Brothers In Arms

Was not expecting this to feel like a country rock album.

I've heard this before and it's good but I feel like I'm missing something because it doesn't really stand out as anything special to me. Top tier guitar playing though

Still a great album. Not quite a 4 but better than a 3?

Despite my initial resistance to its length, Brothers in Arms rewards patience with an impressive range of sound across its nearly hour long runtime. While the album can at times feel sprawling, Dire Straits use that space to demonstrate a remarkable stylistic breadth. The standout moment arrives in the closing track, “Brothers in Arms,” a seven minute ballad told from the perspective of a dying soldier. Anchored by restrained synthesizers and a slow building, hypnotic guitar solo, the song show cases the post-punk attitude this band is know for. Its stark anti-war messaging lingers long after the album ends, effectively overshadowing some of the weaker moments elsewhere on the record. Tracks like “Money for Nothing,” “Your Latest Trick,” and the buoyant “Walk of Life” highlight the band’s technical precision and genre fluency. Brothers in Arms may not be my personal favorite, but its ambition, sonic variety, and cultural significance—especially as one of the defining albums of the CD era—make it well worth a listen.

So atmospheric! Enjoyed the experience but probably won’t be coming back to it. Instrumentals were absolutely beautiful, I’d definitely recommend it to some people. Favorite tracks: so far away, the man’s too strong

3/9 bekannt 6,5/10 Beste Songs: Walk of Life, Brothers in Arms, Money for nothing

Not bad. The songs I knew from the radio have been so overplayed I can't enjoy them anymore. But the rest of the record was good.

I was expecting to like this more than I did. Maybe for it to rival their debut album which I gave a 5/5. But this album was too polished? Too soft? Too much of that synth piano and weirdly placed smooth jazz? Too... something. Even the hits "Money for Nothing" and "Walk of Life" fall short of expectations in the context of the former album. I miss the guitar heavy tunes of their origins. "Brothers in Arms" is a jam though.

First 3 songs are classics. Then the songs started to slow down and I didn't like it as much. 3.5/5

Some jams and then some filler making this a solid 3 album for me. “Walk of Life” is one of those tracks I’ve sung along to on the radio for years and, frankly, never knew it was Dire Straits. Now I know!

Honestly, this one felt like nothing special to me. Their self-titled which we got a while ago was cool and bluesy if a bit samey, but this one went headlong into 80s pop rock, a sound I'm overall less interested in.

For an album that sold so many copies and had so many hits, it was just kind of ok to me. And some of the songs definitely went on for entirely too long.

It's very nice to hear how well they fleshed out their sound since their self-titled, which I enjoyed a lot despite it being a bit one-note. There's much more variety from track to track here, and they even managed to transition into the 80s without falling into its usual trappings! Guitar John still knows all the chords! Since I'm rating this as an album listen, I do think it hits a few lulls here and there, which would be fine if they didn't go on for up to 8 minutes. Too many of these tracks fail to justify their length -- even Money For Nothing is pushing it!! When it's good, though, it's awesome. And it made me rediscover a couple of nostalgic bangers! Standouts: So Far Away • Money For Nothing • Walk Of Life • Ride Across The River

I mean it’s good I kind of thought it would be better I guess maybe it just wasn’t exactly my vibe or what I expected

Recognize some of the songs. Pretty good album overall. It gets more folky the longer you listen though lmao

Not bad, a lot of it I kind of zoned out, it easily becomes background music. Also, I guess I’ve never heard the non-radio version of Monwy for Nothing, a lot of F slurs! I get it’s from a different time and I think the context was almost mocking people who use the term, I was just surprised because I’ve heard that song a ton on the radio.

A solid listen with notable songs, I wasn't super into it but enjoyed it enough to praise

Good

Money For Nothing plus a few other tracks I enjoyed, the rest a bit nothing for me

2 Lieder fand ich nicht schlecht, aber finde Diere Straits generell eher langweilig. Das Album war auch nicht viel besser.

Listened. 3.5/5

Catchy album with a mix of pop songs and some more jazz influenced numbers. The singles work and I think the main problem with this album is some tracks just run on too long. While Knopfler's song crafting continues a pace on this record not everyone's a winner, despite this being a massive hit.

I enjoy a handful of songs from Dire Straits, but it always surprises me how quickly this album loses steam after Walk of Life.

Before Listening: Is this the album with the song that has the f-slur? Guess we’ll find out! After Listening: Yep, that’s the one. Besides that song, this one wasn’t too bad. I really enjoyed the orchestration and lyrically, it was pretty strong.

An ode to intro’s! I miss those nowadays!

I’m a fan.

Money for nothing will always be a crazy listen and makes up for the rest of the album falling a little flat

Enjoyed this Favourite tracks- your latest trick, brothers in arms, and money for nothing

Weird very listen able

Highlights - big iron, El Paso, they’re hanging me tonight

Loved this entry. Love some Straits, even Dire ones. Great vocals and arrangements BUT that gay slur in Money for Nothing puts a different light on things in today's society. Doesn't make or break my appreciation for the talents of this group, just underscores awareness. Listened before? N Saved tracks? Y Favorite tracks? So Far Away, Walk of Life, ⭐⭐⭐ Liked it. Saved a couple tracks.

I mean Money for Nothing and Walk of Life are bangers, but the rest of the album kinda bored me. Maybe One World as an exception to that rule. 3/5

Best prima, kende wel veel eigenlijk. Vroeger toch best vaak geluisterd en gehoord.

I didn't realize that I knew some of these songs... but only through other sources. The Weird Al parody Beverly Hillbillies is way better than the original.

Songs are good and all but some of it just is too smooth for me and it infected everything in music for about 7 years.

have heard some of these songs before! enjoyed. one song had f slur and i was too tired to determine if it was reasonable lmao. sounds kinda like bob dylan but not?

Not super my vibe but had fun!

Klasika 80' tých rokov. Dire straits majú aj lepší album, ale pre mainstream je tento asi najpočúvanejší.

One of the big sounds of the 80's. For those who grew up in or follow the pop culture of Anglophone countries, this album contains some of the most recognisable songs of the era. The problem is that it sounds not only dated (thinly EQ'd drums), but there's a few filler tunes towards the 2nd half of the album. This was one of many sounds that was created for those that don't have any strong feelings about music. It's instantly accessible and save for a few songs, rather forgettable.

The famous songs are good

Money For Nothing is such a great song. Outside the two big hits, this is kind of boring though.

Flowed really well. Found new song I liked. Overall it is good. I'd give a 3.5 if I could

I liked the songs at the beginning of the album more than the songs at the end.

3.5/5 Really liked but there's only two songs that I would actually listen to casually, well produced

This may be dad rock, but I enjoyed it. Walk of Life is a tune, and I enjoyed Money for Nothing too. Think most of the heavy lifting is done by the first half of the album though, it drops off markedly in the latter end. Fun album to get started with!

A couple of hits and quite a but of rambling. The guitar work is absolutely the selling point here. There's definitely a few things that didn't age well as far as lyrics goes, but it was a different time and you do need to look at the context of it all. Still very cringe when you hear it at first. Not terrible, but also kind of drags on by the end.

SO 80s. A couple of amazing songs. Versy nostalgic. Good listen

starts off a little groovy. i actually really like how the first half and the last half have different vibes but the instrumental only parts did drag on a little at times.

Mellow and melodic, I was surprised to hear a few familiar songs at the top that I hadn’t known were Dire Straits (except of course, Money for Nothing). The production and tones are enjoyable, but I would say the tracks run a bit too long. End of album lagged, lost interest.

Only didn't listen to 2 songs cause they were too long but good album

This is another classic 80's album. And classic in the way in which you can tell its from the 80's.

Ah yes, the early days of CD. “Have you heard Brothers in Arms? It’s a DDD recording. Incredible sound quality” 40 years later, nobody really gives a hoot, and what’s at heart a mediocre album can’t hide behind the plaudits of mid 80’s audiophiles. God, I hate walk of life. Always have, always will. Scrapes a 3 because I still have a soft spot for the title track all these years later.

Not the best Dire Straits album but it’s still ok after all these years. Surprised it’s on this list.

Idk... 2.5

Surprised to enjoy most songs except the hits. The hits on this record are so overplayed, and I find the production to be sparse and cheesy, albeit mixed fairly cleanly- just feels too lean to me. But most tracks are long, drawn out with really nice elements, the synths are fun- cliche at times but at other times pretty pleasant and interesting melodically. Also surprisingly long. The synths and verbs give the mix and music a great feeling of vastness and space I’m not used to hearing with this kind of music. Unfortunately this record is still core dad rock. F-slur usage, although the context is understandable, still ain’t it- even if satire, still runs the risk of some numpty ignoring the songs context and thinking it’s alg to call people that. Give that a miss for me. But yeah I actually enjoyed most songs bar the well known ones. Finally song was a nice outro. 3.95

Enjoyed that was more than expected.

OK

3.0

Light 3,5

I really liked this! Think it started out great and the first 3 track run is amazing. For me personally it dipped a little with the following two tracks, however then picked back up after that. I think in terms of favourite songs I’d have to obviously go with Money For Nothing, and then I really loved The Man’s So Strong. So yeah really loved this, and to me there are points in this album that have the best sounding guitar ever.

Spotify bio describes Dire Straits as “melancholy” and a I couldn’t agree more. It’s not a breakup album, it’s a grey rainy day, contemplative sound. Many of the songs on the album have a variety of instruments and solos, the music itself is great and I could probably listen to an instrumental or karaoke version of this album. As for the vocals, it’s not my cup of tea. The lyrics are vague and a bit cryptic at times and the lead singers voice often feels like he is more talking than singing and to me doesn’t have a great tune. As for individual songs, I was immediately drawn to Your Latest Trick and Ride across the River.

It’s alright, not bad but just not something I’d listen to again. Music & instrumentals are cool, bluesy. Fav song : Walk Of Life

Voix nulle heureusement qu'on est là pour knopfler, tendance à faire des chansons longues pour rien. Might grow on me though 3.25/5 1. Sympa 2. 🎸🎸🎸 Micro-ondes prime 3. Le clavier est dégueulasse supplément country pas fou assez oubliable 4. Saxo miam 5. Jolie mais on s'ennuie 6. Pareil c'est long pour pas grand chose 7. Jsp quoi en penser c du Dylan country aggressif 8. Envie de manger la basse 9. Enfin une chanson chill et banger

Walk of Life and Money for Nothing are bangers, but the rest of the album is sort of subdued easy-listening milquetoast 3.4

Classique ! Rock à papa J’adore Walk of line mais j’avoue que ce n’est pas mon groupe préf

liked

i feel like everyone’s dad loves this album

Wel leuk

It's got some famous classic hits on it, but the rest of the album is relatively weak compared to their other works

Cosy or terribly bland. You decide. It's too bland for me, but I can't say I dislike it.

Classic 80s rock 🤘

Nice memories of high school. Made Violet dance and do air guitar.

Loved the first album of theirs that I got from the generator, but was not moved by this album the same way. I was very unimpressed and not moved by any song in particular.

Kansikuvasta ei hirveästi yllätä että tämä akustinen kitara sointuu melko makeasti levyllä. On tässä yhteiskunnallista dialogiakin, lähinnä sodanvastaista ja muuta pikku kivaa.

Don’t get the hype. Fine easy listening fare

Guitar is good obviously. But it isn’t doing a huge amount for me overall.

The production is great, but the songs aren't that interesting when it comes down to it.

Started strong, lots of feels from days of yore.

I don't "get it" Best Song: Money for Nothing Rating: 5.5/10 Stars: 3

Classic

A bit too polished, bland, commercial, and some of the songs seem to just blend into each other. They also go on too long, and some of the synth and brass sounds dated. But there are definitely some catchy songs (“Money For Nothing” my favourite with Sting singing about MTV in the background) and Knopfler’s voice has a nice Dylan quality to it.

Couple good Songs

Dire Straits är alltid Dire Straits och många av de här låtarna har man ju hört tusen gånger. Jag skulle nog inte säga att de är right up my alley men är trivsamma att ha i bakgrunden. Denna skiva skulle passa super att ha som vinyl.

A few decent tracks in the vein of classic dad rock. The rest of the album is just ok. It’s kinda there. Not really doing anything. You don’t really need them

not for me, but good tunes.

Not bad

Ok. Couldn’t really get into it

Good stuff. 3.7

Video killed the radio star quality regardless of some dated lyrics.

This is a pretty badass album cover. There's nothing this can be other than new wave, right? I've never heard of Dire Straits before and have nothing else to really say going in, so hopefully I'm right in my genre prediction for a change. Pop rock. I have buried both of my fists in the drywall and am carefully typing out this review with my little toesies. This is pretty good. I can't help but feel like I'm sitting in a vast plane staring out at the clouds while listening to this. There's a grand, atmospheric feel to this album is what I'm tryna say. I appreciate this pairing of mellow songwriting with pleasing vocals, and the level of variety on display with the instrumentals is pretty admirable, too. I'll have to give this one another listen sometime down the line. "So Far Away" is solid. The vocal melody is pretty alright, and I can appreciate the mellow instrumental, too. "Money For Nothing" is vaguely familiar. It's a pretty alright song. The chorus is solid, and I can appreciate the cool, subdued instrumental. I like the funky-looking early 3D in the music video, too. "Your Latest Trick" is a nice pivot. The subdued instrumental and sax interludes are pretty nice, though it's the distant, crunchy guitars in the background and serene electronic sounds which really win me over. The vocals are pretty good, too. Book time. Topped the US and UK charts. First CD to sell a million copies. Many hit singles. The band's peak. Wikipedia says that this album won a few awards and has a warm critical reception. Yeah, I'm favourable to this pick. It's quite good, and the critics/audiences seem to agree. I cosign this inclusion.

Decent album. The singles are the best songs.

5/10

3,5

Strong beginning

Classic album. Singles all outstanding. I’d forgotten about the slurs in I Want My MTV

fags?

Exquisitely recorded. Some good songs. Knopfler sings very Dylan-esque.

Some songs up there with the best, but also some of what feels like filler unfortunately.

The literal definition of "dad rock" for me, since my dad owned the album and played it constantly back in the days (it was probably one of the first CDs he ever bought). Since I'm all grown up now, I guess that actually makes it granddad rock... As a kid, I used to find it dull. Over the years, I learned to better appreciate Dire Strait’s musical competency – but it still never really struck a chord with me. This time around was not very different. They’re good at what they do, no question about it. But most of the songs don’t really excite me ; no matter how seriously I try to listen, they tend to just fade into the background after a while. I did however appreciate a couple of songs that I had totally forgotten over the years, like "The Man’s Too Strong". The album also features a lot of interesting experiments with various instruments, something that I had completely missed back in the days. That alone makes this record worth a listen. I’ll give it a 3* for overall quality, and because Money For Nothing remains a true anthem. But I doubt I’d spontaneously listen to it again. 5/10

This album, I can only relate it to fellow reviewer Fredius... I like the title track a lot. But I can't stand the walk of life. Ah the tone of Knopfler's les Paul....

I loved this band, and I loved this album. It was one of my very first CDs, a gift I treasured when I was nine. It’s the record that got me into guitar bands. Looking back, I’m much more drawn to their earlier stuff. By 85, the band had already evolved over several albums toward an arena-rock sound that is not really my thing. Moreover, even though Money for Nothing and especially the gorgeous Brothers in Arms are undeniable classics, the rest of the album feels too uneven for me to give it four stars… even though I was tempted to at first!

Who’s got a jet airplane?

Ok album. Really held up by the guitar riff on Money for Nothing.

This is a much more dynamic album than 1978's "Dire Straits" (previously reviewed). But I'm not sure if that means it's better. If Dire Straits was a bunch of songs all iterating the same idea, this album is a bunch of ideas competing for album time. "Money For Nothing" and "Walk Of Life" were big 'ol hits, so this album sold a lot of copies. Then there's tracks like "Your Latest Trick" which starts with a long saxophone intro that's a little reminiscent of a Herb Alpert bossa nova trumpet part... uh, what? And African flutes and a lot of Pink Floyd vibes on "Ride Across The River". Despite all of that, the album still just feels lethargic. As unimpressed as I was with the self titled album, I think I preferred that to this?

money for nothing and walk of life were pretty good but the rest was boring

it was ok. i liked the title track

I think I like it. Not my favorite so far and probably not something I would seek out, but I do enjoy it. I like the Your Latest Trick. The guitar in 'Ride Across the River' is freaking sick. I also like 'Brothers In Arms' 3.5/5

Ok I know this is considered a classic by many, but.... it doesn't hold up for me. "Money for Nothing" is a great song, with one of the most recognizable guitar riffs of all time, coupled with a great crescendo opening. And "Walk of Life" is fun, though it always makes me think of baseball for some reason. But these songs are fat. "So Far Away" is two minutes of music stretched out to five for some reason. "Your Latest Trick," "Why Worry," and "Ride Across the River" are all at least six and a half minutes long, and I honestly don't know why. I was wondering why this album wasn't hitting me and then I listened to the title track. Apparently, Mark Knopfler can't sing! Like - at all! His vocal performance on that song is laughably amateurish. He can't finish a phrase to save his life. Going back and listening to the others again - only "Money for Nothing" has Mark singing with any sort of real oomph. He just sounds disinterested and tired - he's clearly pulling from the Dylan/Springsteen well here but it doesn't work for me. This is a two-star album with a 10-star hit single. So it has to be - THREE STARS

This album starts off really well with 3-4 amazing songs. Then it just falls off hard for me and becomes unremarkable. I’d give it 3.5 if possible.

Has some bangers

good album

3.5 enjoyed the first half more than the second

Dire Straits and especially “Brothers in Arms” is challenging for me to review objectively. I was in high school when the album was released and became so damn popular that it seemed to be playing everywhere I went, there was no escape. This was especially true with Money for Nothing. Despite there being some objectively great riffs in that song, if I never hear it again I’ll be happy. On the other hand, I love the guitar and there is no doubt that Knopfler is a master of the instrument. I love listening to the precision of his playing. This album was incredibly successful and its experimental meshing of guitar and synth remains influential to this day. However, perhaps due to over saturation, it is a tough album for me to enjoy as much as I probably should. It is not Dire Straits best album, but due to its popularity and influence I can see why it was selected for this list. In the end, I’ve got to rate this based on my admittedly jaded personal enjoyment. It did inspire me to listen to their earlier, far superior, records. I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed that music.

Very american. That was my first thought. I knew the hits already but that's all I liked really.

You ever been on the outside of an inside joke? I wanna get this, and I see that others enjoy it, but I only feel envy of others having a good time. Shane was right though, Knopfler is a helluva guitarist

Pretty enjoyable, some great stuff on here like Money for Nothing

Day 62 First 3 songs are great, the rest just kind of washed over me until the brilliant final track. 7/10 Highlights So Far Away Money for Nothing Brothers in Arms

Solid rock but not super my thing

An album with some great songs that had unfortunately aged pretty terribly. My dad says this was like one of the most popular albums of the 80s. Things that haven’t aged well: the second verse of money for nothing. YIKES! Love walk of life though and money for nothing is a fucking BANGER otherwise shoutout sting

Pretty great to start. Two bangers. Then it slows down a whole lot… sort of nothing. But money for nothing is so good…

Based on the cover I thought this was going to be more country but there were some famous 80s songs I recognized. I was pleasantly surprised.

Hot start with a cool finish.

I had high hopes for this classic but after the explosive first three songs this implodes a bit until the closing track. Shame.

Liked the slower vibes and the vocals. Recognized two of the songs and added them to the playlist. Would've like more vocals and/ or shorter songs. Wasn't a fan of the slur in Money for Nothing. 5/10

This album is anchored by two of the best song intros of all time and the first half of the album is much better than the back half. This is one i have to listen to in a different frame of mind or find out more about to appreciate it

this album has two things in common with Dead Kennedys: they both like using slurs and talking shit about MTV. that’s it! that was me trying to find positives. the instrumental/musical aspects were just middle of the road for me. it felt like it should be in a movie… but not in a good way. it’s a direct-to-TV movie.

First half was fire.

Their commercial peak, but I think their earlier work is better music. Still a strong, mid 3s for me. Some great songs and some okay songs.

Good for cruising around on a weekend and mowing the lawn.

2 bangers and then BORING. I don’t get it, you have one of the most talented guitarists in the world in the world, and you have him playing smooth jazz. Even the bangers on here compared to Sultans of Swing makes me hate the direction the 80s took this band.

this is perfectly acceptable dad rock although nothing will ever prepare you for the unedited lyrics to money for nothing as sting croons about mtv over slurs

ykw i know a lot of these songs which shocked me and i tried to google to figure out what movies but then stumbled upon some movie ending game with the walk of life song which is crazy to me? anyway it was cute easy listening!

This was an enjoyable listen. It wasn’t super memorable but I liked it

I recognize and appreciate the ambition, but for me I find it too often falls a little flat.

W sumie poprawne, ale nic takiego. Znane utwory, ale nawet nie miałem ochoty ich zapisać do ulubionych. Samemu bym tego nie włączył drugi raz. 3/5

Hadn't heard most of the tracks on this except for the hits. Some were just okay, like Why Worry which was 4 minutes too long. Could have also done without the 7 minutes of Ride Across the River.

This is a tough album for me to rate. That A side is undeniable hits. The Money for Nothing opening guitar riff is legendary for a reason. Walk of Life is a great tune. In mid to late 80s, I was *just* starting to be aware of songs on the radio and the hits were all there. That said, the lyrics don't age well. And, the b-side is kind of a let down.

As 80s music goes this isn’t bad. I definitely recognize the singles, but not much else. I never realized how much the vocalist sounds like Tom Petty at least on the first couple songs. This was a pretty standard 3 stars for me, not super exciting, but nothing that makes my ears hurt either.

Yeah, I hate to admit it but "So Far Away" is a really, really good song. There are some other pretty of songs on here but not like "So Far Away".

it's pretty good. three stars but closer to four

Cool album, beautifully mixed.

You can't be saying the f word three times in a single verse. The lyrics for that whole song were honestly like a fever dream. Besides that, pretty enjoyable classic rock with instrumentation that utterly captures that era. A few classics on here. I would trade this entire album for a single listen of sultans of swing, though.

yep, it's classic rock

So many hits. Although I was convinced Sultans of Swing was also on here. So not all the hits.

Yes

Two well known songs, other than that, fairly lackluster.

The mission statement of this album seems to come in to play halfway through with “Across the River.” It was about what I expected based on the name, what with all the mediations on violence against your fellow man and not being strong enough to stop. It turned in to a real downer. It makes me wonder if the first half is where it is to take the edge off the subject matter for a wider appeal. However, none of it sounded bad and when it acquired its thematic through line, it maintained it.

good record! Some really classic songs, mostly a bit duddy but enjoyed it

Why did they say F*ggot so many times?? Also didn't know how many songs of theirs I knew

3.5 One world

didn’t stand out but i did know a couple of the songs already

This the kind of thing I think of when trying to conceptualise what dad rock sounds like which isn’t neccessarily a criticism but is very ‘safe’. Obviously ‘money for nothing’ is a bit of a standout, and there are some other decent tracks on the album but some of the other soft rock ballads on here are poor and quickly lose my interest.

Heard it, it’s fine

Kinda forgot about some of these hits Dire Straits has on this record. The first three tracks are classics. But unlike their self titled album, they loose me on the rest of them. All in all, I think I rank it somewhere between a 3 and 4. With the underwhelming second half I'll knock it back to 3.

5/10

The album that broke Dire Straits via the MTV sendup “Money For Nothing”, it’s aged markedly worse than the other albums in their catalog. The production drips with the squeaky clean digital sound that was all the rage during the early years of compact discs. And many of the songs, even the good ones, have a heavy 80s feel such as the poppy jazz lite of “Your Latest Trick”. It gives the whole record a certain nostalgic feel which is listenable, if not overly involving.

Very mid but had a few good songs

I am a fan of a lot of the songs, but it is a lot of the same and very long. Some fantastic songs though and I love dire straights

Igen en oplevelse af at skulle høre et album for første gang, men så kan jeg alligevel vrøvle teksten på alle sange. Sjov oplevelse fordi min far har preppet mig på den gennem hele barndommen.

Mark Knopfler gets guitar god points. The mechanically insistent drum track doesn't help this effort, like they had a click track and let it handle all the work. The vocals too can drift into mechanical land, as if Mark gets a groove that he is not comfortable deviating from (except when he's doing Your Latest Trick mode, though that cut is totally yacht-rocky). In fact a lot of this album seems kind of yacht rockish. Can be interesting, though not often enough.

I think the anthems have wormed their way into the public consciousness. It’s almost like you can’t help yourself sing along. But some of it is turgid.

Boy, did these experts miss the freakin' boat on this band. They picked the albums with the big hits like a bunch of amateurs. This record fell flat on me when released—and I was a big fan at the time (still am)—and this listen only reinforced that whoever's great idea it was to ask Mark Knopfler to lay of the genius guitar playing and stick to writing radio songs might have gotten lucky with "Money For Nothing," but as an album, it ain't playing the hand your dealt. I said it before, but if you're going to pick two Dire Straits albums, I vote Love Over Gold and Making Movies. The '80s production is another kick in the crotch on this one.

I was excited when I saw this one pop up. I love Dire Straits, I loved Brothers In Arms back in the day. What a letdown. It's still Mark Knopfler so I guess I can't be too harsh.

Three great songs, highly produced, not hitting the spot for me

Album starts strong with the first 3 songs. It does wander a bit after that, and really loses steam by the end. Still an overall good album. “Walk of Life” is catchy. 3.5/5 Probably will listen again

Ok

The difference between the British media’s perception of what bands were big in America and the bands that actually were big in America are a case study of how an insular elite can convince themselves of an alternate reality.

this is like if the cure was mid

I mean this was fine, easy listening. I liked it.

Mild. Pleasant. After-dinner-mint rock ‘n’ roll. Dire Straits have some decent songs but they are terribly, terribly overrated.

Not their best album, still a belter

lol was not expecting that saxophone solo

Walk of life is probably one of the most iconic songs. The rest of the songs are not to bad. Quite a different vibe between some of the songs. Will rate this album a solid 7/10

i heard some of these! not terrible, but idk if i would ever seek these out. maybe pluck a few for a playlist or something. better than dylan. 3/5

A British Dylan and countrified Ray Davies. Sometimes very pleasant.

Better than I remember it being. Of course, the popular songs (Walk of Life, Money for Nothing) were overplayed, and I wasn't in the mood for the deep cuts. It definitely hit differently now than when I was part of the MTV/ College Rock generation.

This has a few really good songs, but also a few really bad ones, and a few in the middle. The production is pretty painfully 80's at times. This could easily drop a star depending on mood and attention span

Some long jams

Die Dire Straits nahmen Brothers in Arms 1984/85 in den AIR Studios auf Montserrat auf. Die britische Band um Mark Knopfler setzte hier auf eine klare, digital produzierte Klangästhetik, die das Album zum Vorzeigewerk der frühen CD-Ära machte. Die Mischung aus Rock, Blues und Pop wird von markanten Gitarrenlinien getragen. „Money for Nothing“ mit Gaststimme von Sting, „Walk of Life“ und der Titelsong gehören zu den bekanntesten Stücken und prägten das MTV-Zeitalter nachhaltig. Inhaltlich reicht die Spannweite von ironischer Medienkritik bis zu ernsten Reflexionen über Krieg und Zusammenhalt. Insgesamt wirkt das Album geschlossen, zugänglich und zugleich zeittypisch, ohne an Wirkung verloren zu haben.

Decent.

All time classic. Doesn't hold up as well in 2025 but the obvious highlights are the guitars throughout and the title track.

chicks for free

Money for Nothing and Walk of Life are great, the rest is a bit too mellow dad-rock for me.

I love the Dire Straits but.... This album starts of strong. I like So Far Away, Money for Nothing, and Walk of Life, but it falls off hard for me to with Your Latest trick. Not their best album. 2.5 but rounding up.

I was really fine with this album, but nothing really stuck out to me. Maybe it's just my mixture of jetlag, sleep deprivation, and manic nature.

Solid album. Not their best but an enjoyable listen.

Money for Nothing is straight fire. The rest are...fine.

Some excellent tunes and some not excellent tunes.

Some parts that I enjoyed but also long parts that I found a bit boring to be honest. We got saxophone and slap bass though so that's something.

A little uneven but some great tracks.

The first half of the album is great, Walk of Life in particular is one of Dire Straits' best songs I think. A much poppier sound than their debut which I've previously heard on this list but with Knopfler's "geetar" skills at the forefront The second half is OK but gets a bit 80s stadium soft rock - it's kinda middle of the road. Ride Across the River in particular is a boring song at 7 minutes long on the CD mix which I listened to. So I'm between a 3 and a 4 and will probably end up at 3 because of the homophobia

I grew up with this album. Despite that second verse of "Money For Nothing" not aging very well, the rest of the record very much does.

This album started out hot with three strong songs. Unfortunately it fell off immediately after and couldn't really regain that form. The rest of the album was mellow, softer rock ranging from jazzy to folky. Plenty of blues influence persisted, but it never really "rocked" again after Walk of Life. Brothers in Arms came the closest (though it still fell short for me). Of course, there was lots of good stuff happening. The guitar was expert, the music had lots of interesting qualities, and the vocals were engaging. Perhaps if they had broken up the tracks so they were spread out more among the softer/slower ones, it wouldn't have felt like such a nosedive. I may have liked those songs more if they hadn't followed up the three best songs on the album in succession. While I didn't find the overall length to be a problem, it didn't help that so many of those songs were 6+ minutes long, sometimes just because of an interlude of sorts. I think they could've easily left one of those middle tracks off and had a better overall album. The LP version apparently is shorter, mostly because it cuts off sections of the longer songs. Maybe the cut time would make it a better listen, but I really think its the quantity of the songs rather than their length that's the issue. For example, I prefer the long version of Money for Nothing. All that said, I didn't hate this album or find it bad. I just felt like it was a let down after the first third and got boring. I doubt I'll listen to it in full again, but I will definitely come back to the tracks I liked. They definitely carried it and are the main reason I give it a positive rating. Overall: 2.8/5

not for me Really

Top : Your latest trick Walk of life Brothers in arms (HM : one world )

Fantastic!

7/10

I've never really listened to Dire Straits before. This album was pretty good, I liked the songs and performances for the most part. A little corny but not enough to care too much.

Suffers heavily from having all the good songs up front, genuinely all good stuff but I rarely get past “Walk of Life.”

Better than I expected. I vaguely recall being aware of money for nothing, but it not meaning much to me. Finally revisiting it, it's much catchier than when I listened to it younger. I enjoyed the album and some use of uncommon instruments throughout

I still think the eponymous song is overrated.

Couple good songs

Meh

Good stuff

Is there a better intro riff than the one in Money for Nothing? Too bad the second half of the album is so meh

Songs are either all out bangers or bland easy-listening. Man, I really wanted to rate this one higher...

Reminds me of digging up potatoes at my grandmas summer house. Child labour.

This album cover looks like every CD my parents own (even though I don't think they own this album). But I'm glad there are album covers, because at this point in the journey I'm losing track of what we've already listened to, and I would have guessed we already had this one. Are there multiple Dire Straits albums? (If so,,,, talk about dire straits.) Nah, it's not that bad. Like a peppy Michael Bolton. There sure are a lot of songs called 'So Far Away'. I wonder what the most common song title is? Probably just covers of 'Hallelujah'. (A quick search reveals it's actually 'Intro'.) I didn't know Sting was the "I Want My MTV" guy! Actually, I always thought this song was a famous mashup (idk where I got that idea -- Weird Al maybe?) but it turns out it's just a weird 8 minute song. With slurs in it >:( But also a good delivery on "microwave ovens". So even if it's not a mashup, it contains multitudes. Wow, I know 'Walk of Life'! Actually, I think I just know the intro. It must be in a lot of media. It's fine. I like that the woo-hoo-hoos sound like Ducktales. I like the random sax in 'Your Latest Trick'. 'Brothers in Arms' is a weird tone shift. Almost Poguesy. Weird album altogether. Long songs with some catchy bits, but also some annoying bits. Add it to the 3 pile!

Whys every song 8 minutes

It’s alright. Songs are too long

Starts out so strong “so far away”, “money for nothing”, and “walk of life”, but then falls off a cliff of quiet boring nothingness until “brothers in arms” for me. Some of the lyrics don’t really stand the test of time either.

I'd never really listened to much beyond their hits, but it's a fairly good listen throughout. Nothing too revelatory, but a good listen. I may go back and give it another listen just to dig a little deeper.

Dire Straits somehow walk the line between boring and nice to listen to. Guess it just depends on the day for me. Today though, I enjoyed this, even if some of their songs felt quite a bit long. 6/10

when i was a very small child my whole family went on a hungary vacation and thats when i first heard money for nothing. little me would then proceed to terrorize my family the whole trip with demanding that song to be played on loop. and they say there were no signs ts ts ts.

Lots of songs I ‘knew’ but didn’t actually know they were by the Dire Straits. Kind of liked it 3.5 stars

3.5

I’ve never liked Dire Straits, not even their singles. However much I hate Walk of Life, you can’t deny its catchiness. And the saxophone on Your Latest Trick really makes the song, which would be worthless without it. The B-side is totally forgettable 5/10

The guitar playing on this album is melodic and hypnotic. The voice and the songs are almost secondary. Which is just as well as apart from so far away and brothers in arms they are a difficult listen. An album very much of its time and the big songs are too familiar to be regarded as unique

Yep it's pretty good. The production makes me want to listen to 80s Bruce Springsteen which makes me want to listen to 70s Bruce Springsteen. I won't be spending a ton of time with this one.

Twas ok, fast ones and slow ones for an odd tempo mix

Nostalgic

Some really nice music. Why Worry and Brothers in Arms are beautiful songs.

I'm indifferent

2 good songs, 2 absolute belters. The rest is very dated and not great at all. It can get an extra star for Money for Nothing though, and early song in my memory of "I think I like this guitar stuff"

Não aprecio Dire Straits mas este disco é sem dúvida um clássico

Just want to say that the more ambient, jammy album tracks actually go kind of hard, but I hate Money for Nothing so much it knocks the score as a whole down like half a point.

I like the hits, but overall -- this is too slow for my tastes. Pretty chill though.

Come for the hits, stay for the jam band

6/10 This is an album that has 4 good singles on it and a load of stuff that wasn’t great. Lots of mawkish Americana that doesn’t excite, with the occasional banger that we all know. Best: Walk of Life

Started off as a 4 but then slowed down quite a bit for me.

A weak 3 for me. Nothing that I had not heard was appealing. Nothing too awful.

esto si que se parecía más a música para viejos. no debería mirar la nota que tienen los álbumes antes de escucharlo porque las expectativas son muy malas. la mitad de las canciones las ponía mi padre en el coche cuando era peqjeño

Was constantly on the radio. One of the best British album. Very good but also overplayed. Do not enjoy the vocals.

OK, seems to enjoy saying f****tt a bit too much tho

Super high highs contrasted by pretty boring roots rock leaves me with an uneven listening experience

80s vibes. Besides 'Money For Nothing' it's not especially memorable though. 3/5 #87

Förmodligen Dire Straits sämsta album. Märkligt text till Money For Nothing. Är den homofobisk, gubbsjuk och rasistisk? En vers om that faggot, en rad om banging on the congas like a chimpanzee. A-sidan mest trams, B-sidan mest tröttsam. Dire Straits övriga album betydligt bättre. Bästa spår Brothers In Arms.

I liked this better than most 80’s music.

The mix on this album is just so crisp. Seriously most albums are not clear for every instrument. Here you can listen to the bass or drums, you can hear the guitars so clearly. It's a marvel and a far cry from the early 00's loudness wars BS. That said it's a good album, it's got the hits you all have heard, it's got some great deep cuts, there are some filler but it's not a one hit wonder album. The music is great, Knopfler is a great guitars. The entire band is amazing. It does have a problematic lyric, yes I get the why, I understand what it's pointing out but still. This album is a great time capsule album that fits rock in 85.

Heard songs from it before. I think I'm turning into a middle aged dad because I really used to think that Dire Straits are a bit cringe but listening to the album now it felt like I finally Get It 3/5

Redelijke haat-liefde relatie met dit album. Aan de ene kant heb je de geweldig, al dan niet ietwat gedateerd klinkende, hits zoals Money for Nothing & Walk of Life, aan de andere kant heb je de minder interessante "B-sides", die ik zelf nooit zou opzetten. Mark Knopfler ansich blijft natuurlijk een geniale guy, maar, zoals ik wel vaker met hem heb, blijft het af en toe wat te veilig voor mijn smaak.

Total dad rock. But for all the times I’ve heard Money for Nothing in my life, I guess I’ve never actually looked at the lyrics? Not wild about the f-slur, but at least there’s the recognition that the arts are important and the gays will always be cooler than you 😎

You're a 1980s yuppie stockbroker with slicked-back hair and a condo on the 17th floor. Your cellphone is the size of a brick. You work all day in FiDi for a dream that slowly recedes, year by year. What is it all for? Sometimes it feels like a line dance, this corporate hustle; well, that's just the Walk of Life. You're chasing love too. She has big volume hair, teased and sprayed to the heavens with Aqua Net. Sketches of saxophone wrap you both in a cold hug as she breaks your heart again. Oh well. Nothing new on that front. Why Worry? There's always tomorrow in Reagan's America. The streets whisper as you walk down their narrowing corridor in fading light. You can’t win this game, but you are not alone. A host of yuppies joins you on the twilight boulevard. You draw strength from one other, Brothers in Arms.

A lot of nostalgia with this one. My dad is a huge music lover and especially all things rock and roll. He would play a game with me and my brothers anytime we were in the car where we had to guess who was playing and it taught us a lot. I have a core memory listening to “Money for Nothing” in particular. Right at the guitar solo in the intro my dad would crank up the volume as loud as it would go and do air guitar/drums and in general would jam to the music. There was a lot of head banging in my childhood and this was the start of reliving it. I was reading that the UK critics were harsh on this album because it sounded too American. They’re right, it does, and it’s part of what makes it fun/great. Enjoyed this one the most so far

I was in dire straits when listening to this album. But I appreciated it! It calmed me down in a few moments of stress. But no songs stood out.

Apparently this album is famous for popularizing CDs. Enjoyed the listen, some songs like Money for Nothing had really epic theatrical moments. But quality felt inconsistent and uneven.

Eerste nummers waren wel lekker, de rest van het album was iets te traag voor mijn gevoel. Nog wel prima luisterbaar tho.

A-side heeft een aantal banger, en de B-side wat meer experimentele nummertjes. De zang doet mij erg weinig, maar het gitaarwerk van Mark Knopfler is on point.

Solid Album with some familiar tracks

this rules actually

Favourite song: Walk of Life Least favourite: Why Worry? Rating: 3.5/5

This is a solid record for sure, and it sounds great - being one of the first all digital mainstream albums released. But, outside of the hits, I find it a little boring and lacking in energy that I want from a rock album. That said, excellent guitar playing throughout.

Nice enough cover. 1. Ok song. 2. Nice, beat. Their most famous. Good song. 3. Good song. Decent lyrics. 4. This is a miss, but only barely. Like the concept but the simplicity of the lyrics kills it. 5. Also a miss and also almost. 6. Ok. Passed by without mm making much of an impression. 7. Ditto. 8. Nice song. Lyrics are good ish 9. Also good night vbe great if I'm in the mood. OVERALL: A relatively decent album but most of the songs didn't hit, not for me.

Generic ass 80s album. Generic in every way. No idea what else to say. 6.5/10

Some good songs, but overall a little disappointing.

I have actually never listened to this entire album. I know the hits (the first three tracks) but the rest of the album was new to me. To be honest, after those first three tracks, the album starts to lose me. The tracks are good, but sleepy. I listened to the album twice to make sure my thoughts didn't change. I must say with not having listened to Mark Knopfler much (the most stuff I have heard from him was a recent live concert) I can safely say I enjoy his guitar playing more than his singing. I am not knocking this album, the songs are good, just not what I expected after the wham bam start of this album. Of the non-hits, I like The Man's Too Strong and One World.

Well mastered. Just a bit boring.

Let me start by stating that I understand why this album is on the list. Dire Straits were one of those groups that may be slowly disappearing from the public consciousness with time, but I always admired their stripped-back roots rock sound. Their style felt like a deliberate callback to a simpler sound, compared to the bigger and louder styles that prevailed from the late 70s into the 80s. As for this particular album, Brothers in Arms became one of the first albums to break big in the CD market, recorded digitally at a time when artists were still using analog. Songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist Mark Knopfler was striving to perfect his band's sound, and as such, embraced the new recording technology as a means towards that goal. Pairing that sentimentality with their throwback rock sound, it must have sounded like a slam dunk for them, right? Well, I'll admit, for as much as I generally enjoyed Brothers in Arms, there are a few problems that need to be addressed. The shorter-to-describe issue I have with this album is how torn the sound is between the aforementioned throwback sound the band had been known for, with the blare of synthesizers and electric keyboards from new member Guy Fletcher. This was noticeable on tracks like "Money for Nothing" and "The Man's Too Strong", where the juxtaposition of guitar riffs and booming synths made for an odd clash of tones that made this album feel dated. It's probably not the description that Mark Knopfler intended in his desire for perfection, but given that synthesizers were part of what was the "wave of the future" sound at the time, it seemed like an earnest attempt to merge both worlds that didn't quite stick the landing. The much larger issue I have with this album is the lack of cohesion throughout. We open on someone longing for their lover who is away from home ("So Far Away") before sharply changing perspective to two bigoted appliance deliverymen trash-talking the musicians they see on MTV ("Money for Nothing"). Then, we switch to the story about a young kid playing old rock & roll tunes down in the subway ("Walk of Life"), followed by a suite of love songs ("Your Latest Trick", "Why Worry?"). Finally, we close out the album on a series of anti-war musings that opt for a more cynical viewpoint ("Ride Across the River", "The Man's Too Strong", the title track). Oh, and in between the anti-war songs is a track about being in a more generalized bad mood ("One World"). There isn't much done to connect these songs thematically, outside of being basic observations made by Mark Knopfler. To Mark's credit, some of these tracks are genuinely good. I'm a sucker for the jaunty bounce of "Walk of Life" that lyrically draws from those old rock & roll tunes. It's got the sort of whimsy that elevates the story of the street performer. The opening "So Far Away" is a pleasant breeze in its swaying momentum and slide guitar licks that almost excuse how the phrase "you're so far away from me" is constantly repeated throughout the song. The anti-war songs all bring different styles and insights. "Ride Across the River" with the spare trumpets, percussion, and low-end keyboard invokes the vibe of the soldier wading through the jungle waters towards their inevitable next fight. "The Man's Too Strong" boasts country-style guitar playing as the narrator contemplates all the evils committed for their government, identified as "the man". The title track is a haunting closer with the keyboard swell in the background, reflecting on the then-ongoing Falklands War and how every soldier on both sides of the conflict could be viewed as the same. As for the songs I didn't like, the love songs didn't do much for me outside of the somewhat clever puns Mark made on "Your Latest Trick", and "Why Worry?" sounded very much in the style of the Everly Brothers. "One World" was such an odd track to place between the anti-war songs, which added to the overall dated feel with the swampy bass tone and delivery. That leaves "Money for Nothing", a song that has become one of Dire Straits' most well-known songs. Let me state that I understand the concept behind this song. According to Mark, he went to an appliance store in New York City, and one of the employees there was delivering boxes and made the comments heard in the song, as he and Mark were watching MTV on the wall of televisions in the store. This song is Mark taking those bigoted comments and putting them to song as apropos of the mindset of the blue-collar worker that would bemoan how the musician makes more money than they do for what they perceive as less work. That is the general conceit of the song, and I understand why Mark would write this. Here's the thing - this song doesn't offer much more than those remarks made. If it was meant to be satire, then the joke being "look at how sexist and racist these men are" isn't much of a punchline or meaningful critique. Furthermore, there was an opportunity here for Mark to put some actual insight into why these blue-collar workers think this way. What does it say about the economic disparity that the worker feels they aren't making as much of a living, or their social status isn't as great, compared to the musician? What value do we place in art that puts it above such menial labor? These are the questions I'm left to ask, because Mark didn't bother to ask them to begin with. I feel like there should have been more said in the song, especially since the song is eight minutes long and they brought in Sting to sing the refrain of "I want my MTV" in the style of The Police's "Don't Stand So Close to Me". Suffice it to say, this song could have been better. With all that said, I come back to the sentiment that I get why Brothers In Arms is on this list. Even if this album doesn't fully click for me, it has historical significance, and some songs do hold up. I wish that I liked it more, but them's the breaks.

There’s some great level of musical performance on this album. Super guitar and bass, decent variety with some proggy stuff, more quintessential rock and then some other funky stuff in between. Very dated in some of its lyrics and feel. Certainly wouldn’t pass any ‘woke’ test on ‘Money for Nothing’. Low 3.

Better than I expected. They sound like they are 30 years older than they are

I liked the first four songs Album tended to be interesting yet not enough to have me return to some tracks. Very atmospheric and experimental approaches, but barely anything to come back to (6/10, 3/5 on this scale)

Two absolutely killer songs, and the rest weren't bad. Tonally, I feel like the album jumped around a little more than I like. But all in all pretty strong. Would give it like a 3.7 stars if I could.

If you charted my enjoyment level while listening to this album, the line would look like the number 7.

I really can't complain about this being my first album of the project - funnily enough, I just learned that it turns fourty this week! Good music for hanging up your laundry on a random sunny Sunday. It didn't grab my attention as much as I thought it would, though. Still, 'Why Worry' is the softness I need in my life.

6/10

Loads of great songs intercut with a lot some weird cheesy nonsense

Despite Knopfler being a gifted guitarist, I don't see this album as the masterpiece it is made out to be. The title track is well written and powerful, but the rest of the songs are of varying levels. I have a particular problem with Money for nothing, which uses the same homophobic slur 3 times. And it's not about context like it is with Fairytale of New York or American Idiot. Ultimately it was one of those albums which gained notoriety during the CD revolution, with those with expensive new CD players automatically going for this CD. So I don't rate it any higher than 3/5

Album started strong, but then faded into mediocrity

Great record and a good set of songs with cool lyrics. However, in my opinion, the most notable were the two singles "Money For Nothing" and "Walk Of Life" and that was it, the rest of the songs are very calm and a little bit atmospheric, I can note the vibe of the record but it doesn't go with the two singles. Would require to listen to it more times to get it fully.

This one has the goods. Money for Nothing is what I need. Seriously, give me your money. The first three songs are Yacht rock classics. Unfortunately, after that it was pretty bland. I think they put all the bangers at the beginning. I'll give this a 3.

What a strong string of first tracks. I definitely vividly remember seeing these guys "play the git-tar on the MTV" on that iconic "Money For Nothing" video when I was a little kid, so there's a lot of nostalgia here. The rest of the album was good, too. 3.5

great songs, some didnt strike a chord

also wasmer dere flügende gitarre chan zueschribe sind dases weiss wiemer es intro macht mehrmals bi dem album bini mit banger intros konfrontiert worde und han voller vorfreud min putzlumpe umegschwunge das hett aber leider dezuegführt das putzessig im ganze bad umegsprützt isch und mir denn is aug cho isch und ezt bini blind fuck you flügendi gitarre das du so gueti intros machsch aber denn isches emel doch so rocky cköntri mässig worde 3 essigsprützer ih mis aug vom dreckige lumpe

contrary to the normal 80s three minute songs - most are over six - totaling 9 tracks at nearly an hour long great guitar riffs groove smart use of keys a few big hits, other decent songs I hadn't heard before 3.5

-i do love me some Dire Straits they’ve made some of my favorite songs in existence.. I’ve heard two of their albums and was excited to hear this one knowing how hugely popular it was -definitely not bad! Money For Nothing is a 10/10 masterpiece. some of the songs were a little bit sluggish at parts, maybe I’d like it more with a second listen but I’ll give this a definitive 3.5 -Favorites are Money For Nothing, Walk Of Life, and Ride Across The River

Clearly important and had some substantial hits. And overall, it seems to be a good summary of where popular mid-80s rock music was, decidedly dad-rock. It was a decent listen but just not for me. I don’t really care for the Bob Dylan/Tom Petty imitation voice.

Alright, some great songs, 3.5

Some fantastic songs, but some forgettable stuff on the back half.

Blast from my youth as my parents listened to this ALOT. I do like the album but for me its not aged perfectly. There are some decent songs on the album and quality of sound is really good but its over engineered to me in parts. nostalgia wont elevate this any further for me.

Other than the hits, this album was a bit of a sleeper.

Ein paar echte klassiker, aber auch ein paar low points. Dad Rock auf hohem Niveau

I sang "Money for Nothing" and "Walk of Life" loud and proud. Then, the mood changed, and I was out of the mid-80s and unsure of the rest. It felt a bit all over the map. I was hearing Celtic vibes, Bluegrass, ... I did, however, add one more star to the score for the two songs mentioned above. Deserved!

Let's address the elephant in the room - mark knopfler is perhaps the true guitar hero of this era - not as flashy or loud or revolutionary as other candidates - but the man is as solid as they come. If you do want flash - the 10 minute live version of Sultans of Swing from Alchemy is all the proof you need of this man's singular brilliance (the band is also throwing straight heat). But I digress. This album. The culmination of an amazing 6 album run. It starts with the three hits - ubiquitous in their time - they sound especially good having been out of the limelight. Absence makes the heart grow for beer and all. They're also strait up great tunes. Then...you have an album filled with restraint as a guiding light. Pristinely recorded - I believe this is the first fully digital recording - not a note out of place. MKs brilliance bubbles up throughout until taking over on the final track landing somewhere between Jeff Beck and David Gilmore. The tone of that guitar feels of a moment the still resonates. 3.5 stars.

I knew Mark Knopfler was the guitarist for Dire Straits, but I genuinely had no idea that he was also the lead vocalist. I have to say that his guitar playing is a lot better than his singing. At times it reminded me of that Family guy episode when they meet Randy Newman and he sings everything he sees. Quite dreary and unenjoyable at times. The opener 'So Far Away' get us off to a pretty strong start. Next is 'Money For Nothing' and obviously the riff is iconic, but I really don't think it's good enough to carry it for eight and a half minutes. That's way too long for a track that's so unvaried, which is the story of this album. Any song that's 5 - 8 minutes (two-thirds of the album) definitely could have been cut in half. 'Walk Of Life' is next and is easily the biggest ear worm and my favourite track. 'Your Latest Trick' has some really nice jazzy trumpet and sax which you'll be humming to yourself, but again, it's longer than it needs to be. The second half of the album really steps up the little riffs, licks and guitar melodies. They're sprinkled into every track and they're really great when they do happen. 'Ride Across The River' sounds exactly like a quest through the jungle. 'One World' is a funky bass driven track with more guitar licks. This is probably the best three star album I've had so far. It's really good in places. Memorable, catchy and some really good instrumentation. Unfortunately the vocals and long runtime let it down. It 100% should have been cut by 15 minutes.

I'm baffled with this one. Very much. It used to be, at some point, one of my favorite albums in the world. I think i haven't heard it from beginning to end in 5 years. Dire Straits as a hole is a band I'm baffled by. With a heavy heart, (i think it's the toughest one to dicide yet). My childhood said I have to give it a 4, my self today- not more than two. So, it will be a 3

Ikd

Well-produced and well-performed, but too much boring songs on it for me to consider it very good, let alone a classic.

Noodles started doing soundtrack work and it led him to believe he could make cinema with his music and the result is a disappointment. The second half of the album is laden with narrative cliches and music that lacks the gritty power that marked the first 2 albums.

Decent vibes but probably won’t go back to

I have heard of Dire Straits, but this was all new to me. Enjoyable. I think I'd listen again, but no songs particularly stood out to me.

Thought it was pretty decent. A lot of slow almost jazz like songs in the middle and end of album. Walk of life was my favorite and money for nothing seemed overrated.

Not for me

Bra gitarr, bra top 3 låtar

The first CD in any Boomer's collection has an occasional underrated gem.

A very strong first half, just to be let down by a really lackluster second half. Favorite Track: "Money For Nothing".

This one was a bit of a journey. The first couple of songs rule, then it really dips in the middle, then pulls itself up a bit in the end. The Money for Nothing riff cutting through the synth and layered vocal intro is like a top 10 all time Rock Moment. Feels a bit wrong to round down here on account of how much of a guitar freak Knopfler is, but that’s life. I like Dire Straits, more than I like most classic rock. Maybe the next one will be better overall.

žinau, kad klasika, bet gal aš tiesiog nelabai jaučiu šitą stilių/žanrą. ir dainos labai ilgos. pasirodo žinojau daugiau negu Money for nothing, Walk of life kažkur buvau girdėjus. i want my MTV 2 minučių intro - fire

Não gostei muito do disco, achei as melodias muito parecidas e tive a sensação de estar ouvindo a mesma música por 40min. Destaco Your latest trick e The man's too strong, gostei bastante das linhas de guitarra dessas músicas

Before: I think I know like three Dire Straits songs and I don't enjoy any of them lmao Standout tracks: Money for Nothing Brothers in Arms Your Latest Trick Weakest tracks: Walk of Life During/after: Okay so the first track was fine. It wasn't horrible but sounded very much like background music. Money for Nothing is pretty good (despite the f-slurs circa 1985). It has some neat guitar effects and the "I want my MTV" thing. But holy shit WALK OF LIFE. There are few songs that make me want to rip my hair out to that degree (and Centerfold is one of them). It's not even *bad*, it's just annoying. That synth melody drives me crazy and the vocals make my eye twitch. Pain pain pain. Your Latest Trick has some beautiful horns, sax, and a really sexy jazz guitar. I sense some Latin influence in the background too. The vocals lend themselves surprisingly well to this style as well. They're quiet and mellow and jazzy in a way that seem to fit well with this track, but not as well with some of the other faster tracks. I really enjoyed this one (or did it just seem great when juxtaposed with Walk of Life? Hmmmm). Why Worry continues that slower vibe, but I wasn't as impressed with this one as I was with Your Latest Trick. It wasn't bad but just felt boring and uninteresting, while Latest Trick had cool and unexpected features. Same can be said for Ride Across the River (though it had a little bit more oomph than Why Worry, it was still boring). The final track, Brothers in Arms, was pretty good! It was a nice ending and had that same slow, quiet jazziness that the previous ones did. Some nice subtle synths in tandem with the jazz guitar is so *chefs kiss*. This record was a mixed bag. Walk of Life genuinely brought the score down for me, but some of the slower songs in the latter half of the album were pretty good. Not something I'd go back to again. Big "it's fine." 3/5.

Excellent album, lots of tasty playing from Knopfler and the band.