“Sultans of Swing, Telegraph Road, Romeo & Juliet, Tunnel of Love, So Far Away, Down to the Waterline, Money from Nothing… hits and what hits. Fans will tell you: when Dire Straits announced their retirement from the music scene in 1995, it felt like the end of the world for many of them. Twenty five years later, what an immense pleasure to discover this beautiful box set which revives the soul of the group.
Formed in the summer of 1977 in Deptford, England, Dire Straits were one of the most creative and surprising pop rock groups of the 80’s period. From the first album “Sultans of Swing”, Mark Knopfler (solo guitarist and singer), his brother David Knopfler (rhythm guitarist), John Illsley (bassist) and Pick Withers (drummer) will have marked the spirits with this album and this title which will become the band’s anthem. Or a handful of songs composed by Mark Knopfler which will establish the quartet as one of the pioneers of the revival of the country rock scene influenced by JJ Cale and Bob Dylan. The quartet will explode on the international scene with the success of four cult albums “Communiqué (1979), “Making Movies (1980) “Love over Gold” (1982), “Brothers in Arms” (1985) and “On Every Street” ( 1991) totaling more than 140 million copies. After the departure of David Knopfler in 1982, the many changes that occurred in the way of composing and the musical line of the group, nothing will have marred the spirit and the sound of Dire Strait. It is even remarkable that this beautiful musical entity has survived and has remained intact in the hearts of fans after the departure of Mark Knopfler in 1995. Over time, Dire Straits has even found itself stronger, bigger, and still continues today to make millions of budding guitarists dream. During his solo concerts, you have to see the hysteria of the public when Mark Knopfler begins the standards of his youth group as was the case on June 17, 2019 in Bercy.
Nicknamed “the quiet man of rock ‘n’ roll” Mark Knopfler has always been a great songwriter. Both in the way of structuring the melodies, of refining the arrangements, and in the intelligence and richness of his texts. As far as music is concerned, he often redefines the limits of blues and country-rock, infusing them with a certain finesse and lightness. Aficionados appreciate Dire Straits for its elegant titles with a universal character that spans time and touches all generations. The other asset of the quartet is the voice, mixing the phrasing of Bob Dylan with the elegant relaxation of JJ Cale, which gives this voice identifiable among a thousand. But it is above all Mark Knopfler’s formidable guitar touch, this “fingerpicking” (invented by the bluesmen and popularized by Chet Atkins!) endowed with its own style that captures the ear. Rather than delving into disco music or the glitzy FM super productions in which the 80’s were bathed, the gifted guitarist focused on the essentials: the emotion that a good song provides.
What a pleasure to rediscover the same sensations experienced when listening to these albums when they were released in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. The box set includes the group’s 6 studio albums presented in digipack format grouped together in a “mini-vinyl” box set with posters and reproductions of the original covers, as well as lyrics and credits.
A new lighting that will delight collectors and purists of the genre.
