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Brothers in Arms

Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms Audio CD

A fair review of the Dire Straits "Brothers in Arms" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Dire Straits reviews here, or go back to the Dire Straits tabs.

Band: Dire Straits
Title: Brothers in Arms
Rating:

Release Date: 1990-10-25
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: So Far Away 2: Money for Nothing 3: Walk of Life 4: Your Latest Trick 5: Why Worry 6: Ride Across the River 7: Man's Too Strong 8: One World 9: Brothers in Arms

Classic Dire Straights!
I purchased this to replace my lost copy of this "album. What more to say. ".

Brilliant
Having replaced an old CD with this one i knew what to expect. Received this album in record time and thoroughly enjoyed it. Good selection of material and good quality. Can't go wrong. Brothers in Arms, Walk of Life, So Far Away. All the classics.

A Career Highlight From Dire Straits
At this point, only band leader/songwriter Mark Knopfler (guitar/vocals) and John Illsley (bass) remained from the original line-up now completed by Alan Clark/Guy Fletcher (keyboards), and drummer Omar Hakim. "Brothers in Arms" (1985) became the band's biggest selling album ever! It consists of nine excellent compositions that feature the band's trademark guitar-based sound but with a noticeable addition of synths and keyboards. I really like the album's cover concept with the pink letters against the blue background that makes for a good color combination. The National Style 0 Resonator guitar model is a very expensive one but it has a brilliant sound! I heard somebody try it out in a guitar shop!

"So Far Away" is introduced by Illsley's thumping bass with Hakim keeping the time on his hi-hat on this laid back rock/pop number that became a notable radio hit. You'll notice that the dominant instrument is the synthesizer instead of Mark's guitar. However that quickly changes with "Money For Nothing", a tune that Mark co-wrote with The Police member Sting who also sings as well. The atmospheric intro with the unforgettable lyrics "I Want My MTV" is a bit misleading since before long, a drum improvisation (actually played by Terry Williams instead of Hakim; his only contribution) comes in and the song becomes the album's most rocking with Knopfler using distortion on his guitar. Another unexpected thing is the song's length: 8:24! I remember when I heard it for the first time I kept looking at the time on my stereo. . . I could have never guessed it was going to be that long! Anyway, it is one of their best!
The seemingly rockabilly influenced "Walk Of Life" comes next. The most remarkable aspect here is the catchy keyboard line used throughout but suddenly "Your Latest Trick" changes the style dramatically. It's a laid back jazz number with an amazing performance from Michael Brecker on saxophone! Still there are some occasional bursts of guitar from Mark too. Refusing to stay the same, "Why Worry" now heads in a folk direction. Mark's soft vocal delivery fits perfectly here. This song's length is also unexpected: 8:25! Nice keyboard work towards the end.
"Ride across the River" is the first of the album's three songs with lyrics about war. Musically, it is heavy on tribal percussion, a pan flute player, and a horn section contribution from session musician Dave Plews. A great melodic guitar solo is featured in the middle while towards the end his playing becomes trippier utilizing a delay effect.
Knopfler brings back the acoustic guitar for "The Man's Too Strong". Lyrically, the theme of war is back. It is a quiet song that slowly builds to a crescendo with those loud chords played in the chorus. I really like the lead slide guitar that pops up in between the verses. "One World" is the other more rock based composition with a brilliant performance from Mark on lead guitar. Also his vocal delivery kind of reminded me of Hendrix's on his song "Gypsy Eyes" from the "Electric Ladyland" LP. It is the shortest number clocking at about three minutes and a half; such an overlooked gem for me!
Hold it right there though! Closing the LP comes the excellent title cut, another anti-war song. Fantastic lead guitar throughout! Very melodic, each note that Knopfler plays is memorable here! Towards the end there's a bit of keyboard soloing as well. A good farewell!

If you are looking for great rock/pop music from the 80's, this LP from Dire Straits is a good addition to your collection!
Thanks for taking the time to read!
Later.

Brothers in Arms, Dire Straits
Great music with unusual and appealing guitar riffs. One of the enduring bands of the eighties. Knopfler has a quiet, intense style that carries a punch at times, while at other times he creates a feeling of desire and longing and a sense of nostalgia for things past, such as in songs like 'Brothers in Arms' and 'Walk of Life'. They withstand the test of time because they deal in eternal verities - loss/betrayal/love/consumerism/war and violence. .

Don't Spend More Money For Nothing
I've bought this album more than once, so I do like it. Everyone knows this album so I'm not going to review the content all over again. It's a great classic.

The issue to me is what do you get when you buy the resissued, remastered versions? I've carefully listened to most of the Dire Straits remasters. The Japanese SHM-CDs, especially the early albums, sound phenomenal. Most are well worth the money. However, something changes when you get to the 1985 Brothers In Arms album. It's only slightly better then previous versions. It still sounds thin like a digital recording. Why ? Because it is. In my opinion they made a bad choice when they chose to do a full digital recording, which back in 1984-85 was new and untested technology in the early years of the digital recording era.

The Analog to Digital Converters are far better now and they keep getting better. Great news for continually remastering old analog recordings. But not for Brothers in Arms because they can't go back. The binary bits are the same as when they were set in stone nearly 25 years ago. For the same reason releasing this album on vinyl or SACD makes absolutely no sense to me either. Though it may make business sense for the record company. Thus, take it for what is is, one of the first entirely digital recorded albums. .

You can see a complete list of all Dire Straits discography, or go back to the Dire Straits tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.