Dire Straits.

Parker

Just finally got around to reading John Illsley's auto biography. I really like him and find most background stories of bands interesting, but I do generally wonder how Dire Straits became so popular, so easily and quickly. I love the usual hits like everyone else. But I have ventured off in to the albums as I've been reading the book and just find it all very MOR. It never really gets going. Knopfler has a sweet sound and technique, but it doesn't change. I feel he is a movie score musician who broke through to the mainstream. What am I missing?? 

Winny_Pooh

Listen to the first album in its entirety, the stuff that won't make it onto a greatest hits are the best part eg: in the gallery, six blade knife etc. Great observational songwriting, awesome drumming, analog recording excellence and superb guitar playing.

ICBM

And the second album, and the third album, and the fourth album! Tunnel Of Love and Telegraph Road in particular are utterly fantastic, if you don’t get those then probably Dire Straits aren’t for you.

I’m less of a fan of Brothers In Arms and On Every Street, they are beginning to sound like Knopfler solo albums, but there are still some good songs on them.

Or just get Alchemy.

darthed1981

The boy can definitely play.

Combination of dedication and devotion.

springhead

Winny_Pooh said:

Listen to the first album in its entirety, the stuff that won't make it onto a greatest hits are the best part eg: in the gallery, six blade knife etc. Great observational songwriting, awesome drumming, analog recording excellence and superb guitar playing.

Absolutely.  Plus Lady Writer from the second album.  After that it all got bland and went downhill for endless albums until they split up! 

I saw them on their final tour, Wembley Arena, a mate had a spare tickect.  Perfect sound, lighting, performance. Perfectly dull.  I saw Wilko Johnson 3 days later at the Half Moon Putney, way better gig!

Jonathangus

Probably their rise was partly due to the fact they started in the late 1970s, and played 'real' music for those who were turned off by punk and disco.  (Not knocking either of those two genres.)

Personally, Knopfler was the reason I picked up a guitar (Money For Nothing, specifically), and I don't think there's a track on any of their albums that I'd skip.

Brilliant lyrics which tell a story, fantastic melodies, incredible touch on the guitar.  (Plus usage of the volume pedal which makes Hammett's use of wah seem like an afterthought.)

But hey, no-one's saying you have to like them.

drofluf

When Sultans of Swingcame out, as @Jonathangus said, I found it a refreshing change from the music of the day.

CaseOfAce

ICBM said:

Or just get Alchemy.

This.
The version of Sultans of Swing on here just explodes - and that breakdown in the middle and they bring it back up.. just astonishing.

My fave moment on the whole album is that little riff Knopfler plays on 
Tunnel of Love after the "From Cullercoats to Whitley Bay..." - it's like a mini celtic guitar figure thing he does...

 Romeo and Juliet, Private Investigations... good grief - they did some good stuff.
It's definitely there Get Yer Ya Yas moment - a band at its absolutely peak firing on all cylinders.

A movie score musician who broke thru to the mainstream - good god..- that ain't working, that's the way you do it - you play your guitar on the MTV...  yeah right

Much like Satriani, I feel Knopfler is a case of familiarity breeds contempt. You've heard 'em so much you forget just how good they are.

Whistler

Brothers in Arms happened to be the chosen early DDD* CD that was given free with new CD players. That helped, and the video for Money for Nothing on MTV helped broaden the band's listener base.

* Digitally recorded, Digitally mixed, Digitally mastered.

LastMantra

To me dire strats are kind of a one album wonder. 
Brothers in arms is an excellent album. Never really got in to any of the others.

You don't need to like them.

Tannin

What is the difference between Dire Straits and the Mark Knopfler band,if any? 

(Asking for a friend.)

EricTheWeary

I did watch the Anderson's interview with Illsley recently. He does seem to be quite a dull man who stumbled into rock star status. I hope whoever ghost wrote his book pepped it up a bit. 

And whatever the OP is missing I’m missing it too. I have given DS and Knopfler a few goes over the years but it doesn’t work for me. 

digitalkettle

darthed1981 said:

The boy can definitely play.

Combination of dedication and devotion.

...and knowing all the chords.

ICBM

Tannin said:

What is the difference between Dire Straits and the Mark Knopfler band,if any?

The early albums were more a typical band with a dominant songwriter, then as they progressed and members were replaced they became more a solo musician with a backing band.

Much as he seems to be a nice guy, I suspect Knopfler is rather driven by his vision for the songs and may be difficult to work with. His brother David was the first casualty - after the second album - and John Illsley the only remaining original member, other than Knopfler, by Brothers In Arms. On Every Street in particular really does sound basically like one of Knopfler’s solo albums.

Tannin

^ That was always the impression I got too, though without knowing any of the detail, just a general impression from listening to albums.,

Bonus question: What was the last album I ever bought? Well, there were two, both new, then-unknown, bands who had put out promising debut albums ... Cold Chisel and Dire Straits.

(Yes, it's been a while since I bought an album. Um .. 40 years, give or take.)

CaseOfAce

ICBM said:

Tannin said:

What is the difference between Dire Straits and the Mark Knopfler band,if any?

The early albums were more a typical band with a dominant songwriter, then as they progressed and members were replaced they became more a solo musician with a backing band.

Much as he seems to be a nice guy, I suspect Knopfler is rather driven by his vision for the songs and may be difficult to work with. His brother David was the first casualty - after the second album - and John Illsley the only remaining original member, other than Knopfler, by Brothers In Arms. On Every Street in particular really does sound basically like one of Knopfler’s solo albums.

I get that impression too - it was very much a case of Knopfler's way or the highway....
but I guess you've got to be driven / have a vision in some ways if you want to make it big.

I saw Knopfler on the Notting Hillbillies tour - very awkward - he wanted to play stuff from their album - and the audience shouted themselves hoarse requesting Dire Straits songs...it was a long night.

Personally I find the Knopfler solo albums a bit dull - one of the few songs off 'em I like is What It Is from the first album - probably cos it's the closest to his old band's material.

Zoolooter

Brilliant first four albums, can’t think of another band with that kind of consistency with their initial releases.

Blueingreen

Jonathangus said:

Probably their rise was partly due to the fact they started in the late 1970s, and played 'real' music for those who were turned off by punk and disco.  (Not knocking either of those two genres.)

You could tip this the other way, though, and see them as a band clinging to an early 70s aesthetic that sounded pretty worn out at a time when there was a lot of freshness and innovation in music.  That's pretty much how I (and most of the people I knew) would have seen them at the time, although I always liked Sultans of Swing. more or less despite that.  I'd try to be a little more generous now but I still don't find them an interesting band, even though Knopfler seems like a nice bloke and an exceptional guitar player.

ArchtopDave

EricTheWeary said:

I did watch the Anderson's interview with Illsley recently. He does seem to be quite a dull man who stumbled into rock star status. I hope whoever ghost wrote his book pepped it up a bit. 

And whatever the OP is missing I’m missing it too. I have given DS and Knopfler a few goes over the years but it doesn’t work for me. 

I pre ordered the book from Waterstones, as there was a competition for one lucky person to get a Fender Bass (signed by John Illsley). The early part of the book about his early life and how Dire Straits came into being was interesting, but a lot of the book was somewhat "flat and unemotional", especially when there was any limited discussion of his own personal relationships.... he seemed to fall in love with a sequence of women, who then faded out of his life and he seemed to just move on to the next one.

Boromedic

I actually read this last month and enjoyed the story although it is very matter of fact as observed above.

I'm not sure Illsley would agree with some of the opinions on members leaving and why, I wasn't there obviously so can't comment. However it just seems getting so big, so fast scared off David and eventually Pick in the end, I think Pick had literally had enough of the whole album/tour cycle and also struggled with a couple of the recordings. I'm not sure Mark was too fussed of course as the band is built around his skill as a guitarist and songwriter. Whether there were personal gripes about control or songwriting who knows but it's not mentioned. 

Not everyone has to like them, but the first 4 albums and then Alchemy have some amazing songs and guitar playing on them. Making Movies sounds especially great, only realised recently it was Iovine!!

DLM

digitalkettle said:

darthed1981 said:

The boy can definitely play.

Combination of dedication and devotion.

...and knowing all the chords.

@thomasross20 ;