Dire Straits

I have always loved Sultans of Swing but this was the first time I'd really thought about why. Dire Straits has a way of making the guitar interact with the vocals that is really unique.

Nothing gets me in the mood for a corporate day at Twickenham like the Sultans of Swing (Low Sweet Chariot). Essential listening while getting ready for the game. Boot cut jeans, loafers, TM Lewin checked shirt (button cuff, it is the weekend), corporate branded fleece (its XL but doesn't fit too badly and I didn't declare it to Compliance and their gift register!). Then off to the game with the "lads" from work. They leave after the game but I stick around with some new mates I met in the Orange Tree. 20 pints (I'm paying)of the black stuff later. Wake up on my sofa in the middle of the night covered in take away to the crushing realisation the wife has left, taken the kids and I live in a flat about a pub. Will have to watch Top Gear reruns on Dave to lift the spirits!

Martyrs of Swing. This album feels so circular, slowly meandering through the songs and never getting to the point. It's as if Bob Dylan's 70's backing band got a free weekend in the studio and they just "jammed it out". Talented group, but they need some direction (which is hilarious, considering they're one of the best selling bands of their time). The music of Dire Straits just does not translate well, and has all of the hallmarks of guitar-driven dad rock that has become the butt of so many jokes. Fav Track: Wild West End

Shit slaps

The album that our Amsterdam Air BnB host left in his record player

Driven by Mark Knopfler's spare, tasteful guitar lines and his husky warbling, the album is a set of bluesy rockers. Knopfler also shows an inclination toward Dylanesque imagery, which enhances the smoky, low-key atmosphere of the album. While a few of the songs fall flat, the album is remarkably accomplished for a debut, and Dire Straits had difficulty surpassing it throughout their career.

What if "Country", but actually good. Update: Ok, I've had this album on repeat for about 10 times...

Pretty drunk while listening but I think this is a favorite. Sultans of swing but 1hr long

Wow. Silky smooth riffs and bitchin' solos abound. Can't believe this is a debut album. I think In The Gallery may be the weakest effort here, but every other track is gold. Sexy, groovy mix of sparse rock and roll mixed with country, folk, and blues. My knowledge of Dire Straits was Money for Nothing. This is at least 500x better than that.

Sometimes it's hard to believe how good a debut album can be. Absolute classic, a great listen almost any time.

Stellar debut album. I am an old.

Sultans of Swing was the best song, they should have written some more like that! Three stars, which means it’s better than American Idiot and Dark Side of the Moon.

Melodically muted, rhythmically stunted. They’re a guitar band, I get it. But then why aren’t the guitars more interesting?

GOAT

Knopf let is a smashing guitar player, but this slick mid-tempo rock just didn’t touch my soul.

One of the best debut albums, the best guitar solo ever (though I prefer the live Alchemy version), and a great album that's always been there for me

THIS ALBUM HAS GROOVE FOR DAYS

Great first album to start 1001.

I’d heard this before, but this time round only Waterline, Water of Love and Sultans were familiar, which makes sense as they’re the keepers. The rest washes past comfortably: they were a tight little band at this stage, and I have a thing for Knopfler’s voice, which makes me a common sort of fetishist. Dylan looms in several of the tracks, no bad thing in itself, but not flattering to the band either. Knopfler had not yet embraced his brown tone nor that flavour of Nordic fatalism I sniff out in BIA. I’ll mention once more that as a kid he shared an office with Basil Bunting - isn’t that something?

Love Mark knopfler

Sehr gut. Schöne Songs.

Sultans of Swing is fantastic and the rest are good.

It was good. I’d listen to it again but probably wouldn’t seek it out.

I really enjoy Mark Knopfler's guitar playing, and even more so his production talents (Aztec Camera's "Knife" is so great). Another reviewer astutely describes this record as if Dylan's '70s backing band made a solo album (see "Slow Train Coming" and "Infidels" for the nexus of these two ideas, both really good if advanced-level Bob). Oddly sedate for a debut album, this passes the time pleasantly. Obviously, "Sultans" is welcome anytime, the rest are a bit indistinguishable from each other.

A bit bland, but okay.

Disco was at it's greatest moment. Punk had just lost its biggest band before they even got a chance to begin. And rock was seeing the waning of Prog Rock, and the loud, brash, sounds of "Double Live Gonzo" and technical based heavy metal swing of Van Halen had just taken over The U.S. and growing world wide. So, out of nowhere, this small quiet blues and shuffle type of bar band from days gone by, appears, and left a huge mark on the music world, with the song, "Sultan's of Swing", a song which is a staple of every classic rock station.

Serenely shredding Guitar guides you through the blues With effortless cool

Honestly I dig this a lot more than I anticipated. Some really fantastic guitar playing and the vocals are catchy and bluesy. I'd definitely listen again.

Fantastic guitar solos!!!

It's just middle of the road music? I understand this is good guitar work, it just seems competent? like he's so good he doesn't have to try? It's just so boring background music to me.

Music that seems to have been made for middle-aged dads with boring, corporate jobs to have a beer and say "they don't make 'em like they used to anymore" to. Despite it being utterly uninventive and frankly kind of dull, they pull it off pretty well I suppose. Down to the Waterline and Sultans of Swing are the real saving graces here.

I love finding new music and artists through this site. And I also love this type of scenario, becoming reacquainted with and artist/album that I absolutely loved when I first found them/it. In 1978 I was deeply into the standard classic rock of the day (Zep, Boston, Aerosmith, etc) and I was also exploring the newly emerging punk and electronic sounds in the background of the music world of the day. Along with Kraftwerk, Dire Straits absolutely blew me away with how different it was from anything I'd ever heard up to then. Of course I found out later about the music and artists that influenced Mark Knopfler, but for the longest time I couldn't listen to anything else, this album was as fresh and different as Duty Now For the Future, Autobahn, and Never Mind the Bollocks to me.

Hell yeah

I see Dire Straits - i give it 5

For me Dire Straits is always a pleasure to listen to

Brilliant.

Clean, like the genre Would listen to it outside of this

It one of the best albums with an acoustic guitar that I listened to with a very captivating voice.

Sehr bueno, chillig

Really good. This is the type of rock that lives on forever.

This a really solid LP. The variety of soft rock, folk, and country - while keeping the atmosphere as tight as it is - is very impressive. I’m also addicted to a lot of the guitar licks and riffs throughout. These guys seemed to have everything figured out for a debut album.

not an instant favorite or anything but honestly for being such a staple of "dad rock", there is something that is Still rly refreshing and bold about this band...sultans of swing is a funny anecdote made into something resembling a statement of meta-defiance in the face of what the expected face of rock music Was and Is. honestly this could prob come out near-unaltered today and get a fantano 7/10 or something. slick and quiet but also incredibly direct, its all in the licks. very cozy music tbh...instantly digestible in its musical information and just in general dedicated to not Overwhelming u. the solos especially are hugely likable. if u turn up the Complexity and Snark sliders i think thats how u get steely dan...also a great band, but a different itch then this, and tbh one i might be in the mood for slightly less often

Great first album. Torn between 4 and 5. Going to add this to my library even though I'm giving it 4.

This feels awfully modern and well-produced, I was surprised to find it's their debut album.

melow tunes. nice vocals. didn't really listen closely to lyrics some upbeat twangy beats. clean sound. i liked this album; mostly the melow low pace tracks.

- Two Dire Straits albums in one week? Cool. - Sultans of Swing and the opening track 🔥

Oh god, Dire Straits platen. Daar had ik mij nog niet helemaal op ingesteld. Maar daar komen er ook nog heel wat van langs de komende tijd natuurlijk. Tja en wat moet je er dan van vinden. Wat mij opvalt is dat dit debuutalbum nog niet zo sophisticated klinkt. Het klinkt nog wat rootsier, wat meer Americana en is wat swingerder en aanstekelijker (southbound again) dan die lange uitgesponnen gitaarplaten die zouden volgen. De sound is herkenbaar Dire Straits, maar nog zonder het pretentieuze gedoe. En Sultans of Swing is natuurlijk een banger. 7/10 Highlights Southbound Again Sultans of Swing

Swingin'.

I'm not sure why this one hit so differently from the other Dire Straits album on the list but it for sure did. It's a classic, southern rock vibe that I'm... well, I'm not exactly here for it but I don't mind it. There's a bit too much chickin-pickin for my tastes but it's relatively skillful picking... so there's that. The whole thing still comes off more than a bit try-hard boomer-rock for me but, for all that, it's pretty alright.

Just regular standard period music...

My friends mom always turns on Sultans of Swing at every fucking barbecue in the local fucking area and I'm so fucking tired of it please let me fucking skip it

Why is this so corny? I mean, the guitar is good, technically, but the singing ruins it. It’s so try-hard-boomer-cool. This is a reluctant 1.5

I understand that Dire Straits was a popular band, but I feel like I never hear anyone talk about Mark Knopfler as the amazing guitarist he is. Using finger picking on an electric guitar allows him to do a lot of subtle things like varying the volume of each note when he arpeggiates a chord and it's just a pleasure to listen to him play. This album didn't really miss at all. I listened to it twice and enjoyed it the whole time. Favorite tracks: Down to the Waterline, Sultans of Swing

Mark Knopfler with that guitar is a god. Insane talent. What a debut album by a great band.

one of the best albums of all time... every song a banger... total class.. five stars...

Whoever mixed this album deserves a Grammy. Beautiful job. The guitars are clean and bright, and Mark Knopfler's gravelly vocals provide a great counterpoint to the rest of the band. The musicians are world class, and the songwriting, while seemingly straightforward, shows a lot of technical grace without getting in its own way. I really enjoyed this one!

Leagues better than Brothers in Arms. Not sorry whatsoever.

One of my favorite albums ever since it was released in 1978. The very first listen was amazing. Down To The Waterline is the intro song that leads to an exhilarating journey. Mark Knoffler’s voice is recognizable ever since. Great guitar and melodies throughout. Dire Straits is always 5 stars to me ever since this first album.

enjoyed it!! loved it really

Such a great debut album. I used to listen to it all the time, glad to hear it again.

such an easy listen

I don’t know Mark Knopfler can be over praised. His unique guitar style paired with a voice that floats through the songs, giving feel that pairs perfectly with the fingerpicked stings. Sultans of Swing may be the calling card of this album, but Water of Love should also be in your rotation.

that riffs, that perfect classical rock. for one song alone this album would deserve 5 stars

THIS ONE SLAPS SO BAD. I LOVE DIRE STRAITS. When I was 17 I was working as a waitress during the summer and one german guest would always listen to fortunate son on the restaurant patio. HATED IT. We asked him if he could play something else like Dire Straits and he said they were shit. Well FUCK YOU GERMAN DUDE.

So much feeling in that guitar

Rating (1-5): ✩✩✩✩✩ Will I be listening to this again: Hell yeah, I already knew this album ✩v✩ What do I like about it: I love blues and even if this has more of a folk/soul rock to it, there is some components that remind me of blues I also love the instrumentation of all the tracks I probably listened to this so many times because of my dad haha What I dislike about it: Nothin' Higlighted songs: Down to the Waterline, Six Blade Knife, Sultans of Swing, Wild West End

atmospheric and cool

I went into this album thinking I would not know any of these songs. Boy was I wrong. I knew quite a few. "Sultans of Swing" is an absolute classic. The whole vibe of the album is surprisingly mellow yet sharp. A blues-rock sound. The guitar playing style is smooth, clean and laid-back. I really enjoyed this album from start to finish.

loved!

Love this one, easy 5

Yeah this was great and reminds me of ny mum so it gets 5

Hell yeah

One of the best debut album. This first line up is the best with the drummer and the brother on rythme guitars. Check-out the rockpalast concert from 79, they are unstoppable

Real Good

PRETTY FAMILIAR ALREADY love a lot of songs from this album and im excited to listen so good for driving in the summer or sitting outside🩷🩷🩷9/10

There's nothing dire about this

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you’ll find yourself giving Dire Straits debut album 5 stars.” Favorite Track: Sultans of Swing

Come on now... I'm a dad. What other rating was this gonna get.

Classic so good!

Fire

This is a great album. I knew of Dire Straits, but didn’t realize Mark Knopfler was an absolute master of his craft. This album embodies my opinion that great music no matter the genre is that which makes you feel something.

Blues rock at its finest! Mark Knopfler’s guitar work is unmistakable. Always loved Sultans of swing, but never heard most of this album before now. Some great tunes here

I really liked this one. I couldn’t even tell that it was on in the background. I would mix this into my work mix

Loved it and the complete mix of genres!

It's not brothers in arms but still a solid number. Low 5.

loop

Great stuff

Wow wow wow. Did not expect to love this as much as I did. Haven’t delved deep lyrically, but the soundscape is absolutely wonderful. So dry, so isolated, but such fantastic grooves here and there. Love love love it.

Fantastic. Mark's guitar tone is immaculate.

I'd only heard Sultans of Swing before. Great album, every song sounds the same in the best way. Funnily enough, most of my exposure to Mark Knopfler has been listening to Dylan's Slow Train Coming.

One of my favorite bands

Ah, listen to that guitar sing and carry the top line melody. Ah, the bass is funky and smooth. Ah, the lyrics tell a story. So refreshing. Favorite songs: Down to the Waterline, Water of Love, Six Blade Knife, Sultans of Swing, In the Gallery.

These guys truly are the sultans.

Love Knopfler's guitar work...gets me every time.

Sultans of Swing is a classic, and the rest of the album is just as good.

Apparently I like Dire Straits. Great mellow listen front to back. sultans of Swing indeed.

Guitarras deliciosas al oído y un álbum impecable

Lots of memories. 1990, before graduation. The communist regime falls, free elections. Fresh air, love, and happiness. In my opinion, it is the most perfect Dire Straits album of all. *Water of Love* is one of my all-time favourites. Mark Knopfler is one of the kings of the guitar.

Großartiges Album. Mark Knopflers Gitarrenspiel ist unvergleichlich. Eines der besten Debütalben! Die Platte läuft seit zig Jahren immer wieder.

Fantastic album. Mix is great along with solid vocals and instrumental. For their first album, Dire Straits really sets the tone of their music and it shines through. A fantastic listen and enjoyable experience.