Track Listing

1. So Far Away
2. Money For Nothing
3. Walk Of Life
4. Your Latest Trick
5. Why Worry
6. Ride Across The River
7. Man's Too Strong
8. One World
9. Brothers In Arms

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #564 in Music
• Released on: 1996-06-03
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Running time: 55 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Dire Straits' fifth album will probably be remembered as the record that ushered in the CD generation, and therefore (depending on your affiliations) a work of extreme evil or an object lesson in craftsmanship. In truth though, it's neither. Inevitably, some moments haven't dated so well. "Money For Nothing", Mark Knopfler's satire of the MTV generation, seems as vacant as its target; while the jukebox jive of "Walk Of Life" could have used a little roughing up. In fairness though, such low points constitute a minority. In latter years, indie bands such as Gomez and Spiritualized have eagerly cited JJ Cale and Dr John as pivotal influences on their work. Perhaps so, but it's the less fashionable Knopfler and his intuitive feel for the fretboard who comes closer. You needn't dig too deep to identify the roots of beauties such as "So Far Away" and "Why Worry". --Peter Paphides

CD Description
BROTHERS IN ARMS found Dire Straits at the peak of a long climb in the music industry. After an auspicious debut with DIRE STRAITS, they stuggled on through personnel changes and shifting musical tastes. Knopfler's work with Bob Dylan (SLOW TRAIN COMING and some touring) and the band's appearance at Live Aid helped to keep their recognition high. This albumproved to be the payoff, as "Money For Nothing" hit number 1, and the second single, "Walk Of Life" also made the top-10.

Customer Reviews

An era-defining classic.
Trust Mark Knopfler not to succumb to platitude, regardless where he is and what's going on around him. There they are sitting on the Caribbean island paradise of Montserrat, and what does the man write? Songs about the pain of separation, love gone wrong and The Blues in general ("So Far Away," "Your Latest Trick," "Why Worry" and "One World"), a part tongue-in-cheek, part grating duet with Sting, who just happened to be available because he was vacationing on Montserrat, on an underdog's gripes about rock stardom ("Money For Nothing"), followed by a more upbeat variation on the "stardom" theme (although even there, we are reminded that "after all the violence and double talk, there's just a song in all the trouble and the strife, you do the Walk Of Life”) ... and no less than three songs about war and the abuse of power ("Run Across The River," "The Man's Too Strong" and of course, "Brothers in Arms").

Musically, this album is more diversified than Dire Straits' prior studio albums; there's a sax in "Your Latest Trick," "Walk Of Life" has a rockabilly feel, and the instrumentation of "Run Across the River" is inspired by the Caribbean setting in which the record was produced - but listen to that song's lyrics and see how they contrast with what at first impression sounds like airy island paradise melodies: "I'm a soldier of fortune, I'm a dog of war and we don't give a damn who the killing is for; it's the same old story with a different name - death or glory, it's the killing game." ("The Man's Too Strong," which deals with a dictator's thoughts upon being brought to trial, is similar in that respect; although the Caribbean sound is replaced by rhythm and steel guitars, with two single guitar riffs, sharp as bullets, accentuating the chorus.) The band also took full advantage of the advances in production techniques available to them at that time. The result was an album that drove home to even the last uninitiated chump out there that Dire Straits were a musical force to reckon with, and that the success of their prior albums had not been coincidence alone.

Among all the excellent songs on this album, it is the title track which stands out mile-high. From the growling thunderstorm opening, the sad and evocative electric guitar intro, and the first verse, more whispered than sung, through the slow and steady crescendo of the song's intensity to the closing guitar solo, Mark Knopfler's ode about war, in ancient Scotland and today, "civil" and otherwise, is nothing short of a true masterpiece. The interplay of Knopfler's vocals and his guitar. The sole riff introducing the guitar part after the line "and we have just one world but we live in different ones," tearing through the song's fabric like a sore wound breaking open. And of course, the closing guitar solo which completely defies description and makes any attempt to characterize it by words like "haunting" or "dramatic" sound like a shallow cliche.

"Brothers in Arms" was Dire Straits' most successful studio album, and one of the biggest-selling albums of the 1980s, thanks to an exhaustive tour and the high exposure its single releases received on MTV. But more than anything, it helped define a decade; musically and otherwise. It has made rock music history, and it will always stand right up there with the best that anybody in the business has ever produced.

The Peak of Dire Straits
Brothers in Arms was really the height of success for Dire Straits, selling over 13 million worldwide and being credited with brining on the CD generation - quite major success by anyone's standards. Time seems to have condemned this album to the 'uncool' fate that most things from the 80s have suffered, but don't let that put you off by any means - in this case the negative criticisms are totally unjustified.
The sound is a little more synthesised than Dire Straits' previous albums, and the musical styles show a little more diversity, from the rockabilly/synth sounds of 'Walk of Life' to the caribean sounds of 'ride across the river'. Songs like 'why worry' and 'so far away' retain the trademark Dire Straits sound, and there really isn't a weak track on here.
Brothers in Arms, however, has to be singled out as undoubtedly the best track on the album, and probably the best song Dire Straits ever recorded. The guitar is beautifully woven around the vocals, with the dramatic thunderstorm effects leading into the softly whispered first verse, building an unrivalled atmosphere. The guitar solos build up gradually, leading to the end of the song as it reaches it's conclusion, the chord after the line 'but we live in different ones' punching through the song like a bolt of lightening before a faster guitar solo takes over, leading to the final verse, and the guitar outro that rounds off the song perfectly. It would be worth paying double the price of this album, just to get this one song. If you can get over the '80s' brand this album has, you certainly won't regret checking it out.

An era-defining classic.
Trust Mark Knopfler not to succumb to platitude, regardless where he is and what's going on around him. There they are sitting on the Caribbean island paradise of Montserrat, and what does the man write? Songs about the pain of separation, love gone wrong and The Blues in general ("So Far Away," "Your Latest Trick," "Why Worry" and "One World"), a part tongue-in-cheek, part grating duet with Sting, who just happened to be available because he was vacationing on Montserrat, on an underdog's gripes about rock stardom ("Money For Nothing"), followed by a more upbeat variation on the "stardom" theme (although even there, we are reminded that "after all the violence and double talk, there's just a song in all the trouble and the strife, you do the Walk Of Life") ... and no less than three songs about war and the abuse of power ("Run Across The River," "The Man's Too Strong" and of course, "Brothers in Arms").

Musically, this album is more diversified than Dire Straits' prior studio albums; there's a sax in "Your Latest Trick," "Walk Of Life" has a rockabilly feel, and the instrumentation of "Run Across the River" is inspired by the Caribbean setting in which the record was produced - but listen to that song's lyrics and see how they contrast with what at first impression sounds like airy island paradise melodies: "I'm a soldier of fortune, I'm a dog of war and we don't give a damn who the killing is for; it's the same old story with a different name - death or glory, it's the killing game." ("The Man's Too Strong," which deals with a dictator's thoughts upon being brought to trial, is similar in that respect; although the Caribbean sound is replaced by rhythm and steel guitars, with two single guitar riffs, sharp as bullets, accentuating the chorus.) The band also took full advantage of the advances in production techniques available to them at that time. The result was an album that drove home to even the last uninitiated chump out there that Dire Straits were a musical force to reckon with, and that the success of their prior albums had not been coincidence alone.

Among all the excellent songs on this album, it is the title track which stands out mile-high. From the growling thunderstorm opening, the sad and evocative electric guitar intro, and the first verse, more whispered than sung, through the slow and steady crescendo of the song's intensity to the closing guitar solo, Mark Knopfler's ode about war, in ancient Scotland and today, "civil" and otherwise, is nothing short of a true masterpiece. Listen to the interplay of Knopfler's vocals and his guitar. The sole riff introducing the guitar part after the line "and we have just one world but we live in different ones," tearing through the song's fabric like a sore wound breaking open. And of course, the closing guitar solo which completely defies description and makes any attempt to characterize it by words like "haunting" or "dramatic" sound like a shallow cliche.

"Brothers in Arms" was Dire Straits' most successful studio album, and one of the biggest-selling albums of the 1980, thanks to an exhaustive tour and the high exposure its single releases received on MTV. But more than anything, it helped define a decade; musically and otherwise. It has made rock music history, and it will always stand right up there with the best that anybody in the business has ever produced.