Reviews (page 12 of 15)
a complete album, with a definitive sound that carries throughout, with uniqueness I'm every song. this album sets the bar.
Down to the Waterline: Solid song to open the album. Perfect into to Knopfler's Guitar. 3/5 Water of Love: 2/5 Setting Me Up: 3/5 Six Blade Knife: It's a 3/5 Southbound Again: 3/5 Sultans of Swing: Classic. 5/5 In the Gallery: Funky-reggae fun! Mike Knopfler's Guitar. Gosh. 4/5 Wild West End: Sultans, but make it romantic. 5/5 Lions: 3/5
Not very interesting. Sultans of Swing is definitely the best song on this.
Dire Straits is the perfect blend of country and classic rock. I was particularly captivated by the smooth slide guitar lines, and the understated yet effective bass grooves. The guitarist truly takes center stage in this album, deepening my appreciation for the art of slide guitar.
This probably kills at bars.
Good band from the 90’s. Good songs. Enjoy their music.
Look, I'm not trying to take anything away from Knopfler here at all; he's one of the greats, and deserves all the praise he gets...but he's kind of a one-trick-pony on this one isn't he? He can play the honky tonk like anything, but you know, I DO give a damn about trumpet playing bands. Still, when a guitar solo is so recognizable, you can just hum it note for note, someone's doing something right.
Despite its relatively narrow sonic palette, the Dire Straits debut showcases enough intricate musicianship and effortless virtuosity to elicit, at the very least, sincere appreciation.
Fun album
Down to the Waterline Sultans of Swing
i enjoyed this more than i thought i would. i had a slight prejudice against dire straits for no particular reason, so i didn’t have very high expectations for this, but ended up quite getting into it. it’s an easy listen - works as nice background music, complementing knopfler’s voice. if i could, i would give this a 3.5, but will have to round down for the sake of this website.
No strong feelings on this one.
this album was basically just sultans of swing (pretty good) and a bunch of filler. i liked a couple of the other tracks but all in all, this was ok and nowhere near as enjoyable as brothers in arms was. favorites: down to the waterline, sultans of swing, wild west end
3/5
Dire Straits is an album that doesn't do anything super special but is still a really solid album. The southern sound gave it somewhat of a country rock sort of vibe going on and that i did actually like the sound of despite not being the biggest fan of country music. The vocals were solid and the songs flowed pretty smoothly. Part of me does feel a little disappointed with Sultans Of Swing because i kind of wanted it to have more swing elements due to it's name though it was still a pretty decent song. The only thing i can really say would be reiterating what i said at the start of the review. Its not an incredibly special album but it does it's job very well. Best Song: Down to the Waterline Worst Song: Lions
Sultans of Swing is a great song but the rest is not at that level, so 3 stars or C+ is my rating.
Algo que me llama la atención de Dire Straits es la manera en que la guitarra camina con la voz. Es una cuestión obvia, y no tanto, pero en pocos discos escuché una amalgama tan armoniosa. Riffs sedosos, suaves, como estar acariciando un paño de billar, esa atmosfera. Un espiral blusero, caminos sinuosos, percusiones engatuzantes. Otra escucha de la que conozco poquisimo y nada de la historia previa de la banda. Suena a como si los músicos de Bob Dylan se hayan cansado de él y se juntaron a zapar y OH descubrimiento, Mark Knopfler. Si este disco le sirvió a Cerati para copiar la línea de bajo Six Blade Knife y hacer Ciudad de la furía, es un buen disco. Puntos altos: Southbound Again,
Ummm. Making Movies and Love over Gold are way better..poor choice....Knopflers guitar licks are gorgeous but the songs are a bit half baked.
A good album with a few awesome tracks which were already in my library. There are some great guitar solos on it as well.
Good
Sultans of Swing is a fave Really surprising how american bluesy this entire album is - definitely one for late night chilling.
Lot of licks
Later half got better. Beach vibes almost
Well they are certainly consistent and have their style and flair! It just may not be for me. However, there is no denying that Sultans of Swing just makes me wanna groove.
went into this expecting to hate it and... i surprisingly don't? don't get me wrong, i still think a good amount of this album is a bit generic, but i don't really think i could muster up any vitriol for it. it's definitely one of those albums that're carried by the first track on either side, but it's very well crafted and played rock music. i never found myself zoning out or rolling my eyes at an "ooh baby do i love ya" lyric. it's nothing to write home about, but i mean that as positively as possible. it's like finding a quarter on the street and putting it in your pocket -- all you can really say is "neat" and move on. i'd come back for the singles and most of the B-side for sure. and man, can Knopfler play.
I dug this! Like a 3.5 for me
I like a bit of Dire Straits every now and again. Unfortunately, my favourite DS track is not on this album. The songs are good, "Sultans of Swing" is a nice single. Dire Straits would be awful without Knopfler's guitar solos. That's what I think of this album. 3 stars for "Self Titled".
I liked the opener ("Down To The Waterline") and "Sultans of Swing" is a great song, but the rest was pretty forgettable. I liked it well enough, and none of the songs are bad, but they also aren't memorable
The classic rock station I listened to growing up would play "Sultans of Swing" every fifth song, like clockwork. A typical afternoon in my young adulthood would sound like this: the Georgia Satellites; the Marshall Tucker Band; Blackfoot; ZZ Top; "Sultans of Swing" by Dire Straits; the Charlie Daniels Band; the Doobie Brothers; Creedence; Atlanta Rhythm Section; "Sultans of Swing" by Dire Straits; 38 Special; the Allman Brothers Band; Molly Hatchet; Lynyrd Skynyrd; "Sultans of Swing" by Dire Straits, etc. Maybe a "Money for Nothing" thrown in once a day for variety. Because of this, I fucking hate that song. I don't know if it is good or bad, I only know I hate it. But I kind of like Dire Straits. They have a laidback jazzy blues sound that is pretty cool. None of the songs on this record really stand out, but they are all pretty good. It isn't Dire Straits's fault that Rock 101 played "Sultans of Swing" to death and so I try not to hold it against them. But they are never going to be one of my favorite bands, despite them being totally decent.
Dug it for the guitar. Not much else
Listened to this while playing Return to Dark Tower solo. I lost. Soooo...I kept hearing people refer to the Sultans of Swing, and I honestly was expecting this to be a swing/big band album...lol. Kind of disappointed that it wasnt. This was ok...
I quite like Dire Straits, purely for nostalgia. But I’m not sure I like this record. I know Mark’s vocals aren’t for everyone, and they don’t normally bother me but something about this just fell flat for me. Hoping Making Movies comes up on the list at some point so I can rate them higher
Gets compared to Dylan. Knopfler's voice way outshines him. Good album.
Pretty much exactly what I expected from a Dire Straits album. Some decent bluesy rock but nothing that particularly stood out other than the legendary Sultans of Swing
4/5 better than expected Down to the Waterline Water of Love Sultans of Swing First 2/3 better than last 1/3
At the tome this cane out I was into punk and reggae so this would have been a never listen to band. This is actually not a bad debut album, bit pub rock
solid
I always feel like I don’t like Dire Straits and maybe I’m not huge on any of their other albums, but I do think their debut album is quite good. “Sultans of Swing” might be an overplayed classic rock staple, but man is it a banger. Before they started to get a little synthy, Mark Knopfler owned the guitar solo, and there’s quite a few good ones on the album in addition to the epic “Sultans of Swing”.
I like sultans of swing, and the rest of this has a very similar sound. It's just about what I expected.
I am in a bit of a quandary about this one. At first it seems inoffensive. And I don't mean "inoffensive" in the way that Travis is inoffensive, that is: teeth-gnashingly, mind-meltingly boring and bland. No, I mean... it's fine. It's okay. I don't mind it. I don't hate it. I don't love it. It's just there. But the quandary is this: It's clearly slightly lame dad-rock, but the guitar playing is really really good. So I might secretly have a bit more of a dabble with Dire Straits. But don't tell anyone. It would ruin my jazz-metal-weridness street cred.
Top quality MOR…
They don't give a damn about any trumpet playin' band It ain't what they call "Dad" Rock and Roll
The first two were 5/5, then they kinda lost me. The last couple were really good as well
It was ok
Solids listen. Enjoyed this quite a bit. Of course, Sultans of Swing is a all-time jam. "He don't care about any trumpet playin band". The rest of it washed over me nicely but didn't pull my attention. I'll play it again but nothing jumps out to me as a classic album.
A pretty groovy classic album by Dire Straits. It has some amazing songs (Sultans of Swing, Down to the Waterline) but for me the other songs don't do THAT much. None of them are bad, but none are good enough to stand out to me. Very dad rock Fav songs: - Down to the Waterline - Sultans of Swing
Solid.
Not bad! Can't wait for their next one to pop up. 3/5
Amazing guitarwork.
Starts groovy and the guitars are really nice throughout. Reminds me of Khruangbin at times! Just all blended together a bit in my listen - but a very decent listen!
Pretty ho hum, but I liked it. It's a funky album that had some really enjoyable parts. No real bad songs, just nothing spectacular
A little too country on this album
Eh. Soft 3.
Enjoyable, good guitar. 3.5
Solid album. Sultans of Swing is a classic.
Dylan sounding vocals, and some cool guitar work but I honestly had a hard time getting into this one. I felt like it was lacking in energy and passion. I honestly was not familiar with Dire Straits at all. This may be embarrassing but I was thinking they were a country group? Ended up being some classic dad rock. Wasn't bad at all but I just felt like it was lacking a spark.
Probably because I was young
Kinda boring ngl
Solid
I find most of this album very very boring. Most of the tracks do nothing for me, and I think for that it should be at 1 or 2 stars. That said, Sultans of Swing is one of my favorite songs of all time, and it'd be ridiculous for me to not give the album it belongs to a decent score. Congrats self titled, you're being hard carried.
The beginning of a legend.
This is an album I would have loved to be placed in the historical time because I have to think it was pretty revolutionary and impactful at the time. Today when I hear it I think, yeah this is Dire Straits, they are mellow, cool and I like it. But coming out in the late 70s in England this was probably super revolutionary. Overall a good album and I would listen again.
Not bad. Kinda groovy. Sultans of Swing is a great song. The rest are just okayish. Sometime a little too much blues for me. I did not know that these guys are British.
I like the vibe of this album. It’s smooth and funky and kinda sexy. It didn’t wow me, but I enjoyed it.
Po pire po pire.
The main hit on this album is Sultans of Swing, but the rest of the songs are cool too. I'll consider this a high 3/5.
Correcto
didnt really care about it all too much. this is a singles album to me cause i only really enjoyed the singles from it. side a i didnt really care about besides down to the waterline, but side b was a pretty decent run to me. im not built for dad rock. 3 personal favs: down to the waterline, wild west end
It was a really relaxing album, and love sultans of swing. But it's not as good as brothers In Arms
Nice album, will dig into Dire Straits more but overall the album didn't blow me away.
There's a reason why Sultans of Swing is the most listened song in the album a total banger. Down the Waterline is a strong opener too, with those two exceptions it's a forgettable album for me
Bit of a mixed bag but already great work from Mark Knopfler. In Wild West End I could hear where the future direction evolved from and, as a guitarist myself, who cannot love Sultans.
Felt a bit uninspired, the tempo, the lyrics. I did like the melodies in most songs. Made for a different generation.
I wish I could rate 5 stars for one song alone but alas, that’s not how this works. I’d happily listen to dire straits all day long. It’s great rock n roll and reminds me of my childhood in a good way.
Sultans of Swing, 1978
Really enjoyed, but unlikely to go back to it. Would be great on vinyl.
good chill twangy vibes
Interesting and some good listens
Dad rock. Easy enough listen. Sone nice production
It’s OK it was a very popular realm and sultans of swing is a great song but the album sounds like too much of the same thing. Very little color instrumentally two drums format with no harmonies or other instruments. It’s tedious after a while.
2.55. Not great but listenable
This is a fun album overall, and Sultans of Swing is an all-timer. On the other hand, I don't really get what puts it on this list. There was so much more interesting stuff happening in 1978 than Dire Straits 3/5
Nice, but nothing special. 3*
It’s ok
Down to the Waterline- in the words of Eva, this is a bop. The mix of the guitars and percussion makes the song have a funky little beat. This is a good open to the album. Water of Love- the slow essence of the song and the layered singing adds an unfamiliar tone to the song. There's not much more to say about the song. It's mediocre. Setting Me Up- the layering of the guitars adds a funky vibe to the song. It is somewhere inbetween a bop and being mediocre. The singing does nothing for me, the instruments are what carries the song. Six Blade Knife- this is a slower song that doesn't rely too heavily on the instruments. Unfortunately, that leaves us to rely on the vocals, which adds whispers and groans to the song. This is a mediocre song. Southbound Again- the funky guitar adds a nice vibe to the song. This would probably go in Eva's book as a bop, though, a lower sided bop. Sultans of Swing- an iconic song, it reminds me of riding down the highway. Although objectively, this is the best song off the album, it is not my favorite. This is not me saying the song isn't good, though. It is. In the Gallery- this is once again a mediocre song. Not even the instruments can carry this one. However, it's not bad. It's just not good. It carries on for too long. Wild West End- the acoustic guitar and the slow vibe adds a calming effect to the song. It's a cute sounding song. This track has the best lyrics of the entire album. It isn't a bop and it isn't mediocre. It has its own category from the rest of the songs off the album because it's not like the other songs. Lions- this calm song is once again neither a bop nor mediocre. It's just plain good. The song is brought justice by the vocals. It isn't like the other songs off the album. It is most similar to Wild West End. Overall- the use of the funky sounding guitar is what carries this album. It adds a vibe that reminds me of the sound of the 70s. Although the vocals are different, they feel revolutionary and unique. This album was overall pretty good. It's not exactly my taste, but I can agree that this is objectively good. 3/5.
Nice easy rock record. Great guitar playing. Really liked the last song I think I’ll go back to that one. But it’s an easy record to stop paying attention to.
Okay album.
The album babbles along, it's not bad, but if you don't own it, there's nothing missing from your record cabinet.
5/13/24. Cool album, thought it would be heavier for some reason, but really good songs. Need to listen again but enjoyed my first time through.
Fine. Sultans Of Swing is a great song. With my current biases/baggage/etc the album feels kind of tired and very much an artifact of its time. Although trying to put myself in the context of being a music listener in 1978, this album probably sounded fresh and cool to some listeners that weren’t in to the punk stuff happening at that time.
Pretty meh. I like some Dire Straits fine, like Brothers In Arms, but they’ve never done much for me. This is fine, but I can only take so much of the verse chorus guitar noodling formula.
Sultans of Swing is a five star song. The rest? Pretty meh.
It's good.
Not really dire but its strait
Einar var einmitt að spila þessa plötu um daginn og segja hvað hann væri í miklu Dire Straits stuði, ég hafði ekki kynnst þeim áður enda listar pabbi minn ekki á pabbarokk. Öll lögin minntu mig á einhverja aðra tónlist sem ég hefði heldur viljað hlusta á
Best song: sultan of swing Vibes: studio tapedeck folk country rock
would be 2 if not for sultans of swing
Nice enough listening but didn’t really grab me too much. Maybe needed to give it a closer listen.
I expected more out of this. Slightly disappointed
2.5 stars It’s about as classic rock as classic rock gets. Sultins of Swing is good.
Slow dad rock. Not a bad thing but just didn’t like it as much as I thought I would.
Down to the Waterline 3.4 Water of Love 3.3 Setting Me Up 3 Six Blade Knife 3.2 Southbound Again 3.3 Sultans of Swing 3.8 In the Gallery 3.5 Wild West End 3.4 Lions 3.3 Score: 3.355555556
I am 39 with two kids. Time to finally sit back and enjoy some mark knopfler guitar licks.
Sultans of Swing is fantastic. The record isn't necessarily forgettable but I couldn't say what else is on it after listening to it several times.
Perfect for an afternoon ride with my honey
Interesting. Almost a combo of rock and country. I liked it quite a lot.
Sultans of swing is great but it feels kinda like a single with extra bits rather than an album
it was fine, good guitar
really wish they had a bit more grit
2.5.
Interesting to see how early this album was released given its sound.
Decent
Great guitars and vibe all around but as you progress the album starts to feel quite repetitive
Need to listen again sometime in the future for better analysis.
I liked it. I didn’t realize they were so jam-y
Good sounds
You won't regret it if you put this album on. Won't pat yourself on the back either mind you. It's just a bit of a meh album overall.
Somewhat enjoyable, it's alright. But yeah, that's about it, middle of the pack.
Good album great bass lines
Is it my mood the last 2 days? Nothing sounds great. I understand that this is good, right? But I still feel meh.
First time ever listening to this and it's remarkable that Sultans of Swing was sequenced so deep in the mix. Solid. 3.5
Previously rated: Brothers In Arms (4/5) ************************** It's got Sultans of Swing and uh...Six Blade Knife. The rest wasn't bad, just not memorable.
Doesn't do it for me.
What an MOR double with Simply Red yesterday. The thing I almost always think about Dire Straits, with a few very notable exceptions (Brothers in Arms, Romeo and Juliet and Sultans of Swing for instance), is that it's all a bit soulless. Technically good, but doesn't really move you very much. Still nice to have on in the background and I'm still grateful for that two days on from the Guantanamo experience.
- Mainly know Dire Straits as the band that produced "Sultans of Swing." Apparently almost all of their music sounds almost exactly like that one track. - A super cool guitar riff starts the album. And the persistently syncopated rhythms are fun. But everything really does feel like the diet version of "Sultans of Swing."
peak dad core
Me gustó!!
Decent easy listening, ‘Sultans of Swing’ their biggest hit with over a billion plays on Spotify. 3.5/5
cool and funky. sultans of swing is always amazing but there's a few others that stuck with me.
Good album. “Sultans” is definitely the strong point. Wished it had a few more standout songs. 3/5 Might listen again
Inoffensive cruisin' rock, has one all time banger, like 2.75
Not bad. A lot more country/blues influence than expected. 7/10
This was fine enough. Didn’t love it or hate it. 2.5 rounded up to 3.
This was kind of a big deal debut from my early 20’s, anchored by Sultans of Swing. The rest of the album is decent enough but their Brothers in Arms is a much better album and Making Movies is somewhat better than this debut.
Chill sultans vibe
It’s the lick that started an enduring career. Knopfler is a true innovator and a singular player—you absolutely know him when you hear him. I played the grooves of my “Sultans of Swing” 45. It’s still one of the great rock singles of the ‘70s.
I liked the guitar so much but the voices were rough on some songs and tbh none of the lyrics stuck out at all. Easy listening.
Really didn't love Brothers in Arms and did not expect to see another Dire Straits album on here. Here's to hoping... Opens with some dusty guitar noodling that conjurs images of a southwestern adobe town at dusk. Launches without warning into a driven song that could be a sonic sibling to Sultans of Swing (which is buried in the track list). No knock, the guitar noodling rips here and tickles a certain something in me. Water of Love is pretty forgettable, but Setting Me Up has a fun jump about it. Six Blade Knife pulls out the slow, confident, and cool vibe that Dire Straits are known for -- similar to Money for Nothing. Lead by a sluggish bass throb and punchy drum with some noodly guitar support. Nothing too flashy, but it is fine. I can see this as a perfect soundtrack to drinking a Bud heavy and sitting at some country dive bar. No denying that Sultans of Swing is a jam. The production is very tight throughout this album and it really shines on this track. Like the spaciousness on the outro track Lions. Otherwise, I'd say I had a lot more fun with this album than their last. It felt a bit more raw and less prone to the cheesy influences of the 80s. The production is a bit overpolished for my taste, but that's hardly a huge problem. The sounds they generate are generally nice even if they verge into somewhat boring territory a few times. 3 / 5
A lot of water and directions in these song titles. Kinda boring to start off. Sultans of Swing was a standout, again showing why hits are hits.
Only knew one song by dire straits before this album and it wasn’t on it. It was fine. Probably wouldn’t relisten all the way through.
3,5
Ratings: 5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background While I appreciate the musicianship involved, I just don't hear any passion and it gets a bit dull. Perfectly listenable, I'm just never going to choose to play this on my own.
Before yesterday, Dire Straits was a band I knew for only two songs: "Money For Nothing" and "Walk Of Life", which I'd been exposed to via Weird Al and ROCK BAND respectively. I really love both of those songs (a number of lyrics on the former aside), but I never really felt the need to dive deeper into their catalog beyond that. Sure, I think I listened to BROTHERS IN ARMS once a few years ago, but I know it was only once and I can't recall anything about it. So here we have the band's first album from a few years earlier, and... It's not really as complex. I mean, of course; there's no organs or synths, and there's no female backing singers and no song runs seven minutes. One runs six, sure, but still. It's just a whole lot rootsier and less pop. And I like it; it's good guitar music without all the extra frills. I mean, you hear all of those riffs Knopfler's playing on "Sultans Of Swing"? Goodness me. That being said, I did find it a little easy to have my attention swayed from it. Maybe it has more to do with things about me unrelated to the album, but it's still a fact that not a whole lot on the first album 100% pulled me in except for "Sultans Of Swing" and maybe "Wild West End". It's not entirely fair to compare this album to "Money For Nothing" and "Walk Of Life", since that's comparing two days to songs that've been in my life for years, but they got the pop hooks, y'know? And hooks, I gotta admit, are what keep me locked in a lot of the time. Good guitar playing can only do so much before I start to phase out. I'm happy I've heard this album, of course, and I wouldn't put it past me to give it another listen—and maybe BROTHERS IN ARMS, too—but I'd gone this long without doing it, so...
Enjoyable but starts to all sound the same towards the middle of the album.
Listened to the whole thing. Voice reminds me of Bob Dylan. Some good guitar playing, pretty restrained tho, would have liked if the band dug in a little harder and pushed the songs to more unexpected places.
boring and stupid
Smoky, sad pub music.
Perfect background music for taking a personal day from work on a random Tuesday and spending it day drinking alone with a good book at a mostly empty pub.
Chill, easy listening…a little dull
Deeply surprised that I didn’t hate it. It’s breezy and chill Boomer Dad Blues-Rock. That’s its strength, but also its weakness, because aside from the side openers, most of it passes by my ears like sand. Don’t know if it needed to be in the book though - it’s not like it “inspired” a ton of bands like it afterwards. Besides all the worst townie bar bands, but that’s no fault of the record itself. But that’s probably why it’s in the book.
favorite song: Sultans of Swing least favorite song: Setting Me Up rating: 6/10
Nice and chill, in a clean, sterile, over-produced kind of way. Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: Sultans of Swing Date listened: 25/02/24
Enjoyable but not particularly memorable.
sultans of swing extended version
Their guitar play is unique. I like it.
Sultans is one of the best things ever, the rest was OK.
3.5
This is a really good album, exactly as you'd expect from these soft-rock masters. Sultans of Swing remains a standout classic and the highlight of this album. A solid album yet I think I prefer Brothers in Arms (listening to that now). I never liked Dire Straits when I was young and my Dad forced me to listen - however, these days, I have a new found respect for them, especially the phenomenal guitar skills of Knopfler.
Bluesy
Enjoy listening to Dire Straits from time to time, but this album was honestly a bit repetitive. Many of the songs could be mistaken for Sultans of Swing in various parts.
Not quite country or easy listening, but soft, inoffensive, and welcome to any sensitive souls not in the mood for depth at the moment.
Knopfler > Clapton
I listened to this interspaced with Tom Lehrer, which I thought really enhanced the overall experience.
It's good, but it's but not really my exact vibe.
The Beastie Boys are a one-trick pony that managed to stretch their unremarkable style into an entire career. Although this album contains some of their greatest hits, songs that have permeated popular culture, it’s hard to argue that every track on this album, along with their other releases, sound the exact same throughout. The formula is simple: AA BB rhyme scheme with lyrics out of a children’s dictionary, and most importantly, SHOUT the last word of every second or fourth line. This is noise. Leave rap to rappers.
Good
I liked this more than I thought I would, was funky in places. Though I'm not sure I would listen to it again unless I was driving or something - seems like good driving music.
Like Dire Straits and this album is a good one.
I think I prefer their more filmic synth tinged 80s sound than this more straightforward stuff. Still enjoyed it and Sultans of Swing is brilliant
Really enjoyed the album. Smooth music very easy to listen to. Always loved the “Sultans” track hearing the entire album was a blast.
Water of love, Wild West end, Lions 3.5 stars
Sultans of Swing is really amazing, the rest less so.
A bluesy, laid back pub rock album was an unlikely candidate for a hit back in 1978 at the height of punk, but somehow Dire Straits got away with it and went on to be one of the biggest rock bands of the 80s with MTV friendly anthems like Money for Nothing. There’s a lot to enjoy here, especially the hit song Sultans of Swing and the atmospheric guitar lines.
Knopfler is a great guitar player and it shows in Dire Straits debut album, very precise and bluesy. And he's good in a good way, meaning that he is not a neck-wanker, he lets the music breathes. The upbeat songs are the really nice, the rest of the album is a bit too chill for me and turns almost boring unfortunately. The production is maybe a bit too clean too
Some nice moments and Knopfler is clearly a great guitarist but this is not something I would want to hear regularly.
i love so much already, on track 1. I wanna listen tonthis in my miata with the too down
I'm sorry, but my review is biased. I've never really understood the appeal of Dire Straits, though I do find Mark Knopfler to be one of the great guitarists of the 20th century.
I do like Dire Straits, and Sultans of Swing brought back memories of my brother practising that song on the guitar when we were young. Not their best album, but solid.
great to get stoned and do dishes to
Amazing guitarist and songwriter but I wasn't blown away by many songs besides sultans of swing of course.
Sultans of swing is by far the best song ln this album. I can appreciate the rest for what they are but they suffer from the comparison. Not my fav.
Learnt to play sultans of swing when i was 15 so it has a certain nostalgia to it. The rest of the album is pretty steady eddie bland and inoffensive
wild west end
Chill album. Sunday afternoon after lunch vibe with low volume
Sultans of swing is gewoon heel erg goed. Rest van het album was primajima om lekker op de achtergrond te luisteren. Eigenlijk 3,5 sterren!
Sultans of swing geweldig nummer, rest was een beetje standaard ofzo
I feel like this is one of those records that stereo salesmen put on for you so you can hear how good the speakers are. At least I had one do that to me one time. And it does sound amazing, production on nearly all Dire Straits albums are pretty insane and everything is sounding really good here. I will admit that outside of the hit I didn’t think there was any song that jumped out to me. Most would start out with a great groove, and solid rhythm guitar section, but would lose me halfway through the first verse. Knopfler is a genius guitarist no doubt, but find his lyricism and songwriting a bit basic sometimes. Two and a half. Fave track: Sultans of Swing
Surprisingly enjoyed this, reminds me of my grandpa. Wanna drive to this
I enjoyed the beginning, but the album suffers from being SO FUCKING LONG WHAT THE FUCK. Nice guitars :^)
Overall a Generic 70s album. It’s not bad any means just average. Id probably give it a 6.5 out of 10. Down the waterline. Southbound again I enjoyed the most
•Owned •Masterful performances by Mark Knopfler and Pick Withers over a debut that is simultaneously tight and in development. "Sultans of Swing" still sounds fresh. •3/5
Strong debut, but their later albums are much better.
The only song I really got into is the one song I was familiar with: Sultans of Swing. That’s too bad, because I like the guitar throughout this album. I was surprised to learn that Dire Straits is from the UK. I always assumed they were American. Maybe it’s their blooper video for Walk of Life that just seems American?
Solid and enjoyable. Almost 4 stars.
ok
Rock
The guitar work is very impressive, and there are some great melodies, and what just sounds like effortless songwriting. However, I'm not a fan of the blues sound that is continuous throughout, which means I doubt I'll ever want to listen to this album, again. Still, as with many albums on this list, I understand the impact, and "Sultans of Swing" will always remind me of my dad.
Dire
I liked this but no songs stood out to me. Chill though. High 3.
I remember this one from my childhood. I thought I would like it more
12/4/23
never heard of them before or listen to their songs, their most popular sultans of swing sounds familiar, i like the way he plays w his voice like with the talking
Other than The Sultans of Swing, this album is super mid. None of the songs are bad, and stylistically it's interesting, but nothing stands out.
I was only familiar with Brother In Arms. This was pretty cool
Safe album, though generally boring.
Fine
Good, classic. not sure if 4 though.
I remember my parents listening to this, it's not bad but not something I would seek out
Classic, great solid songs.
My first impression (after noting the underwhelming album art) was ‘wow, this first track sounds quite a lot like Sultans of Swing’. But that’s no bad thing, and maybe it’s just a case of them locking down their signature sound nice and early in their career. And as signature sounds go, this one is easy on the ears - deft, nimble fretwork and licks a-plenty; technically impressive but ‘light’ and relatively un-showy, somehow. It’s probably lacking in killer tracks to accompany SoS, but still a pleasing listen from top to bottom. 3.5 stars
A good album, not a great album. Would be more likely to put it on as background music. Favorite songs - Water of Love, Setting me up, sultans of swing, Wild West end
Pretty good not much to say about it tho
Ight almost my think but a little too on the nothing going on side
decent
Grandpa rock
Some bops some slops
I have always loved the twin hits "Sultan Of Swings" and "Down To The Waterline", but I have to admit I tried appreciating this whole debut album many times, and yet I still feel it a little lackluster overall. Of course, Knopfler's guitar playing is inspired and even technically impressive... yet I think too many tracks in this record are 'by-the-numbers' blues rock / pub rock cuts. There's none of the pop dynamism of *Brothers In Arms* or the ambient dirges of *Love Over Gold*. Make no mistake, this debut is still very decent--and as far as debuts go, it's even great at times--but I think subsequent Dire Straits records are far more imaginative. Guess they had to start somewhere to eventually get there. 3/5 for the purposes of this list, translating to a 8/10 grade for more general purposes (5+3). Number of albums left to review: 379 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 281 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 147 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 200
Nice
Yeah. I think knopfler has written some great songs and great guitar player, something in the performances though struggles to keep my attention, like some of the songs here seem really long to me but it could be I just need to pay more attention. Great guitar tone obvs
Knopfler is prettyyy cool, not their best album tho. Fav: Sultans of Swing
Hasn’t aged well.
Better than the other one at least. Bluesy
Ok. Clear mixing and occasional catchy guitar rythm but didn't grab me. Happy to listen to but wouldn't choose to
It was nice to listen to
Another album unsuitable for listening on the road. On better equipment it transforms into a pleasant listen, for those moments where you just need to chill. So I will award it a pleasant score.
Nice, easy to listen to album, bluesy/funky at times. Good.
Not my cup of tea but had some interesting stuff
Impossible to deny the straights ability to shred. Each track carries its own instrumentally. Unfortunately the monotonous vocals leave me feeling unsatisfied with the songs as a whole.
Listening to this album makes me understand why they make Greatest Hits albums. Overall it was fine but not something I'll go back to anytime soon.
I really like how mark knopfler plays the guitar, but not every song hit Top Tracks: 1) Down To The Waterline 2) Wild West End 3) Lions 4) Sultans of Swing
21.10.23 The Album surprised me. Usually, I thought "Sultans of Swing" was the only song worth to hear by Dire Straits. Instead, the guitarplaying and atmosphere is quite relaxing to listen to.
Lou Reed/ Dylan sounding rock, second half much better
I really like this album I think I would listen again
Like! Feels old, but you can hear the ground zero of eighties music being built in there.
good dad-rock
Good album, not their best (brothers In arms).
overrall pretty good, maybe a little to country for me but there is definetly some strong riffs in there
These straits were pretty dire. If you like dire in your straits, you'll like this.
Fine. I guess? Sure.
Sub a different lead singer in this band and I drop a 4 banger on this ass. Guy (to me) sounds like he is fighting bronchitis and diarrhea at all times. Every other minute i expect him to drop a, “play the guitar on the mtv” line. Its my problem. I know this.
Don't like dire straits
Loved it. Sultans of swing one of my fav songs
I love the guitar and drums, but it’s just not my genre. So three of five overall
Super Groovy and smooth, feels like I'm on hallucinogenics. Would be fun to cruise to while driving at night. Down to the Waterline: 3.5/5.0 Water of Love: 3.2/5.0 Setting Me Up: 2.8 Six Blade Knife: 2.5 Southbound Again: 3.1 Sultans of Swing: 3.8 In the Gallery: 2.9 Wild West End: 3.7 Lions: 2.6
Mid
Sultans of Swing is a beast. The rest of the songs don’t really do it for me although the guitar playing is excellent throughout. Is this a case where one really great song is enough to get a four? Nope.
I remember hearing Sultans of Swing for the first time poolside at my Uncle's place on Hollywood Florida. It sounded like a blend of two artists I was listening to a bit at that time, Bob Dylan and JJ Cale. In retrospect, it was brave debutting an album like this when their fellow Brits were doubling down on Punk. They changed it up soon after, but I prefer this purer sound to Brothers in Arms.
If Bob Dylan could sing he might sound like Mark Knopfler. This is a pretty impressive debut album that begat a monster single for them. Everyone has talked about Sultans to death so I won't. This album was a refreshing change from the post-punk movement that was popular in the late 70s and its interesting that this revival of pub/dad rock came from a British group. The rest of the album is fine, but not essential listening.
On the slower more vibe-y side of the 70's. I felt like it holds a lot of great characteristics of the genre and time it comes from, but falls short of great. Made me want to listen to the same genre but better songs.
Not bad.
Better than the last one I had to listen to
1. Down to the Waterline - this one was a bop, I liked the guitar it was really cool and sounded pretty fresh still. 2. Water of Love - this one is a little more mellow, not as much my style. 3. Setting Me Up - this one was more upbeat again, I didn't mind it. 4. Six Blade Knife - I really enjoyed the instrumental and melody of this one, but I don't love the singing style in this one it's a little slurry. 5. Southbound Again - not very memorable but it sounded ok. 6. Sultans of Swing - this one has a really cool sound and immediately caught my attention. it's very boppy. 7. In the Gallery - it has an interesting sound and I like the instrumental, but not very memorable for me. 8. Wild West End - this one was ok, it kinda gave a bit of a western vibe at times. 9. Lions - this one is pretty boppy, I like it, it's got a bit more of a darker sound to me, but it works. Overall, I like the sound of this band and I like the 70s style rock, but not sure if it would be something I listen to everyday.
This kind of reinforced what I thought about Brothers in Arms, which is that Dire Straits is more of a greatest hits type band to me. Each album has a couple of classics that I love, but I find the rest of the album to be perfectly enjoyable, but not particularly engaging to me. Sultans of Swing rules and I also quite liked the opening track and Southbound Again. The rest I can take or leave.
Confirmou a minha percepção da qualidade do instrumental e das melodias, apesar do hit datado massante.
3/5
Sultans of Swing Walk of Life
This is the type of music that I want to listen to in a pub when I'm with friends - then I checked what type of genre is this and it turned out it is really called 'pub rock'. It's mellow and bit of bland, musically, except for the guitar playing which is really outstanding. The clean production of the album is also really great, it sounds so fresh. Sultans of Swing stands out, it's very groovy, but the rest of the album is more forgettable for me. 3.5/5 but I stick with 3.
A good example of an album that is worth checking out more than just it's big hit(s). A solid album that's worth a listen
tasteful licks: the album. best tracks: sultans of swing, lions, six blade knife
Enjoyable blues jangling with one of the great songs of all time. Not the high standard across the album but still an enjoyable listen and a very individual sound.
This album is very well executed and produced. The guitar work is simply exquisite and never feels like it’s overstaying its welcome. However, there is just something missing from this album. It hits hardest during its monster hit and classic rock mainstay ‘Sultans of Swing,’ but never quite reaches that high again. It feels a bit sterile despite the clearly phenomenal musicianship.
nice playing and nice songs, tone is an acquired taste
Pretty decent for a dad rock album
Knopfler is an awesome guitar player. It's really the guitar that carries this album. It's not really Brothers in Arms level of an album. The song Sultans of Swing is on that level though but the rest is lacking that special something.
Like the tones but didn’t grab me
Well, sultans of swing is a great tune with outstanding lyrics. The rest sort of doesn’t measure up to that. But the boys had to start somewhere as a band.
Low end three. Really lost its momentum.
Unassuming and at times, underwhelming, but there are glimmers of what Dire Straits would become. Definite must listen for fans of the band.
Sultans of Swing is a great song. I am finding that I tend to like 70's style rock bands and this is one of them.
I enjoyed part of it.
Decent, had a few songs I actually really liked. All blended together towards the end though.
Many good hits. Found a couple of new songs that I like. Prefer the faster songs.
Unique funky style of music, really laid back and chill vibes
Fun, a lil groovy, not something I would typically be listening to but I liked it.
Liked it more than I expected
Not a bad listen. Some classic catchy tracks like Walk of Life and Sultans of Swing. Been having struggles listening to new music this week, so may try to listen again at a later date. Rating a 3 for now.
Not what I wanted it to be
Wouww.. this one brings back memories to my teenage years. Never a big fan, but then there is a certain nostalgia in a positive way.
Some definite lulls for me, but it wasn’t all dire - overall good riffs and vocals. Sultans is a banger. Southbound Again is a sneaky banger
This album is both incredible and awful at the same time
i like it but prolly wont listen to it again on my own
It's a little too country-ish for me to take in one sitting, but I appreciate the music.
So this record is entirely Mark Knopfler's guitar playing, which is quite stellar throughout and shows how skilled he is. Outside of this, the songs sounded like an easy listening version of blues rock, and to an extent this was enjoyable, but it was mostly just there. I did very much like Southbound Again and Sultans of Swing.
I love Dire Straits, but this is not my favorite album of theirs. My favorite tracks are “Down to the Waterline” and “Wild West End” and “Sultans of Swing” is a classic, of course. I think they hit their stride in later albums, but overall this one is solid.
The only song I know from these guys is "Sultans of Swing" which is a really good song. The instrumentation used in this album is great, but this suffers from Read Hot Chilli Peppers syndrome where the lead singer can be good sometimes, but most of the time his voice isn't good/annoying. This sucks because the instrumentation is fantastic, but the guy's voice or the way he sings is not good. Sometimes it sounds like the lead singer is doing a bob dylan impression If the singer weren't so bad this would be a low 4... This is a high 3/5
Safe, safe as fuck. Perfectly enjoyable but it’s a bit like admitting it’s time to buy a cardigan.
- these dudes jam - Sultans of Swing is one of the sweetest riffs ever - there’s something missing that isn’t putting them over the top for me
Good unique sound; I like the technical guitar. Really all the instrumentation is great. The singing isn't my cup of tea though.
It was always Love Over Gold that was the Dire Straits album of choice when I was a student back in the 80s - I imagine because of Telegraph Road primarily. I'd never listened to this album before although, obviously, Sultans of Swing is a tune I'm very familiar with - you can't be my age and into rock music without knowing it by heart I reckon. The rest was largely unknown, although it's obviously Dire Straits throughout and obviously driven by Knopfler's guitar. It was OK. I wouldn't scream and shout if I were made to listen to it again, but it's not a whole album I have a particular desire to list to time and time again.
Rating: 6/10
Just Dire Straits. Sultans of swing a banger but did I need to listen to before my certain demise?
Breezy, great instrumentation, a solid listen through. Nothing is exceptionally mind blowing, but it is definitely an impressive debut. Gotta love the Sultans of Swing.
Cool
Great for listening on a long road trip out west with the windows down on a sunny day
Generally good vibes without rocking too hard or sounding too soft. I felt like the songs smoothly rolled by though no one particular hook, melody, or lyric resonated I enjoyed the trip.
Some good song I recognize. Don’t think I’d go back to listen, but wouldn’t turn off if it came off
Warm and twangy
The guitar playing is immaculate and Sultans of Swing lives up to the hype (and then some) but the rest of the album leaves a bit to be desired, often being too country-rock-like for my liking, and nothing even matching the height of the album, which I already mentioned, even if there are good parts. It is more of a disappointment than anything, but it is still decent overall.
Enjoyed this without loving it. Close to 4 stars.
OK album. Great guitar and songwriting .