Reviews (page 12 of 14)
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 .
I appreciate how this record opens. A sense of quiet for the first 30 seconds and a melancholy openness follows — just a bit of guitar and a soft splashy cymbal before the track really kicks in with the full band. More contemporary music bets that the listener's attention will be lost in that silence. In other words, we rarely hear an opening like this anymore. It's not like I need to put the needle on the record and walk back to my chair before sitting down and "readying" myself to listen. Most things are singles in the stream these days. Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle. It's not my personal jam but this is a decent record with a pleasing pace. I've never fully been down with Dire Straits despite being able to recognize the obvious greatness of songs like Sultans of Swing (which graces this album).
This felt like homework before I even started listening. It's fine. Sultans of Swing works most of the time.
It was nice music to cook a corn cob to
Pretty generic dad rock but with some really pretty guitar licks
That this was gonna be was ass but it wasn’t. Still don’t know how Dire straits get so much attention from classic rock fans though. Nothing was bad about this but nothing stuck out. Even sultans of swing didn’t seem like an instant classic when it’s surrounded by a bunch of other mid songs. 👍: sultans, Wild West end
The good: The guitar tones are smooth as butter throughout. It makes for a pleasant listen. The bad: nothing noteworthy other than sultans and Wild West end. Fine as background music but if your trying to really focus on the music it can get boring. Best: sultans, Wild West end MMM: WALKIN IN THE WILD WEST END WALKIN WITH YOUR WILD BEST FRIEND
Not a bad debut.
Didn't know how much I enjoyed the Dire Straits
Love "Sultans of Swing." The rest is decent. Call it 3.5.
It was a fine listen. Sultans of Swing will always be memorable.
I let out a groan when I saw the album, because ugh... Dire Straits! I realise now that I had a bit of an irrational prejudice against them, based on very little data. They just generally blended in amongst a whole bunch of other similar bands who I couldn't possibly get on with. But hey, now I'm over that, this is a nice album! A solid 3 stars.
Nice slice of Dad rock here. Sultans of Swing is a classic and Down to the Waterline is a solid yet moody opener. Mark Knopfler's guitar playing is extraordinary. However, this album tends to veer to easy listening at times and I wished it would rock out more.
Levy lähti aivan huikeasti, mutta meno sitten vähän hyytyi. Down To The Waterline ja Sultans Of Swing 5/5 Wild West End 4/5 Ja loput oli sitten sen alapuolelta
I mildly enjoyed it. ‘Sultans of Swing’ and ‘Six Blade Knife’ are great songs, and the rest is good, too, but not something I’d willingly turn on again. Wouldn’t turn it off, though.
It's alright
I mean it's all about Sultans of Swing isn't it! I think I'm most familiar with a greatest album hits of sorts growing up. So I have a soft spot for Dire Straits... This album didn't pop for me, Sultans of Swing does stand out. But I enjoyed it enough!
Knopfler is just so very listenable.
Dire Straits do moody and bluesy really well, and they do proper upbeat dad rock really well, but too much of this album falls in between the two and it doesn't quite work, sounds like easy listening. Not awful, but doesn't quite reach the heights of some of their other albums (which I'm sure we'll get to). Knopfler is a brilliant guitarist, and I like his throaty vocals, but this isn't their best work. Sultans of Swing is a great song, but there's nothing that gets close to that on this album. 3/5.
Sultans lifts it up about a star or so and is easily the best song here by a country mile. Not a bad album by any stretch, but kind of plods along doing nothing
I’m a little bored. These songs sound very familiar to all songs. If you’ve listened to songs before you get the idea. Music for movies with no poc cast members. Is sultans of swing exactly the same as go your own way by fleetwood Mac or am I insane. Their Spotify description literally says they marketed their sound to ageing baby boomers which is very accurate. They sound like they would headline an right wing rally and do a really good set but start being heavily bigoted.
Very well polished album just lacks a little edge in places
Pure dad rock, and not in a bad way. The guitar work was great as expected, but the overall album is quite nice, it not spectacular.
Classic rock, nothing wild, it's just a solid album. It features some excellent guitar playing. Sultans Of Swing is the highlight, it's outstanding.
Bra album
Bon j'ai énormément de critiques de retard alors qu'on en finisse et vite, chatgpt écris-moi une critique incendiaire de Dire Straits en trois phrases : La musique de Dire Straits est un ennui mortel, une succession interminable de solos de guitare sans âme qui donnent l'impression que Mark Knopfler a été payé au temps passé. Les paroles sont quant à elles d'une banalité affligeante, rappelant le niveau d'un élève de primaire. Dire Straits est une insulte à l'intelligence musicale de quiconque ose l'écouter.
Les Dire Straits tenteront tout du long de l'album de proposer de superbes riffs de guitare, qui seront malheureusement à chaque fois gâchés par le chant absolument catastrophique de leur leader. Les membres du groupe tenteront pourtant d'enfermer le chanteur en question dans un placard, mais il parviendra toujours à s'échapper pour venir ruiner chaque titre.
Liked it better than Brothers in Arms. More consistent
Nice relaxing pleasant listen. Nothing to set the world on fire but good album
This is far from their best album. Disappointing to hear this again.
Sometimes you just need some mid-tempo rock in your life. Can imagine myself throwing this vinyl on mid-day while doing chores around the house. 3.5/5
Teetering on the edge of four stars, but as good a vibe as this clearly is I just can't imagine ever putting it on through choice. That said, I can easily imagine the end-of-the-night-red-wine-and-embers scenario that this could soundtrack and I would be there in a heartbeat.
Sultans of Swing er alltaf á mínum lista yfir 100 bestu lög allra tíma. Það er stórkostlegt. Restin af þessari plötu er notaleg, en alls ekki eftirminnileg.
Interesting sound- sounded like country rock. beautiful guitar parks i liked it did not love it
Didn't get to finish it but deffo an improvement from the last few days
Sultans of swing is a classic. The rest of it is alright. I like the guitarwork, and the overall vibe is good for chillin'
Sultans is a jam but... The rest is OK. Won't be going into the rotation. Prefer Brothers In Arms.
Typical Dire Straits. exactly what you'd expect.
As far as debuts go, it isn’t terrible: Dire Straits were fairly fully-formed right out of the gate. But too often Mark Knopfler’s playing feels restrained, and of the songs on tap only “Sultans of Swing” has endured as a classic.
1. DOWN TO THE WATERLINE we need more music that's just someone doing a blues solo over ambient drones. this is really beautifu- oh SHIT there's the drums. this is groovy. vocals are like if you messed with the octave settings on morrissey's voice. sometimes it's a little raspy for my taste but it still works to an extent very nice though. light 8/10 2. WATER OF LOVE first impressions, reminded me of skylarking-era XTC with the more... "exotic" percussion, for lack of a better term. i can HEAR colin moulding singing over this. unfortunately instead of that we get a pretty alright vocal performance by [ i don't know who this guy is ]. chorus is pretty cool but it feels like that track that everyone forgets. something's missing but i'm not sure what. goes on a bit long as well. it's not bad, though. i think if i were in a more mellow mood i'd like it more. 6/10 3. SETTING ME UP vocals still aren't entirely my thing but this is some generally good bluesy rock. makes me feel like i'm at a texas roadhouse. this is the kind of music they'd play at one of those places. i like texas roadhouse, they have good food. that's besides the point not something i'd go out of my way to listen to, but i can dig it to some extent. strong 6/10 4. SIX BLADE KNIFE this was the most intriguing track title out of everything in the album, so i'm pretty interested in seeing how this goes. i like how it starts, pretty chill. nevermind, vocals not resonating at all. feel like i'm watching a movie with my parents and then a sex scene pops up. i'll give it some pity points because i'm a sucker for the chord progression used in the bridge. light 5/10 5. SOUTHBOUND AGAIN you know, my mom hates yes, the prog band. a lot. she says it's partially because of the vocals. i can understand that, to an extent -- but what i don't understand is despite hating jon anderson's vocals, she seems to love dire straits. i don't get it! it's decent and groovy music but the vocals just kinda put me off. that had nothing to do with this specific track, i think this is one of the best vocal performances on the album thus far -- i just wanted to get that out. nothing too important to say about that track, it was pretty alright. 6/10 6. SULTANS OF SWING here we are, the crown jewel of the album. i can understand why, this is REALLY good. probably the best vocal performanc- OH SHIT IT'S THIS SONG?! HELL YEAH i didn't know this was dire straits! i love hearin this come on on the radio and such but i never bothered figuring out who WROTE it. this is a great track. 9/10. gave it that rating like 1/4 through the song. thats how you know its good. this guy has every right to use whatever slur he wants, just because of this and Money For Nothing. 7. IN THE GALLERY i actually really like the start of this. high hopes. very groovy very whatever else. i'm liking the vocals a bit more than i was in the first half of the album -- for the most part at least. who's the vocalist even? i haven't checked until now. ah, yes. markiplier. very much appreciating the occasional omitted bar -- my odd time signature-obsessed ass is pleased..for now. actually a really good track, i'm digging this. 8/10 so far? maybe 9/10 actually i really fucking like this solo ... yeah 9/10. 8. WILD WEST END WE GOIN STRAAAAAIIIGHT TO THE WILD wild WILD wild WOW WOW wicki wicki WOW WOW etc etc very simple start, reminds me of a toy piano, for some reason? then it REALLY kicks in and im like totally into it. can confirm, knopfler's vocals are a lot better than they were in the first half, for some reason. whole album sounds better in general. feel like i'm floating, almost. this is beautiful. i'm like a third through the song but i think i'm giving this a 10/10. that's what i'm feelin. we'll see. ...yeah, 10/10! congrats, fellas, you got one. 9. LIONS we're at the end of the road here. beginning makes it sound like a promising closer! oh this is nice. it's like Wild West End part 2. not much i can say that i havent already said about that track, but this feels like it's missing just a LITTLE bit of what Wild West End had. very nice closer nonetheless -- 9/10.
This is the record that a well-meaning, but over-enthusiastic dad who wants his kids to listen to "real music" puts on that ends up making them think "Yeah, Dad really is that uncool."
I wouldn't be mad if my dad played this but he does not.
Disappointingly dull at times, starts off strong and sultans is great
Pub music
No está mal, pero aparte de "Sultans of swing" no hay otra canción que se acerque ni por asomo. Solo esa canción ya merece la pena para escuchar el disco y darle 3 estrellas. Aunque "Sultans" sea de 6 por lo menos.
First play through didn't warrant any strong impressions one way or the other. Glimmers of strong musicianship throughout but never sustained for any length of time to keep me satiated. Second play through about the same feelings towards the work. Slightly more appreciative of the work itself and the ambiance it creates/could create. I could envision this being a good road-trip album, or at least in partial, with songs like Wild West End, and Down to the Waterline. Favorite track: Setting Me Up
3.5 Great guitar work that feels masterfully executed without being overly flashy, something I think Mark Knopfler excels at. I actually much prefer the band’s sound here over that of their later career, when they were playing the guitar on the MTV. This album has such a distinct sound of its own, whereas the stuff on Brothers in Arms feels like it has a pop-focused shift, and for me results in blending in with similar stuff of the era. The subtle classic vinyl style is one I feel suits the band and Knopfler’s guitar style much better. Everything on this album is enjoyable, but I have to highlight Sultans of Swing for being an all-time great song. I think it’s the perfect embodiment of what makes the sound on this album so unique and praised - it makes several advanced and technical guitar licks (or what one might call “shreds”) sound casual and foundationally based in the song instead of extra layering, like Knopfler isn’t even trying that hard to pull them off. It also has a great call and response dynamic with the vocals and guitar work, and most importantly, brings good memories of a time in high school when Will and I were both really into the track. Anyway, not the best classic rock album out there, but definitely a more distinct and replayable one. Favorite songs: Sultans of Swing, Down to the Waterline, Six Blade Knife
Great guitar, less great singing. Old before his time.
ok
A solid classic rock album that has one fantastic song and many other good ones. Sultans if swing is obviously the big hitter but water of love and down to the waterline are both pretty good. The album itself flows pretty seamlessly and is enjoyable. It’s repeatable through the first part but kinda of drifts in the ladder half. Overall it’s a good solid album. 7.6/10
3.75
Sultans of swing is brilliant, but their general sound is bland so when they aren't stuffing their songs full of ideas it's quite dull. Mark knopfler can't really sing either so they have to keep everything in a very narrow vocal range. Inoffensive.
It is okay. Sultans of Swing is fantastic, but the rest of the album never really got going. Pleasant enough. +1 for Sultans of Swing.
Was lot more mellow than I was expecting. The album almost passed me by in the background. When I tried to properly listen I got a bit bored. It's not bad but not much stands out. Highlights were "Sultans of Swing" and "Southbound Again".
Looking forward to finding out whether Jamie considers this good dad rock or not! I really like dire straits but admittedly I've only heard their greatest hits before. I didn't dislike any of this album and sultans of swing is fantastic. However, a lot of songs kinda meander about and I'm waiting for them to really get going, and they never quite do. They sound good though!
Not bad.
Very surprised by how much play this album has. Started off pretty strong but kinda petered out in my opinion. Still, great guitar work all the way through. Solid record. Standouts: Down to the Waterline, Sultans of Swing, Wild West End, Lions
Liedjes die ik al kende: Down To The Waterline, Sultans of Swing Down To The Waterline: 4,5/5 Water Of Love: 2,5/5 Setting Me Up: 3,5/5 Six Blade Knife: 3/5 Southbound Again: 3,5/5 Sultans Of Swing: 4/5 In The Gallery: 3/5 Wild West End: 3,5/5 Lions: 3/5 TOTAL: 3,5/5
6/10
This album was largely pretty boring. It’s standard, uninspiring dad rock. Could picture this playing in the background of a greasy spoon or a crappy dive bar. Twangy guitars are cool throughout but nothing really sticks out as great except for Sultans of Swing; in which I think they caught lightning in a bottle. Favorite track - Sultans of Swing Least favorite track - Six Blade Knife
I'm sure it could grow on me if I spent some more time with it, but the album is mostly inoffensive dad rock with a few sprinkles of greatness mixed in here and there. Obviously, Sultans of Swing is a classic, but none of the other songs on this album really stick out in a similar way. It's good fishing music.
A pretty inviting and easygoing album. I really liked the guitar and thought the playing was the clear highlight of the record. Although I wanted slightly more out of the listening experience, these were fun songs. There’s a good standard level of enjoyment set here. Faves: Down to the Waterline, Water of Love, Lions, Setting Me Up, Sultans of Swing
Not bad!
Zzz
Number two from Dire Straits. Once again, a couple heaters that I recognize. Aside from those two, there weren't many that stuck out to me, but the sound these guys create is very consistent and makes for an excellent listening experience. Guitar work is fantastic too. I didn't realize until today that these guys are British, the music seems American for whatever reason. In that case, I think I'd call them the British Steely Dan, don't care to take arguments. I liked this one though; not as memorable as the other we got, but still solid. Favorite tracks: Sultans of Swing, Down to the Waterline, Lions. Album art: A bit mysterious, innit? Is this a ghostly person in a hospital or something? Is that a waterline? No idea, but I do like it. 3.5/5
Pleasant - Sultans of Swing is OK - but overall bland
I thought I'd give it 5 stars when I saw the album cover, but it's a lot more boring than I remembered. I really only love Sultans of Swing.
Favorites: Down to the Waterline, Southbound Again, Sultans of Swing,
Solid album for easy listening. The guitar parts are technically impressive, but the album never really pulled me in and made me stop and listen.
In the Gallery was the surprise high point. The music lacks Steely Dan brilliance but has some of the same wit, and enough weight. More than anything, Dire Straits is a deceptively mature opening statement.
Dipped in and out a bit as it didn't hold my attention despite never having heard any Dire Straits before, but I did notice Sultans of Swing was a groove.
This album was my first Dire Straits album. On any other day this is a strong 4 but after going back to back with Led Zeppelin, it’s is just about a 4 in comparison. I can’t give it a 3. Maybe I should? I’m not typing out a new comment, I’ve written too much. I think I will give it a 3? Shall I? Surely if I like Led Zepplins more than this should be a 3? What are we saying? Dunno what to have for tea later me. So many questions going through my head. I think I will say 3.5 but select 3. Yeah that’s fine.
Minne meg om onkel Morten
Great record. The vocals can be a bit cheesy at times and it has a yacht rock feel but I honestly enjoyed it. The real highlight here is the guitar playing. Mark Knopfler is criminally underrated.
Evidently Men at Work and Dire Straits are two different bands. Somehow I put this album on and ended up listening to Colin Hay thinking "this is a really good album." Then, I realized that I had to listen to a different one. One that was less enjoyable called Dire Straits. Dire Straits is like a ham sandwich. Yes, this is music. This has vocals, this has a beat. But, nobody ever says to themselves at 9:00 a.m. "mmmm, I cant' wait to eat that ham sandwich I brought for lunch today." However, if it's 7:00 p.m and you haven't eaten since Thanksgiving, that ham sandwich sounds really good. I just finished scrambled eggs, oatmeal and a sky-high stack of pancakes for breakfast. I'm good.
"Dire Straits" sure takes its time getting going. Were they trying to get listeners to check to see if their 8-track was messed up? Once "Down By the Waterline" finally kicks in, though, the brisk pace established by the crisp guitars carries you away. "Water of Love" doesn't maintain the pace, however, and while the song isn't bad, it was too soon to shift gears. In fact, they only found that higher gear one more time, with “Sultans of Swing.” As with “Brothers in Arms,” their hits show their potential, but most of their work falls far short of it.
This album was 4-4.5 stars good through Sultans Of Swing. Those last three tracks were a big let down for me. Setting Me Up, Southbound Again, and Sultans are my favorite tracks. The lead guitar is noteworthy throughout the album. Even I won’t be adding this album to my library, I should be adding a couple of these songs to a playlist that doesn’t exist yet.
Það er eitthvað svo þægilegt við þessa plötu. Hún líður bara í gegn og það er enginn æsingur. Smá köntrífílingur við og við.
A good first effort by Dire Straits, and one that already contained the mega hit Sultans of Swing. The rest of the tracks is played well, but imitates other Blues and R&B bands too much. Apart from the title track, Knopfler's song wrighting abilites were clearly in their infancy here. The guitar work, on the other hand, was already top notch. The following albums would refine things on the songwrighting front. 3/5
Musically you can’t complain but like a lot of dad rock records this is just missing something. Sultanas of swing the stand out song.
The DS sound is so familiar now, and I was a big fan of Brothers in Arms at the time, but I enjoyed listening to this first album in full. Good stuff throughout - not just a (huge) hit single - reflecting a range of influences. I thought "Wild West End" fell a bit flat, but I enjoyed all the other tracks. Would I come back though? More likely I'd listen to individual tracks, a best-of, or playlists-based-on. 3.5 stars, but not quite 4.
'Brothers in Arms' was played so much that I know the album by heart, even though I never owned a copy. I never need to hear that album again in my life, thank you very much. I was expecting to feel similarly about this record. It is clearly a Dire Straits album (the mumbled vocals and distinctive clear guitar playing is all there from the outset). But I found this much more approachable and enjoyable than I was expecting. The band is tight and focused, with a clear, warm sound. The songs are likable, but lean really heavily on the Dire Straits sound to carry the weight. The last couple of tracks on side 2 are pretty weak, and I was a bit over it by then. "Sultans of Swing" is still, to my mind, one of the best songs ever about playing in an unsuccessful band (neck-and-neck for first place with "Joe's Garage")
Really enjoyable, liked vey much!
Decent album if you're into that sort of thing. Inventive guitar work.
Mid
I ended up buying this on tape a long time ago as it didn't seem to exist on second hand vinyl anywhere (eventually I pickled it up for peanuts). It was bought purely for the 'Sultans of Swing' and that bit of the tape must have been well worn out. Every now and then I'd try the whole album but rarely made it through, especially the second side, which starts with SoS. Listening to it now in full, it's not a bad album. There's a lot of tasty and tasteful guitar playing, even if it's almost the start of all the 80s MOR that came afterwards.
The album that launched a thousand dadrock bands.
Pleasant enough debut, Walking in the Wild West End is a tune, and Sultans of course. But not enough memorable stuff elsewhere for more than 3.
Wild West End was a pleasant surprise. I’ve heard Sultans of Swing many times before. The rest was ok.
Sultans of Swing carries this album, but a couple of nice tracks too.
groovy
Pleasant enough
1st track and sultans was good. Production was much nicer than 2112 and physical graffiti. Good background music. 6/10
It's nice. Better than many other albums on this list. 3/5
pretty meh overall, expected more, but maybe it's just a product of it's time. Sultans of Swing was good, but the rest really didn't make me want to listen to more. It was not bad though, just ok.
Sultans of swing gör ju plattan. I övrigt så är jag inte så imponerad.
Waterline Six Blade Knife Sultans of Swing
Nice guitar
The album is largely forgettable. Sultans of Swing is the best song on the album and the most recognizable. It is the only reason this album is not getting a 2.
Album was a bit of fun but not amazing. Sultans of swing is the saving grace of a somewhat forgettable experience
норм
Really didn’t want to enjoy this, but apparently I’m just old and it was unavoidable
hmm. i'm not as into dad music as i thought
For some reason, I thought that this was a New Wave band. I was wrong. Much more like country. Maybe it was just this album?
Dire Straits' first and best album. An album with an atmosphere where you could see Tarantino creating some of his best scenes. It's bit more playful and less boring and perfectionistic than their later work.
Sultans of Swing do slap. The rest of the album sounds like the noodling you’d do to eventually reach writing that song.
It's fine. Sultans of Swing is one of those ubiquitous classic rock songs that I know all the words to. It's really the only thing I care about on this album. A chill 40 minutes of listening but it didn't rock my world or make me want to dig deeper into this band.
Eh. I mean, it's okay. I get the appeal, and there's a nice mellowness here you don't get from their arguably biggest hit ("Money for Nothing"). Music for boomers to fall asleep to, but in a wholesome way. Really enjoyed the consistency between tracks throughout this album. I can't say I particularly loved or hated it, but it was certainly cohesive. Fave track: Lions
Such a great sound. Never heard the entire album before, it stands out far ahead of other first listens for me. Standout: Sultans of Swing.
Reminds me of Eric clapton’s ocean boulevard album a bit. This album obviously has great guitar, and a couple definite 5/5 moments. I listen to Sultans regularly. But I wasn’t really entranced by a lot of the songs.
Dire Staits makes music for people who enjoy some seriously good vibes, seems like a lot of people don't enjoy that kind of thing. 3.5/5
Enjoyable, excellent guitar playing, Dylanesque singing, some laid-back music. I'd have never guessed this was a debut album.
Not bad, just not what I go for most of the time
Musically impeccable. For me, this album almost deserves 5 stars. The only problem is the lack of variability among the songs. They are amazing, but it looks like a 40 min long song instead of an album. This is the second "Dire Straits" that I got on this list and it's much better than the other one. The guitar here is incredible.
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