 |  | DIRE STRAITS AND MARK KNOPFLER ARE BRILLIANT |  |
I was surprised to hear that Dire Straits' Brothers In Arms had sold 29 million copies worldwide, the 3rd-best selling album of the 1980s, and the 12th best selling album of all time as I had always believed that they were my favorite band. This album is a classic (but not my favorite from them) and contains such masterpieces as So Far Away, Money For Nothing (which is their best song along with Heavy Fuel), and Walk of Life. This is great, but Love Over Gold and On Every Street were even better!
March 12, 2008| | | Commercial Peak! And That's Not A Bad Thing! | |
After moderate success only with the three albums since their eponymous 1978 debut, nobody expected the Straits to pull a career-making album out of their bag of tricks. But then, Mr. Knopfler is always full of surprises! Much like 1980's "Making Movies", this album is a track-by-track triumph; the classic "Money For Nothing" is the most memorable and famous track, all eight and a half minutes of it; the title track is a long-standing concert favorite; and the infectious "Walk Of Life" and smooth "So Far Away" still live today on adult contemporary playlists. But there's even more here - "Why Worry" is a low-key plea for letting go of pain, and the smooth jazz of "Your Latest Trick" is a sensational highlight. "The Man's Too Strong" is a worthy number with sudden, jarring power chords making sure you're listening to what the boss has to say! You can see, however, the first strains of the demise of Dire Straits in this album. Knopfler's experimentation was growing too big for the band, and he would start playing with movie scoring ("Local Hero" and "The Princess Bride") and bluegrass (check out the wonderful "Neck and Neck" with Chet Atkins) before Dire Straits would produce its swan song in 1991's "On Every Street". The band would only produce a total of six studio albums in a career spanning 13 years...but the musical legacy is timeless.
March 5, 2008A classic album, probably most famous for "Money for Nothing," but far more worthwhile for other "hits" like "So Far Away" and "Walk of Life," as well as the exceptional, atmospheric title track "Brothers in Arms."
February 2, 2008| | | Great Album at a Great Price!! | |
One of the great things about the internet to me is being able to purchase CDs of the great records that have long since been worn out. This is one of those albums and it has been such a treat to listen to the Album without skips and jumps. I believe this album was the first to really put them on the charts and it was so deserved! Go Mark Go!!!
January 24, 2008| | | A very good introduction to classic rock | |
I've only recently become a convert to more classic rock type stuff, and Brothers in Arms is the 2nd album I purchased from Dire Straits so far. I don't think it's quite as good as Sultans of Swing (Which I listen to a lot), but this is still extremely good.
Brother's in Arms is definitely a song for anyone who has been in the military. The reason why I say this is because the lyrics is more tuned into what military people feel in times of war. This is the one song that got my father extremely interested in Dire Straits as well. Brother's in Arms brings tears to his eyes every time he listens to the song - it's that emotionally moving for him. I really recommend this CD to anyone, but especially those in the military.
January 14, 2008More reviews at Amazon.com ...
(157 reviews)