Brothers In Arms

Good album 4/5

3.5, almost 4

Boring, droany, far too long, awful vocals, horrendous lyrics. A few good songs, acoustics good, has a distinct sound but tainted by Knopfler’s tone deaf voice. 2/5.

Clear distinct pretty sound. Lyrics poor. Uninteresting vocals. Great guitar and synths. Few stand out songs but most are average at best.

This one's complicated. "Brothers In Arms" has always been my mother's favorite song, and I can't fault her for it. It's atmospheric and melancholic, reaching emotional heights that most of the other tracks in the second half fall short of. Anyway, I listened to a LOT of Dire Straits all throughout my childhood. A lot of the 'best of' tracks came from this album. And those are great. Incredibly catchy melodies, and I finally understand that these are probably the reason why I ever considered playing the guitar (I was bad at it). I think So Far Away kinda sucks, I've always thought Walk of Life was just a bad Sultans of Swing, some other tracks bored me so much I didn't even remember what they were called. There's a homophobic slur on Money for Nothing... but that song is still Money for Nothing. And above all, the title track is actually stunning, and I've been humming it for days now. Yeah, it's hard denying that.

Dire Straits 'Brothers In Arms' was an album that didn't do too much for me when it was released. Money for Nothing was a monster hit that ruled the airwaves and of course MTV. Looking back on it now, Mark Knopfler's genius for the guitar shines and produces and fantastic album with several hits. 3.5/5.

Brothers in Yawns. I won't give this the long review and multiple listens it (probably) deserves. But this elevator-rock really does nothing for me. 'Brothers in Arms' and 'Money For Nothing' are great tracks in their own right. So there's 2 stars for this album. But 'Walk Of Life' is just annoying, songs like 'Why Worry' and 'Ride Across The River' are nothing more than snoozefests without any depth. 'The Man's Too Strong' and 'One World' are unnecessary tracks.

An eclectic mix of country twang, soft rock and 80’s pop. The album is held together by an easygoing energy, clean production and Mark Knopfler’s Dylanesque vocals. Some of these songs I know from growing up with classic rock radio but never thought much about who sang them. I particularly liked “Why Worry,” which starts like a lullaby and extends into a power ballad jam. The dusty cowboy style of “The Man’s Too Strong” stood out to me too.

Yikes this album is crisp. The snare and drums in general are super tight. I love this 80s pop sound. I find it interesting to start an album with the track they did - "So Far Away" is kind of like a repetitive chorus followed by a guitar riff that repeats for 5 minutes. I don't love that. "Money for Nothing" "Walk of Life" "Brothers in Arms" Are all solid! But the whole album is very very good.

Don't love the language in Money for Nothing - made me listen to Weird Al's take Money for Nothing / Beverly Hillbillies instead. Total 80's rock sounds.

Listening through this whole thing was a slog... I used to love Dire Straits.

Ups and downs but the title track makes it

4.5 A nearly perfect album

Some good hits and the others were fine.

fell off towards the end

Highlights: Money For Nothing Walk Of Life Artwork: 4,5 / 10 Rating: 4 / 10

Great album, Mark Knopfler’s the man

Really doesn't hold a candle to Sultans of Swing. I like Money for Nothing obviously, but the rest I could really just leave.

OK, the first thing to talk about is the use of homophobic slurs. This is from the early 80s, and there sure was a different attitude back then. If the use of the slur is what puts you off this music, I'd say you've kinda missed the point of the song. That said, we can review the album. Which is excellent. Genuinely brilliant. Local lads done good.

My second Dire Straits album in three days, and I'm left to wonder how in the world I haven't listened to this group before. The guitar work is top notch, the songs are catchy, the vocals are superb, it just all comes together to make a noteworthy and memorable album. Mostly rocking, sometimes jazzy, sometimes soft, the album dips into different genres and tempos with the instrumentals and has a nice variety. The only negative I can come up with is that I hadn't listened to this album sooner!

Ehh

Mark Knopfler is one of the greatest guitar players. His style is known for its highly melodic and virtuosic lines, but his rhythm playing is also complex. Every note he plays is perfectly and intentionally placed. His is never sloppy and despite the highly orchestrated nature of his songwriting, it retains emotion. This album’s greatest downfall is the dated production. Furthermore, the use of a slur on ‘Money for Nothing,’ tongue in cheek though it was, is jarring and took me out of the song. Nevertheless, the album as a whole is fantastic.

I’ve been a DS fan since I was a child (“I want my MTV…” guitar riff…. Video. I mean, Money for Nothing is probably an actual neural pathway.) Lovely album. Hits, a little mellow here and there, and tat beautiful voice and super clean/mellow guitar sound (not a fuzz pedal in sight!) Love Making Movies more, but this is easily a 4.5 album. Rounding up ‘cause I can!

So I like smooth music, and I have a plenty of time for 80s/90s cheese, but really this album was too much. I'll run it through again tomorrow to make sure, but I cannot understand why this was so popular. Bland, bland, some unnecessary gay slurs, bland, bland, bland.

This depressingly, kinda blows, money for nothing is fine and the title track is a banger but everything else felt like filler

I was much more of a Golden Grahams kind of kid. But my little brother, Steve loved Chex, Wheat Chex, Rice Chex, Raisin and Wheat Chex. Steve ate Chex cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner. My parents must've spent a fortune on Chex cereal in those days. One time I was invited to go roller skating at the local roller rink and but my parents didn't have enough money for me to go ... because mom spent it all on groceries ... including 12 boxes of Chex cereal!! Then I heard this Money for Nothing song and decided I'd play my guitar on MTV, because if I did that, I'd get money for nothing and get my Chex for free. The rest of the album sucked.

The first three songs are justified classics, but it sure does fall off after that, getting trapped in some kind of lounge jazz (or yacht jazz?) slumber until "The Man's Too Strong" attempts to save things. Side notes: -Dire Straits is a terrific band name, though not sure the band is quite worthy of it -Didn't recall that the original "Money for Nothing" included... those... lyrics. -Lead Mark Knopfler apparently did the score for "The Princess Bride" -Those middle tracks were really awful. That's not a side note, that's the main point here, and they are more responsible for this album's score than the good stuff.

Utter disappointment, Dire Straits, considering how it started! This is an album of three, three songs acts. Act I - You had me hooked you magnificent bastards! So Far Away, Money For Nothing, and Walk Of Life are 80s as hell and engaging. A solid 4 ⭐️ performance. Act 2 - WTF? Did Mike McDonald arrive in alien, body snatcher form and take over all band members? Ugh 2 ⭐️. Act 3 - The Man’s Too Strong brings something back, with the timely aggressive guitar passages. One World and Brothers In Arms are songs I could take or leave, but wouldn’t mind hearing from time to time. 3 ⭐️.

I enjoyed this more than I wanted to and more than I expected.

Ooh I liked the other dire straits album… The album opens with the song so far away a rip roaring bass line that suddenly gets overshadowed by the poppy guitars and singing. While I wouldn’t call this band a “ proper pop” group this is much poppier than I’ve had before. It’s good though decent lyrics and well produced. Following this is the song money for nothing it starts slowly with the repetition of “ I want my mtv” for just over a minute, it slowly feeds into an electronic rock sound by what I think it seems to be a song about tv consumerism it’s good though just the intro was a little unnecessary. Walk of life ( like sultans of swing on the self titled) is a song that I only recognised by the synth bit, it’s a good enough song though pretty much an old style rock and roll song with a synth line layered over it. Good song! The first minute of Your latest trick (like the spotify image) is slow and gloomy then after that minute it forms into a slower “ jazzier” track with the saxophone throughout. It’s a good song but the saxophone isn’t one of my favourite instruments but it’s the key instrument to the song and without it the song would feel empty. Why worry, kinda sounds hopeful in a way like all of the gloominess of your latest trick is gone. It would seen like an afterthought of that song but it’s 8 minutes long, a time stamp when executed well is awesome and while it’s good it just feels like a 5 minuter, it’s still beautiful and a brilliant sonic though. Side two starts with ride across the river and it’s tribal drumming and flute work. The lyrics aren’t my favourite but this is still a great song just primarily for the fact that it shows verity of the sounds portrayed in this album and how different it is to the previous 5. The man’s too strong follows on well from the last track it’s much folkier than the others, Until it explodes in the chorus this would have easily been my least favourite but as it progresses the song shows a true epic-ness that the other songs don’t portray as strongly! One world almost feels like disco blues quite cool to be fair, it’s the most similar to the poppieness of the first three songs but still has a cool enough groove to make it special. Also the spotify artwork is really awesome and fitting to these songs. The album closes off with the title track it’s sorta a blend of the thunderous sounds of the man’s too strong and the gloominess of your latest trick. It turns into this slow emotional closer apparently an anti war song sung by a solider it’s a really good song! I recommend going through spotify on the initial listen for this as for the most part it shows the story each song tells and for every song it has a short clip for it. Wow two 5’s in two days ( the other one was Screamidelica) that’s cool!

kinda all over the place genre wise also holy shit the lyrics of "money for nothing" are not okay 3.5

Até surpreendeu por eu consegui perceber a qualidade do instrumental e melodias apesar dos hits que incomodam bastante.

one of the all time best rock albums

Great album, however I'm not a big fan of Dire Straits. All of my beloved songs are in this album.

Thought I was going to have heard all these already when it started. The ones I hadn't weren't memorable. Did not know about the controversial version of MFN!

Nice album. The stars of the album are the first three songs. Though Money for Nothing never did anything for me, Walk of Life and So far Away are both excellent. But the 4th song...yech! Elevator music ballad, complete with sax that sounds like Kenny G is playing. The balance of the album is pretty uneventful with the exception of the title track. All in all a pretty ordinary album with 2 or 3 stellar tunes. 3.5 🌟

Fantastic

4/5 4/05/22 That was a fun album to listen to, it had some well-known songs I didn't know was from this album. It was soft and chill, with emphasis on different instruments for each song which made each stand out from each other, making it quite unique.

Fav song: So Far Away

Money for nothing y Walk of Life son temas fijos en cualquier lista ochentera

Dire Straits are a band I’ve somehow escaped listening to really but this album is pretty enjoyable and very well-produced.

Their Spoitfy profile says "self-consciously mature rock 'n' rollers," which may be the most singularly uninviting musical proposition I've ever read. Luckily, that's not all they are. Hooks, tunes, SFX--all catchy crassness they're not above. But there's no ignoring their midtempo sobriety, which is almost truculent in its insistence on poise. There's also no ignoring that this gets a hell of a lot less catchy on the second half, which is the bigger problem.

What was Josh Lyman, a warning shot? That was my son.

When I bought this album when it was first released, I was so anxious to hear it I zoomed home to play it! Unfortunately disappointment, the opening track, So Far Away skipped on the turntable and without listening to the rest, I immediately exchanged it for another...then it happened again...anyways, third time was a charm! The opening three songs were amazing and most of the album as a whole was good, but it started to lose me towards the end. Dire Straits most commercially successful album and their last great record, but in my opinion, not their best. It still brings back memories of happier times of playing records, reading the liner notes, listening with headphones in your parents house and avoiding music videos. :)

1985, what a year! And Mark Knopfler is still rocking!

The title track alone earns this entire album full marks, but then there's also a bunch of other fuckin bangers on it too. Only criticisms: Why Worry and Ride Across the River aren't really top-shelf material. But this is totally offset by that FUCKING TITLE TRACK OMG. 5/5.

Bueno

Amazing

A really easy-listening classic. Knoplfler- with his barnstormer yet calming guitar licks really make it. They don’t try to overdo it or complicate things

Amazing.

Never been a big fan

You can tell what the good songs are vs the filler. Highs are high, lows are meh

Dire Straits has some great tunes, but most of those aren’t on this album. Liked “One World” and even though it’s overplayed, I’m still not sick of “Money for Nothing”. Other minor hits: “Walk of Life” and “So far Away” are lame. Rest is boring.

I really like the vibe of dire straits and a lot of this was great, but even so sometimes this fades into the background. Brothers in Arms is a BANGIN closer.

Best Song: Your Latest Trick. Rarely do you get an opportunity to listen to a sleazy saxophone solo like this. Worst Song: Money for Nothing. Absolutely everything in this song sounds dated, from the expired references to MTV and colour TVs, to the entirely out-of-pocket use of homophobic slurs. Overall: Overwhelmingly medium music. Nothing very interesting here. Instrumentals are obviously slick, but the vocals are weak and the lyrics stink.

yknow I woulda enjoyed this a lot more if not for the liberal use of the f slur. great production tho

80's were a rough time for rock. Brothers on Arms is a very good album but it's pretty far removed from modern rock. It's not a bad thing by itself but it most likely means that I won't be returning much to this album.

Várias músicas que eu já conhecia e não sabia o nome Todas sensacionais. 5/5

"Brothers in Arms" is a very definitive pop rock album from the eights, with a collection of hit compositions, molded by Mark Knopfler's guitar. You can't talk about the mid eighties without citing "So Far Away", "Money for Nothing", "Walk of Life" and "Your Latest Trick", the first four tracks on this records - quite an opener. Lirically, songs tackle themes like the perception of the working class and the stupidity of militarism, but there are also love songs - written in a very iconic Dire Straits way, full of metaphors. It's a very complex album, almost minimalistic in the amount of details that you can find while listening to it, and it never gets old (except when the lyrics cite MTV as a music television or uses the world 'faggot', two things that got very and poorly old).

An old favorite. Good to listen to it again.

How did I not know that’s Sting on Money for Nothing? What a wally.

they obviously sold out, made millions and there's a couple of poorer tracks but fuck me, the big hits are timeless

This was the record that made DS so popular that no one liked them anymore. Like everything they did, it’s of very high quality, but this one lacks life and edge. Serious points off for becoming ubiquitous (and thus annoying) in my first painful year of college (not entirely Knopfler’s fault it was painful) and generally being too polished, slick and too big a hit. Demerits also for using state-of-the-art (also smug) ‘80s production effects (keys and synths especially, Sting backing vocals). And for parodying MTV while being totally of it … by design and in execution. They wanted it both ways, I suppose, and got it. Trigger warning on the homophobic language, too – oh, that shameful go-go decade. The “Money for Nothing” hook is great, if obvious. “So Far Away” and “Walk of Life” are pretty good, too. “Your Latest Trick” and “One World” are tops to my ears, and the more considered non-hits in the middle and back stand up better than the chart-toppers. It’s interesting to me that the record ends very quietly, in contrast to the very loud opening hook of its most famous song. As a whole, it’s all far below (less artful, less serious, way too obviously reaching for mainstream acceptance) than the previous work – the first record, Love Over Gold and Making Movies especially. I like that it freed Knopfler to do what he wanted but he never got his mojo back (commercially or artistically) and has mostly noodled since. Sorry, book editors, but the production here makes this anything but “timeless” – who can hear this and not think mid- to late ‘80s? You want timeless, try “Water of Love,” “WIld West End,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “Skateaway” or “Telegraph Road.” One must be careful not dismiss things just because they’re popular, but, while this deserves a 4, I’m protesting and penalizing with a 3 because everyone (even the authors) still overrates this at the expense of the earlier, simpler and superior efforts.

It is a perfect album from start to finish. 5/5.

Hard.

Honestly? Pleasant

Bruh I Farm's

Oh Mark Knopfler, what a guitar hero he is and do you know who one of his guitar heroes is.... Hank B Marvin of the Shadows! Amazing the influences that have made some of the best pop-rock of all time. I first heard of Dire Straits when the NME reported of one of their early gigs in Deptford at a pub that was late 70's early 80's (Sultans of Swing era) next thing I am watching them on this Albums tour at Wembley Empire Pool and who did Mark bring on as special guest with them for a couple of songs.... none other than Hank B Marvin! A great pop/rock album, they were masters of MOR rock and this is a prerequisite for any pop/rock collection. Love "Money For Nothing" (with Sting on backing vocals) "So Far Away" "Walk Of Life" (Listen to Hank and the Shadows influence here) "Your Latest Trick" and the title track "Brothers in arms" all pop/rock magic. Love the album, in my personal collection already. Rightfully on the list as far as I am concerned.

Bit boring overall but some nice tracks in there and good guitars.

It was okay

Far more easy listening than I remember it. A good album but hardly justifying the 60m+ in album sales.

Audio semolina. What's not to like?

the sound of young MTV

Not a huge fan of the vocals. Music is good. Kind of sounds like rock and roll Bob Dylan.

Listenable but dull. Never really grabbed me. And I've always disliked the song, "Money for Nothing", so there's that. Sorry, Mark. Didn't add.

5 étoiles en skippant walk of life

Frustré par la fin de la dernière track. Genre j'étais en plein kiff et là fade out sans crier gare... Avec 2 minutes de solo en plus et une vraie fin, c'était 5.

allez ca rechiale

A pleasant Friday listen, but it's impossible to overlook the homophobic slurs in Money For Nothing. If you want highly proficient guitar playing combined with soft 80's rock then these are the dudes for you.

Not super into this aside from Walk of Life, but there's still a lot of impressive song writing and musicianship on display, so gotta respect that.

03/08/2022 Great album. So many childhood memories flashed back of driving around with my dad with the windows down and the warm summer sun. Nice to remember the good times.

Fantastic

Some WILD saxophone stuff on Your Latest Trick. Lots of good songs though.

Several classic tracks, can even hear some of the stylings that would show up in The Princess Bride. And Brothers in Arms, just a great tune, also used to great effect in the episode "Two Cathedrals" in The West Wing. Title track far surpasses those that were the big hits. And an early jump into computer animation on Money For Nothing and Sting's I want My MTV are still iconic albeit dated.

A huge album at the time, cementing Dire Straits’ status as one of the top global acts. Heard the first half of this album SO MUCH, one way or another, that even now it’s hard to be objective, so I’ll flip to the second half and say I enjoyed these tracks, a fair bit of variety and tasteful instrumentation and production (perhaps over compressed for my ears now) but overall this was played ALL THE TIME on MTV and became so embedded that I can’t quite take it now…

Released at the mid-point of the 1980s, "Brothers in Arms" is one in a long line of albums which saw talented musicians taking smooth-edged soft-rock to the max, shooting for commercial gain they might never have anticipated but yielding decidedly mixed results in the long-term. Alongside Mark Knopfler's instantly recognisable, brittle Strat playing (all finger-work and no plectrum, still deserving to be the focus here) and semi-spoken vocal delivery, the sound is finished off by synth pads that float over the top of every damn song, ultra-polished, plodding drums, lounging jazz keyboards and the occasional intricate lead melody (woodwind synth or saxophone). If it sounds pleasant, it is. If it sounds boring, it also is. Knopfler is not a striking lyricist in this case, and the music stays mainly on the side of brooding atmospherics in HD. It's not always a bad thing and in the right mood, I can let it sweep me away. But it's quite frustrating knowing that Knopfler is capable of playing exquisite guitar (seen in glimpses across many of these instrumental passages) or writing a pop hit. At least two of these three stars belong to "Walk of Life", the standout single, for cutting through the introspection and succeeding in being effortlessly bright, breezy and catchy. Knopfler's vocal style really works here, as do the increased presence of synthesisers in Dire Straits' sound as they add the classic keyboard riff. "Money for Nothing" is another winner, contributing the only riff with any backbone. It even manages to earn its length, paying off the iconic long introduction with a cynical lyric and delivery (including a badly judged slur... if you're reading this, you know what it is) and its major key chorus, breaking through like an occasional ray of sunshine. While I'm on the subject of "Money for Nothing", one of the record's three great songs, it is NONSENSE that the band chose not to open "Brothers in Arms" with it. It is known for having one of the most majestic introductions of all time, beloved by audiophiles testing out new hi-fis the world over... but instead we begin with "So Far Away", a completely by-the-numbers soft rock opening with its oh-so-inspiring central lyric "you're so far away from me; so far I just can't see". It sums up my main gripe with "Brothers in Arms": it has occasional greatness which is casually tossed out hand-in-hand with dross. "Your Latest Trick" constitutes the doldrums of easy-listening, saxophone and all. "Why Worry" has a nursery rhyme melody and a hackneyed-but-nice sentiment poorly expressed, before breaking into a four minute noodly coda which adds nothing. "One World" tries to inject a shot of adrenaline in the album's home stretch with some nice lead guitar and slapped bass in a Tony Levin cameo, but there's not much going on beyond it. That said, it's worth finishing my review as the album goes out, with the lovely "Brothers In Arms." It's the main ballad here which works: a heartfelt message delivered alongside a winning melody, it sits in the right place at the end of the record and serves a final reminder that the band can deliver their songs with pathos and immediacy. Along with "Walk of Life" and "Money for Nothing", it proves that this album still deserves its place on this list, even if it is greater than the sum of its parts.

The Album's Too Strong

Love it. Good amount of hits. Always thought sultans of swing was on this one but apparently not.

Better than I remembered

The MySpace of albums. Not only does it not hold up anymore, but you can't believe it ever did.

eh

I was proven pleasantly wrong by the first Dire Straits album. It had some good songs on it, and retained a sense of place as an album by a band from the North East of England. I'm 50/50 on this, and I can't stand Money For Nothing but love Walk of Life going in. Hoping that this album leans more towards the joyous pop of the latter than the mixing desk stodge rawk of the former. So Far Away is nice, if slight. It's been so long since I heard Money For Nothing, I have actually warmed to it. It's clearly tongue in cheek, heat saying 'The MTV' in the same way I say 'The TikToks' to my daughter, isn't he. Walk of Life Still slaps. Your Latest Trick is all the worst things about the 80s distilled into a bottle of undiluted piss. Saxophone? Shmoove? Bleurgh.

A classic !

Cool

Dire Straits has such an easily-dated sound, but captures some of the best of what came out of 80's pop music. I love Mark Knoppfler's voice and guitar playing. The hook for "Money for Nothing" is maybe the most iconic guitar riff from my entire childhood; that song will never be played out for me. "Walk of Life" has an organ riff and boogie-woogie guitar combo that is near impossible to not bop my head to. "Ride of the River" has almost an Oingo Boingo-like lead in with the various synths, percussion and horns. Some of the slower songs are instantly forgettable, but the album ends pretty strong with "Brother in Arms".

Was not all that taken with this album on first listen. There were the singles I was already familiar with and they were still good. Near the end, I was warming to it, so I relistened and realized that most of my negativity were around "Your Latest Trick" and "Why Worry", which were both snoozefests. I like the end of the album quite a bit. If it were all like that, I'd give it a 4. As it is with the snoozefests, I'll give it a 3.

Liked this quite a lot actually. Start out fantastically with 3 back to back bangers with great guitar and synth work. Stumbles a little with some of the softer material (namely "Your Latest Trick", "Why Worry?") and even though Knopfler's vocals aren't exactly amazing, his guitar playing certainly is.

I normally don't leave reviews and I let the stars I choose speak for themselves...but in an effort to speak my mind more (my therapist would be so proud) I'll say: This bored the shit out of me.

Mark Knopfler's songwriting skills cannot be overstated. Obviously the guy can shred like nobody's business, but he has just as strong of an ear for hooks and melody. Even songs that seem as simple and quiet as "Why Worry" have a couple little surprises that make them stand out. But what really make an impact are when Knopfler and co go big, like when he turns up the guitar in "The Man's Too Strong" or the all-timer riff on "Money for Nothing". It's funny that I keep mentioning the guitar work on this album, because this is otherwise quite synth-heavy. I personally preferred the band's earlier work which focused more on Knopfler's passion for blues and jazz. There are still hints of that here, but you can otherwise hear plenty of compromises for the MTV era, ie all of "Walk of Life", which I understand is beloved by many, but I've never been able to stomach. But when the band goes all out, they really hit. The last two songs, "One World" and the title track, I think are near-perfect, and I would have loved if the whole album sounded like those. Still, this is a fun 80's classic, one I enjoy coming back to even if it's hardly a first choice. B

Not really vibing with it. Forgot to listen to it until today on the way to work. Money for Nothing has a great riff but I forgot about the F bomb in it. Some classic songs but two that I've definitely heard way too often

Did not realize Walk of Life was a Dire Straits song until today. Much more of a diverse album than Money for Nothing would indicate. Favorite tracks are Ride Across the River and One World

Really unexpected beyond the singles I had heard but I really enjoyed it.

Far more atmospheric than I thought. A couple of great tracks and other good musical experiences. Mark Knopfler is a true troubadour.

-Money For Nothing kind of goes on for too long -Walk of Life is nice -This is a lot more soft rock than I expected -why is there an 8-minute-long soft rock love ballad?! -The synth pan flute is odd but not necessarily bad -The Man's Too Strong and One World were pretty good

Money for Nothin’ riff still slaps for being a kinda dumb song. Guitars overall are pretty damn clean and tasty. The synths and extra instruments often feel out of place initially, but end up working out really well in the end. The closer was a snore. Overall not bad bad, but the singles are the highlights. This band does not sound like they’re from England, whatsoever, figured these dudes were from Florida. It’s aight.

sensacional

I'm slightly biased on this one because most of the album features in one of my favourite live recordings of all time (Live in Sydney 1986) and I do think a few of the slower songs work better in a live context. That said I do still love this album and it has at least 4 of my fave Dire Straits tracks on it. The artwork is iconic too.

I've listened to this maybe once in my life before now so wasn't sure what to expect beyond the hits. Happy to report that the rest of the album is pretty decent - side A is great. Nearly every track could arguably be shorter but overall it's solid stuff. Interesting to read that it got panned on release (though this was partly for sounding the same as previous DS albums, which I'm not in a position to judge... yet. I'm sure the generator will enlighten me in time.)

Time to get back in this horse ... Dire Straits are a phenomenal band that I definitely didn't appreciate enough when younger. Everyone appreciates they are a bunch of incredible musicians, but Mark Knopfler's deep voice really elevates the entire thing. Without the vocals and story telling, I suspect the album might not hold my attention like it does. Brother in Arms is my favourite

Pues los tres primeros temas son legendarios, luego se desinfla un poco pero mantiene un nivel aceptable y acaba x todo lo alto. Perfectamente podria ser mas corto el álbum, porque canciones como Why Worry se alargan demasiado. Mmm no se, esta guapo.

Puro rock nostálgico que me transporta al coche de mi padre. Está wapo.

👍👍👍

Nice laid back sound and great musicianship. And of course Mark Knopfflers guitar taking it to a different level

Despite the album dropping off in the second half, there isn't anything wrong with this. All except The Man's Two Strong and One World are fantastic and even the mentioned lesser tracks are decent. Money for Nothing was the one I knew before but really came away liking So Far Away and Your Latest Trick. A classic album

This album frustrated me a bit. I really liked parts of it, but it's all the 80s production that puts me off. I think if this album had been recorded and released 10 years earlier, I would've liked it more.

Didn’t listen as intently as I did with the previous two albums but this was overall a decent album with some good songs to have a lazy Sunday to.

2.5-3/5 Decent old pop rock. “Money For Nothing” and “Walk Of Life” are fun tracks and it’s interesting how the opening hooks of each are almost more recognizable than the tracks themselves. The band seems to have a pattern of leaving the last 1:30 to 2 minutes for an instrumental section and on some songs such as “Ride Across The River” and “Why Worry?” its just too much for me to want to sit around and listen to. I appreciate that they try to fit in more messages into the album than just songs about love and I do like the song “Brothers In Arms” though I know of a cover I’d rather listen to. Fav Songs: Money For Nothing, Walk Of Life

I first heard Dire Straits as a freshman in college. Great sound. Mark Knopfler has a very strong and unique voice. His guitar skills are top notch. The other instrumentals on this album are also high level. The first 3 songs were very popular and are the most familiar. The rest of them are unique. Although some do get a bit slow at times. Nice to hear again after many years.

This album has me very torn. Two very successful songs on the top of the album, to have it just fade away into overly processed rather ho-hum songs at the end. And where is that Knopfler guitar on those ending songs? I remember buying the album as soon as it came out. Also remember that it almost never got pulled out for play. "Money for nothing" and "Walk of Life" were so overplayed on the radios that there is not interest/reason to play. And the rest of the album just does not excite. I categorize this album as their mid-life crisis. After the power and creativity of "Love Over Gold", to follow with this is just a bit of a disappointment. So I really give this a 3.5 stars. But based on how little I actually have played this, I have to round down.

Great album, other than the three mega-hits, I enjoyed "your latest trick" and "ride across the river"

4/5 classic

good album

Never listened to a dire straits album before! Excited to finally be able to say I did!

Of its time but one of the best of its time. Pop rock with a mastery over both parts of the genre

I love this album and spent some happy teenage hours working out the sax part of Latest Trick and playing along. My least favorite song is Money for Nothing, mostly I think from overexposure and a terrible video; otherwise this album is perfect. In fact, I'm going to listen again right now.

A classic. Fun to listen to with singles like Money for Nothing and Walk of Life. Favorite song: Money for Nothing

Cool! A sound its I hearded when I was young...

Primeiro álbum que escutei no 1001albumgenerator.

Great album!

loveddddd it

This album feels like an instant classic - thoroughly enjoyed it.

La critique d'aujourd'hui sera un peu particulière dans le sens où elle concernera quasi exclusivement Jim Morrison. Si c'est une critique de Dire Straits que vous cherchez, je vous invite à passer votre chemin. J'ai en effet déniché grâce à de nombreuses recherches à la bibliothèque un certain nombre d'informations confidentielles que j'avais à cœur de partager avec vous. Première information et pas des moindres, Jim Morrison ne serait pas mort à vingt-sept ans comme certaines personnes peuvent le penser mais bien plus tard. Celui-ci aurait en effet simulé sa mort, ce qui lui aurait permis de mettre un terme à sa carrière musicale et d'exercer sa profession de cœur le reste de sa vie, à savoir ingénieur-son/électricien. Faisons maintenant un saut dans le temps et arrêtons-nous le 11 mars 1978. Il est quatorze heures quand Claude François remarque une anomalie dans son système électrique. Il appelle alors un spécialiste et, quelques minutes plus tard, on frappe à la porte. Claude François aperçoit derrière le judas un homme en salopette bleue, et arborant un crayon à papier derrière l'oreille (vous aurez reconnu Jim Morrison). Il lui ouvre. L'homme ramasse alors sa boite à outils et s'en va jeter un œil au circuit électrique. Il débranche alors des câbles, en sectionne quelques-uns, en branche quelques-autres et les emmêle globalement tous, provoquant un court-circuit généralisé dans l'appartement de Claude François, qui lui fait part de son énervement. "Pardon M'sieur François" s'écrie alors Jim Morrison avant de lui proposer un geste commercial. Claude François accepte et lui confie qu'il aurait bien besoin de changer une ampoule de sa salle de bain. Jim Morrison s'y empresse et la remplace par une ampoule de type hélicoïdale à moitié cassée qu'il trouve au fond de sa boîte à outil. "Ça f'ra l'affaire, j'pense…" dit-il en se grattant les fesses avant de se diriger vers la porte d'entrée. Le chanteur lui règle sa facture, les deux hommes se serrent la main et Jim Morrison commence à descendre les escaliers de l'immeuble. Une fois en bas des marches, il reçoit un appel : "Ah c'est vous M'sieur François…" dit-il dans son téléphone. "Comment-ça l'ampoule crépite pendant que vous êtes dans vot' bain ? C'est bizarre, vous avez essayé de l'attraper des deux mains ? Non ? Bah essayez voir." La suite de l'histoire sera relayée par toutes les chaînes d'information et plongera la France dans l'émoi le plus total.

Un album d'une qualité exceptionnelle de la part des Dire Straits, qui n'est pas que le simple fruit du hasard. En effet, les Dire Straits sont réputés pour avoir toujours su bien s'entourer. Mais laissez moi vous replonger dans le contexte. Nous sommes dans le début des années 80, quand les Dire Straits commencent à se regrouper en studio. La musique bat son plein, les enregistrements sont très prometteurs grâce à l'énorme aisance de chacun des membres du groupe avec leur instrument respectif. Mais très rapidement, on se rend compte au sein du studio que ce groupe, certes composé de grands musiciens, n'a en revanche aucune connaissance en arrangement sonore. Il leur faut donc recruter un ingénieur son. Rapidement, le premier candidat se présente dans le petit studio britannique. Mais c'est alors un véritable fiasco. Ce dernier oubliera de brancher la guitare de Mark Knopfler sur la première prise, avant de complétement saturer son micro. Après une troisième tentative au cours de laquelle Jim Morrison - car vous l'avez compris, c'était bien lui qui se cachait derrière l'ingénieur - fera tomber son sandwich sur la caisse claire du batteur Terry Williams, le groupe excédé finit par mettre Jim à la porte. Jim Morrisson répétera par la suite dans de nombreux médias que les Dire Straits sont un véritable cauchemar pour les ingénieurs sons, les accusant de perfectionnisme nocif. Pas d'inquiètude pour Dire Straits, ils finirent par recruter un ingénieur son qualifié, et purent boûcler ce magnifique album.

never really liked Dire Straits

Not too shabby for some dad rock. The occasional slow songs aren't my flavor though

I enjoyed the guitar. Got slow in the middle but a solid entry.

should have started off with Money for Nothing. But this song is just about them being movers/contractors??

Really good

One heck of a fun album until the final closing track which seems to come from a higher plane. Remarkable

Too much cheese but the title track is a stone cold classic.

Ruk. Behalve de intro van I want my mtv

A little corny but I still really enjoy this album. 8/10 1. Walk of Life 2. Brothers in Arms 3. Your Latest Trick

Miellyttävää, yks pääs bassolistallekin. Ei silti ui suosikkeihin, kun vähän häiritsee se leima setien lempibändinä. Ja no toki muistakin syistä. Mutta voisin kuunnella lisää.

Kinda meh

Antiseptic wipes. Mahogany cabinets painted white. An unbuttered baked potato. Quite possibly the longest 50 minutes of my life, listening to this LP. First of all… there’s this great scene in The Simpsons featuring Kenny G, live, and his opening address to the crowd is: ‘Springfield, are you ready to soft rock?!’ I believe the industry itself titles it MOR rock- middle of the road. Neil Young recalled that following the success of 'Harvest,' he found himself in the middle of the road, and decided it was the most dangerous place to be. So, he headed right for the ditch on his next several LPs. (His very next release was the gloriously awful mess of 'Time Fades Away,' with the sloppy drunkenness of 'Tonight’s the Night' soon to follow. Both great LPs, in my opinion.) 'Brother In Arms' was released in May of 1985, a couple of months before I embarked on a major life transition, and one month before I turned 26. And while I had dabbled a bit in punk rock back in the 70s, I was still fairly MOR myself, having not yet discovered amazing groups like Cali’s hardcore Black Flag or the Minutemen, or the awesome sonic waves of Nadja or Sunn O))), or even the free jazz of John (& Alice) Coltrane or Ornette Coleman. That said, though, I do remember enjoying Dire Straits for a hot minute, but then tired of them pretty quickly. Too much radio play, for one thing. If I never hear ‘Money For Nothing’ again for the rest of my life I’ll be ok. Secondly… my biggest beef is that while Mark Knopfler’s guitar is featured on the cover, where is it in the recording? ‘Why Worry’ (George Harrison already expressed this, and much better, on ‘All Things Must Pass’) goes on far too long, and in the absence of a good guitar solo, probably Dire Straits’ strongest component. We finally get a little on ‘Ride Across the River,’ but that goes on too long, too. Same with the remainder of the LP. ‘Can’t get no fancy notes on my blue guitar,’ Knopfler sings on ‘One World.’ Truer words have never been sung. Finally… apparently, 'Brothers In Arms' is one of the best selling LPs of all time!? I feel sorry for the poor saps who purchased the thing on the basis of the 2 big hits- ‘Money For Nothing’ and ‘Walk Of Life,’ both upbeat and playful tunes. And Dire Straits looked like they were having a lot of fun playing them live when I saw their videos. But that’s where the fun ends. The remainder of the LP is dark and tedious. Actually, they’re not even really that dark (thematically, yes; lyrically, musically, no) nearly as much as they are tedious. OK, so it was one of the first LPs recorded on a Sony 24-track digital machine. No hiss, that’s for sure. Unfortunately, not much soul either. I’ll take Dead Kennedys’, 'Holiday In Cambodia'- which quality-wise kinda sounds like shit, but also has passion just spraying out the same ass- any day over 'Brothers In Arms.' In fact, the Dead Kennedys actually were brothers in arms against censorship, and fought it hard. What battles have Dire Straits ever fought, beside their defense of the misunderstood lyric, ‘The little faggot, he’s a millionaire’? (For the record, Knopfler was quoting some knucklehead at a bar commenting about some musician he saw on MTV.) Keep this LP so far away from me, please.

One of my most favourite albums of all time, and it still sounds brilliant all these years later.

So far away starts off strong for me. A little twangy, charming, easy to listen to. Money for Nothing is a classic!

Wow. This did not age well. I remember when this first came out and everyone had fancy new cd players and this was the go to album. Money for Nothing still sounds great and Brothers in Arms closes out the album well, but the rest - just sounds flat and boring. They have far better albums.

The first and third songs drag a little bit, but the second sends us off to the races and there's lots else to like. I was familiar with more than I knew. The guitar work is great, and while the style is whelming, the compositions are worked to interesting lengths in each case.

A perfect album. Mixed perfectly, too. The synth has even aged well. Impressive. Truly a work of art.

All time favorites seldom disappoint

One star for the "Money for Nothing" intro. The rest is insipid, cringeworthy music for 80s dads to listen to in their Ford Cortinas. Not sure why a band from Newcastle are trying to sound like they're from Nevada too.

Good but a little mellow 4

Good one :)

Excellent

Super album van een super band

Absolutely awesome! One or two songs sound so 80s they border on pastiche, but still enjoyable. Title track, walk of life, latest trick, so far away, and of course, money for nothing are all-timers. What an album.

I wore this album out on my turntable freshman year of college. Such a great album. The thing I think is most interesting about this album is that every track is completely unique, and yet the whole album is cohesive. Money for Nothing and Walk of Life were the big hits, and they're great songs, but for me it's the closing title track that is the all-time classic. The silky smooth guitar and the heartbreaking lyrics get me every time. 4.5 stars, rounding up to 5.

Traumalbum

There is only one correct way to listen to Brothers In Arms. It is the mid-1980s. You are a man in your early 40s. You have just bought a new compact disc player. The salesman at the hi-fi store demonstrated it by playing the Brothers In Arms CD and it sounded amazing so you bought a copy. DDD, all-digital, every step of the way. You have set up your new CD player and put on the Dire Straits CD. You can't believe how crystal clear it sounds, how rich and pure. It is as if the Knopfler bros and co are directly beaming into your brain. You get chills, multiple times. "Money For Nothing" makes you feel like a bad-ass. "Walk of Life" makes you nostalgic for your youth. "Your Latest Trick" makes you feel... things. And the title track makes you cry on the inside. This is what the future sounds like. There is no going back. The mighty compact disc is here to stay.

Knopfler is a king.

This album makes me feel like I'm the US president, and Im about to announce to the world that Im going to run for reelection despite my recent medical scandal, and the ghost of my secretary is encouraging me along the way.

love money for nothing, but was surprised how much I didn't like the rest of the album. the songs were fine. slower than i was expecting. Money For Nothing isn't necessarily a fast song, but there's something about it's.... swagger, that the rest of the album just didn't really have.

You know, fuck Dire Straits.

Sounds amazing, among one of the best production efforts of the decade. Sets itself apart from the crowd of arena hard rock by being softer yet still appealing to the pop audience. There were soft rock bands still out there, but they were never nearly as big or good as this. Utilizes synths appropriately, distinctively 80s, but not excessively. The guitar is clearly at the front, never crazy but pairs well with the mellow instruments and vocals to make for a soothing experience. "Money for Nothing" is one of my favorite songs of the decade. From the atmospheric opening, to the memorable guitar intro, the synth effects, the harmonious vocals, and the lyrical perspective of a middle-aged laughing stock. "Walk of Life" is another song I grew up with, kinda country or rockabilly sounding, very optimistic. "Your Latest Trick" and "Why Worry" makes me wish I had a surround system; they're smooth and very like 80s pop. "Ride Across the River" is the underrated gem here, sounding like the jungle level of a video game. Really, there aren't any bad tracks on this album.

This album is soooooo good. I enjoyed every single song on here except one, which is Money For Nothing, but I've never liked that song that much. But it's a classic, and it won't take my score down from less than a five. Highlights: So Far Away, Walk Of Life, Your Latest Trick, Why Worry?

Would have been a 10, but its missing Sultans and Romeo and Juliet

Better than I was expecting.

Album full of class music......and Walk of Life

Nope

Man the beginning of Money for Nothing is great. Walk of Life is strong. And the mid-80s vibe is second to none. Knopfler is a great player. Even when I don't really love the song, I like how he plays. Fun for the whole family.

Wow, even the best tune on this album is ruined by a slew of homophobic insults. Nice. It's a shame, Knopfler is a guitarist with a sweet style I genuinely like, but too often he goes missing. In place of the fretboard kinetics of 'Sultans of Swing' or 'Lady Writer', we have sub-'Gaucho' era Steely Danisms of 'Your Latest Trick' and the utterly wretched 'Walk Of Life'. 'The Man's Too Strong' starts off promisingly with some nimble folk playing but, alas, it's swamped by the 'tasteful' production of the era. What a mess.

Starts off with a trio of bangers and then kind of peters out to a weak little trickle of forgettable blandness doesn't it? Sounds about right for an album with a dobro on the cover. Why the fuck is there a dobro on the cover? Why is the dobro floating in the sky? Who thought that was an interesting concept for album artwork? I need to talk to these people.

More Phil Collins then Led Zeppelin in the end. I was expecting ‘Brothers In Arms’ to rock more. Mark Knopfler can’t sing, and murders every song, but what he can do is play guitar very well and his (and the bands) work here is often languid, but seductive with the music getting under your skin and the resulting tunes sounding like the soundtrack to an episode of Miami Vice. Herein lies the albums charm.

A solid meh. Not sure what this album was trying to accomplish and seemed aimless.

Classic in ever sense. No filler in this album. Mark Knopfler does his thing on guitar. The only weakness would be his singing.

Decent atmosphere, some of the songs did drag though

I checked "history" and this and the previous album definitely were never suggested to me. Wtf dont try to hold out on me.

The hits this time are the stentorian boogie of Money For Nothing and the hard-hitting rockabilly of Walk Of Life. A little bit generic and banal rock , but nice Guitar solos and riffs. (6/10) FT: See above

meh? omg so 80s. 3 stars.

Good stuff, but runs out of steam.

Even duller than I expected it to be.

As tedious as dull as I remembered. Popular does not always relate to quality.

Not bad. Solid 80s soft rock. Not really my style, but not bad.

Lots of hits. Even the ones I didn't know were pretty good.

5 stars - thats all!!!

Dire Straits are such an odd band to me - a lot of talent, but inconsistent. Their good stuff sounds like Gordon Lightfoot mixed with blue eyed soul and their bad stuff sounds like cheesy solo John Fogerty. And then there's Money for Nothing, one of the most overplayed songs in classic rock radio history. It might have been good at one point, but it winds up really throwing the tone of this album all out of whack. Once you get to the deep cuts, though, this album really gets good. Your Latest Trick sounds like it belongs on the soundtrack to Law & Order... it's a great arrangement... until you get to that cheesy saxophone. Some mixing changes might have saved it, but it winds up sounding very 80s in a bad way. Why Worry? has some nice little synth licks that hint at the band's proggier Telegraph Road. Ride Across the River is a straight banger. It kind of sounds like the soundtrack to some 16 bit video game's jungle night level in the best way possible. The Man's Too Strong has a strong Western vibe with a hint of apocalyptic folk a la Great Annihilator-era Swans. One World's not bad either, although the slap bass dates it a bit. The guitar does some heavy lifting here. The album ends with the moody synth swell of the title track, a song that was destined to be played during a pivotal scene in The Americans. This was one of my mother's favorite albums, and it has a lot of emotional pull for me - both negative and positive, nostalgia and rebellion. Listening through it, if it didn't have Money for Nothing and Walk of Life, it would be almost a five star album for me. As it stands, with those two tracks on it, it will wind up a three or (more likely) a four. Before I relistened to it, I wouldn't have ranked it quite that high, but like I said, the deep cuts on this album have a lot of fantastic elements, many of which I forgot.

Great album, not new to me, love every song there

Quintessential 80s sound, classic pop-rock. Album was easy to listen to with a slight melancholic vibe at times. Songs are cohesive but nothing particularly stands out for me (I do like Your Latest Trick and Money for Nothing). I think this is the type of album that would grow on me after several re-listens.

more sexy sax than I've ever heard in a dire straits song before but enjoyed the album

from the first few notes of the first song i was already swinging with the music. As the album continued, each song was consistently good. The guitar on the album is insane. The first half of the album is definitely stronger than the last half, but overall a great classic album.

Absolutely great album!

80s delight

Love some "Brothers in Arms" but now having listened to some of the other songs it's a little offensive.

This is my 'first' album. Does that factor into the score , probably, do I care, not really.

Highs and lows - some towering tracks here, but also a few that were fine, I guess, but really lacking in comparison to their neighbours. I just want more guitar solos!

If I ever needed reminding that I was a teenage Tory, then this is it. In my defence, my location and surroundings made this more or less inevitable. At my school, the furthest left anyone would have been would have been fair bit to the right of, say, Bill Clinton. (Some of us who relocated Stateside would have enthusiastically voted for him in 1992. And I'm not saying that this is (necessarily) a bad thing, but, you know. Youth. Radical politics. etc. Not on our register). it holds up pretty well. Some absolute AOR (to borrow an Americanism) classics here, like The Man's Too Strong. And, I mean, this was more cutting edge than Christopher Cross. And in the somewhat privileged West African milieu I inhabited back in the day, guitar Rock was a fucking radical thing to enjoy. (Note. Yes, I listened to Police, and Prince, and Depeche Mode, and the Pet Shop Boys, and Kraftwerk, in 1985. Favourites then, still favourites now.) (Also in my defence. Brothers in Arms was a gateway drug to Def Leppard, then Metallica, then Anthrax, then Industrial, then Einstürzende Neubaten, then Nick Cave etc etc. No, not a gateway drug to REO Speedwagon and Journey. Anyway, just saying that some good did come out of this album for me, via one of my many make-your-own-adventure musical lifetimes .)

First 3 tracks were brilliant. The rest was bullcrap.

Easy listening, couple of good tracks

Dire Straits are good. Lots of interesting stylistic shifts. Even some latin flavour on a song or two. Mark Knopfler is one of the smoothest most tasteful guitarists to ever massage a fret board. And he's an excellent songwriter. Very nice album that deserves more attention than I paid it. 4 stars

Easily in my Top 10 bands of all time and has a shit load of huge classics at the top but does lose a bit of its momentum at the back end. Five stars anyway for THE greatest intro of all time on Money For Nothing. Who comes up with that shit. Also never knew that it was Sting singing it.

Lot blusier than I remember . The tracks that were big are the weaker ones now

Liker ikke helt sounden

I loved this album when I first hear it in the 80’s and still love it now. The clarity of the guitar in so far away, the sax in your latest trick and Knopflers gravelly vocals throughout. Ride the river, man’s too strong and one world don’t seem to really fit in the album, they’re good tracks but seem to be a bit of an afterthought. Definitely one of my all time top 30 albums

some classic songs on here

Not entirely my type of music, but an enjoyable listen nonetheless. Smooth vocals and nice guitar.

22. Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits. 9 tracks. Better than expected. Forget that they are not "cool". This is brilliant. So close to 5/5. Leaving Brothers in Arms until the last track is an interesting choice but works so well. Again, this is a proper "album". 4/5

Klaaaaasikker. Der er twang og vibes hele vejen! Knopfler er genial!

klasse album, ikke deres bedste, men tæt på

lækkert pop/bluesrock, catchy, velkendt

5/5 quoi dire de plus. A écouter peut importe vos goûts en musique. Un cclassique

Didn’t hate it. Definitely an 80s album.

Brilliant. Any album with Money for Nothing on it is one for the ages. Your Latest Trick also has that incredibly recognisable sax intro/coda on it by Michael Brecker

Not my favorite piece, for sure. And I also like to listen to Knopfler solo. But it really made my day, as I listened to it on a very appropriate time. Not sure if any other 80's band could do that.

Two well known songs. I have never been a fan of Money For Nothing.

This took me back to my college days, as it was one of the very first albums I had on DVD, and I would listen to it over and over again,

A favorite from back in the day

While I was very familiar with the singles from this album that were released in the US, this is the first time that I remember hearing the full album. I found most tracks on this record just OK. I can't deny that the opening riff of Money for Nothing is pretty great and I really liked The Man's Too Strong and the bass-heavy One World. The one track that I actively disliked was Your Latest Trick which seemed quite dated with all its 80s saxophone and reminded me of the theme from LA Law...and not in a good way.

So excited this was one of my favorite albums in high school. Probably haven’t listened to the album from beginning to end in over 20 years. The opening to “Money For Nothing” still gives me chills. “Walk of Life” makes everything seem better. But it is the rest of the album that I’m glad to hear again. “You’re Latest Trick.“ “The Man’s Too Strong” should be heard in the context of the album. And how the hell have I made it through the last 5 years without listening to “Why Worry?” “Brothers In Arms” - a perfect closing. Just sat in silence for a while after it ended. This reminds me why I have to get back to listening to albums again.

Nothing much to say here. Melodies are chill, but the oldschool country vibe gets old after a while.

Cool intros and I liked "Your Latest Trick" a lot, but not much else.

Big Fan of Money For Nothing, great sound. Could do without the falsetto "I want my MTV". Sorry stinger. Walk of Life is very commercial jingle-y. Guess that's why it was in some insurance commercial last year? All in all very frontloaded and the backhalf is kind of dire(straits) outside of the title song. 2 mics feels too low but 3 mics feels too high. ehhhh 3 mics

Money for nothing is good, but those lyrics Jesus. Walk of life is like an old person wedding song. The rest of it very slow and not what I thought it would be. Generous three

I think I found my misophonia album

Dire Straits sound much better live.

Couple of good riffs in what is otherwise a brain numbing boring album

I only really have Sultans of Swing to go off of prior to hearing this album, but Brothers in Arms feels like a Graceland-esque mid-life crisis moment for the band, with then-modern, pop-adjacent instrumentation cognizant of a world constantly in flux accompanying lyrics about a world that never changes. Working class "tribute" Money for Nothing is the obvious standout here, but Your Latest Trick was a pleasant, jazzy surprise (if only the other musical divergences were anywhere near as good). The rest of the album is a little too cloying for my tastes—Why Worry is the overlong nadir of the album, and if I had to point to just one song as being made solely for old white dudes, Walk of Life is the one—but it's thematically sound and an easy enough listen for the most part. Key Tracks: Money for Nothing, Your Latest Trick, One World

this should be the textbook definition for "front-loaded," holy crap. the depths this album plumbs in the second half are only marginally raised by the title track but giving it a 3 instead of a 2 is a mercy

Oh hell yea. So Far Away is actually a great opener, Money For Nothing stuffs you right in the face with its hook in the most pleasant way, and Walk Of Life keeps it breezy and honky tonky. Your Latest Trick and Why Worry tread some pretty slow, cheeseball synth footsteps. Also Why Worry takes about a million years for noodling. docking a star for that. The Man's Too Strong is a great tune and doesn't get the respect it merits. Brothers In Arms is a little overly saccharine for me

pretty good :) realised i had been listening to radio version of money for nothing before now lol

Nice guitar solo, relaxing chords and vocal that album feels like cuteness and cozy rock

This is a classic beyond classics. All killer mo filler! Love it.

This was alright. Prety easy listening. I felt like a few songs dragged on for a bit. The only song I knew off here was 'Walk Of Life', which everyone probably knows.

Pretty classic Dad-rock. So Far Away from me and Money for nothing, and Walk of Life should be pretty recognizable to most people. After the singles to open the album it gets into some more slow jams with some jazzy undertones. Wasn't as into these, I think the Singles were popular for a reason but the other tunes weren't great. Their instrumentals remind me a lot of the background music to an 80s movie like 3 Men and a Baby.

Started off strong then went all retro 80s surf yacht chill. I wasn’t into that the first time around, but on deeper listen it was actually quite decent.

Great moments filled up with bang average filler tracks. 2/5

Always outstanding!

Absolute BANDGER always was going to be a 5* from me. Love Dire Straits but possibly never an album start to finish, but this did not disappoint

Great stuff. There was a couple of times where it went on a bit but it was a banger.

never really listened to dire straits. but knew money for nothing and walk of life - great songs. the rest was a bit meh and boring

i enjoyed their music more than o thought! i thought it was nice and good length

I'm never sure how to feel about this album. I recall when it was released (aside from the "controversial" Money For Nothing track and state of the art video) frankly being terribly bored by it all. And listening to it again...part of me doesn't feel that much different. It's just so damned laid back and smooth, even on more uptempo songs like "Walk of Life." But then again, that's sort of what Dire Straits is (was). Can I really enjoy Making Movies that much more than this album, and if I really do was it only because this was hugely "popular" - so much so that 3 or 4 songs were absolutely unavoidable on radio for a year. Is this album that much different? It sort of feels that way to me - there's nothing inherently wrong with being commercial or poppy, and this album has that in abundance, especially in the first half (Side 1!). The positives though - "Money For Nothing" is an undeniably fantastic song; that main guitar riff is legendary and the extended haunting intro is perfect. And Sting you arrogant and talented bastard: you completely nailed it with the background vocals here (and of *course* got co-writing credit). "The Man's Too Strong" is my personal favourite; the powerful contrast between the acoustic backing and the heavy power chords in the chorus set a commanding mood. Dire Straits is a band that takes some time to sink in - in the end I do like this more than I used to, and perhaps the lesser-known second half a bit more than the poppier first. Overall the album *sounds* good - especially the guitar tones - although I do waver on that a bit as there is a very mid-80s sound to it. Again - not inherently bad at all (plenty of albums I like are very dated-sounding), but there's not anything like a timelessness about it that makes it rise up for me either. 6/10 3 stars - very listenable overall with a few big highlights but suffers from a sameness of sound that may either be 80s syndrome or simply über-Dire Straits.

My least favourite Dire Straits albums, certainly when compared to its 4 predecessors. Over the years I grew warm to its more mellow, jazzy (?), sound; yet I cannot forgive its original sin.

Good variety. Some got me hyped, others mellowed me out. 2RS

This British pop rock album by Dire Straits is one of the best selling albums of all time - selling more than 30 million copies worldwide. Its music is calming, but easy to get lost in it as well and just jam/dance. For the first few songs, I didn't think I'd like this type of music, but it grows on you and after repeated listens you will love it. There's a reason this album is so popular, all you have to do is give it a chance.

Not sure how I've gone so long without hearing this album. I've heard money for nothing and walk of life while being out and about. I think it's incredibly well done, and absolutely love the vocals and instrumentation. The writing is really solid too.

Couple of famous songs.

8/2 Couple timeless tracks on here. Standout Tracks: So Far Away, Your Latest Trick, Why Worry, Ride Across The River, The Man's Too Strong

Money for Nothin has a guitar riff for the ages and is an absolute classic, and the title track is a masterpiece. The standout tracks on this are incredible, but the album as a whole is a thing of beauty. As smooth and atmospheric as anything you’ll hear, a really rewarding listen if you let yourself go with it.

Three great tracks on an average album. Money for Nothing is worth three stars alone though 👌

Brilliant start with two classics and ends brilliantly with brothers in arms but totally loses its way in the middle which makes it impossible to score higher

NOOOOOOOPE.. awful.. How is this on the list. JFC

Classic album that I loved. Favourite track: Money for nothing

I have a bit of a soft spot for Dire Straits. I'm fully aware that they were already very unimaginative at the time and are pretty much "elevator background rock" by today's standards. Basically inoffensive radio filler tracks. Yet, even though they don't do all that much, they just do it really well. This isn't my favorite album by theirs, too ballad-heavy. A 3.5 where I might rate their others 4.0 or even 4.5. Still, rounded up to a 4.

I was surprised by this - I didn't think the first track was all that great, and then I knew Money for Nothing was going to be excellent but again, after that there were one or two average tunes. But as the album went on I found myself checking the names of most of the tracks on this thing and saving them to my liked songs... A really good combo of great guitar riffs/solos, interesting progressions, and the use of other noises and instruments to add to the scope of the tunes. Might have been a 5/5 for me if not for the couple of duds

Seriously impressive range and song craft on this album. Some of their biggest hits are here, and the B-tracks are interesting in totally different ways.

Never listened to this before and DS never really apprised to me in the 80s. Too AOR. But enjoyed it more than I thought I would, with the exception of the big hits which (a) are overplayed and (b) don’t really fit in with the rest of the album with its laid-back sound

Buen disco, buena música, buen grupo y canciones míticas.

Pretty great

Good songs, a tad slow

The Dire Straits should’ve said “you’re so far away from me” one more time — I don’t think we got it the first 50 times in the opening track. I like the message behind Money for Nothing, but don’t like the offensive slang — also these songs are really slow and repetitive. The sax in Your Latest Trick is really nice. These songs are SO long. I admit the instrumentals are good, but I don’t have the patience lol. Why Worry would be a good song if you cut out 4-5 minutes of it 😂 The Brothers in Arms title track has great lyrics, but again why is it so long?? Overall: the album was ok. The songs, particularly the instrumentals, were WAY too long for my taste. Some lyrics were beautiful, some not so much.

Favourite songs- So Far Away, Walk of Life, The Man's too Strong. The stones that drag this record down for me are Money for Nothing and Ride Across the River. Every other song was amazing.

Liked it a lot. Enjoyable, fun, songs that are easy to listen to. Highlights: Your latest trick, money for nothing, walk of life.

Bra album med många bangers Bästa låtar: Money for Nothing Walk of Life One World Brothers in Arms

Pretty good album of guitar riffs and classic rock songs. Some of the songs get creative and pull inspiration from other genres. Longer songs that don’t feel too long. 7.8/10

Borderline rating, but good enough to listen to.

<3

Some songs are really good. I felt the middle part was a bit weak.

Pretty good. All in all a nice listen without being overly memorable

Really good album. I love the saxaphone song

Solid rock album

Riiiiiight these mufukas made sultans of swing

Excellent Guitar from one of the best ever.

Yeeees! My favorite guitarist. If I could sell my soul to play like anyone I would chose Knopfler.

Mark Knopfler is a beast all over this project, one of the best rock albums ever made. Effortlessly cool and technically brilliant. Top Tracks: "So Far Away", "Money For Nothing", "Walk of Life", "Your Latest Trick", "Brothers in Arms"

Top

Some relaxing/smooth listening jam songs/riffs. Still don’t love their hits. Maybe money for nothing.

Can't belive I haven't listened to the entire album until now.

Starts off great with a few bangers and the end of the album is decent but there’s a few songs in the middle that really suck.

Dá uma leve caída entre Why Worry e Ride Across the River, mas de resto é só música muito boa

first song: not awful, but boring. ofc i recognize the second song. always fun to listen to slurs in hit songs. third song is another popular one. fourth song: ive heard this one too, and its the first one i like. saxophone is so good. fifth song is okay too, almost like a lullaby. sixth song is pretty nice, wasnt expecting this reggae feel lol. this album must be super popular because i feel like ive heard most of these songs on the radio. dont care about the seventh track. eight song is okay. lets see if the title track is good or nah. i wasnt feeling the buildup but it turned out okay kinda. well im done. it was okay i guess, didnt feel strongly about anything here, didnt love or hate anything.

I'm a big fan of Mark Knopfler in general. I probably haven't listened to this album from start to finish since the 90s, but I have probably listened to half of the tracks on this album within the last 6 months. "Brothers in Arms" might be my favorite track on the album. I would listen to this album again (4.5 stars)

Not a favorite. Music held no appeal for me.

Starts of strong, but some songs on the 2nd half are either too long or too stale. Closing track is fantastic.

Both biting in its satire and inconceivably funky, especially the hit single "Money for Nothing"!

Ovo je po svim pravilima jednostavno klasika od albuma. Daleko poznat sa super hitovima. Divna atmosfera na albumu, lagano može biti i u pozadini. Ne traži puno koncentracije, a nagradi te. Svakako obavezno štivo za svakog muzikoljupca.

The album has a really strong start, but gets really mediocre after the first three songs. 7.5/10

Pretty good, not something I’d listen to personally but was still alright to listen to, latter half was a little slow though, and some songs were long for no reason.

Got the job (walk) done.

Maybe it's because I've never been into Mark Knopfler and that kind of music, or maybe it's because Walk of Life just reminds me of old people drinking and cover bands. I really would like to skip this album, but I will make it through, I promised myself. Damn, it's hard. I think that this may be the first one star album...

Tolles Gitarren-Album

Ach ja. Ist ja doch irgendwie wichtig und mit Abstand gehört auch besser als man eigentlich zugeben will

I spent summer 1985 on a farm in Israel. This album was the soundtrack (while not watching Live Aid). Will always have a special place in my music.

Норм брит роцк

Brilliant!!

Not sure if this is a perfect album but it is quite superb with a mixture of light rock, pop, country rock, rock n roll, powerful slow tunes. Very listenable.

I thought the 80s were all about cocaine, hedonism and excess. So why is this so boring?! And why was it SO popular?

Not a bad album, some slower filler songs which drag it down a bit. Highlights = So Far Away, Money For Nothing, Your Latest Trick, Brothers In Arms Lowlights = Why Worry?, Ride Across The River, The Man's Too Strong. 6 out of 10.

I apparently know more songs by Dire Straits than I thought. This feels like an album I would put on during a road trip as good background music while I’m driving with a friend. I don’t know if I would put this on at home but it was enjoyable to listen to.

Not my style