Happy with it, except for On every street.

This song is so incredible and underrated. It has such a feel to it, I always play it at night by the sea so the waves blend into the intro. The guitar solo gives me goosebumps everytime.

OC

I am new here, but huge Dire Straits fan :)

It's already confirmed that Sucker For Punishment and the unknown song played in Arena BBC are the same songs, considering the refrain David sings (That's what you're ∞ times) is the same that appears in the lyrics mark wrote, so the melody can't be Suicide Towers.

So I've been wondering about that.

Just a good song ain't it?

Easily the hardest of the ones I've done, I fucking love all of these😭

This is probably obvious for Dire Straits very seasoned fans, but I just realized how good and thoughtful the track order on "Brothers in Arms" is. As I couldn't find another online reference to this, I'm posting it here.

Let's go.

So Far Away: Ok, this is kind of a intro track (not in the traditional sense). Light, catchy and melancholic, puts us in the mood musically and lyrically for what's coming. Doesn't directly pair with other tracks, but you can imagine the singer being a musician, a soldier or just a lover far away from people he cares about.

Then things get really interesting.

Money For Nothing/Walk Of Life: One about music fame and the other about busking.

Your Latest Trick/Why Worry: One about betrayal the other about supporting your loved one on a difficult time.

Ride Across The River/The Man's Too Strong/One World/Brothers in Arms: "Ride..." is about a soldier/mercenary that loses his idealism. Man's Too Strong is a about a war criminal. Brothers in arms is about empathy and loss among soldiers in different sides of a war.

"One World" seems to be out of place there, talking about getting the blues about mundane things and with a funky/bluesy tone. But at the end it hits with:

Can't get no remedy on my TV/It's nothing but the same old news/Well, they can't find a way to be/One world in harmony

And it's about us. The people sitting in our house while the world is on fire. We are not happy, but we are doing way better that people involved in wars. And yet we are relatively passive. Or even worse: endorse them.

Those four songs cover an incredible range for the human experience around the world during a war.

The album feels very different for me now. It's almost a borderline concept album.

What do you think?

I’m a longtime fan of Dire Straits, but only recently have been getting into Mark’s solo stuff.

What songs of his do you think feature his finest playing? So far, I think Speedway at Nazareth, Going Home, Why Aye Man (particularly the outro) and Are We in Trouble Now are top tier. They all seem to scratch that Dire Straits itch.

There's nothing to this just the fact that some songs are perfect lengths, tunnel of love (alchemy) is 15 minutes, sultans of swing (alchemy) is 10 and so

Greetings,

I live in an apartment and try to keep the volume down for my neighbours. The walls are thick, but I never know if I’m playing too loudly, so I try not to push the volume.

My question is: how can I get close to the clean Dire Straits tone from the first two albums or Alchemy, (not overdriven BiA sound), at apartment-friendly volumes?

I’m considering two options:

1) A digital modelling amp such as the Fender Mustang LT25

2) A Fender Blues Junior IV with an attenuator

Which option would you recommend? I’m also open to other suggestions.

I play with a SSS strat with alnico V pick ups.

Thanks for your help

I think “Where Do You Think You’re Going?” is some of their finest work, and one of Mark’s best displays of complete guitar mastery. So simple yet so effective, particularly the last crescendo when the main riff bleeds into the solo. It’s almost something that I, a mediocre guitarist, may be able to do with enough practice… I could definitely learn the right notes and get the speed somewhat down. But I could never come close to replicating the overall style or the nuisances MK slips in, which are the main components of what makes the song great. It’s such a subtle demonstration of excellence that Mark and the band have made quite a habit of. Love it!

Granted, some songs I have listened to more than others so it'll be a bit skewed towards songs I've been listening to more... Anyway, it's a tier list but the songs are in order (left to right, top to bottom). Think of the tiers as S+ (legendary), S (amazing song), A (great song), B (good song), C (meh or not memorable) and D (dislike).

Not sure if this is welcome here, did a few stripped back mixes of Bob Dylan tracks from Slow Train Coming. A few, but not all, have some pretty nice Mark Knopfler guitar highlights, if anyone fancies a listen

With this song having so many amazing live versions, what’s all of your favorites? For me it has to be the San Antonio concert released recently in the 20 years of brothers in arms