The best Dire Straits post, ever

Cloulda filed under "guilty pleasures"(but they really didn't start the "journey to Suckville" until that DAMN DAMN DAMN "Money For Nothing" song (and the REST of that overplayed monstrosity of an album. be hard work to become more tired of a band than I did of this one, ca.1985-6, or even under a "history lessonf for Junior", But Dire Straits have nothing so be ashamed of with their silky smooth blues/pop/jazz/swing/new-wave influenced stuff....I loved it for a while, great stuff when all lone and toking, fine lyrics to medidate to, and some complex album that take a while to get to the bottom of.

Let us begin, my Junior year in high school, and the first album "Dire Straits", they called it.....the track  "Sultans of Swing" got a lot of airplay back then, we all thought it was cool.....Mark Knopfler's sort of condescending vocals, subdued music, and of course lyrics like, "They don't give a damn abaut any trumpet playing band....it ain't what THEY call Rock N Roll......and the Sultans play CREOLE!"......fine stuff, and not the only good one on the album....."Down  to the Waterline","Six Blade Knife". "Wild West End" not only are outstanding songs which stand up and sound good in 2013, mysteriuos music, just soooooo smooth and laid back, it's like the band is a secrte society and they are letting YOU in. Temporarily, of course.

Music critics MIGHTnot agree, but I like the second album "Communique", even better.....more lyrical soundscapes, "Once Upon a Time In the West", the fantastic "Lady Writer", "Angel of Mercy", the fine "Portobelloe Belle"......I'd give the debut **** (pretty good), while this one goes to **** 1/2. Two fine albums in two tries.....these really ARE NOT hard rockin albums, on the other hand, I can't think of a single thing to compare them to, and thy KIND OF do "rock" in a subtle, odd way.

The came "Making Movies", their third album and their masterwork. Artistic and harder rocking that the earlier discs, these guys had grown up fast......side one kicks off with "Tunnel of Love", about 8 minutes long, but it rolls by as if in no time as all......the second track "Romeo and Juliet" is beautiful musically and lyrically ("Juliet says 'Godness me it's Romeo, ya nearly gimme a heart attack'....he's underneath the window, she's singing, 'Hey La, my boyfriends back'".........fantastic song, and the first side caps with he incredibly beautiful "Skateaway", IMO the best thing they've ever done. A fantastic tour de force of vinyl, don't omit side two with "Solid Rock" and the great "Espresso  Love"....classic *****-album of the early 80's.

"Love Over Gold" is a fine album is wll, taking chances with the 34 minute "Telegraph Road" and the rocking, hilarious "Industrial Disease" (also one of their best numbers......) it's a good one, not to be overlooked, they reached the top of the hill with "making Movies", this begins the journey do but it is a GOOD one (***1/2 anyway)......

The next year they released the live "Alchemy", it's kind of boring for my money, never saw them AND never imagined they'd be much on stage....(for shame, no version of "Skateaway"?), but it IS some live material before the levy broke......

The levy broke in 1985 with "Brothers In Arms".....it is NOT a bad album, but it is one that was forced upon the worl without  mercy.....besides  that humorous THE FRIRST TIME ONLY "Money For Nothing", there are MORE annoying, over played singles here ("Walk of Life", "So Far Away")....their most popular album, going away, I don't care if I never hear a note of it again, but I include for those of you who think hearing "I Want My MMMMTTTTTTTVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV" for the 10000th time is amusing.

What else we got here? Well, the final studio album's title was "On Every Street".....really I don't have much to recommend it, BUG fans, completists of course will want it. We have "Money for Nothing", which on the surface appears to be a typically lame "Greatest Hits" album, BUT it contains lots of alternante takes and remixes which make it worth the while....We have the ExtendancEP, (1983), the USA version which includes an additional track from the UK version.....as for live stuff, wehave a good bit. other than the afformetnioned :"Alchemy" we have a decent set ofBBC Sessions from 1981. "Sultans of Swing" is another double disc "greatest hits" set, without the alts and remixes of "Money For Nothing", so I am going to skip DISC 1, but will include Disc 2 as it includes  a live set from Royal Albert Hal 1986.


"On the Night" was a legitimate live release, from he early 1990's, it's something short of spectactular. Also, we have a live set from Baltimore, One From San Francisco (1985), A double set entitled "Straits to the Point" (recorded in Dublin), another double set called "Ticket to Heaven" undated), and a single disc "Live at Wolbur Alley"......these sets vary in quality, Straits never had a rep as a really stellar live act, But I have the feeling (never saw them) that they could have at least been amusing in the right frame of mind.

Anyway, gotta LOT of their stuff here, didn't realize I had so much. I'll also top it with the Mark Knopfler solo disc "Sailing To Philadelphia" which is pretty decent for that kind of thing.

These guys were different. Can't compare them much to anyone else, always a good sign......they could rock deceptively "hard" (NOT "loud), check "Espresso Love" or "Industrial Disease".....more of my high school soundtrack, and one legitimate classic album in :Making Movies......what more do ya want......this is some fine stuff, I think, perhaps you wish to differ? Than PLEASE do do!

DIRE STRAITS-01 Down to the Waterline/02 Water Of Love/03 Setting Me Up/04 Six Blade KNife/05 Southbound Again/06 Sultans of Swing/.07 In the Galley/08 Wild West End/09 Lions

COMMUNIQUE-01 Once Upon a Time In the West/02 News/03 Where Do You Think You're Going.04 Communique/05 Lady Writer/06 Angel Of Mercy/07 Portobello Belle/08 Single Handed Sailor/10 Follow Me Home

MAKING MOVIES-01 Tunnel of Lov/02 Romeo and Juliet/03 Skateaway/04 Expresso Love/05 Hand In  Hand/06 Solid Rock/07 Lez Boys

LOVE OVER GOLD-01 Telegraph Road/02 Private Investigations/03 Industrial Diseae/04 Love Over Gold/05 It Never Rains

BROTHERS IN ARMS-01 So Far Away/02 Money For Nothing/03 Walk For Life/04 Your Latest Trick/05  Why Worry/06 Ride Across the River/07 The Man's Too Strong/08 One World/09 Bothers In Arms

ON EVERY STREET-01 Calling Elvis/02 On Every Street/03  It Comes To You/04 Fade To Black/05 The Bug/06 You and Your Friend/07 Heavy Fuel/08 Iron Hand/09 Ticket To Heaven/10 My Parties/11 Planet of New Orleans/12 How Long

EXTENDEDANCEP (EP) (USA Verion)-01 Twisting By the Pool/02 Two Young Lovers/03 If I Had You/4 Badges, Posters, Stickers, T-Shirts

ALCHEMEY DISC 1-01 Once Upon a Time In the  West/2 Expresso Love/03 Romeo and Juliet/04 ove Over Gold/05 Private Investigations/06 Sultans of Swing

ALCHEMEY DISC 2-01 Two You Lovers/02 Tunnel Of Love/03 Telegraph Road/04 Solid Rock/05 Going Home (Theme From "Local Hero")

MONEY FOR NOTHING-01 Sultans of Swing/02 Down to the Waterline/03 Portobello Belle (Live Outtake from "Alchemey")/04 Twisting By The Pool (remix).05 Tunnel of Love/06 Romeo and Juliet/07 Where Do  You Think You're Going (Unreleased Mix)/08 Walk of Life/09 Private Investigations/10 Telegraph Road (Live, Remix), 11 Money For Nothing (Singel Edit)12 Brothers in arms (Edit)

ON THE NIGHT-01 Calling Elvis/02 Walk of Life/03 Heavy Fuel/04 Romeo and Juliet/05 Private Investigations/06 Your Lastest Trick/07 On  Every Street/08 You and Your Friend/09 Money For Nothing09 Brothers In  Arms

BBC SESSIONS 1981-01 Down to the Waterline/02Six Blade Knife/03Water Of Love/04 Wild West End/05 Sultans of Swing/06 Lions/07 What's the Matter baby/08 Tunnel of Love

SULTANS OF SWING (DISC 2 ONLY)-01 Calling Elvis/02 Walk of Life/03 Last Exit to Brooklyn/04 Romeo and Juliet/05 Sultans of Swing/06 Brothers in Arms/07 Money For Nothing


NEWS-LIVE BALTIMORE-01 Angel  of Mercy/02 Down to the Waterline/03 News/04 Once Upon a Time In the West/05 Private Investigations/06 Skate Away/07 Tunnel Of Love

STRAITS TO THE POINT D1 (DUBLIN)-01 Calling Elvis/02 Walk of Life/03 Romeo and Juliet/04 Heavy Fuel/05 Planet of New Orleans/06 Private Investigations/07 Sultans of Swing/08 Your Latest Trick

STRAITS TO THE POINT D2 (DUBLIN)-01On Every Street/02 I Think I Love You Too Much/03 Two Young Lovers/04 Teleegraph Road/05 Setting Me Up/06 Money For Nothing/07 Brothers In arms/08 Why Worry

TICKE TO HEAVEN D1-01 On Every Street/02 Two  Young Lovers/03 Telegraph Road/04 Money For Nothing/05  Brothers in Arms/06 Solid Rock/07 Theme From Going Home

LIVE AT WOBBURN ALLEY 1992-01 Calling Elvis/02 Walk of Life/03 Heavy Fuel/04 The Bug/05 Private Investigations/06 Sultans of Swing/07 Your Latest Trick/08 On Every Street/09 Two Young Lovers/10 Telegraph Road

SAILING TO PHILADELPHIA (KNOPFLER)-01 What Is It/02 Sailing to Philadelphia/03 Who's Your Baby Now/04 Baloney Again/05 The Last Laugh/06 Slivertown Blues/07 El Macho/08 Prairie Wedding/09 Wanderlust/10 Speedway at Nazarth/11 Junkie Doll/12 Sands of  Nevada/13 One More Matinee

SAN ANTONIO 1985 DISC 1-Sultans of  Swing/02 Why Worry/03 Walk of Life/04Two Young Lovers/05 Brothers In arms/06 Solid Rock/07 Going Home (Theme From a Local Hero)

SAN ANTONIO 1985 DISC 2-01 Ride Across the River/02 Expresso Love/03 One World/04 Romeo and Juliet/05 Money For Nothing/06 Tunnel of Love

MAN OH MAN I Had more of this stuff than I woulda guessed.....guess cause I always liked me some laid back, condescending (in it's way) and funny-cool Dire Straits......good band for a LONG time.....hope ya all enjoy dis un, been more work than I thought it wuz gonna be.......WHOLE LOTTA good stuff here, KINDA mainstream, but at the same time underappreciated. Good music. Please leve comments, requests, pictures of neighbor's 18 year old sex-pot daughter, presecription refill numbers......anything ! I am here for ya my children, I am here for ya! LOTSA LOTSA linkjs, gonna let em run all night, and we'll see where we are whe the morning time comes!