“I don’t like my albums”: The only Dire Straits record Mark Knopfler can stand listening to
For a few reasons, the ability of Mark Knopfler is quite often overlooked when it comes to his guitar playing.
Though he may be rightly considered one of the greats by those in the know, for the most part, Knopfler’s name is too often left off your friends’ lists of the finest six-string players of all time. Which is a seriously tough run of luck considering that Dire Straits were one rock band who seemed entirely focused on the mainstream, at least for a little while.
The band had mainstream success as few rock groups can ever hope for. Smashing charts and enjoying the album sales that went with it, it is fair to say that Knopfler provided his band with strong market appeal. But it would seem that he rarely enjoyed listening back to the music he made.
Certain artists have an innate ability to emote through their instruments. Even if they don’t look like they’re doing that much onstage, the strange sounds they can squeeze out of a guitar or their voice have always left an indelible impact on every fan who has heard their music. While Mark Knopfler may have connected with millions by writing some of the most straightforward rock and roll ever made, he admitted that he only found time to return to his own work on the album On Every Street.
Before the band had hit the big time, they looked like one of the least likely bands to become rock stars. Sure, they could play their asses off every time they took to the stage, but the charisma that dominated the late 1970s with bands like Van Halen seemed completely alien to them. That didn’t stop their momentum, though, with ‘Sultans of Swing’ becoming their first major hit and the world’s introduction to Knopfler’s signature playing style.
For a group that wasn’t that concerned with image, they also easily adapted to the MTV generation. In an era flooded with artists like Madonna and Duran Duran, who relied heavily on image, the fact that Knopfler became a huge star by just throwing on a headband is a feat of accidental genius on his part.
Outside of his own star power, Knopfler was more concerned with making textures every time he got into the studio. Whether it was with his own band or working magic for Tina Turner and Bob Dylan, Knopfler was born out of the songwriting school of rock stars, looking to make songs that could stand both as exercises while also tugging at your heartstrings.
After conquering the world with Brothers in Arms, On Every Street was the band returning to their roots. While they may have had synthesisers on the last record, this album feels like the band in the room with you as you’re listening, having the same kind of authenticity you would get from listening to a record by The Band.
Even after listening to his whole discography, Knopfler said that the band’s final studio album is the only one he would willingly go back to, saying, “I don’t like my albums; I can’t listen to them. But I can listen to this one. I think one of the reasons is that I was just determined [that] everybody play together and off each other, and keep it and not mess with a lot of it”.
That kind of spontaneity is definitely translated onto the tape as well. Having studio technicians from all stripes of music, like country legend Vince Gill and world musician Manu Katche, the songs feel alive every time they come on, as if the band found a way to capture themselves, discovering the tune on the spot and laying it down before it fades into the ether.
The album also gave the band a nice way of closing the door on their career on a high note, having modest success with their singles and ‘Heavy Fuel’ even reaching the top of the rock singles charts in the US. Even though the alternative movement was on its way to leave bands like Dire Straits in the dust, Knopfler could be satisfied knowing that all of their hard work on their album has held up over the years.
