Reviews (page 10 of 15)
There is something about Knopfler’s songwriting that is captivating. He often maneuvers well around choruses and well structured resolves in favor of mood punches or glimpses into moments that are emotionally or dramatically moving, however, he has trouble resolving. This isn’t wrong, it is just hard to get into and get out of. I mean, the radio edit of Money for Nothing is nothing short of a mercy mission. Listening to this album is like being at a well produced obligation where you’re fine, but you keeping looking for a graceful way to leave.
Have listened before not this time
i want my MTVVVVV
The album that spawned the CD generation. My brother-in-law really likes Dire Straights, but he also likes Take That and Coldplay, so there's that. I'm not interested, but an extra star for being good at guitaring. Heard before ✅️ everyone has Listened this time ❌️ not today Revisit ❌️ nope Default ★★★☆☆ (5/10) Total reviewed : 328 Already owned : 76 Purchased : 15 To buy : 4 Nope : 233
It seems extremely odd that one has to explain the lyrics to Money for Nothing considering how old the song but since everyone in the reviews is going on about the British Cigarette slur. I'll explain it. Mark Knopfler was in an electronic department of a department store, when he heard 2 salesman ranting and raving about what was on "the Mtv." Those "silly little [British cigarettes] ..Money for nothing.. chicks for free." Knopfler heard these morons ranting would make a good song and he was right. The song is satirical, told from a point of view of someone who is bigoted & thinks music is "easy." Brutally mocking the artists on "the Mtv" It's funny cuz because those salesman probably used the 80s State of Art music video for Money for Nothing to "move those color TVs" Also, something, something capitalism. When Weird Al Yankovic approached Knopfler to do his parody of Money For Nothing, Knopfler's only demand was that he plays on the track, especially the solo. Weird Al agreed & Knopfler played on & appeared in the music video for Beverly Hillbillies. That's awesome of Knopfler. My only complaint, so far, is like this review, it runs a little long. 3
Despite masterful songwriting and some common themes, I find this album lacks that cohesive feeling of an intentionally crafted collection, and as a result, it's not as enjoyable to listen to all the way through in one sitting. While many individual tracks are great--- I'm a huge fan of the title track and think it's a beautiful way to end an album--- the collection feels like it lacks energy or movement when all taken together. That being said, it showcases the bands creativity and versatility in terms of genre. I'd never actually listened to the whole album or heard the word f***** in "Money for Nothing," and I have conflicting feelings about the use of that slur! I think the intent is compelling in some ways, but the impact on those who have experienced violence together with that word can't be ignored. It does contribute to painting a clear picture of misogyny that objectifies women and punishes anyone who deviates from gender norms.
My memory of this from the 80s was a little more rich and roll, but it’s actually a lot slower and gentler than I remember. Some of the songs I don’t remember at all are now my favorites, while the heavy hitters seem empty and overplayed.
Only knew Walk of Life and had a different idea of what they were like. Instruments were pretty throughout; enjoyed the different sounds. It was ok overall. Liked Why Worry and Money for Nothing.
I thought Brothers In Arms was a pretty solid album. It feels very similar to the last album i did by Dire Straits (from what i can remember, it was quite a while ago) but this one definitely shows that it is from 1985 by having all those synths which were very prominent in most albums during this time. I personally thought that the country rock stuff from the self-titled album definitely worked better for Dire Straits but this one works as well with it as it can. The lyrics were kinda a mixed bag though as sometimes they could be pretty smart but other times could be pretty offensive. I think that their self-titled record is better but this album is still a decent listen. Best Song: The Man's Too Strong Worst Song: Money For Nothing
Le problème avec cette liste (et la façon dont le site fonctionne), c'est que le hasard te met souvent face à un album alors que tu es pas dans les meilleures conditions pour l'apprécier. Et le pire, c'est que quand ça arrive, tu t'en rends bien compte. Je connais vaguement cet album pour l'avoir entendu il y a très longtemps. J'étais plutôt content de revenir dessus, mais la première chose qui marque, c'est qu'au niveau de la prod et même de l'instrumentation, on est en plein dans les années 80. C'est un album pas extrêmement aventureux, qui est vraiment dans son jus et ça s'entend, surtout quand arrive un saxophone qui nous rappelle que Brothers In Arms est sorti en 1985. En soit, c'est pas forcément un défaut, à moins d'être allergique à ces sonorités (auquel cas, on passe un moment plutôt désagréable). Perso, j'en suis assez fan. Mais voilà, cet album est plutôt du genre gentil. C'est à dire que ça reste toujours accessible, ça ne prend pas des risques inconsidérés et ça rester écoutable par n'importe qui. C'est très bien joué et je pense que si j'étais dans une vibe années 80, ces temps-ci, je le trouverais génial. Mais c'est pas mon cas et là, j'ai simplement l'impression d'avoir écouté un bon album de rock plutôt accessible (mais pas paresseux, qu'on soit clair là-dessus), mais qui ne m'a pas marqué plus que ça. Après, mention spéciale au morceau titre, qui est clairement celui qui a le plus retenu mon attention, c'est un super final.
Je connaisais pas le groupe. C'est pas vraiment ma tasse de thé mais les hits sont vraiment bien. Je recouterais mais pour l'insta't c'est pas vraiment mon style.
Really liked the instrumental. Thought it was going to be more of moving. Money for Nothing is still top 100 best song of all times.
Mark Knopfler is a really good player. There's a couple of real bangers on this album - "Money for Nothing", "Walk of Life". "One World" is really sweet too. Most of the rest doesn't do a whole lot for me.
I did not love it
me re gustó la verdad, bastante chill.
Ihan jees lallattelua, ei ihan omaa lempigenreä mut ihan solid 7/10
I didn’t know about the intro for money for nothing. It was very crazy to hear. Most of these songs are songs I’ve heard many times before, but never really knew what album they were from or who wrote them.
Pre Listen: I listened to this album once a long time ago. I remember Money for Nothing, and I remember somewhat disliking the album. I haven't listened to much Dire Straits since, so I'm going in to this with minimal expectations. Notable Tracks: Money for Nothing - Yup, certified classic, banger. Adding it to my playli- wait hang on. He can't say that word. MFW Dire "Straights" or something. Walk of Life - Completely forgot this was one of their songs. Another certified classic, a real foot tapper. Why Worry - Snoozefest, least favorite song on the album. One World - Honestly sort of a hidden gem. Very funky, my favorite on the album. Post Listen: I enjoyed this album a lot more than I remembered, a lot of the lead guitar and keyboard work remind me of Pink Floyd. While it was better than I remembered, the album frustrates me somewhat. I think this band is at it's strongest with faster paced groove and vibe sort of songs, songs you can bop to. The fact this album then is mostly slower songs hurts. It feels like the musical equivalent of going up to a dog, hyping it up by jumping around and acting manic, then immediately leaving it alone in a room. I'm the dog, and I'm left confused and wanting more of that hype. I give it a 3/5.
I think the band it´s ok, but I just don´t like the looong intros....Although I recognize it´s important e and impact. But it´s not for me!
This is getting 3 Stars purely off the merit of the Money For Nothing riff and it’ll thank me for it.
Lot of filler, the singles can't be written off
Number: 124 Date: 05/07/2026 Artist: Dire Straits Album: Brothers In Arms Year: 1985 Genre: Soft Rock Familiarity: Well-versed (4) Rating: 3 ============================= 3 So Far Away 2 Money For Nothing 4 Walk Of Life 3 Your Latest Trick 3 Why Worry 3 Ride Across The River 3 The Man's Too Strong 2 One World 3 Brothers In Arms -------------------------------------------------- 2.86 WEIGHTED AVERAGE (accounts for song lengths) ============================= 3 my personal rating 2 suitability for this list 4 impact ----------------------------------------------- 3 composite rating
Meh.
Sadly I didn’t finish the album but it was a good experience. As someone who claims to take interest in the 1900s, I realized I don’t listen to a lot of music from then. This album caused me to come to this realization. Even though I didn’t finish it, I have created two new playlists inspired by two songs from the album ( a rock one and a soft jazz type vibe one). I’m enjoying this project so far. Thank you ~Kalon
It’s fine. First song good. One of them is heard before very popular. Lots of ambiance no lyrics (there was an 8 min song)
It was good, has some absolutely classic songs. Some great guitar work as well as some sax.
Huh. Started out kind of eh but I really enjoyed the vibes of the latter half. I think I accidentally rated the wrong album with this, but this is the correct one.
gut aber nicht insane
Some of the tracks are ok (the more well known ones) but overall it just feels a bit smug ...
- Great variety of emotions - Most of these songs could be 1 minute shorter - Awesome synth
Pretty solid, some classics, some good background music, and some that could’ve been a little shorter
Super catchy songs messed up by slurs
Buenas vibes. Varias canciones que ya conocía pero nunca supe de quién eran. vibras como para emprender un roadtrip de autoconocimiento y exploración
Ok this was chill but do they know when to end a song?? They don’t all actually have to be 8 minutes long
They never know when to end a song do they Someone is casting spells on that guitar to make it sound like if guitars could have orgasms and by God they can
It's not really my preferred style, but not much bad about it past that. I found it a bit slow and boring nothing painful to listen to. I did find it nice to listen to while working because It was relaxing and quiet.
The first three tracks are kind of the whole deal for me. I unironically enjoy 'So Far Away' and 'Walk of Life'. Mark Knopfler really knows how to play a guitar. He doesn't overdo anything. The rest of the album isn't really for me but that's okay
It's no Dire Straits (1978). Money for Nothing and Brothers in Arms still bangers though.
This is the most background music album to ever background music. The first half was mediocre, but not unlistenable. The second half was just a drag. Some of these songs have no right to be as long as they are… I’m looking at you, “Why Worry”. That song was one of the most boring musical experiences of my life, and “Ride Across the River” wasn’t much better. “Money for Nothing” was by far the best track. And that’s saying a lot because even that was just.. decent. Somewhat catchy, but still just.. meh. And while I can understand the reason behind the homophobic slurs being used, it’s still in extremely poor taste. Overall, this album is aggressively unremarkable. Nothing I can see myself going back to, or even being able to remember what it sounds like. Is this really an album I had to listen to this before I die?
4/17/26. A lot of songs I’ve heard before and had no idea it was Dire Straits. Some really solid tracks and overall good pop rock sound.
Money for nothing et Walk of life sont assez légendaires comme chansons. Le reste de l'album est assez relax.
I love Dire Straits and have listened to this album a lot over the years, but was I slightly bored/disappointed this time? Money for nothing, walk of life, so far away, brothers in arms are all excellent, but sometimes the album can feel slightly monotonous and dragging. All in all I still really like this album
So many famous songs that I never knew were from this band! Some of the songs were pretty long, with 9 songs and 55 minutes, the average song lasted 6.1 minutes. I enjoyed the shorter ones much more, and added a couple to various playlists!
The radio hits to open the album are stellar and then it’s just a bunch of filler.
как же хорошо быть американцем.
NOTE: don’t take this seriously just my random thoughts, I’m not a professional critic So far away from me - it’s very dreamy and it really hits as I was in a long-distance relationship and especially with international friends, like a good ending song or just a background song, yknow the type song they put when the main character is doing its final monologue of something about how amazing life is Money for nothing- Already knew this one, such a banger, it’s one of the few songs that bring me back into a specific moment in my life, my summer camp in London, really beachy vibes and missing that one person , thanks Alex for this song. Tried to learn the bass for this but got too lazy. Never understood what was the connection with MTV Walk of life- THIS IS THE INTRO OF EVERY YOUTUBE TOYS REVIEW WTHHHH IT WAS BY DIRE STRAITS, Ita so jolly but I can’t stop thinking about that, it’s so cowboy tho. Very yeehaw vibes. Not a personal favourite Your latest trick- why so sad tf, ts is a sleep fest Why worry- another sleepy song… or not this one is more emotional and heart warming than the last one, good one for when you’re feeling lost Note: why are the songs so long, I’m going to sleep Ride across the river- zzzzzzzz Chungking express vibes like what they would play at the bar with no lights and a jukebox, it kinda has its own romantic spice to it The man’s too strong- yeehaw no.2 WHAT WAS THAT PIANO OUT OF NOWHERE woke me up One world- oooo I like the beggining, amazing bass, very viby, roadtrip song. Holy shit can’t stop thinking about that slap bass. Not something I’ll listen on purpose. Pretty repetitive. But a good filler one for the album Brother in arms- finally, last one, reminds me of nirvana the beggining. ANOTHER SLOW ONE. Sleep fest. Conclusion: I didn’t enjoy it tbh, maybe this album has made me realize how I don’t like slow songs, like classical slow songs, not jazz or shoegaze. Only 3 songs I’ve enjoyed: so far away from me, money for nothing, one world. I would also enjoy walk on life if it wasn’t of the egg surprise videos. But no new songs added to my personal songs (except from money for nothing which I already knew) 2.75/5 This is the day after: can’t take the melody of walk of life out of my head
Flying out the gates with some crackers then it gradually disappears up its own bum bum and i was bored by the end
Dark and strange. Launched the compact disc though
A couple of songs I liked and remembered. Some good guitar play but it won’t get another full listen from me.
Algún tema mítico
Liked
Gloomy and succinct enjoyable rock album
Did Dire Straits predict their own demise in this record?
The singles are good, enjoyable, slow at the end. Not much else to say.
so far away takie- czilowe daje mi vibe łaki albo jakis kwiatow polnych delikatne ta piosenka jest jak takie musniecie sie po policzku trch tez vibe wiejski ale nie wiejski dirt 7/10 money for nothing- poczatek jakbym byla w przestrzeni kosmiecznej dziwne dzwieki potem sie rzokreca jebut taki, troche bardziej energiczna 7/10 walk of life- taki funky klasyczek 8/10 your latest trick- troche takie jazzowe na poczatku taki spokojny luzki daje mi vibe goscia ktory spiewa lovesong dla swojej dziewczyny w takim karaoke barze why worry kolejna taka czilowa spokojna pisoenka jescze bardziej spokojna jest jak taki poranek sobotni w wakacje nie masz nic do zrobienia pelny czil 8/10 ride across the river- zaczyna sie dziwnymi fajnymi dzwiekami oo fajne fajne taki czil naprawde jakbym plynela jakas spokojna rzeka trch dalo vibe pink floyd tak wgl te dzwieki 8/10 the man’s too strong- dziki zachod kowboje takie klimaty stukotanie kowbojkami western walka na koniach jazda one world- energiczne takie dobra gitarka brothers in arms- zaczyna sie mrocznie
As always, Mark Knopfler brings it on the guitar and side 1 is hot. However, I walked away a bit let down by side 2. It just didn't have the same energy as the side 1 and some tracks go on for a long time. But in the end, I love Dire Straits and I'm looking forward to more of their albums in this.
Very 80s Jazz, soft rock
Strong start to this album, then the tunes fall away a bit in my opinion...
Some good tracks, others a bit too long
Awesome sound. Money for Nothing and Walk of Life are great back to back to start the album.
I like this album on the whole but I feel like it peaks immediately with money for nothing and then never reaches the same level
Sure, the hits...but the rest is partly unbearable. Such cheesy stuff...
love me some dire straits, but the second half dragged for me, low 3/5 favorites: so far away, money for nothing, why worry
Interesante y con canciones icónicas pero no es pa mi en este momento
Listened to the Remastered 1996 version) - Classic songs I've heard many times before - liked the transition between track 1 & 2. Liked the start of "Your Latest Trick". I liked "Why Worry" - I enjoyed the less popular/known ones strangely. Feel like the first two three tracks I've heard too many times. Good mix of reggae, funk, rock rhythms. I liked the crack whip sounds on "One World"
Not bad at all, some really good tracks, especially in the first half. Easy 3.
i love guitar music. beautiful album cover. breath-taking, pretty guitar. 1. starts off with slow rock. the wah wah(?) in the background is cool. first impressions: I feel like this will be a more atmospheric, or concept-y record. 2. things picks up in the second song. the talking-singing is not for me. I got bored 4 minutes in. the intro was nice though. this song has a lot of streams too. 3. banger intro once again. nice synthesizers. very nostalgic sounding. 4. surprisingly enjoyed this song. jazzy. nice. 8/10 5. another mellow song. pure instrumental. 6. yea I already wanna turn this off. i think you need to be in a specific mood for this album, like a laying in the dark with good quality earphones type of album. which I wasn't... at least now I know. I'll definitely give it another shot in the future.
Mejor canción: Your latest trick. Canción que menos me gustó: Ride across the river. Puntaje: 7/10 Notas: Muchas partes conocidas por series y películas pero no sabía que eran de este album
this sounded kinda good actually 3
I liked this except for the three slow songs in the middle, just couldn’t get into them. And the songs are too long. One World and Brothers in Arms are new-to-me songs that I’ll keep going back to.
First half has some rippers including one of the all-time rock tracks. Second half is way too chill for how rippin the first half is.
cool
"Hey guys!" "Oh, hey Mark. What's up?" "Well, I've got a great idea for the new album." "Oh cool, what is it?" "You know those three great songs that we have? The ones that will be radio hits for the next 40 years?" "Yeah...?" "I was thinking. What if we front load them on the album? First three tracks. Bam, bam, bam." "I mean, that's cool, Mark, but then what do we follow them with?" "Oh, that's easy. We follow them with a bunch of boring, noodly songs with whiny lyrics and no catchy riffs!" "Oh, wow. Yeah, Mark, that is a great idea! Can we throw some awful saxophone into those next six songs?" "Sure, boys, make them as bad as you want. Nobody will care because of those first three bangers!"
під настрій
maybe I expected too much from this. started out strong.... then felt like back half of album just got boring.
Good fun, I’ve not heard this since I was a kid. Fairly dated but it sounded a million bucks at the time
Money for nothing, the man’s too strong and one world are good. Can’t say this is a bad album but nothing too crazy. The tunes are decent but it wouldn't something I'd necessarily choose as my first option.
You know Dire Straits. Bluesy-rock. So Far Away is almost Springsteen-y. Money for Nothing is such a classic and album version is even longer! And I've always loved Walk of Life. Not a fan of Your Latest Trick. This album is at it's best when it's really rocking out. Oh the rest of the album seems to be a mellow bluesy rock. Not doing much for me which is a shame. Best track (new to me) - The Man's Too Strong 3 stars - mainly for the big hitting classics
Great intro on money for nothing. Love the drums.
(61/100)
There’s a couple of standouts (mainly, Money for Nothing and The Man’s Too Strong), but the album as a whole doesn’t feel like anything special. I mean, it doesn’t sound like generic pop rock most of the time, but it’s still way too soft for my taste. Most songs feel drown out and too sparse. But overall, it’s not boring. Could’ve been worse.
This has some absolute bops on it: Money for nothing Walk of life The saxophone on Your latest trick was also very nice. Shame about all the slurs, and the album gets a bit dead towards the end.
i think it would have been a good idea to find someone else to write lyrics. maybe for the singing too. instrumentally it's pretty solid? chill for sure. maybe goes a bit past 'restrained' to 'sparse' on occasion.
3.25. I thought I liked Dire Straits more than this, but it just might be the guitar riff for Money for Nothing that I like.
Hey what's goin on YouChube it's a boy uh YA Boy BigOlSweatyFucker420 with top 2 guitar solos you can never play in front of me or I rip off all my clothes and shout LOUD. I woke up and had an epiphany that "Sultans of Swing" is a a song and yup it's by Rikishi the Sultan of WWF fame. He either plays sitar or guitar. With those pointy shoes, YOU be the judge. Now considering this is information that will be new to your idiotic ears, just listen to the song on your device of choice. Preferably playing RAW through the speakers of a third generation iPod Touch on public transit somewhere. That's what it was written for. That's right if you use the promo code "INSERTCREATORNAMEHERE" you can get an additional box of old apple chargers that only fit defunct machines! Thanks for tuning in, oh the other guitar solo is probably from that Bud Light Lime commercial but that one is illegal to talk about for my religion. TEACHER! OPEN MY ENCLOSURE! I HAVE ENLIGHTENED THE PEOPLE. 3 HIGHLIGHTS: Sultans of Swing isn't on here!? Oh No! I have harmed my credibility *GULP* *teeth chattering noises*
C'était pas mal mais je l'écouterais pas vraiment volontairement, mais je suis contente de l'avoir découvert !
mjah ik dacht dat ik dit een beter album vond eigenlijk
Three good songs, and then a lot of... less good songs.
Sounds amazing, shame about the songs. Although the title track is a great find
Kæmpe bangere på A-siden men synes dælme også der var meget filler
This has some of the greatest songs he ever did, but also a lot of filler..
Mixed back - some quite good ones, but I hate a lot of the singles on this for no reason
I was expecting pure dad rock from this but it was quite ranged. I knew a few of the well known tracks but most of it was new to me. I was somewhat pleasantly surprised, however I don’t think I’ll be listening again.
Not sure about the slurs on 'Money For Nothing' that doesn't really sit well with me. Quite liked the first track but then it went downhill into overblown stadium rock which isn't really for me. Once it's calmed down from that and the advert pop rock it does improve and there are some songs I like here.
ok
yoo i didn't know that one album can have so many "classics". I think I knew most of it's songs because I have heard them individually. Never as a whole. Din't enjoy it very much. Well produced though. 3.5/5
Beautiful production and mix. The drums have a tremendous presence in money for nothing. Your latest trick has quite the taste to it, similar to a freaking brandy at night with lights off and the dim light of the chimney... Just contemplating. Also the bass line is really dancing away. Why worry hits you with some romanticism in the harmony department. Ride across the river has some nice donkey kong vibes at the beginning. Then it turns into a jungle reggae... really nice. Smooth transition to the man's too strong... I like that one the most so far. Now, one world stands out differently from the rest of the songs... it even sounds like a different era. Ominous but soothing start to brother in arms... the spirit of red dead redemption, like facing a storm
Walk of life album
This album coincided with the early days of MTV, and Money for Nothing was heavy in the video rotation, so Dire Straits was unavoidable. It's OK but a little tiresome.
7/10
Hab ich Strait durchgehört. Aber keine Erinnerung dran. Stabil?
On the question of homophobia in Money for Nothing, I know the band is imagining a character being a bully and calling them a slur. Yet, the same point could have been made using "gay" firstly, but that still would have been offensive. The point is that being gay is a bad thing in the view of the guy, and they go at of their way to say that they are not gay, so that the audience doesn't have to worry. They are implying that they are safe from that criticism, and that narrator is real dumb, cause they are not the least bit gay, implying that there is something wrong with it by distancing themselves. First you need to listen to the Hilarry Duff campaign, and I get it that some straight dudes loves this and this doesn't align with their pretend values. But if people tell you that it is offensive and you are not the offended party you should probably shut it. So the slur doesn't get a pass, and you lost a star buddy. And then there is the fact that while the start is strong, it does get limp at the end. It's good, but my mind ain't melted.
sooooooo 80s. even tho i love sultans of swing this was just sort of …. ok? i liked your latest trick the most
Immediate impressions upon seeing the album: wow, I know a lot of these songs! Some bangers in here, but some stinkers as well.
Eh, was expecting more since the wiki hyped it up so much
I haven't heard this for ages. It's a beautifully-produced album, but unfortunately, most of the songs are so middle of the road as to have me screaming at them to hurry up and end. They're either fast and boringly simple (Walk of Life) or slow but lacking intrigue (Why Worry). Money for Nothing was fun for five minutes in 1985, but I certainly never need to hear it again. However. There are some good moments (Mark Knopfler will never not play well), and Brothers in Arms is a lovely song which reminds me of some sad times. But really, let's just revere the first three albums (four, if you insist) when they were so much more interesting, and then call it a day.
Not my favorite Dire Straits album but was a good listen through. More 80s than I normally like but doesn’t have that algorithmic sound in the same way. Much more melancholy lyrically than the instrumental leads to be
3.5
Meh - Good songs were great. Bad songs were okay but dragged on a bit too long. Maybe revisit later down the line.
This album and the video for "Money For Nothing" came out at the peak of my MTV viewing years, so I heard the song non-stop on MTV when it came out. My husband is also a big Mark Knopfler fan and we've seen him live, so I've heard a lot of his stuff. The first three songs on this album are classics that everyone knows. After that, I felt that the album dropped off a bit. It slowed way down and got a little boring to me. Solid album and I'll listen to those first three songs every time, but not sure I would listen to the rest of the album again.
Not very interesting to me, recognized one song at least
I was a child in Britain in the 1980s, so it goes without saying that my parents had this album. I know the first four tracks really well, but couldn't really remember the rest of it. Turns out there's a reason for that as this is incredibly front-loaded, but I can see why it was the 80s dad rock album of choice.
I wanted to like this more but the slower stuff didn’t really speak to me. Beautiful guitar playing, as expected, but not sure I’ll be revisiting any of the songs I didn’t know already.
I love the music on this album
Exquisite instrumentals and a strong sense of musical craft help make this one of the best albums to create a specific mood of somber melancholy.
Second album proposé après 'Dire Straits' que j'avais moyennement apprécié (noté 3/5 - qualité des morceaux inégale). Le constat est un peu similaire ici, les morceaux sont souvent inutilement longs, et manquent parfois de parties instrumentales. Quelques parties de guitare ou sax restent intéressantes, mais comme dit précédemment je lui préfère nettement l'album 'Love Over Gold' qui pour moi est bien plus passionnant. =>3/5
Day 83 - 1985 - Dire Straits, Brothers in Arms This was the first album in history to sell over a million copies on CD. This is their fifth studio album. Brothers in Arms was one of the first albums recorded on a Sony 24-track digital tape machine. The tour for this album started in Yugoslavia, which doesn't exist anymore. I mean, the place exists, just not the name. Now it's Croatia. The British critics HATED this album and were super dismissive of it. American critics loved it. The amount of musicians that quit and joined the band during the recording of this album is 4, including drums, bass, and recording technicians. Dire Straits is also British, which kind of confused my brain because I spent my whole life thinking they were some sort of Southern rockish outfit. Almost every GD song on this album is a hit. Standout: Always, always, Your Latest Trick. There's some opening saxophone which is a little too 80's late night talk show host, but
Long album so it’s great for working.
Definitely 80s coded. Good album, had some good songs.
I don’t remember a time in my life when Money For Nothin’ wasn’t playing on the radio. It’s interesting knowing it took me this long to realize the continued use homophobic F-slurs in the second verse, and that he’s talking about color TVs. Apparently, I have never been a strong lyrical interpreter. Walk to Life is another good song that has been around for as long as I remember. The rest of the album was relatively new to me and felt like it declined into mellowness as they went. One World pick it up with the Clapton style guitar work and funk bass lines. I’ve never been a huge fan of Mark Knopfler’s baritone five-note range, but I have to admit his guitar tone is ephemeral as shown on Why Worry and Right Across the River. Brother in Arms reminded me of David Gilmore’s guitar work. The album is pretty good though. It does feel like a product of the time rather than a masterwork across generations.
Random thoughts: * I always thought Walk of Life was just a song I liked because it featured sports bloopers. Shout out to Bill Hanzlik. But that song is awesome. It really got into my brain. * Dire Straits was into long songs. I swear most songs were 6 minutes or more. For the good songs, that was fine. For the meh songs, it was too much. * Money For Nothing is a classic for a child of MTV like myself. I either forgot about the troublesome lyrics or upon further research, it was probably edited out. Weird to be alive so long to see society become so much more socially conscious. * Anyway, I dug the hits and the rest was just fine.
I know this is a good band, but there is something that just feels boring.
This may have been the first compact disc my parents owned. I know it cast a long shadow over the new format in the mid ‘80s. The first half of this album is chock full of bops. The second half is more of a meandering collection of Knopfler auditioning for work on film scores.
I've seen the cover of this album everywhere and I've also heard these songs many times, but somehow I never connected the two together nor did I associate them with Dire Straits. I am not particularly fond of long songs, unless it's classical music, but I found the album to be enjoyable. I really liked your Latest Trick, which has a rather unorthodox trumpet stim. I also checked out their other stuff and was glad to find some other gems like Sultans of Swing and Calling Elvis.
Good enough to make me want to check them out more seriously.
This album is heavily carried by Knopfler’s guitar playing. He is a phenomeal guitarist, but this album is way too long. It’s not awful, but the songwriting isn’t amazing. There are some bangers, and some songs that could be a good 3-4 minutes shorter.
This was good, I've heard of this band but barely know them. I also listened to some of their other albums/songs, and it was good. They're country-ish at times but also rock and a bit of alt but also a bit of like nostalgic and blues rock. Deeeefinitely dad rock, fo sho. Brothers in Arms was moving, emotionally provocative, and still rings true today. Brothers in Arms has similarities in themes with Army Dreamers by Kate Bush, but explored the idea that even the "opposition" were family. This album was a wonderful demonstration of how humanity turns against itself to eat its own kin, raw and real and true. It also demonstrates how soldiers never really can go back home, as they'll always take their lowland with them. Music really is an art; in which Brothers in Arms (the song!) really brings to the table. Just talking about that one song though. Not the biggest fan of others, it's generally okay and some of the music can be a bit too slow and sluggish in some bits and places. Was absolutely a fan of the song itself as you can tell. Please note that this review is in separation from the artist. I have little to no knowledge of this band, so I am going purely off of the music on this one. A solid 3. -Byxtwiy Records
Pretty good. Hella production.
Felt like it wanted to be Bruce Springsteen but less successful. Some big gits but lots of just okay
This album in a yo-yo. Some songs are fire and others garbage. It averages out to a passing grade though.
Really annoying how the best track has a verse full of homophobic slurs :-/
The double hit of Money for Nothing and Walk of Life is so crazy. And then the rest of the album is just so boring it’s shocking. It’s like another band
Probably my least favourite DS album, other than the very lack lustre last.
Didn't realize how many 80s mainstay hits were dire straits.
7/10 Favourite: Money for Nothing Least Favourite: One World
Solidt album
It’s really good, but it’s just not my vibe. Very polished 80s — atmospheric in a very clean, hi-fi way, but it feels sterile to me
Good album, but the tracks were longer than they should've been
Can someone please explain the selling 100m albums but having zero charisma as a band conundrum. The Knopfler Effect
Overall I liked this album save for the second song having the F-slur in it. Not my cup of tea. In terms of just general music however, pretty good!
This is a slow, guitar filled, classic rock album. Mark Knopfler is always a pleasure to listen to. To my taste, there are some very nice track and way too many forgettable fillers. I love Dire Straits, but I think they work way better in a Greatest Hits compilation.
The first 1/3 of this record are all massive cultural hits and then this record steers all over the road. I don't love how much we're missing Knopfler's clean, muscular tone and instead processing it deeply. But there's also some truly stunning cuts, specifically the title track to close the record. It's a very uneven record but when it's good, it's great.
I did not like this one nearly as much as I liked the bands first album. This was from 1985, and it is very much influenced by the sound of its time, whereas the first album was much more guitar-based and likeable to me. This had elements of New Wave and the guitars were definitely not front and center.
Mostly a good album, but fuck the song Money for Nothing. "That little f*ggot" shut the fuck up. Weird Al did it better.
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.