DIRE STRAITS

"Brothers in Arms" (Mercury; 1985)

Reviewed by Snidermann

If you were around an AM/FM radio playing rock music in the 70s, you heard Dire Straits' "Sultans of Swing" a lot. Great song, heard it on the radio twice in the last two days.

In 1981, MTV launched an all-video television station and by 1985, every artist just to had to have a video or two to help launch their record. Fast forward to 1985 when the band releases "Brothers In Arms." Combined with a hit song, "Money For Nothing," and the popularity of MTV and you get the video for that song. It exploded like a freight train and it seemed liked it was played every hour on the hour for years. The animation was cheesy and low resolution, however it seemed to fit the video perfectly. Also the guitar virtuoso work of one Mark Knopfler is a total standout and the story of the video made real sense. Sting from The Police lends his voice to the song to make it that much more cool. That was not the only hit on the recording by far, there is also "So Far Away," that deals with long distance love that delivers an emotional punch that is as alive today as it was almost forty years ago.

The music is very cool from start to finish. Production value is off the charts and, of course, the musicianship is outstanding. The entire project is a solid glimpse into the artwork and music of 1985..

(Editor's note: There are about a zillion different versions of this album out there, from the original CD to the more recent half-speed masters, so choose the format that suits you carefully.)

For more information, check out https://www.direstraits.com/.

Rating Guide:

A classic. This record will kick your ass.

Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.

So-so. You've heard better.

Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.

Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.

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