superior sound quality on the CD. I remember that album as a watershed in the shift from vinyl to compact disc. Saw Dire Straits in Hartford, CT on the Brothers in Arms tour. I remember being in the 20th row or so on the floor, and everyone standing on their chairs for the entire show. I got tired at one point and stood on the floor, and at head height it was a sea of asses.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
uncle tupelo Posted March 13, 2010 Share Posted March 13, 2010 kinda surprised that "Communique" hasn't been mentioned...the first half of this record is probably their best stuff....at least in my opinion anyway. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted March 13, 2010 Share Posted March 13, 2010 I was never actually all that much of a fan, but is a great song. I have the first album (on cassette) and Making Movies on vinyl. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sweet Papa Crimbo Posted March 13, 2010 Share Posted March 13, 2010 I thought Dire Straits was really in an intersting place musically until BROTHERS IN ARMS when they became another Stadium Rocker.MAKING MOVIES, COMMUNIQUE, and the Eponymous Debut were REALLY good records. I think losing Pick Withers to heroin abuse and David Knopfler to the solo career really left Mark Knopfler a little rudderless. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mountain bed Posted March 13, 2010 Share Posted March 13, 2010 That's about as high as high praise gets.I wasn't joking. I LOVE The Clash, Pretenders, early U2, and a few others, but DS really was more my style - in the era of 'skinny-tie' synth-heavy New Wave music DS really stood out. they were almost a throwback, in a way. It's kind of remarkable they were so popular, except for the fact that good songwriting is good songwriting, and the cream inevitably rises to the top. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
slice_oftheday Posted March 13, 2010 Share Posted March 13, 2010 really enjoy mk's solo stuff, as well as many of the dire straits albums he did a neat album with chet atkins called "neck and neck," like that one as well Quote Link to post Share on other sites
roadhse ma Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Dire Straits A very unique band for the period.As mentioned some songs were overplayed but all in all a Great Band I wonder if they are in the hall of fame* (they are guilty of some big omissions) Really enjoyed Mark Knoplers solo efforts Sailing to Philadelphia smoothed polished and significant. Caught MK live here in Boston 4 yrs ago He can still Flat out play. BTW he is returning this spring (SOLD OUT) here in Boston catch him if you get the chance! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
froggie Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 "Romeo and Juliet" is one of those songs that chokes me up. one of the best intro riffs i've heard Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hardwood floor Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 i saw DS back in the late 1980s and they were just fantastic was an outdoor shed show on a beautiful summer night amazing show Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 I have never seen any reason to listen to them at home since I know they will be played for all eternity on XRT. LouieB The reason is: the album cuts. They are outstanding, as well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mahinty Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 I haven't seen this much love for The Straits since 1986! They were a fairly influential band for me - the first that I really obsessed about. Although they could do no wrong when I was getting into them and discovering their back-catalogue in the 80s, the only albums that have stood the test of time for me are the first three. Don't get me wrong - there are some great moments on Love over Gold ("Oh but it's a sad reminder, when your organ grinder has to come to you for rent") and Brothers in Arms, too. Twisting Pool the Pool is also great fun. The second live album (On the night) and On Every Street were both rather pointless. I had moved on, anyway. Some truly great songs, and there are few guitarists with as distinctive a style as Knopfler. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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