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This 22-cut double-disc set finally gets at it. Issuing a single disc of Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler would be a silly thing at best and a hopelessly frustrating one at worst. When the band burst on the scene with "Sultans of Swing," there was a lot happening in rock music, but most of it was under the radar and remains forgotten except in the historic annals of music fanatics. Knopfler and his band were full of rock & roll romance and proved it through their first four recordings time and again. They couldn't help but become superstars and mainstays of MTV. But there is another story told on this best-of, which begins with "Telegraph Road." The story-songs Knopfler wrote were always the best anyway, and this set is full of them, from "Sultans" to "Romeo & Juliet," "Skateaway," "So Far Away," "Walk of Life," and (of course) "Brothers in Arms," which made for the most dramatic marriage of the little screen and rock music when it was featured in the closing sequence of an episode of Miami Vice. But there are many other stops along the way, like "Private Investigations," "Sailing to Philadelphia," "Going Home" (from Local Hero), and "The Long Road" (from Cal). But "On Every Street," "Calling Elvis," and "What It Is" are here, too, making for a wonderfully rounded if argumentative best-of collection that goes the distance and explains sonically what all the fuss was about in the first place. There's the guitar sound that's as much Tony Joe White as it is J.J. Cale and Billy Gibbons, and the elegance of James Burton and Chet Atkins. There is soul, pathos, drama, and a bittersweet memory that Van Morrison first evoked on Astral Weeks and Saint Dominic's Preview. There is a new cut here as well, a duet with Emmylou Harris called "All the Roadrunning," taken from an upcoming collaborative album, and it's nice -- beautiful, in fact -- and keeps the line of continuity and excellence in perspective. This is not only a fine collection for fans because of its wonderful sequencing, but the best introduction to the man and the band that one could ask for.
© Thom Jurek /TiVo
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Muff Winwood, Producer - Mark Knopfler, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - John Illsley, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Dire Straits, MainArtist - David Knopfler, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - David Withers, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1978 Mercury Records Limited
Alan Clark, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Mark Knopfler, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Hal Lindes, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John Illsley, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Dire Straits, MainArtist - David Withers, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1982 Mercury Records Limited
Mark Knopfler, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - ROY BITTAN, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy Iovine, Producer - John Illsley, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Dire Straits, MainArtist - David Withers, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1980 Mercury Records Limited
Richard Rodgers, ComposerLyricist - Oscar Hammerstein II , ComposerLyricist - Mark Knopfler, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - ROY BITTAN, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy Iovine, Producer - John Illsley, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Dire Straits, MainArtist - David Withers, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1980 Mercury Records Limited
Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Neil Dorfsman, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ed Walsh, Synthesizer Programming, AssociatedPerformer - Alan Clark, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Mark Knopfler, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Mike Mainieri, Vibraphone, Marimba, AssociatedPerformer - Barry Bongiovi, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Hal Lindes, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John Illsley, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Dire Straits, MainArtist - David Withers, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1983 Mercury Records Limited
Sting, ComposerLyricist - Neil Dorfsman, Producer - Mark Knopfler, Producer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Dire Straits, MainArtist
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
OMAR HAKIM, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Neil Dorfsman, Producer - Alan Clark, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Mark Knopfler, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Guy Fletcher, Synthesizer Programming, AssociatedPerformer - John Illsley, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Dire Straits, MainArtist
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
OMAR HAKIM, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Neil Dorfsman, Producer - Alan Clark, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Mark Knopfler, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Guy Fletcher, Synthesizer Programming, AssociatedPerformer - John Illsley, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Dire Straits, MainArtist
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
Jeff Porcaro, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Neil Dorfsman, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Alan Clark, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Mark Knopfler, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Guy Fletcher, Synthesizer Programming, AssociatedPerformer - John Illsley, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Dire Straits, Producer, MainArtist
℗ 1991 Mercury Records Limited
Mark Knopfler, Composer, Producer, Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1983 Mercury Records Limited
Jimmy Nail, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Cousins, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jon Bailey, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jake Jackson, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mark Knopfler, Producer, Co-Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - CHUCK AINLAY, Producer, Mixer, Co-Producer, StudioPersonnel - John Saylor, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Tim Healy, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2002 Mercury Records Limited
Richard Bennett, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Chad Cromwell, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Glenn Worf, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Mark Knopfler, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - CHUCK AINLAY, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Rupert Coulson, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jim Cox, Organ, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Guy Fletcher, Engineer, Organ, Piano, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2004 Straightjacket Songs Ltd.
Richard Bennett, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Jon Bailey, Assistant Mixer, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - DENNY PURCELL, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Aaron Swihart, Assistant Mixer, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Aubrey Haynie, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Chad Cromwell, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Glenn Worf, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Mark Knopfler, Producer, Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - CHUCK AINLAY, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Jim Cox, Hammond Organ, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Jonathan Russell, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Graham Lewis, Assistant Mixer, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Guy Fletcher, Keyboards, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Mark Ralston, Assistant Mixer, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Mercury Records Limited
Richard Bennett, Bouzouki, AssociatedPerformer - Emmylou Harris, MainArtist - Graham Meek, Unknown, Other - Chad Cromwell, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Glenn Worf, Upright Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Mark Knopfler, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - CHUCK AINLAY, Producer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Glen Duncan, Unknown, Other - Rupert Coulson, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jim Cox, Organ, AssociatedPerformer - John Saylor, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Guy Fletcher, Accordion, Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Mark Ralston, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2005 Will D. Side Limited
Album review
This 22-cut double-disc set finally gets at it. Issuing a single disc of Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler would be a silly thing at best and a hopelessly frustrating one at worst. When the band burst on the scene with "Sultans of Swing," there was a lot happening in rock music, but most of it was under the radar and remains forgotten except in the historic annals of music fanatics. Knopfler and his band were full of rock & roll romance and proved it through their first four recordings time and again. They couldn't help but become superstars and mainstays of MTV. But there is another story told on this best-of, which begins with "Telegraph Road." The story-songs Knopfler wrote were always the best anyway, and this set is full of them, from "Sultans" to "Romeo & Juliet," "Skateaway," "So Far Away," "Walk of Life," and (of course) "Brothers in Arms," which made for the most dramatic marriage of the little screen and rock music when it was featured in the closing sequence of an episode of Miami Vice. But there are many other stops along the way, like "Private Investigations," "Sailing to Philadelphia," "Going Home" (from Local Hero), and "The Long Road" (from Cal). But "On Every Street," "Calling Elvis," and "What It Is" are here, too, making for a wonderfully rounded if argumentative best-of collection that goes the distance and explains sonically what all the fuss was about in the first place. There's the guitar sound that's as much Tony Joe White as it is J.J. Cale and Billy Gibbons, and the elegance of James Burton and Chet Atkins. There is soul, pathos, drama, and a bittersweet memory that Van Morrison first evoked on Astral Weeks and Saint Dominic's Preview. There is a new cut here as well, a duet with Emmylou Harris called "All the Roadrunning," taken from an upcoming collaborative album, and it's nice -- beautiful, in fact -- and keeps the line of continuity and excellence in perspective. This is not only a fine collection for fans because of its wonderful sequencing, but the best introduction to the man and the band that one could ask for.
© Thom Jurek /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 14 track(s)
- Total length: 01:17:05
- Main artists: Mark Knopfler Dire Straits
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: EMI
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 2005 Mercury Records Limited ℗ 2005 Mercury Records Limited
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