1978 a year after the Newcastle Knopfler brothers formed Dire Straits (originally called, The Cafe Racers) and therefore, it's their debut. Not their best-seller ('Brothers in Arms' with 'Money for Nothing' on MTV in 1985 was) but certainly this is the Album that got them noticed.
Largely down to one song...'Sultans of Swing'.
A 4 piece, they are one of the best selling bands of all time and "poppy" there's no doubt, but this record created waves when it appeared and particularly Mark Knopfler's Fender Strat guitar playing (having been a teacher in art college). It was a breakthrough almost a "digital" sound.
Recorded in Notting Hill for £12,500 and they then toured with Talking Heads where they were picked up along the way.
They disbanded in 1995.
It's a little bit country but generally pop rock and you either like them, or you don't. But you can't take away their achievements and it's well worth a listen to, again.
Have to say too, 'Rome and Juliet' is still a cracking tune too, although not from this record.
Have a refresh and listen here now.
Previous "listen tos" you'll also find on this blog (you can search them in the Search top left on the Blog)......David Gray 'White Ladder': Kacy Musgraves 'Golden Hour': Finley Quaye 'Maverick a strike': Doobies 'Taking it to the Streets': T Bone Burnett 'The criminal under my hat': Steely Dan 'Gaucho': Kacey Musgraves 'Same Trailer Different Park': Phil Spector 'Christmas Gift': The 1975 'A Brief Inquiry' (Our Album of the year 2018): Wings 'Over America': Sheryl Crow 'Tuesday Night Music Club': Dwight Yoakam 'Gone': Deep Purple 'In Rock': Police 'Reggatta de Blanc': Dylan 'Freewheelin': Stevie Winwood 'Arc of a Diver': Jamiroquai 'travelling without Moving': Eels 'Meet The Eels': Curtis Mayfield 'Superfly': Bowie 'Ziggy Stardust': Fatboy Slim/Norman Cook: REM 'Automatic for the People' :Coldplay 'Parachutes': Springsteen 'Hammersmith 75': Barry White 'Can't get enough': The Band 'Before the Flood': Dimitri from Paris 'Le Chic': Santana 'Abraxas': Suzanne Vega 'Debut': Michael Jackson 'Bad': John Hiatt 'Bring the Family/Budokan': JJ Cale 'Naturally': Ray Lamontagne 'Trouble': The Bluetones 'Expecting to Fly': Norah Jones 'Come Away with me': Macy Gray 'On how life is': John Cougar 'American Fool': Earth Wind & Fire 'Greatest': Boz Scaggs 'Silk Degrees': Durand Jones + The Indications: Elton John 'Captain Fantastic': Nirvana 'Nevermind': James Brown 'At The Apollo' 1962: Grateful Dead 'American Beauty': Frampton 'Comes Alive': Snow Patrol 'Final Straw': The Jayhawks 'Hollywood Town Hall': Alanis Morissette 'Jagged Little Pill': Chris Stapleton 'Traveller': Shelby Lynne 'I Am': Lauryn Hill 'Miseducation': Alicia Keys 'Songs in A Minor': Beatles 'Revolver': The Allergies 'Push On' (Our Album of 2017): Sinatra 'Jolly Christmas': Stranglers 'Rattus Norvegicus': Happy Mondays 'Pills Thrills and Bellyaches': The Verve 'Urban Hymns': Jim Croce 'You don't mess around with Jim': America 'America': Hall & Oates 'The Singles': George Michael 'Older': Rolling Stones 'Sticky Fingers': Miles Davis 'Kind of Blue': Mink Willy De Ville 'Backstreets of Desire': Ten Years After 'Undead': The Beat 'Just can't stop it': George Thorogood/The Destoyers '2120 Michigan Avenue': Tom Waits 'Franks Wild Years'; Glen Campbell 'Rhinestone Cowboy': Rory Gallagher 'Live in Europe': Michael Jackson 'Thriller': Daft Punk 'Discovery': DJ Dimitri 'Disco Forever': John Martyn 'Grace & Danger': Peter Gabriel 'So': Crowded House 'Woodface': Springsteen 'Born to Run': ACDC 'Back in Black': Grace Jones 'Nighclubbing': Stevie Wonder 'Songs in the key of life': The Cars 'The Cars': Billy Joel '52nd Street': Beatles 'Sgt Pepper': Tom Petty 'Damn the Torpedoes': World Party 'Bang': Eric Clapton 'Slowhand': John Mayer 'Room for Squares': Ry Cooder 'Bop til you drop': Jon&Vangelis 'Friends of Mr. Cairo': Mary Chapin 'Come on, Come on': Frank Zappa 'Joe's Garage': Joni Mitchell 'Blue': Steve Gibbons 'Caught in the Act': Elton John 'Tumbleweed Connection': Elton John 'Honky Chateau': Gallagher & Lyle 'Breakaway': Warren Zevon 'Excitable Boy': Donald Fagen 'The Nightfly': Supertramp 'Breakfast in America': George Michael 'Listen without Predujice': Radiohead 'The Bends': Beyonce 'Lemonade' Album of the year 2016: Oddisee 'The mix Tape': Soul 11 Soul 'Club Classics': Jennifer Warnes 'Famous Blue Raincoat':Art Garfunkel 'Watermark': REM 'Out of Time': Van 'Keep me Singing': Frank Sinatra 'Songs for Swinging Lovers': Al Stewart 'Year of the Cat': Stevie Ray Vaughan 'Texas Flood':Frank Ocean 'Blond': Jimmy Buffett 'Son of a Sailor': Marc Cohn 'Marc Cohn': Bill Withers 'Complete Sussex and Columbia': Hendrix 'Electric Ladyland': ABC 'Lexicon of Love': Rickie Lee Jones 'Rickie Lee Jones': Billy Joel "Glass Houses": Rodriguez "Cold Fact": Prefab Sprout 'Steve McQueen'; Chet Baker 'Live 64-79'; The Stone Roses 'Stone Roses'; Joe Jackson 'I'm the Man'; Oasis 'Morning Glory'; Bob Dylan 'At The Budokan'; Van "It's too late to stop now Volume 2/3/4"; Air 'Moon Safari'; Talking Heads 'Stop Making Sense'; Lynyrd Skynyrd 'One for the road'; Marvin Gaye 'Whats Goin on'; Mercury Rev 'Deserters Songs'; Dave Matthews 'Crash'; Beyonce 'Lemonade'; Prince 'Sign O the times'; Daft Punk 'Random Access Memories'; Amy Winehouse 'Back to Black'; Police 'Outlandos D'Amour'; Michael Jackson 'Off the Wall'; Carole King 'Tapestry'; Beatles 'Red Album'; Sex Pistols 'Never mind the Bollocks'; Sam Cooke 'Live at Harlem Square'; The Doors 'LA Woman'; Thin Lizzy 'Live & Dangerous'; Kendrick Lamarr 'Butterfly'; Aretha Franklin 'Amazing Grace'; Clapton '461'; Massive Attack 'Blue Lines'; The Clash 'London Calling'; Chris Isaak 'At The Filmore'; Bob Dylan 'Street Legal'; Bad Company 'Straight Shooter'; Jackson Browne 'Love is Strange'; Lou Reed 'Transformer'; Steely Dan 'AJA'; Stones 'Black+Blue'; Stephen Bishop 'Careless'; Nils Lofgren 'Night after Night'; Mike Oldfield 'Tubular Bells'; Neil Young 'Harvest'; Led Zep '4'; David Bowie 'David Live'; Van Morrison 'It's too late to stop now'; Wings 'Band on the Run'; Rod Stewart 'Atlantic Crossing'; Ryan Adams 'Heartbreaker'; Santana 'Essential'; Bob Dylan 'Desire'; Roxy Music 'For your pleasure'; Bob Marley 'Legend'; Stephen Fretwell 'Magpie'; James Taylor 'Sweet Baby James'; Deep Purple 'Machine Head'; Springsteen 'Darkness on the edge of town'; Leon Bridges 'Coming Home'; Eagles 'Hotel California'; Jungle; Aretha 'Soul Queen'; Neil Young 'After the Goldrush' ; Zappa 'Overnite Sensation'; Fleetwood Mac 'Rumours'; Keith Jarrett 'Koln Concert'; Doobies 'Southbound'; Stevie Earle 'I feel Alright'; Tom Waits 'Closing Time'; Pink Floyd 'Dark Side'; Van Morrison 'Moondance'; Eric Church 'Caught in the Act'; Randy Newman 'Little Criminals'; Elton John 'Madman across the water'; Patti Smith 'Horses'; Doobies 'Captain and Me'; Steely Dan 'Can't Buy a Thrill.
