Disco de Dire Straits: “Dire Straits”

Electric guitar music touches a membrane deep inside me that seems to exist for the purpose of resonating this sound alone (the only thing that touches it even more strongly is if the guitar chords are paired with a truly unusual voice). I'm sure every lover of great guitar music knows what I am talking about. Ever since I discovered that membrane years ago, I have been on the look for that special sound; be it straightforward rock, blues or folk music. However, growing up in a time when the radio airwaves were flooded with either disco or punk, depending on what station you were listening to, it wasn't always easy to find. Then one day I heard "Sultans of Swing," and my membrane resonated - all the more because this was not only a great guitarist playing but also one of the most unique voices I'd heard in a while, and the musical style seemed to defy classification, too ... it was somewhere between rock and blues, but I wasn't sure what exactly to call it.

However you define their sound, though, listening to Dire Straits' self-titled debut album almost 25 years after its publication, it is still amazing how rounded and accomplished their style was even then. The band's composition would change over the course of the years and Mark Knopfler would take them to the heights of the ambitiously-conceived "Love Over Gold" and the bestselling diversity of "Brothers in Arms," but the basic elements of the typical Dire Straits sound, recognizable throughout all those later developments, were there right from the start: Knopfler's rough, dark vocals, his signature style as a guitar player, the unique Fender sound soon associated with his name, and even little details like his tendency to introduce songs by a couple of solo guitar slides - seemingly just tossed out casually but immediately catching the listener's attention, even before the band joins him for the "real" start of the song; a feature present from the very first track on this first album, "Down to the Waterline." Their debut release was Dire Straits' most sparsely-produced record; musically it did not yet involve the more elaborate elements of Knopfler's later compositions, and it was the only release featuring only the band's original four musicians. This, in addition to the album's equally firm anchoring in rock, blues and folk music (with a little bit of country here and there) and the particularly raw tinges of Mark Knopfler's voice gave it a "down to earth" feeling not always present in the band's later recordings. Besides, Knopfler had not yet discovered the limelight of a really large concert arena (the band's name was no coincidence, after all) - he obviously always knew he was good, but many of his early songs almost became different pieces of music over the course of their live performances throughout the years; most notably, "Sultans of Swing:" just listen to the version recorded on the "Alchemy" live album five years later. Perfection? Absolutely and undeniably ... but also incredible showmanship, ignited by the cheers of the audience and by his pure joy in playing.

"Dire Straits" is much more than just a well-done debut album; it is as essential a component of the band's and Mark Knopfler's body of work as any of its successors. I disagree with those who are saying that this is the "real" Dire Straits; to me, this band (and Knopfler in particular) still defies categorization, and every one of their records first and foremost expresses the state of their musical development at the time it was recorded. But regardless where you place this particular album in their catalog, one thing is for sure: It is one of those few timeless and definite classics that will forever have a validity of their own and whose importance, if anything, only grows with the passage of the years.

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This is Dire Straits first and still their best album. Their musical skills had been finetuned playing the British club scene and they were never sharper. The first song "Down to the Waterline" seems to define the band stylistically. Lead guitarist Mark Knopfler is able to shift gears effortlessly between soft, delicate playing and harder licks, which really compliments his fine lyrics. The backing band is really tight and includes Marks brother David, who left the band after this album, on guitar and the great jazzy drumming of Pick Withers. Dire straits was in sharp contrast to the New Wave that was prevalent at the time. From the Honkytonk masterpiece "Setting Me Up" to the rich Dobro on "Water of Love" to the top ten hit "Sultans of Swing," their sound remains completely unique in popular music. Combining country and blues in a very literate form and yet evoking a kind of "urban melancholy." If you want to really learn how to play guitar, the two albums you NEED are this and Eric Clapton and Duane Allman's "Layla and other assorted love songs"

I first heard this recording in the summer of '78 - I was a guitar-playing college student in Boston and I had to find out how that Stratocaster sounded so good! No one knew who Dire Straits was, and I had to search the bins to find the LP (Sultans of Swing was still about 6 months away from becoming the monster hit it was to be). Friends and I loved the album, every track, and so when I noticed that Dire Straits was slated to play in a small local club I grabbed some tickets immediately ($4.50 each!).

The show was at the Paradise, seating about 130. The night of the show was memorable: SOS was number 1 on the charts, people were offering me $75 apiece for my tickets, and it was the second night the Mark Knopfler and Company had been in the U.S. in their lives. They came on stage looking excited and embarrassed, all wearing brand new jeans because "they are so cheap here!"

The show was just like the recording - upfront, close and personal. MK oozed a personable charisma and sounded like a million bucks, his red Strat modified with a large volume knob and a big piece of black electrical tape holding the pickup selector switch in the "#2" position. The band was tight, the arrangements spare and the songs riveting. It was clear to everyone there that night that these fellows were going places.

The CD is terrific, one of the great debuts and a guitarist's dream. Glad I didn't scalp those tickets...

I own all of the Dire Straits studio-recorded CDs, and this one will always remain my favorite. It's probably the best debut album ever. And now that it's been remastered using all the newest-latest-greatest digital technology, it's perfected.

The album starts out with the song containing probably the best solo to ever come from Mark Knopfler, "Down to the Waterline." You can hear the control he has over the guitar in this solo--his technique is perfect, the tone is beautiful, THAT is what a Stratocaster should sound like.

The album continues with "Water of Love" and "Setting Me Up," the type of addicting songs that you hear once and they're stuck in your head for the rest of the day. The lyrics are fun and witty, and the guitar playing is so inventive. "Setting Me Up" should get the attention of guitar players. "Six Blade Knife" is a fun song to listen to--I like the lyrics quite a bit. The music is very simplistic. "Southbound Again" is probably my least favorite song on the album--even after listening to this album so many times, it still just doesn't interest me.

Then comes "Sultans of Swing," and what else can I say about this song that hasn't already been said? The song tells a story of an old jazz band. The chord changes rock, the solo is amazing, the lyrics are great. Probably the song that true music aficionados will remember them for.

After that comes "In The Gallery," then "Wild West End," another one of my favorites. I like to visually what MK is talking about in the lyrics of this song. He's got a way with words that I like--things like "Excuse me talking I wanna marry you / this is seventh heaven street to me / don't seem so proud / you're just another angel in the crowd." It's an easy song to play on the guitar as well. After that song you have "Lions," which is kind of an odd song--another one that I haven't really been able to get into.

Dire Straits is my favorite band, and this is my favorite album from them. It gets five stars, even considering the two songs I don't really care for. There are few bands I listen to whose debut albums I like better than anything else they've put out. I don't think any other Dire Straits album has as many great songs on it. If you're new to Dire Straits, definitely get this one first.

The best word I've heard to describe Mark Knopfler's guitar-playing on this Dire Straits' debut is: finicky. He is so precise and has such a light, airy touch to his solos, that sometimes I find myself pining for one hard sustained chord. That being said, this is a wonderful CD.

I don't play the instrument, but I have a sense that Knopfler is a guitarist's guitarist. And in this setting, his playing is clearly the raison d'etre for the band. I've always found it ironic that the hit single here is "Sultans of Swing", dedicated to a "trumpet playing band", when there's nary a brass horn on this CD and Knopfler's solos are so riveting you can't possibly want to hear anything else for awhile.

I've heard enough Joe Satriani on the radio to know that a great guitar-playing doesn't necessarily equal great music. Lucky for us, "Dire Straits" songwriting is more than competent, and presents a satisfying blend of tempos, alternatively jumpy or brooding; and Knopfler makes the most of his limited range as a singer.

A solid first effort.