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. The Man's Too Strong
8. One World
9. Brothers In Arms
10. So Far Away
11. Money For Nothing
12. Walk Of Life
13. Your Latest Trick
14. Why Worry?
15. Ride Across The River
16. The Man's Too Strong
17. One World
18. Brothers In Arms
19. So Far Away
20. Money For Nothing
21. Walk Of Life
22. Your Latest Trick
23. Why Worry?
24. Ride Across The River
25. The Man's Too Strong
26. One World
27. Brothers In Arms

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1703 in Music
• Released on: 2005-05-23
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: SACD
• Running time: 164 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
This is the re-issued SACD version of Brothers in Arms. 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

Customer Reviews

Sonically one of the best.
This is an excellent surround album at a criminally low price, there's a nice use of all the speakers with good distribution and sound placement compared to the likes of snow patrol or keane discs. It's up there with the Queen releases, war of the worlds, hotel california and dark side of the moon.

Surround mix review: OK
Here's a summary:

1) The surround mix uses the full length versions as heard on CD & cassette (rather than the edited 1,2,4&5 tracks on the vinyl)

2) Money For Nothing suffers in surround. Some of the original very prominent keyboard sounds have been mixed out and the track doesn't sound right for it.

3) The mix is very echoey and I found it hard work to listen to in a long sitting.

4) It appears that the 5.1 mix is more compressed than the original mix. The impact of the louder passages on The Man's Too Strong is not really there for me

5) The rear channels are used well, backing vocals and keyboard parts, etc can be heard at the back.

Shame about the reverb!

One track album
There is one track on this album which makes the thing just about worthwhile, and that's the title track. The rest is mainly frothy nothings. I honestly can't understand how such passionless playing could have caught on so hugely. The guy can obviously play guitar, and he puts it to good use on a couple of tracks, the highlight being the title track Brothers in Arms, and also I have to say I did once like Ride across the River, but that seems to have paled with age. The hit single is okay, but so so overlong, it needs stripping down to two minutes and given loads more welly.

If you like Dire Straits, then no doubt this album is the highlight of their output, but compared to other guitarists of calibre, it is lacking so much weight, depth, guts, passion and life. Bland or Dire are the two adjectives which spring to mind.