Dire Straits

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

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.

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

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!

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.

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?

Sultans of Swing is fantastic and the rest are good.

Sehr gut. Schöne Songs.

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.

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

A bit bland, but okay.

Great first album to start 1001.

THIS ALBUM HAS GROOVE FOR DAYS

Stellar debut album. I am an old.

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

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

GOAT

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

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

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

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

Brilliant.

Love Mark knopfler

Fantastic guitar solos!!!

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.

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.

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

Just regular standard period music...

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.

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?

Swingin'.

Det skønt

Freaking awesome

Sehr bueno, chillig

One of the best albums ever.

Amazing classic rock album

great album. nice vibe through and through.

Incredible

Excellent album

Loved it. I don’t understand why they weren’t so widely regarded in the US from this album. Excellent.

Very nice tunes, with a lot of roles that sound like jazz (to me)

Terrific

Beautiful, clean, classic Knopfler playing. Songs grove. Some great, classic DS tunes including Sultans.

A great album.

A great album.

nivélazo. a real rythem guitar!

nice and bluesy

Classic. Incredible, unique guitar.

Incredible. Knopfler is Legend. This album is an awesome, understated journey with some absolutely beautiful songs sprinkled through. Can hear Dylan infl. Favourite gat (it's all 10/10) - In The Gallery. Wild West End is super beautiful

Het blijft een sterke groep.

Class album

Every track is a good one. Even better than I remembered.

Upbeat album for a down day.

One of my favorite debut albums. Great tracks all the way through. And, of course, Sultans. Amazing. Knopfler is an animal.

One of my top #5 albums

Dire fucking Straits man

Ohhhh yeah baby. So good.

This is a certified classic. Album is gewoon een ✨vibe✨

één minuut bezig en ge gaat goed. Zoveel leuk gitaargebruik en zo een aangename stem. ik ben nog maar net bezig maar al wie haat heeft op dire straits mag met bezos naar de ruimte en niet meer terug komen. oogjes toe, denken aan de jaren 70-80 en dan in de auto, opendak, zonnetje op uw snoet en dan met de wind in de haren deze muziek! Sultans of swing is een klassieker onder de klassiekers

wtf this surprised me, really hit the spot

Nunca pensé que me volvería fan de Dire Straits. De joven era una de las bandas que odiaba con toda mi alma. Así cambia la gente. Este disco es brutal, me encanta el tono de guitarra que tiene.

Classic......waterline gallery sultans ...etc

I've had a few other Dire Straights and Knopfler albums, but somehow never studied this one. This is a great piece of work!

Loved this album. Probably more then brothers in arms.

Listening to the album after many years again brought back so many memories. It truly is one of the greatest. So many remarkable hits. And those you don't know are just super chill to listen too. The lyrics are timeless. And Mark Knopfler's skills are just out of this world. 5 Stars

Absolutely sublime, up my street and an all time classic

This is my favourite album. I have all the collection of Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler and his collaborations with anothers artists. The best.

Now that's a debut album

as first albums go, this is fucking ace. As first singles go (is this right? to lazy to check) Sultans of Swing is neither the best, not the most radio-friendly cut. Embarrassment of riches. When I first heard this (retro-tracking the back catalogue in the wake of Brothers in Arms) I used to imagine the ideal listener of the time. Its late. Co-habitants have buggered off to sleep. Outside, the silence lays thick. Indoors, single lamp by most comfortable armchair. Brushing off the vinyl, pouring out a subtle malt (generous serving), and settling down for 40 minutes of me, myself and I. Subtle malt and vinyl aside (I lack the resources for one, the temperamental inclinations for the other), I did this last night. God, it felt good.

Didn’t realize these guys sang Sultans of Swing which I’ve definitely heard before.

Love the grooviness.

Excellent.

Love everything about this one. 5 stars all the way for me, along with the classics, Sultans of Swing and Down to the Waterline. Mark Knopfler's clean and sweet guitar licks are just masterful.

COOL!!!

OH yea!

Loved it!

Top tier

Just a trumpet playing band. Love this album. Good guitar and vocal blending. Not a bad song on it, plus Sultans of Swing. 5

Ridiculously easy one for me to review as it's one of my favorites. Still listen to it quite frequently. In the midst of an era of music history, they recorded and released this beauty which should've been a total flop based upon what was popular at the time -- and even based on what was considered unconventional or rebellious at the time -- yet it endures as one of the finest works in the broad rock genre. All that aside, I just love listening to it. Mark Knopfler's melodic and intricate guitar playing never fails to fill me up, and it's important to acknowledge just how darn excellent the rest of the band is, too. Genius stuff. Love it.

Great!!!

Every song just slaps

Ótimo, perfeito, maravilhoso

pretty cool

I always read people banging on about Dire Straits and how amazing they actually are but I'm only really familiar with them through the later stuff that has been played to death. (Except for The Sultans of Swing off this album, which I did rate but assumed was just an anomaly.) I ignorantly thought I was familiar enough with them and just didn't get it the same way as all those people who banged on about them... but this album has proven me utterly completely wrong. This is astonishingly good. Might pop off and buy this now.

Magic one!

I have never tired of Sultans of Swing, it’s a perfect song with one of the best guitar solos of all time and Knopfler’s vocals maybe don’t get enough credit on that song. But this whole album is pretty damn fine, too. The buzzing dobro on the moody Water of Love and pretty much all of the guitar picking on every other song is great.

solid af for a debut album definitely gave off heavy Bob Dylan vibes but with a lot of fast guitar picking which sounded really cool I think i’ll give this album a 9/10 but my favorite album of theirs is still Brothers In Arms

Knopfler's finger pickin is one of the sweetest tones I've ever heard. While not my favorite Dire Straits album it does have Setting me up and Sultans of Swing the latter having perhaps the greatest the solo of all time. Though I prefer the solo on the live version on Alchemy, just insane.

This debut album is awesome!

The Dire Straits are the right amount of smooth and cool. Not too smooth, not too cool. They are situated in the 80's, for sure, but their music has a timeless quality to it that makes it feel fresh. I also love how they don't play on any southern rock or 80's pop "troupes," but rather have a sound in and of themselves.

Didn't even need to listen

Excellent…one of there best

Wonderful guitar!

So good - really fun album

Hi- Down to the Waterline, Water of Love, Sultans of Swing What I like most about Dire Straits is that it's like Bob Dylan, but good. All kidding aside, the smooth, effortless vocals and masterful guitar plucking of Mark Knopfler, is precise and old-school, which lends to the classic timelessness of Dire Straits.

Very pleasant classic, soft rock. Wikipedia calls it blues rock or pub rock. Enjoyable album.

Fantastic album, one of their best.

Amazing debut album with rock heavily influenced by blues.