Brothers In Arms

Skipped, not for me.

I only like Money for Nothing, the rest are painfully mid

Yeah that’s pretty good. I was surprised at the variety. I even liked the song that sounds like it should be the theme to the 80s show Moonlighting. Cool riffs, clever instrumentation, and a distinctive voice.

Great album

Honestly pleasant to listen to

I do like "Money For Nothing" but damn do they play it fast and loose with that f-slur. I get it in the context of the character being portrayed but oof, would that not fly in pop rock these days (and rightly so). As a whole the album strikes me as incredibly uneven. The early album energy died somewhere after "Walk of Life". I was not prepared for that. I was also not prepared for the Tangerine Dream interlude on "Ride Across the River". Not complaining, I like it. I just wasn't expecting it from this group. Taking the good with the bad I think it evens out to a "ehh, pretty ok (but I had higher expectations)".

Love this album.

Like them

STO SORSEGGIANDO UN COCKTAIL PREMIUM IN UN LOCALE CHIC, ALTERNANDO BATTUTE GREZZE A DISCORSI FILOSOFICI COI MIEI AMICI GREZZI E CIRCA FILOSOFI. MUSICALMENTE PULITO, CHITARRE PROTAGONISTE AL POSTO DELLE VOCI, BEN UTILIZZATE. CALA UN PO’ TROPPO IL RITMO NELLA PARTE CENTRALE. L’OUTRO È POTENTE. 4/5.

One of the best ever

Me parece una genialidad de álbum de pies a cabeza Objetivamente hablando me hace pensar que no se tuvieron que esforzar para conseguir este resultado y eso habla mucho de su calidad como artistas Vienen acompañados de músicos muy talentosos en la producción del mismo también figurando Sting como uno de ellos Me encantan prácticamente todas, la que menos sería Far Away e igual está bien De verdad super smooth, divertido, lleno de emociones y también lo siento como sincero Why Worry me parece una muy pero muy grata sorpresa Honestamente que lujo haber escuchado este álbum 5 definitivo, de eso se trata esto de poder encontrar formas nuevas de sorprenderse

It’s an album full of great songs

I really struggle with the use of the slur ‘faggot’ multiple times in MFN: and the band’s subsequence defence of using it essentially in quotes. Why ruin a perfectly good song like that? Vocals get old for me, musically great. Love the clean guitar tones.

There was a time when I considered "Brothers in Arms" to be a masterpiece of 1980s mainstream rock and Dire Straits’ best album. I wouldn’t stand by either of those statements today. At the time of its release, Dire Straits were arguably the biggest band in the business (alongside U2). Except that the actual band had fallen apart. Of the original quartet, only Mark Knopfler and his faithful Sancho Panza, John Illsley on bass, remained. The outstanding drummer Pick Withers had left after "Love Over Gold" and been replaced by the run-of-the-mill 1980s rock drummer Terry Williams. Rhythm guitarist David Knopfler had already left after just two albums. The band’s sound had gradually shifted from the blues and folk of their early albums to stadium-friendly rock-pop. Simple, catchy tunes like the daft “Walk of Life” – which had always been the fly in the ointment of the Straits’ albums – became key singles. Admittedly, the album still contained more introspective tracks such as “Ride Across the River”, “The Man’s Too Strong” and the title track “Brothers in Arms”, but overall the album remains unbalanced; from today’s perspective, it’s covered in a thick layer of that typical ’80s patina. So no, it’s not the band’s best album (that would probably be their debut or “Love Over Gold”), but the album and the accompanying tour certainly secured Knopfler a decent pension. An even weaker Dire Straits album was yet to be released – “On Every Street” – after which Knopfler disbanded the group and devoted himself to his solo career, which veered less and less towards commercialism and, ultimately, away from the sound of Dire Straits.

- uhhhh wasn't expecting the lyrics from money for nothing - not really for me - i do like why worry, kinda saving it for me

Own this album. Listen on occasion.

Not bad, good chill vibes for hanging out

Classic!

Pretty good but needed more cowbell

I wish I could rate this one higher because it has some of my favorite Dire Straits songs, including the first three tracks and the title cut. Unfortunately, the remaining songs are just so-so to okay for me.

This album had a lot of highs and lows. The first 3 songs ("So Far Away," "Money for Nothing," and "Walk of Life") were all huge singles in the U.S. and they really do hold up. They're just great straight-up pop-rock songs. The last song, "Brothers in Arms," is very moving and dramatic. That might be because I associate it with The West Wing's fantastic "Two Cathedrals" episode, but it definitely is a great tune on its own. What's in the middle of the album, though... I can take it or leave it. I listened to it all in one sitting with no skips, but some of those songs need some real editing. There are several minutes of boring, unnecessary instrumentals on most of the songs. I mean, this is one of the best-selling CDs of all time so obviously people weren't bothered by it at the time. But when I'm listening to one new album a day, I'd prefer those albums to not contain 20 extra minutes of boring fluff. Even "Money for Nothing" has more than 4 EXTRA MINUTES of unnecessary, repetitive instrumentals that were trimmed for the radio edit! See? They knew what people wanted to hear (and what they didn't!). Some great tunes, some ok tunes, and if I were the producer, I'd cut several minutes from most of the songs. Overall I'd rate this a 7 out of 10.

8 out of 10. Elite slow guitar album. Dire Straits are the North Easts finest.

the best dire straits album imo. 4.5\5

Chock full of incredible licks and beautiful vocals, the title track alone bringing this rating up. Not including the questionable lyrics in Money... which hasn't aged well, this is a fantastic album start to finish.

I am the iconoclast who pierces the boomer music monoculture, part 3: I don’t get it. Am I listening to the same album as everyone else? This is your “guitar music”? I’ve seen so many people recently on social media jerking off knopfler for his guitar work, mostly on money for nothing, and I just don’t get it. That is THE only recognizable riff on the entire hour long album. Most of the rest of the songs don’t even feature a guitar- synth at best! It’s baffling to me how this has remained relevant somehow. This has aged like milk in a hot car. And the diarrhea icing on the shit cake is: this album is boring as hell. Once you pass money for nothing, it’s a snooze fest. Fuck this album. ⭐️ zero stars Another of the

Guitar George knows all the chords - Tej

The first part of the album is a banger

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII WANTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT MYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY MMMMMMMMTTTTTTTTTTTTTTVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

All I know about this band is that money for nothing music video. So of its time but its cool all the same. The songs that stand out are the big ones. Like money for nothing. Its a classic for a reason. Also walk of life too. Its a song I didnt know i knew already. But its sick too. Everything else is interesting. By the cover i assumed it would be more folky or bluegrass inspired but thats not what you get. Maybe a song or two but its mostly synthy post punk ish. Floored that this is what it is. Its not favorite but points for the surprise. I do also like the vocals quite a bit. Dude just has it. Overall this is a pretty interesting record. Not my favorite but it kept me engaged throughout even with a genre im not all that into and long as hell songs at times. Impressive gor sure. More points than I would normally give something like this. Also having a few classic songs make it hit harder

Loads of amazing single tunes but I’m not feeling a lot of replay value as an album.

One big hit the rest not so hot

not really my style, but a fine album. walk of life is the standout here, but otherwise its decent background music

Two classic songs on this album and the rest was wonderful to listen to as I made my way across rural Illinois and Kentucky. Better than a lot of other albums on the list, but not worthy of five stars.

Incredible start to an album with a slow decline after. It's never bad, but it does get boring after "Walk of Life". It's got enough top 40 power to not dip below a 4 star for me.

Mark Knopfler vet hur man lirar gura, väldigt unik spelstil och riktigt trevliga låtar. Riktigt nice sound och jag gillar produktionen på plattan.

Pretty solid album. It gets a +1 because Money for Nothing always hits...especially when that long intro gets into the guitar.

Look, I know how this works. I wasn't born yesterday. The big singles from any given record are going to be the best songs on the record. But this feels...almost like a prank. Like, malicious. I was pumped going into this, and indeed after the first three tracks felt vindicated in my pumpedness. But said pumpedness deflated for the entire rest of the record. Just a slog. Only saved from a one star rating by the aforementioned singles (and of them "Money for Nothing" is the only one I genuinely *like* like.

I always thought they were too MOR, when I was into indie stuff, as I’ve got older I do really like DS, and this album is very good.

First four songs are bangers and the back half is very relaxed. Listened to it a lot as a kid and still love it today. 7.5/10 Top song... Walk of life

Kind of disappointed by this DS album. Walk of Life & Money are massive songs but putting both together derail the entire album. Your Latest Trick & Why Worry? are right clangers. A generous 2.5

Not my favorite, but pretty pleasant to listen to overall. My god some of these songs are long. Walk of Life and Ride Across the River were my favorites.

dope. that guitar riff in Money for Nothing is still worth its weight in gold. for some reason i've never clocked Walk of Life as a dire straits song but it's lovely and nostalgic in its own special way. Why Worry is a weird slump in the middle that the album really gets around musically speaking. my favorite off-meta pick is maybe Ride Across the River; shit sounds like a miami vice / secret of monkey island mash up. very soft 4

Rating: 6/10 Very chill vibey rock where I can see the talent and the appeal, it's a good album, but I didn't love the result personally. It was a decent time for good background music. It feels like it fits in the category of dad rock especially with how the first few songs were, more pop rock structures and bluesy and probably had some hit singles in there. But yet the album doesn't just follow a formula and explores different sound and structure, and isn't just a typical rock album.

TL;DR: Divorced Dads don't always get it right, but they were right about this. BEFORE: An 80s Dad-rock classic. It's been a while. Can't remember the last time I listened to these guys on purpose. I felt zero surprise finding out that Mark Knopfler was 2 years into this second marriage when this was released. AFTER: I don't know what the opposite of nostalgia is, but this album is that for me - a reminder of a lot of the bad parts of my childhood just because of when it was released and how much airplay it received. I've tried to set aside to try to focus on the music, and mostly succeeded. It's a great album, beautifully produced and I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected. It's kind of mind-blowing they would only ever make one more given its staggering success. HIGHLIGHTS: So Far Away From Me and Your Latest Trick are anthems for part-time Dads, with the saxophone on the latter the musical equivalent of closing time at a wine bar. The extended intro to Money For Nothing is still glorious and fresh, and build-up to an all-time guitar riff. I know Walk of Life is a bit cheesy but I've always had a soft spot for that song and the synthesizer riff. Why Worry has fantastic multi-layered guitar. The Man's Too Strong blends acoustic outlaw country with dramatic synthesizers - it's a nice change from the slickness of the other tracks. The title track is the best song here, with its ominous intro, vaguely Celtic melodies and fantastic guitar solo. It has a timeless quality that sets it apart from the rest of the album. LOWLIGHTS: There is one particular lyric in Money For Nothing that has aged really, really poorly. Why Worry is probably twice as long as it needs to be - pleasant but meandering. Ride Across The River is very much of its time. Not a bad track but there is a half-arsed attempt to draw on world-music (panned tom-tom fills, some kind of synthesized pan pipes etc.) that was popular at the time and hasn't aged well. VERDICT: This is a strong 4. There are just a few too many 80s moments and a couple of less memorable tracks, but some of this music is great and the title track is sublime.

Growing up in the 80s at the dawn of the CD player, this is one of those albums that various dads would invariably own and use to show off their new CD player. It's also released at a time when I was starting to listen to music on the radio so I'm not coming at this without prior knowledge although I don't think I've ever listened to the whole album front to back. First track, So Far Away, is nicely accomplished at some point I'm hearing a little Steve Earle country (yes I know this predates that). But the song doesn't really go anywhere Money for Nothing, what to say it is a stone cold banger. Is it dated of course it is, is the start a little long yes - I'm sure the single edit is probably tighter - but you can't not admire this track and the legendary guitar riff. I know the use of the f word might be problematic nowadays but it's a realistic dialog of the time so I'm ok with it here. Again Walk Of Life is such a classic it's hard to review objectively but I'm enjoying it Your Latest Trick is a change of pace. Sonically of it's time, with the keys and sax. Bit of a yawn. Why Worry showcases the talented guitarwork but it's not for me - at eight and a half minutes it nearly put me to sleep. Quite enjoyed Ride Across The River - it's got a little latin sound against an americana background that I'd later enjoy from Calexico although I could probably do without the pan pipes The Man's Too Strong and One World pick up the pace a bit and we are into the back in the territory of Money For Nothing but perhaps without the hooks Brothers In Arms, the title track and album closer is the real highlight of the album - not as immediate as the two earlier singles but the depth and beauty of this track is fantastic. I can't see myself listening to this as album again, too many tracks that don't really do much and most of them go on for too long, but the 3 standout tracks elevate it to a decent mark

3.5/4 - kind of slaps!

I wanted to give this one star, as all Dire Straits albums deserve, however, certain musical elements of this brought me back to a very beautiful, carefree, music-filled era of my life. The guitar line in So Far Away, the sax in Your Latest Trick, the subby bass bits in The Man’s Too Strong. Damn it all to hell. It’s a 3/5 but I stand by my opinion that Dire Straits would be an infinitely better band if Mark Knopfler didn’t sing or play guitar solos:

Easy iistening

Dire Straits offers so many unique sounds. Nowhere else can you hear Walk of Life with heavy synthesizer flow straight into a saxophone solo. Absolutely gushing with talent.

This album has some fucking sick guitar and sax. Like next level. Unfortunately the talk-singing ruins the experience for me. I would listen to an instrumental of this shit all day and probably give it a 5.

It was very good

Ive been so inconsistent I half listened to this while studying ,so I treated this album like it was background music..apologies. What I did notice was that I could immediately tell this was music from the 80s..just really great use of instruments and very fresh and warm type of sounds created. I enjoyed this album overall but should try listening again with clear and open ears..also my fav has to be ‘walk of life’ and ‘why worry’

Great guitar work. Dire Straits’ signature album. (Listened to it on vinyl)

vielleicht auch nur 4/5, aber halt schon mit sehr gutem liedern

I don't care what anyone says, Money for Nothing will always be hilarious and also awesome

Better than Coldplay

Fantastic. Very exploratory. A fun listen for early '80s

This album was better than I expected. I had heard the hits, but there are some beautiful and subtle tracks that elevate this more than I was expecting. It's still hard for me to give it 5 stars, as it sometimes just falls into somewhat pedestrian blues/radio rock. However, it does everything well. So, I do feel it earns at least 4 stars.

Solid, classic 80s rock

p532. 1985. 3 stars. Well, he can write a tune, and it features some incendiary guitar work. Packed with hits and features on of the greatest guitar riffs ever. Points deducted for straying to pointless noodling - most of the tracks could easily have been edited down - and the smooth shiny 80s production, which makes this oddly soulless.

Enjoyed it overall. The first half of the album didn’t resonate with me as much. Didn’t do a lot of research into the prose of the record but I really thought the slower rock was better than some of the energy in the first half which I didn’t expect. Your latest trick and brothers in arms were the highlights from me. The guitar playing throughout was also a standout.

Looovely album. I definitely like this one better than their first album, but I'm still inclined to correct my rating there and include it into the replay list along this one.

Good album. I liked most of it.

One of my all-time favorites. Knopfler is truly a master — his guitar playing is incredibly expressive, employing a wide range of different techniques. The B-side here is superior and really tells a story; an under appreciated anti-war masterpiece. A 5, without question.

Liked it

I don't know if I need to listen to it to rate it. Several songs on the top ever. One of the greatest guitarists. The songs that gives the name to the album is next level. 4,5/5.

Niente da dire su questo, lo conosciamo tutti, alcune tra le canzoni più riconoscibili di sempre, produzioni stupende. Unica nota dolente è il fatto che lato A è molto meglio del B

Not my cup of tea. A little boring! Definitely not the worst thing I’ve listened to

I'm pretty sure I know all the tracks on this album, and may have listened to it start-to-finish before, but not in many, many years. I'm not a huge fan of this, and have a suspicion that a fresh listen will remind me that I find it mostly meh. We'll see what happens this time around though. The production just feels very dated, and I'm not a fan of Mark Knopfler's singing. Those two factors combine to make for an album that just doesn't grab me.

This was tough for me. Walk of Life is an all time classic, but I just didn’t like it that much.

Fantastic - crazy guitars and the like

Better than I remembered. The singles do a lot of the work but the song writing and guitar playing are so good that I can overlook the songs I have heard 1000 times before. Great album by an excellent band.

Another day, another guitar god, another 80s classic known for a hit single with cheesy synths. Though i've always been more of a Knopfler fan than a Van Halen one. It is sorta funny to realize that the caricature of common clay, salt of the earth, you know, moron, in the other big hit is also, for all intents and purposes, mocking someone like David Lee Roth or Eddie Van Halen. So there's that link, too. Knopfler manages to create a story that both takes small minded middle America to task, the trash Reaganists who fell for everything, while also taking a couple knocks at himself as a rock star. It's a song that quite rightly thumbs its nose at small minded nitwits, while also presenting the argument that yeah, for the average person, creating art feels like a cushy job. Because neither side is wrong, per se. But both sides are also wrong, per se. There absolutely is an absolutely unethical labor division harming those in physical labor jobs. There's also a learned fear of change there. And the life of a rock star is absolutely a charmed one in many ways, but also, it's not without hard work of its own. That we have gotten to a point culturally that we are too illiterate to pick apart a simple song is probably concerning. But at least we have that big crunchy riff and that iconic Sting exhortation, easily exploited in marketing. For my money, I think “So Far Away” is the sleeper hit. Maybe a weird start to the album, but a pleasant adult contemporary jaunt. But I also would say I just as often think of Walk of Life, which is, as i said, it's dumb feel good song. It also reminds me of baseball bloopers, per its video. But that feel-good exploration of an old time rock and roll slinger (a sultan of swing?), complete with “whoo-ooh"s, is already what one might argue blues would look like in a contemporary 80s, a song that is spiritually alongside your Johnny b goodes and your old time rock n rolls, both. Connect that to millionaires dropping baseballs? Feel good nostalgia gold. The idea of the very well off doing physically demanding work that is nevertheless nothing more than entertainment work seems to have been on Mark's mind at the time. At that point, we end the Big Hit Third of the album. Arguably, that would put a hat-tip toward this being an important album in and of itself. But Knopfler knows how to keep the beat (and bad company), so his tired and limited vocals emote through the next six tracks with the same surprising warmth. There's the old joke about Dylan, Young, Cohen, Waits… the joke about how bad their voices are. Knopfler fits the mold, too. But possibly more than any of the others, Mark shows that skill has a lot of definitions. That workingclass voice has a slyness that curls around its near breaks, a smoothness that sneaks up from the perceived rasps. He can do more with his beat up instrument than a dozen Aguileras could, despite the top of the line pipes and the, well, enhanced aesthetics. His guitar is similarly understated. Don't get me wrong, he probably COULD show off with it. You can tell even in his fills and phrasings that he knows his way around his frets. But he doesn't necessarily flash it. Considering the energy of the two biggest hits, this is overall a pretty subdued album, and unlike EVH yesterday, his playing feels intentional and part of the proper atmosphere of the songs. Arguably many listeners would be more likely to remember all the sax. And if there's a shortcoming here, it probably is the disconnect between the best known single's vibe not matching the rest of the album (and, arguably, not really matching most of the band's other work across the board). But that doesn't mean, for me, that the package isn't worth hearing. Just that first impressions are deceiving. Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me.

The repeated use of the f-slur is a toughie for me, and feels unnecessary to make their point in Money for Nothing. One star removed for that, I'm afraid. I really like Dire Straights though, and appreciate what they put into this album. the guitar riffs and vocals are especially memorable. 5/10

Listening session: october 3rd, while getting ready in the morning Listened to before: heard a few songs before Thoughts: it turns out I know more Dire Strait songs than I thought. I didn’t expect this album to be so good Favourite tracks: Money For Nothing, Walk Of Life & Your Latest Trick

moni for nothin

Enjoyment: 9/10 Replayability: 9/10 Cohesion: 10/10 Flow/Pacing: 9/10 Artistic Merit: 10/10 Weighted Average: 9.3/10 Review: To say that I'm excited for this to be the 100th album would be an understatement - I am thrilled! I've grown up on Dire Straits and Brothers In Arms is their masterpiece. Money for Nothing alone will be a jammin' anthem that I listen to for the rest of my life. Easy 5. Liked Song(s): So Far Away, Money for Nothing, Walk of Life, Your Latest Trick, Ride Across the River, The Man's Too Strong, Brothers in Arms Disliked Song(s): (None) Recommend? Yes Heard Before? Yes

My dad would probably disown me for not giving this a 5, but I just can't. It's a very well deserved 4. 4/5

I never realized that the other voice in Money For Nothing is Sting. Go figure.

A key part of my youth. Would've been 4 but the slur made me sad.

Very 80s. Every song is such a different vibe

I know Mark Knopfler is well-respected, but this just didn't do it for me.

It’s amazing how the rock/pop genre is the only genre that the writer is not allowed to write a first person narrative from the viewpoint that is not his own lest it be wildly misinterpreted as the writer’s own views. No one has ever accused Bret Easton Ellis of being a psychotic killer…”Oh, no. Mark Knopfler said fa—ot in a pop song in 1986!” Grow up. Try having perspective. Familiarize yourself with satire. Stop being such an alarmist. There’s plenty of real, horrible things in this world to be upset about. Like people who are actually hurting real people, not made up characters in a song. Mark Knopfler is a great guitar player. This album showcases that but the album starts to fade a little in the second half. 4

Some huge hits on this album but also some filler tbh. Side B is not very strong and frankly quite boring.

Some bops but overall boring

Kind of mid

Strong start, chills and then brings it home.

Tell me its the 80s without telling me its the 80s. So Far Away, and Walk on Life are fine, I've heard money for nothing too many times. Why is this record audiophile catnip???

Don’t get it twisted I love me some dire straits. I’ve heard this album front to cover before, as well as their self titled. That’s about it. I will say, this one is a little too 80’s drenched in a bad/boring way imo. It’s so damn clean & poppy, it reminds me a lot of Empire Burlesque by Dylan actually. (I actually have grown to love that) Mark Knopfler even sounds like an old grumpy Dylan at times here. To me, I just much prefer the self titled. I love the guitar play on that record. That’s honestly what I know this band for anyhow.

I actually quite enjoy this as a listen it feels well thought out and not in your face about it. It’s just good solid music and even the overplayed songs have some charm to them. They can really play guitar that is the true kicker here. I wish it wasn’t so long. It drags a bit at the end and but once again the final song is straight heat man. IT IS ALSO THE TITLE TRACK COME ON! Dude straight just genuine guitar magic. I know what it takes too and it’s just so impressive fuck it the boomers are right this is good and it may be parodied a lot now but the influences from Floyd and Dylan and bruiser just hit

Oh I didn’t realize there were some familiar songs on here

"Money for Nothing" has got to be one of the most overplayed rock songs out there and to me not for good reason, the rest of this album though had its moments

Brothers in Arms, the album that the little indie snobs love to hate. Hating this album isn't a personality trait, it's just a tragic refusal to enjoy flawless musicianship. 5 out of 5 stars for the sheer audacity of making dad-rock a multi-platinum masterpiece before the dads even existed.

Mark Knopfler has kind of a Tom Petty/Bruce Springsteen voice. His guitar might sound like anything. 'So Far Away' has a slightly phased kind of quack to it -- and then he shifts into some kind of auto-volume/slide thing that sounds like a Hawaiian guitar. And then there's 'Money For Nothing' and the intro overdrive sounds absolutely perfect. Drummer Terry Williams lays down a perfect foundation. Founding member John Illsley stays locked in on the bass. There is a synth player (Guy Fletcher; it's not his fault I don't love synths) but I don't get a lot of that. Alan Clark's organ work is actually pretty essential to a bunch of songs (not least of which: 'Walk of Life'). And there's a rhythm guitar player in Hal Lindes! I don't notice that much -- I wonder if that slot in the band is grandfathered in from the other Knopfler brother who helped found the band. Both the initial reviews of this album and its retrospectives highlight its melancholy. It is kind of a sad album, often in the subtext. There's a sort of 'ho-hum, let's get on with it' even to 'Walk of Life' (part of what makes it the perfect filmic ending credits song). It also took some flack for being fake Americana but I think that's an unfair misreading of Knopfler -- that's just what he sounds like. Apart from that, 'Ride Across The River' is a slow jam inflected with Latin horns, a nigh-reggae bass part and a full-on pornographic, smoky guitar solo: there's nothing Americana in there. It also has some very cheesy synth flute but that may just be the album showing its age. That's followed up with the sort-of-country ballad, 'The Man's Too Strong' (reminds me of Steve Earle with the amplified-acoustic sound), leading me to believe that the album contains only one of each type of song. It's an interesting choice. I may wonder forever whether Knopfler could have written another 'Money For Nothing' but it seems clear that he wasn't interested in that. There isn't a formula for songwriting present, here. Returning to a good well isn't a shameful practice of songwriters: Jagger and Richards did it, Lennon and McCarthy did it; both have written multiple greats from a similar template (I get similar vibes from 'Yesterday,' 'Golden Slumbers' and 'Long And Winding Road'). Knopfler doesn't. There's a restlessness to that but, subtly, a remarkable creativity. I'll grant that a lot of his guitar solos come from a similar place: they're blues work, at heart. No two songs sound particularly alike on Brothers In Arms, though, and that should be praised. Is it a masterpiece? No, it's phenomenally competent and Knopfler makes this a must-own for guitar players (study this guy like pianists study Chopin) but this is just shy of the rarified air that would get you the top score.

I loved Dire Straits as an uncool teenager, but I was surprised to find how little I enjoyed this particular album on a relisten. Their earlier stuff has a strong sense of place and storytelling, but this is just shiny, bland, overproduced MOR rock, where most tracks outstay their welcome with several minutes of wallpapery instrumentals. The second half, with the folkier songs about war and injustice, is a bit stronger, but the first half was a slog.

So tedious

I got sick of the songs I knew on here that got played constantly on the radio back in the day, but I actually quite liked this album.

I enjoyed this album. Despite being a fan of 80s music, I'd somehow never listened to it all the way through. Money for Nothing is so ubiquitous that I must have heard it a million times, but really focusing on it this time made me realise just how good a song it is. There are plenty of other great moments too – the sumptuous sax break on Your Latest Trick, the opening of Ride Across the River (a nice Easter egg, as I recognised it as the Naughty by Nature sample) and the fabulous closer, the title track Brothers in Arms. An enjoyable listen. Heard it before? ❌ Listen again? ✅ Rating out of ten? 7️⃣

WOWWW ITS SO GOOD….

Great Melodie’s that I caught myself humming later in the day. An easy listen for me. I’ve listened to Dire Straits but this was the first time listening to a full album. Loved it