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Dire Straits
Dire Straits
1978
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!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
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.
Knopf let is a smashing guitar player, but this slick mid-tempo rock just didn’t touch my soul.
Melodically muted, rhythmically stunted. They’re a guitar band, I get it. But then why aren’t the guitars more interesting?
Loved it. I don’t understand why they weren’t so widely regarded in the US from this album. Excellent.
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.
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.
Beautiful, clean, classic Knopfler playing. Songs grove. Some great, classic DS tunes including Sultans.
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
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
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.
It one of the best albums with an acoustic guitar that I listened to with a very captivating voice.
One of my favorite debut albums. Great tracks all the way through. And, of course, Sultans. Amazing. Knopfler is an animal.
Sometimes it's hard to believe how good a debut album can be. Absolute classic, a great listen almost any time.
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
Pretty drunk while listening but I think this is a favorite. Sultans of swing but 1hr long
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.
I've had a few other Dire Straights and Knopfler albums, but somehow never studied this one. This is a great piece of work!
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
This is my favourite album. I have all the collection of Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler and his collaborations with anothers artists. The best.
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.
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.
Just a trumpet playing band. Love this album. Good guitar and vocal blending. Not a bad song on it, plus Sultans of Swing. 5
What if "Country", but actually good. Update: Ok, I've had this album on repeat for about 10 times...
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
A perfect album for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Really solid blues rock. Best track: Wild West End
An album that defined a new sound for rock music. Mellow, artful guitars with complex framework within the full band. Sultans of Swing comes late into the album after the band already states their style and unique mix of rock, blues, jazz, and country. Mix all of this with Knopfler's vocals that reflect the gritty tones of Dylan and you have a recipe for a great record. Stand-outs: Down to the Waterline, Sultans of Swing
Sultans of Swing is obviously the most notable song on the album and is a classic known to many. This debut album is an impressive showcase of blues rock mastery.
Laid back, excellent guitar, nice vocals and lyrics. A greatly composed album. Very enjoyable listen, 7/8. Like Sultans of Swing a lot.
Really accomplished for a debut album. Great skill and style on show but no stand out tracks for me other than sultans of swing
Not as good as some of their later albums but still love that sound that's unique to mark knofler
Well this was one of the many albums I had recorded on a cassette tape. I like the Dire Straits a lot. Loved to listen to this full album again.
La guitarra de Mark Knopfler hace que el disco valga la pena. Dire Straits tiene su muy marcado sello y de pronto todo el disco suena igual, así que me gusta más la experiencia de escuchar las canciones por separado que el disco completo de jalón.
no lo había escuchado completo y está muy bueno, me gusta ese rock de gangsters de los 70´s
I definitely need to get more into Dire Staits. Only readily summoned touchstones are Sultans of Swing and of course the much later Money for Nothing, that video icon of my pre-cable existence when my only access to music videos was Friday Night Videos.
Great album. Really really enjoyed it. Just what I expected a dire straits album to sound like. // 4.5
So great to hear more of Dire Straits, after only really ever listening to Brothers in Arms, or Sultans of Swing. I think this album is better as a whole, even though BiA has some more hits. Highlights: -Down to the Waterline -Setting Me Up -Sultans of Swing -Wild West End
Está muy cabrón. Es to lo que pue decir. Por un par de rolitas que desentonan no lo pongo en 5.
Have always loved Sultans of Swing, but never really listened to a lot of DS. Love the guitar work here, it's really great and relaxing to listen to.
Love the dire straits. Great guitar playing, but sultans of swing is really the only great song
Mark Knopfler is a very talented guitarist, but the song writing on this album leaves something to be desired. Despite that, Sultans of Swing is a special song.
Daora o album, tem a sultans of swing. Todas as músicas tem o jeitão direstreit, mas é gostoso pra deixar de fundo, tocando suave.
“Dire Straits” by Dire Straits (1978) I’m not sure why I missed this growing up. Eclectic blues and jazz rock, with a little reggae thrown in. Definitely for listening to in the evening when alone, with an adult beverage, on a good home hi fi setup. I hear Dylanesque composition and arranging, without aping, laid down in ever-changing grooves, and tremendous dynamic sensitivity. Lyrically, it’s a collection of referential and thought-provoking word pictures, effectively giving voice to the musical settings. But they lack movement and resolution, so a serious listener might be disappointed—if lyrics were the focus of this work. But they’re not. The most striking thing on this album is the lead guitar lines played by Mark Knopfler—silky and spare, with inventive fills and exquisite slides and bends. He knows how to pull the listener in on the quiet parts. His solo work on “Sultans of Swing” and “In the Gallery” is superlative. Great percussion by Pick Withers, who is never monotonous, always seeming to find color appropriate to the mood. Lead vocals are gravelly and lacking power, but I was almost relieved that they didn’t provide a high-quality distraction from the two guitars, bass, and drums. These guys produce a lot of music with only four instruments and minimal dubbing. And the person who mixed this album is a genius. A nice listen. Rock doesn’t have to be hard to be good. And this is very good. 4/5
Mark Knopfler is on the list of guitar gods. Rather hear him play than sing, but his voice is integral to the Dire Straits sound
swingin all weekend. Love the Dire Straits sound. Not quite a 5-star album but after the first 6 tracks I was feeling tempted
I didn't really have that strong of thoughts on the album. It was pretty good but not one of my favorites. Sultans of Swing is great and definetely my favorite song on the album but there were some other good ones too Favorite Songs: Water of Love, Southbound Again, Sultans of Swing, Lions Least Favorite Song: Six Blade Knife Strong 7/10
Dire Straits has never been more than Sultans of Swing for me, was a great listen to hear the full album, pretty surprised with how much I enjoyed it
“Down the Waterline” is awesome… and almost a carbon copy of “Sultan’s of Swing.” I’ve always loved “Sultan’s of Swing” and the MTV song and the synthier hit but otherwise never listened to dire straits in depth. This album was surprising, very Texas Roadhouse Rick/country with a dire straits twist. I always imagined dire straits to be more of a Prague Rock band, but this is Almost what I’d imagine ZZ Top should sound like. These guys are great musicians and okay lyricists, that’s the only thing holding this album back. Really enjoyed this album, all the songs were good but not great, B+.
Iets trager dan ik had verwacht, maar het gitaarspel is feilloos, en 'Sultans of Swing' blijft een topplaat
I really enjoyed this album. Mark Knolfler is a beast on guitar. All songs are enjoyable with Sultans a standout. If I could I would give this a 4.5. But a 4. This was the first time I have heard this album, will listen to it again…..and agin. It deserves to be in the 1001 list.
Fantastic. A completely new guitar sound - Sultans of swing is absolutely the best single ever and the backdrop to my friday nights for a decade or so. Down to the waterline and Water of love are also still on my running playlist.
Just a really easy listen and everything comes together so well. The vocalist is incredibly soothing, and the instruments are vibing along. No wonder you hear these tracks in movies all the time.
Solid album overall I found the first half to be a little samey but track 5 onward is just consistent quality.
I think Sultan of Swing's popularity has hidden the other high points of the album. Very nice, smooth rock.
Very weird to listen to an album with an absolute classic mid way through but have no idea who the artist was until that point.
Just a fine album not a bad song on it. My favourite Dire Straits album. Guitar work is just gorgeous. Almost a 5 but not quite 4 🌟
Really neat, and way more country than I expected! Great acoustic/electric blend and songwriting. Big fan of some of these tracks.
This album has established for me what "classic rock" truly is! (and, more informally, "dad rock"... which is what I will likely affectionally refer to it as in casual conversation). I instantly associated it with social outdoor activities, such as riding on a boat or hanging on a patio with family. I would comfortably play this out loud for them. I also cannot wait to "click" with a classic rock album so I can channel more power into my new Justin cowboy hat when I wear it in public while listening to my MP3 player. This specific album: seems heavy on story, which I need time to digest for any album, ever - and I cannot wait to bond with it further. I noticed elements/splashes of folk/country and prog rock in this album as well. Sultans of Swing onwards piqued my interest the most.
Brings up latent childhood memories. I think one or both of my parents liked Dire Straights, so I remember it being on in the background. Didn't love it but it had a soothing quality.
This is a pretty good album. Always enjoyed Sultans of Swing and hadn't really listened to these other tracks. There's a bit of "sameness" to a lot of tracks, but the band is great and Mark Knopfler's guitar playing and singing was excellent from the start. "Setting Me Up" really stood out for some excellent playing. Solid 4.
I've always known that Mark Knopfler was a good guitarist from the radio songs but MAN is he good. The fact that he doesn't use a pick impresses me as well. There aren't a lot of famous guitarists that finger-pick everything. This is just a great blues/rock album from start to finish. Right from the beginning we hear his impressive style on Down to the Waterline. Water of Love has a good groove and some great dobro playing. The solo on Sultans of Swing is actually one of my favorite guitar solos too.
I've always liked Dire Straits, I wish I had a chance to see them perform when they came out in the early 90s. Their first album is not my favorite, but it definitely has some great stuff here, and not just "Sultans Of Swing." Listening to this album made me go listen to their other stuff, which is really what an album wants you to do: make you hunger for more. I want to hear more of the guitar, but there's a lot of it talking in spurts, more soloing please. It's more apparent in my favorite album "Love Over Gold." Still, I'd give it a 3.6, which does round up to a 4. But it's a weak 4, at best.
This album is mostly known for sultans of swing, and for good reason, but the album as a whole was pretty good. The chill guitars on each song were really nice and knopflers voice is relaxing. A nice chilled out rock album. Fav songs: sultans of swing, most of the other ones
Lovely stuff from start to finish, country and Americana tinged throughout with great guitar, bolstered by what I think is their best song - Sultans of Swing
Haven't heard this for a long time. Back then it was one of those albums that had a few good tracks but as a whole was a little boring. Was a favourite of my parents but didn't see the appeal. So it was good to get a new perspective of Dire Straits. I forgot how good the guitars was here, Mark Knopfler's solos were fantastic and the jamming just makes me want to be a part of it. The songs have a nice chilled vibes drenched in blues and rock. It's still not a favourite but have gained respect for it and will be saved for the mornings. Favourite tracks are Sultans of Swing and In The Gallery.
Dire Straits - Self Titled Classic 80s sound. Decent listen, but was not life changing.
Only heard greatest hits before. Very much enjoyed, though struggling to put my finger on it!
Chill. No other song quite hits the mark as 'Sultans of Swing' does but an entirely pleasant listening experience. 'Lions Den' is probably my personal favourite after and rounds of the end of the album nicely.
It's not bad. I can never tell if I like the lead aibgers voice or not. I think I like it most of the time, then sometimes it just sounds super old and cheesey. But like, maybe this is what made the cheese? And can you fault it for that? I don't really think so, sultan of swing is a fucking banger for the ages. Overall, it's good.
Good, but not amazing. Mark Knopfler is a great guitarist, and he makes that evident throughout the album. "Sultans of Swing" is obviously incredible, and I really liked the first song too, but for the most part? Nothing mind blowing. Side note, I highly recommend the Alchemy Live version of "Sultans of Swing". One of my favorite live performances of any song.
Dire Straits never had a bad album, and this is one of the best. Mark Knopfler is a god. About time there's some "classic rock" on this that I actually like. I'd love to give this a full score but there is a hint of reggae at times. 4/5.
Otro nombre que merece más reconocimiento y fama de la que tiene actualmente: Mark Knopfler
Perfect album for a Saturday morning putzing around the kitchen. The whole album is kind of one song, but it's a good song!
Smooth, soothing rock with hidden layers of groove underneath. When it gets to you, it can get to you and you become more impressed as the album rolls on. Good stuff, don't underestimate it. Favorites: Setting Me Up, Six Blade Knife, Sultans of Swing, In the Gallery, Wild West End.
I mean it's dire straights, it's legendary for a reason. Knopfler's guitar is amazing. Album is very good but some songs just don't completely vibe with me. 4/5
Oni su mi prvo sjecanje glazbe, cak i prije vesne pisarovic!!! Ali i da nema te nostalgije rekla bi da je album jako dobar. Knopfler jednostavno zna znanje. Tekstovi i ta njegova suptilna gitara su bas uf
It's so easy to forget there's more to some of these bigtime artists than the stuff you hear all the time - this is a great album.
Good classic rock/blues. Some really nice guitar work. Sultans of Swing is a great song, too!
I liked this album more than I thought I would. I associate Dire Straits more with the "Money for Nothing" overplayed radio era, but this was a much more listenable and groovy album that, in addition to the big hits, was really well rounded-out in terms of sound and concept.
Pure groove and soul. Sultans of swing will go down in the history as one of the greatest song ever written.
Listened Before? N Wonderful record. Mellow but rocking at the same time. Lead guitar is an album-long face melter. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: Down to the Waterline, Sultans of Swing
This was something different when it came out. Lots of blues and country influences with Knofler's guitar giving it so much colour. It still sounds good. Interestingly, their biggest album, Brothers in Arms, sounds way more dated.
Didn’t get to listen to the whole album but it was classic rock and therefore very enjoyable. 4*
I’ve herd of the name but nothing else… For an album labelled as pub rock down to the waterline seems too good if you know what I mean , the guitars are super cool,the vocals are nice and it’s not really got that annoying drunken repetitiveness that I would brand pub rock with. Water love is a nice contrast immediately showing the abilities of this band, it’s much slower but not slow enough to lose any energy. Apparently it was a single in the Netherlands and no where else so that’s cool. Then is setting me up a shorter song ( but not very short) it’s entertaining and a nice pop song but just not as good as the first two. It should’ve really been a single though. I wish six blade knife would have a bit where it explodes into a ball of energy and while it’s an okay song the instrumental bit is so repetitive. Now for the shortest track the end of side A, southbound again the guitar groove is so nice here the lyrics aren’t great and I’am not a huge fan of it’s place on the tracklist but it’s still nice. Side B starts with sultans of swing it’s a nice pop song, I recognise the guitar break but everything else completely new but like the rest of it I wouldn’t have called it pub rock. In the gallery takes on a nice funky sound, it’s the album’s longest song and is just really nice does drag a tad bit (not that I hate songs over 5 mins) but it’s just much harder to make those ones work really well. Then the penultimate song Wild West end, I must say I like that name it’s a nice acoustic song but not my favourite. Lions is a very fitting closer, fairly slow but not the slowest on the album there’s also some nice poppy backing vocals nice songs to end a nice album. Yeah it’s nice, I can’t give it top marks because with albums that have 10 or under songs, every song has to be good and while about 7/9 were there’s still some improvement to be made. I did like it though!
I may be a little bias being for their neck of the woods but this album is full of great guitars and Sultans of Swing is an all time classic! Doesn’t do enough to be a 5 however.
Best Boomer music out there. Love it. And I don't know how "Sultans of Swing" still is so good after listening to it about a million times. 4
o mark knopfler é um gênio. mas, dito isso, a sensação é que, nesse álbum, ele tentava se equilibrar em uma época em que o prog e o punk ditavam as regras. sem querer apelar e se refugiar no soft rock da época, mas, sim, de trabalhar o rock clássico, com um pé no pop e outro no country, o resultou final acabou sendo um álbum morno, que não conseguiu se firmar em nenhum dos caminhos que pensou em trilhar. Sultans of Swing é um destaque, o conjunto da obra é facilmente esquecível, mas, surpreendentemente, continua sendo um álbum gostoso de ouvir.
I forget how I found “Sultans of Swing”, but when I heard it, that turned Dire Straits into a band that I knew of to one I had to check out. There’s no topping their first album though, which is perfectly sexy and loaded with tight musicianship. I do have to knock some points off for the weaker tracks, but this is what AOR should sound like. A-
This has got some of the best Dire Straits songs on it. They don't all kick ass, but the ones that do have some of my favorite guitar playing of all time.
Knoppers fajnie na gitarce plumka, wolę jednak Brothers in Arms. Still jednak bardzo przyjemny album. Najlepsze Down To The Waterline i oczywiście Sultans Of Swing.
When I saw the cover I immediately grinned. It was a pleasure coming back to this debut album of Dire Straits. Incredibly relaxing 9 tunes, not to mention (cliche) Sultans of Swing - one of the best songs of all time. An old friend, worth every minute. Highlights: Water of Love, Wild West End
Surprisingly, I did not hate this. A lot of it sounded like the kind of stuff bluegrass bands play at Music on Main.
Interesting guitar, I saved the song with the famous sample. Fringe country voice was a little bit grating to me at first but overall enjoyable
it's okay some songs are cool ummm old I don't think this album or the dire straits are for me lol southbound again kinda slaps sultans of swing is okay too
This album has one great dire straits song. Ultimately the album swung wildly between different genres of songs. At the time Dire Straits was still finding their footing.
The cubby-hole from whence Knopfler came and crawled back into post-BiA, albeit this is too early to see his true strengths as a guitar player. Basically 8 second-rate "Sultans", and the worse version of the real one. Enjoyable, if throwaway. Rating 61/100
A lot of good grooves. Basic bass lines and very reliant on guitar to keep me interested. 1-4-5 album. Best songs: sultans of swing (obviously) The album is pretty eh overall.
I messed up and I heard this on shuffle lol but whatever it’s alllll about the instrumentation for this album 👏 made me feel like I was on a road trip lol if I could rate it 3.5 I would but I’ll settle for 3.
In regards to Dire Straits, I've heard sultans of swing and nothing else. But this album introduced me to their unique sound and I was intrigued by the mix of influences.
"Sultans of Swing" is an all time classic in my books. Amazing guitar work on the album by Mark Knopfler, can appreciate the acclaim he receives as a guitarist much more here. Really like "Down to the Waterline" , have to revisit that much more often.
Not my thing, but hearing more of their songs made me appreciate the reasons people love them. Delicate, interesting guitar work.
Sultans me gusta mucho y creo que eso elevó mis expectativas demasiado. El disco es sólido pese a lo sesgado de mi apreciación. Creo que no lo disfruté tanto como hubiera podido. Tracks: Sultans of swing, Down to the waterline, Setting me up
Sorpresa muy agradable, solo conocía la canción Sultans of Swing y resulta que es de entre los mejores discos de rock country que he escuchado... Me gusta más la música que hicieron después pero fue un disco harto disfrutable y relajado.
Decent but unremarkable pub rock. I'd recommend the single "Sultans of Swing" and check out the rest of the album only if you're truly enthralled.
Sultan of swing was quite fun, but I can’t really get behind what they were doing the whole way through
At times this album felt almost too relaxed, but there were other times where I was really jamming with it. Solid album, but not quite good enough to make me want to listen to more Dire Straights Favorite Track(s): “Water of Love,” “Southbound Again,” and “In The Gallery”
Es un grupo que tiene sello y estilo propio. Pero aunque suena ligerito y digerible, llega a sonar muy igual salvo 3 rolas
I don't think I can name a single song by this band and having listened to this album, I still think that is true. I liked it though
I literally knew nothing about Dire Straits. Kind of surprised how much I liked Down to the Waterline but even Sultans of Swing wasn't really doing it for me. I'm just not a big fan of this genre.
Del año en que nací. La guitarra de Mark Knopfler es inconfundible. Sultans of swing es un melocotonazo.
Tak zmieniony styl w porwnaniu do tego co slyszalem na brothers in arms, ze myslalem ze caly sklad sie pozmienial i tylko wokal przezyl, a tutaj ciaglosc zespolu byla zachowana,wiec musieli szukac czegos nowego, przed tym przesluchalem znalem tylko walk of life, ktory mialem juz na plejliscie, a te materialy dzieli przepasc jesli chodzi o koncept granej muzyki, wiec jest to spokojnie grany rock z mocnymi elementami country czy bluesa w zaleznosci od kawalka, minmalizm instrumentalny, prawie calkowity brak chorkowania daje ciekawy efekt, bo wszystko jest grane pryma sort, wiec jest czemu sie przysluchac na spokojnie dwom gitarkom, basikowi i drumom, a do tego wokale Knopflera, ktore sa stylizowane na Dylanowskie daja ciekawy efekt, w niektorych kawalkach takie granie brzmi wrecz ludzaco podobnie do Dylanowskiego, lirycznie dosc typowo bo i milosne zawodzenia sie znajda, czy losy zycia biedakow, ciekawy jest kawalek sultans of swing, mianowicie o bandzie ktora sobie gra po barach, gra dosc kiepsko wiec ludzie nie daja o nich za bardzo jebania, ale oni nadal sobie graja dla siebie, czy to utwor autobograficzny grupy to nie wiem, ale skoro pierwszy albumik studyjny, to moze tak byc, dlatego go wrzucam na plejke razem z down to the waterline
enjoyed as an album with a few stand out tracks. Mad how this was out in the height of punk too.
I’m not a huge fan of how long it takes every song to actually start and it seems like a very mood-specific album, but I enjoyed a few of them once they started playing.
Solid album, definitely oreger the funkier vibes when they appear like southbound again.
It’s not bad as background music, but not something I’m likely to ever listen to straight through again. Sultans of swing has a lot of memories tied to it of driving in the truck with my dad as a kid, so that’s a plus.
Sultans of Swings was the only song I was familiar with, this album wasn’t really my jam but a nice change in pace and tunes
Liked it, very chill. the very 70s vibe (talk singing) reminded me of Eric Clapton or Bob Dylan.
Dire straits halt. Irgekann man sich nicht vorstellen dass das jemals in die Zukunft deutete
Nice album, good variety. Nothing that makes it really stand out outside of Sultans of Swing
Great tones, lovely licks, Sultans is a great song … the straighter rock n roll tunes feel a little too square when I go back to this …
3,6 Oke sultans of swing is een pokoe maar de eerste helft van het album, sorry dat ik het zeg, is wat saai. Kleine vibe.
No doubt Mark Knopfler is a fantastic guitarist, but at certain points it can be a bit distracting. This is especially true, in my opinion, on a few of the opening cuts of the record. It's a nice, relaxing blues rock record. Favorite tracks: "Sultans of Swing", "Six Blade Knife", "Wild West End"
Wahnsinn, wie abgeklärt das klingt. Auf nem Debüt-Album! Muss gestehen, dass ich es nur weitgehend nebenbei gehört habe als Soundtrack zum Aufbau eines Waschtisch-Unterschranks, große Tiefe konnte ich dabei nicht heraushören. Aber die frappierende Ähnlichkeit der Harmonien/Melodieführung von "Wild West End" zu Becks "Golden Age". Sehr angenehm war es auf jeden Fall, ich würde es wieder tun!
Wieder so ein Album, das über Kopfhörer das eigentliche, komplette Gesamtvolumen seiner Stärke über gute Boxen locker verdoppeln vermag; Fetisch der Audiophilie. Hatte ich vor diesem letzten In-ear Durchgang erst noch gemutmaßt, einen blassen Stuhlkreis aus Claqueuren die „Sultans of Swing“ bestaunen zu hören, wie sie das Zentrum eines vermeintlich mittelmäßigen Albums bilden, so wirkt diese Runde nun etwas wacher, vordergründiger und endlich wie eine ebenbürtige Sättigungsbeilage, statt dem knackigen Obst nur das warme Porridge-Bett zu bereiten. Nun reicht der Fetisch nur so weit, wie Gelüste zu befriedigen geneigt sind; entsprechend abgebürstet, kommt wieder das eher mediokre Song-Gewand der Manege zwischen Vorhang auf und Vorhang zu zum Vorschein. Torn 3.3
Groovy jams. Very signature sound. Sultans of swing is the clear standout. The rest is mostly ok. Some great guitar solos.
One solid track (Sultans of Swing). The rest technically competent but in the same breath and pretty unextraordinary.
I struggled with this one. Mark Knopfler is an amazing guitarist, which can be heard right from the start on Down to the Waterline all the way through Sultans of Swing - two classics. And the rest of the instruments and musical arrangements are good on the good tracks. But I don't love Knopfler's vocals or lyrics (they're fine) and some songs are just meh (especially the last 3 tracks). I liked the funky blues sound on Setting Me Up and Southbound Again, but they sounded a bit too similar. As much as I love rock, this album is just okay, despite the amazing guitar work. Probably a 3.5 but I'm going to round down just to show not everything rock can be a 4+.
October 5, 2021 Didn't mind this - might have enjoyed it better with good speakers. A nice bluesy feel.
Too many clunkers for a higher rating than a 3, even with Mark Knopfler's top notch guitar and the masterpiece of Sultans of Swing.
A lovely listen full of gorgeous guitar tones and a couple of really great tracks in there
Pretty good debut album, really this should go dead between a 3 and a 4. 3 stars because I like dire straits and I don’t want to favor a band I like, especially as this is not their best album
I've heard of the Dire Straits, however this album isn't what I was expecting. I was expecting a little heavier rock than the slight blues twinge to the record. That's not to say that it was bad, just unexpected. Best: Down to the Waterline Worst: Wild West End
Knopfler är ju tveklöst en av de stora gitarrgudarna, och hans röst tar en direkt till en rökig klubb en kväll nånstans i London. Jag är tyvärr en sucker för gubbrock och utdragna gitarrsolon, men trots det landar det lite för ofta i utdragna jam över klyschiga blueskomp som bara nästan räddas av Knopflers känsliga solospel. Dock: Sultans of Swing. Gillade också Down to the Waterline och bytet av ton på Walking in the Wild West End, även om den hade tålt att vara lite kortare. Sammanfattning: Mysigt album att ha på i bakgrunden, men inget som kräver din uppmärksamhet med våld, och undantaget Sultans inte för många låtar som riskerar att göra ett alltför varaktigt intryck.
Debutalbum? strålande intro till 'bandet'. Frisk och livlig ljudmix utan att vara vass eller skräning, toppen och lattjo ljudbild som verkligen lyfts fram i de första minuterna på plattan. Proffsigt producerad, bra 'gung'. Man hör verkligen hantverket i introt till "Setting me up". Trummorna låter snärtiga och tighta, de lite 'studsiga' gitarrslagen plockas upp snyggt och placeras väl i 'rummet'. Bra stereoupplevelse. Vissa låtar känns lite som filler (typ som ovannämnda), många bra låtar men inte jättehög bangerratio. Låter ibland som Mark gör till rösten ibland? försöker få lite mer 'rough' sound (?) men låter bara som han är förstoppad (typ i "in the gallery" och stundvis i "wild west end" och "lions"). Väldigt underligt då han låter toppen på de andra låtarna. Många bra låtar men känner inte att albumet 'förmedlar' någon övergriplig resa eller upplevelse, skulle nästan kunna vara ett samlingsalbum om det inte vore för att låtarna har ett relativt sammanhängade sound. Stark introduktion men inte nära lika kraftfullt avslut till albumet. Skivan innehåller två av världens bästa rocklåtar men dras tyvärr ner lite av att det inte finns något tydligt narrativ där det verkligen skulle sitta så bra med ett. Inte heeeelt övertygad om att det är Dire Straits bästa album? förmodligen? Gillar verkligen "Brothers In Arms" och "Love Over Gold" också. Jättebra låtar, riktigt kompetent produktion men inte superinspirerande i sin helhet. Snudd på 4:a men faller lite kort.
Just got a perfect album this Christmas Eve. While it isn't solidly great, its warm, slick, and minimalist approach in rock is just perfect for such a cold, grandiose day. I want to liken this album to a fireplace. It sparked in the first track, "Down to the Waterline". A pretty decent opening. But the fire was still not warm enough to do anything besides emitting a low glow. Between the opening and "Sultans of Swing" aka "The epic acoustic guitar solo song" -- the greatest extent of the fire, no doubt, the fire was like that. Bland. Trying hard to make something out of the folk and country fiddling in their pub-rock sound. But after the explosive spark of "Sultan's of Swing", the fire was up. The following tracks were warm and slick. But while "In the Gallery", "Wild West End", and "Lions" are great tracks, none surpassed the epic single. Overall, pretty dull, but a delicious Christmas treat nonetheless.
pretty tight for a debut album. Only knew a couple of songs but the rest was good too.
10th January 2022 Listened throughout the day while at home home, chilled and watched lost daughter in the evening. Sultans of swing one of the all time greats. Knopfler is a genius, such an identifiable sound.
A number of outstanding tracks alongside some mediocre ones, but the guitar playing is sublime
Down to the Waterline was a solid jam. Water of Love was a great tune. It started to fade a little bit by the time got to track number 5. Sultans of Swing could be back ground music for as many times as I have heard it. Starting this challenge with this album and have already involved in two other podcast. Episode 35 in the 1001 Album Complaints “American Idiot” and Episode 20 1001 Album Club “ Genius of Ray Charles”.
Bin zwiegespalten. Einerseits nervt mich wie smooth und kantenlos das ganze album ist. Sowas will ich eigentlich nicht belohnen. Auf der anderen Seite kann ich nicht abstreiten dass ich die ganze Zeit während dem Hören mit dem Kopf nicke. Außerdem räumt der Knopfler der alte Angeber schon viel Platz für seine Soli ein - aber sie sind halt auch verdammt noch mal gut. der Strat sound ist außerdem echt geil. Zähneknirschend geb ich wohl 3 Sterne
mag die dire straits ja sehr gern aber an den hit sultans of swing kommt auf dem album sonst nix ran, leider bissi fad
Dire Straits mada ih ne slušam pretjerano - svaki put paše uhu, ne mog opisat. Bend koji nije čisti blues, a čuješ ga u svakoj pjesmi. Dosta mi se sviđa cover albuma.
Sultans of Swing is an all time classic. Thought a couple of others would also stand out but not much.
I liked this album. The second half is better than the first. Plus it has the standout track, Sultans Of Swing. I have come to love that song in recent days.
A name I know of but assumed was somewhat different. I know of the term "Sultans of Swing" but embarrassingly did not know it was a song. I assumed these guys were southern rock but they are British, so apparently more pub-rock. Clearly talented musicians. Beyond that, it's more of a time-and-a-place album for me, certain situations I could get really into it, but casual listening alone it doesn't do much for me.
I could appreciate this if I was drunk and someone who was really passionate about the album put it on and talked it up to me as we continued to pound em down. Being sober I don't really have any sort of emotional reaction to it whatsoever. It sounds like Dylan and The Dead getting loose with a producer who fetishizes a really clean sound. It's that clean sound that I find subtly off putting.
ehhh alright. just because sultans of swing is a banger doesn't make it a good album. liked a couple of the songs though
A pretty solid debut, a lot more bluesier than the polished pop sound they'll grow to possess in later albums. Half the album is ok, like in "Setting Me Up" I only really like that swampy guitar solo. "Six Blade Knife" sounds pretty badass, like a James Dean act, but it doesn't really go anywhere. That's fine I guess: it sounds cool... the major problem is that it doesn't stand out and happens to play between two mediocre blues tracks, so nobody even pays attention to it. "Sultans of Swing" is a fantastic piece, likely his most famous piece contesting with "Walk of Life" or "Money for Nothing," but certainly a candidate for one of the best songs of the year (which says a lot with all the emerging post-punk and New Wave of that year). It does, however stand out from the rest of the album, highly polished, filled with a wall sound, memorable melody and chorus, very fast, but still retaining the cool factor of tracks like "Water of Love" and those that follow. Last few songs were more focused. Favotites: Water of Love, Sultans of Swing, Wild West End
Knopfler's Dylanesque singing won't be for everyone, but his guitar chops are enough to win people over. Though you may drive a Ford Mondeo, this is a much better album to be listening to than anything by Chris Rea. Turn it up loud as you drive into your parking space outside the office. Impress the temps. Best Tracks: Down To The Waterline; Water of Love; Sultans of Swing
this album is ALMOST everything. Almost great, almost incredible but also almost bad and mainstream. (6/10) FT: Sultans Of Swing, Six Blade Knife
Best Song: Sultans of Swing. It really lives up to its name. Has spawned several really good covers while still holding up as the original. Obviously the guitar is the star here. Worst Song: Setting Me Up. Gettin' a little too honky tonk over here.... Overall: Outside of Sultans of Swing, the rest of the album is only okay. Sweet smooth guitar licks, sure, but at times the vibe seems so relaxed it starts to feel sleepy. Nevertheless, the instrumentation is fantastic throughout.
Dire Straits is one of those bands that just does it for me, so I anticipate good things here. And...we're off to go a good start. Second song a bit weaker--in fact, a bit a run of blander songs; not bad, necessarily, but not with the usual appeal of Dire Straits at their best. Southbound Again starts to rock again. And obviously Sultans of Swing is just great. In the Gallery is okay. On the whole, this was a a bit weaker than my expectations, but with a few bangers, and nothing really bad.
Going to be upfront - I’m no white man blues fan - especially the VH1 special breed - and was not looking forward to this. However objectively Dire straits are one of the more stylish classy of the bunch - with delicate and restrained sound and clear production while still retaining an element of soul and unique voice. The album itself had a few good tracks which are new to me but make a solid strong side A and Side B starts waning a little until Sultans of Swing inflates it back and rescues the pace of the album. If I likes the genre I would have given it a higher rating - but that would be an injustice to other albums I liked more - so this is a subjective score of 3/5.
This is the debut album by the British rock band Dire Straits. It's a blues rock album, with hints of folk and country music, from the 70's that has been certified double platinum in the US and UK. This album is well put together for a debut album and the hit single "Sultans of Swing" helped propel the album into the limelight. The music on this album was nice to listen to while working, and I will have to check out other Dire Straits' albums.
Not bad! I feel like this doesn’t quite have the same energy as Brothers in Arms, but it’s more consistent to me. Sultans is all-time great, and the rest vibes so well. Knopfler has a keen ear for those swaggy, smooth melodies, dude sounds like he’s on permanent vacation. 3.5
Sultans of Swing is the best. I like Knopfler a lot as a guitarist, I think his style is very unique within the realms of rock, but I don't really like his voice. Lots of fun energy on this album, but the actual melodies don't really stand out to me.
I liked this one more than Brothers in Arms, although I couldn't tell you exactly why. It's a decent album but not amazing.
While initially compelling, the samey nature of the songs made it incredibly hard to pay attention to this album, even on multiple listens. The only bright point after the begging were foe me Sultans of Jazz, waking me up a little - but there's nothing here that is bad, per se.
Pretty low key and mellow. Nothing too interesting except "Sultans of Swing" though. Guitar work is incredible. 3.5 stars.
Dire Straits is sort of like Queen for me, in that I would much rather just listen to their singles thrown in a random rock playlist than an entire album. "Sultans of Swing", "Money for Nothing", "Romeo and Juliet".. some of my favorite songs of all time. "Setting Me Up", "Wild West End", "Lovely Ride", "Lions"? I listened to this album three hours ago and I have no idea what any of these are. Tell me to name any word sung or any note played and I'd tell you to shoot me in the head, man. You probably didn't even notice that I made the third song up. So basically what I'm saying is that I have crippling ADHD and "Sultans of Swing" is the only memorable song on this album. Cool album cover though.
Not really my thing but I enjoyed. I like how Dire Straits took the often turgid Eric Clapton take on the blues and made something interesting out of it
Not really for me. Nice groove, impressive restraint and I really like the lead guitar bits. But it just doesn't excite me.
Super into the music, less into the singing. Fave song - Water of Love. Worst song, (truly the worst) Sultans of Swing. Also, this album could play in repeat and I would never know if it changed songs because they have such similar music for each track. Not my cup of tea.
this gets a solid C- for me. fairly boring. all songs sound the same. all middle tones. no variance
Mark E Mark Knopfler and the Funky Bunch bring the smooth rock and tasty slick guitar solos to people, while kindof singing, kindog talking. I was hoping to discover some gems, but instead was ushered into nothingness via Dire adult contemporary lullabies. He sure can play the guitar tho. C+
Interesting listen, but I found it a little difficult to get through. The band is really talented and the guitar playing in particular had a beautiful, tactile quality. But the vocalist felt like a Dylan ripoff without the same depth of poetry. Favourite track: “Sultans of Swing”
Meh. This album isuch of the same throughout. In my mind it was a vehicle for Knopfler's guitar playing. It is a bit of a strange album in that it crosses blues rock with more of a folksy song delivery. It is interesting that Tim picked up the Bob Dylan backing band feel as after Dylan heard Dire Straits he asked Knopfler and his drummer to back him up on Slow Train Running (good ear Tim!)The reason I think this album stood out as much as it did was it came out when Disco and Punk were really popular so it was different. Dire Straits was a huge draw if not a critical success. Brother in Arms was a better album. I'll give it a 2 1/2
Some great guitar work, but the music just isn’t my bag unfortunately. Country influenced stadium rock.
While the overall composition here is rock solid, these tracks just don't know when to quit. The grooves established on some are enough to power through a solid 3 minutes, but others are so limpid that even 2 minutes feels like a drag.
The 'Dire Straits sound' has a lovely clean and so distinctive guitar tone, but most of the songs are a bit too long and don't go anywhere all that exciting. And Mark Knopfler isn't a singer really, though he actually seems like a sound human being. However, this does have Sultans of Swing on it, a song so good that Daft Punk ripped it off 25 years later and it still sounded great. I couldn't recommend this album, but it isn't without its good points. (NB - later on, Romeo and Juliet, and Walk of Life are also tuuuuunes. Definitely worth owning a greatest hits. But not an album)
This album was so low energy. It almost teeters into 1, but is so mundane and safe that it doesn't have the guts to get into the 1 place.
Fine I guess, nothing to write home about. Pretty monotone sound but a few good tracks.
Brave, pioneering, spectacular, explosive and groundbreaking are just five words that do not describe this fairly dull album. 🥂
sultans of swing is massive. then its just a load of album. nothing to tell anyone about, its just some stuff.
I guess I just don't understand classic rock... The album wasn't bad - it just didn't have a whole lot of variety. I had heard "Sultans of Swing" before, and when the first track started, I actually thought it was SoS, that's how alike they sounded. It's a style I suppose; just one I'm not super fond of.
I was intrigued by this album. As far as the big classic rock bands go this is one that I hadn't heard much of. I wasn't missing much. I found it pretty boring, a bit meandering. I would say I don't get it but I like some bands that are fairly similar. Sultans of Swing is pretty cool though. Not my bag, baby
It was better than I anticipated, but has a very similar sound across all songs. Decent overall record but probably not something I would listen to again. 2.5/5
It was inoffensive but dull. I can't remember any of the songs after listening apart from Sultans of Swing, which probably tells you something about this album. It reminded me of being a kid and going on holiday with Dire Straits on the cassette player in the car. I would not choose to listen to this album again but if I had to it would not be the end of the world.
1/27/2021 Today's Album: "Dire Straits" by Dire Straits - This album is perfectly alright. I think this style is incredibly played out for me, with the same old classic rock tone and similar instrumentation, but the guitar work at times is really nice and I do vibe with most of the tracks on here. Setting Me Up is the first real surprise on these tracks, coming in at track 3, but it's still just a good solo surrounded by some generic grove and vocals. Southbound Again brings the energy up and is pretty bouncy and playful. I think its a half decent track, and it is quickly followed by an amazing track, bring Sultans of Swing. It is a great song and so far is the only reason to give this one a chance. They just feel like a really typical jam band and I don't know what exactly it is about these songs, but they are just really not hitting the right spot with me. Yeah the rest of this album just doesn't pay off and is the same stuff. I think it's a good album to put on in the background during dinner or something, but it really just doesn't scratch any itch for me. Score: 4/10 Meh Highlights: Setting Me Up, Sultans of Swing
Can't remember a thing about this album. It played and then it was over. Must not have been too good or too awful.
Wow. How mediocre was this. Really can’t believe the hype around these guys. Dirge after dirge. Save yourself the hassle.
Sultans of Swing est tellement meilleur que tout le reste que c'en est presque gênant. Le reste est plus ou moins chiant. La pochette est cool. Prefs: Down to the Waterline, SULTANS OF SWING Moins pref: Six Blade Knife
The guitar instrumentals are super interesting and there’s some pretty cool picking/syncopation going on. Rest of the instrumentals are pretty basic and it’s all lead by the guitar. I don’t love the Dylan-esque vocals but that’s a personal preference.
I listened to this. I don't remember anything about it at all. It was very unmemorable and I basically tuned the whole thing out.
Six Blade Knife - the ffff noise he makes makes me uncomfortable. But also he kinda sounds constipated throughout the song and I appreciate that Sultans of swing - already liked this song Lions - I like this one too It was ok overall for me, but not thrilled or anything
Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I'll just listen to cheeseburger in paradise instead.
Very low key, chill, guitar driven, old time rock and roll. A tad repetitive overall. No real singing moments or lyrics that stuck with me. I can appreciate a couple of guitar parts, but that’s about it. Not likely to revisit.
I have been in a permanent yawn for half an hour. I have never felt my face so weary. Now, most occasions of boredom lead to frustration, not physical tiredness. I am perversely impressed at how soporific this album is. It's all just one song, and quite a boring song at that. So, we have one boring song raised by an order of magnitude. An album consisting of pure halal filler. You know how pop stars are supposedly able to sing people out of comas? Dire Straits can play people into them. Punk happened for so many reasons.
Every song starts out a bit like Sultans of Swing but then turns out to be nowhere near as good as Sultans of Swing. Then there's Sultans of Swing which is alright. And then there's some more songs that start out a bit like Sultans of Swing but turn out to be nowhere near as good as Sultans of Swing. If Robert Johnson really did sell his soul at the crossroads, I'm sure Beelzebub is making old Bob suffer in eternal damnation by playing this type of watered down, piss weak "blues" on repeat to him for all eternity.
It just reminded me of the forbidden love between a special needs man and his mother in law, which forces them to go on the run together ultimately in their car plummeting into a reservoir. Will they survive? No.
Dire straits, alsof je naar een Fender reclame spot luistert die nooit stopt; Verschrikkelijke band! Kan ik ook minder dan 1 ster geven?
I'll be honest here. I didn't even bother listening to this. They're an awful band. I mean, who would listen to this crap in '78 when there was far, far better music and bands. I disliked them then and I dislike them even more now.