Any Dire Straits fans out there?

[Dirty Hippie]

Mark Knopfler is so amazing. I once heard Chet Atkins say that he was the only guitar player he had ever heard in concert that he had actually bought a ticket to see.

BTW: A funny Chet Atkins story I heard along time ago.

He was on a cruise on a sailboat and in the evening he would play his guitar on deck and the crew would listen. After several evenings one of the crewmembers said to him, “man your good but you ain’t no Chet Atkins!”

For those who have only heard Dire Straits on the radio, their best stuff did not generally get much air time.

[jonnyblitz]

1. I stopped listening to them after "I want my MTV" song came out..

when I was a young I liked them...

[Dirty Hippie]

3. As I said

the stuff that was on the radio was not their best.

[jobycom]

5. If that song hadn't gotten so much airplay you'd be screaming it was

underrated. It was a great song.

And they did a lot of stuff afterwards, too. Knopfler also composed the Princess Bride soundtrack, which has its haunting moments.

[jonnyblitz]

14. I hear you. The song 's message is a good one too..

And "haunting" is an apt description for one of their songs that I absolutely love which, if i remember correctly, is called "Brothers in Arms".

[Catch22Dem]

2. Correct me if I'm wrong

But didn't they initially attempt to get Vince Gill who instead decided to go solo after Pure Prarie League?

There are several incredible guitar players who never get the credit they deserve. Knopfler is one of them.

Also:
Ricky Skaggs
Lindsey Buckingham

[jobycom]

4. True for all three

Especially Buckingham. Knopfler gets some credit, and Skaggs gets a lot of notice from country/blue grass fans. Buckingham somehow gets overlooked. His work on their Live double album was nice.

[jpgray]

6. Their first album is amazing

The second one is abysmal. I don't remember anything else. :)

Brothers in Arms was cool, and so was Money for Nothing, even if Sting ripped himself off for his guest appearance. Don't Stand So Close to Me anyone?

[proud patriot]

7. Romeo and Juliet is one of my favorite songs

My dad turned me on to Dire Straits when I was a kid .

[I AM SPARTACUS]

8. first album - self titled - 'Sultans of Swing' a perfect classic

1. Down to the Waterline
2. Water of Love
3. Setting Me Up
4. Six Blade Knife
5. Southbound Again
6. Sultans of Swing
7. In the Gallery
8. Wild West End
9. Lions

[jpgray]

9. I love six blade knife!

That's a great song.

[dani]

10. earlier tonight I was listening to

"The Ragpicker's Dream" by Mark Knopfler. It's a great album IMO.

[mac56]

11. First album (self titled) is a classic.

"Sultans of Swing" and "Down To The Waterline" are two of my all time favorites.

"Making Movies" is also a classic.

Knopfler wrote and performed the soundtrack from "Local Hero". I highly recommend it.

[GOPisEvil]

12. I agree with your assessment of Dire Straits.

Some (1st album and Making Movies) are classics. Others aren't that good. I have a love/hate relationship with Brothers In Arms, because it has some really good tunes that were horribly overplayed.

[Coffee Coyote]

26. the cheesy "Walk Of Life"

Keeps it from being an undeniable classic. May be my least favorite DS song of all time, and on an otherwise stellar album.

That reminds me of why I hate the radio though. I swore off of it a few years ago, so now I can listen to some old songs again that were worn thin by overuse.

"Local Hero" is great, and I really recommend "Love Over Gold", which doesn't have anything overplayed, lol.

[SiouxJ]

18. Local Hero is amazing!!!

One of the all time great soundtracks!! I love "Going Home" - beautiful! Yes, I agree, if you are a Knopfler fan and you don't have the Local Hero soundtrack, run, don't walk.

Great film too btw.

:hi: Mac!

[mac56]

23. I knew you'd like it too!

:loveya:

The song by Knopfler and Gerry Rafferty, "The Way It Always Starts", always gives me chills.

[greyl]

13. After hearing the song Brothers in Arms

in an episode of Miami Vice, I became a fan. :)

Probably one of the most powerful sequences ever for that show.
(Second would be when they used Godley and Creme's "Cry".)

[ProfessorGAC]

15. First Two Albums Were Great

After that, blah!

My wife and i saw them at the Uptown theater in Chicago on the tour for the 2nd album. We had 3rd row dead center. We were less than 15 feet from Knoppfler.

I think i lost my interest in Mark when he stopped playing that clean, glassy tone. He bought a distortion unit and i quit caring.
The Professor

[Coffee Coyote]

16. my first CD was "Brothers In Arms"

The album had been out for about 6 months, and when I found out the tracks were longer than on vinyl, I had to get it. I had been a fan since the debut.

Favorite songs: "In The Gallery", "Down To The Waterline", "Ride Across The River", "Telegraph Road", and "The Man's Too Strong".

Favorite album: Tie between "Brothers In Arms" and the debut.

"Communiqué" is just a rehash of the debut, which Knopfler admitted as such because the record company demanded it. He got even by putting out epic length songs on "Making Movies". I feel "Love Over Gold" did this to better effect, and it remains their most underrated album.

Knopfler is great, but damn was he ever boring on the Notting Hillbillies album, and "On Every Street" was deservedly a wash. But he got back on track with his solo debut "Sailing To Philadelphia". Haven't heard the new solo effort yet.

[mac56]

24. I really liked "Lady Writer" off of "Communique".

Admittedly a rehash of "Waterline" and "Sultans", but a great song.

I've also always had a soft spot for "So Far Away" off of "Brothers In Arms". What a great hook.

[GumboYaYa]

17. When I worked on the set of Nashville Now,

we were doing a tribute show to Chet Atkins. The guests on the show included Chet, Mark Knopfler and Earl Klugh.

Before we started shooting I got to sit in the trailer with those three as they jammed on acoustic guitars. To this day it is one of the most amazing musical experiences I ever had.

I didn't think Knopfler would be able to hold his own with a jazz great like Klugh or a legend like Chet. Not only did he hold his own, he blew me away. The guy can play jazz and classical just as well as he rocks. He is an unbelievably good guitar player.

[GOPisEvil]

19. The album Knopfler did with Chet had some amazing guitar work.

I can't imagine seeing the two of them together. Adding Klugh to the mix is damn-near overkill! :wow:

[Jokerman]

20. Industrial Disease (great protest song)

From the "Love Over Gold" album is one of my all time favorites.


They want to have a war to keep their factories
They want to have a war to keep us on our knees
They want to have a war to stop us buying Japanese
They want to have a war to stop industrial disease


Two men say they're Jesus,
One of them must be wrong.

[davidinalameda]

21. MEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEME

I LOVE Dire Straits!!!!

Old stuff, newer stuff, solo stuff, whatever.

the music is the best!

[chenGOD]

22. I like Dire Straits but....

i think I prefer the Notting Hillbillies. Style is much more suited to Knopfler's guitar playing.

[mac56]

25. Country band Highway 101 does a great cover of "Setting Me Up."

Knopfler originally wrote it for Waylon Jennings.

[LWolf]

27. Yes.

:hi: