Product Description

The last album of their career that sounded as if they weretrying to play, instead of going through the motions. DavidKnopfler had already departed from the band and brother Mark had a free rein, clear from any sibling rivalry. "Solid Rock", "Tunnel Of Love", "Romeo And Juliet" and "Skataway" would be on any decent greatest hits package. Following this artistic triumph they proceeded to release LOVE OVER GOLD, andwe all know what album followed after that, don't we?

Track Listing

1. Tunnel Of Love
2. Romeo And Juliet
3. Skateaway
4. Expresso Love
5. Hand in hand
6. Solid rock
7. Les Boys

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3543 in Music
• Released on: 1996-06-03
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Running time: 38 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
This is the only Dire Straits album not to feature a rhythm guitarist; instead, an added dimension is given to the sound by the addition of Roy Bittan, Bruce Springsteen's pianist. In fact, there were several Springsteen connections to this album: Jimmy Iovine, the producer, was the engineer on Born To Run and the famous riff of "Romeo And Juliet" is a slowed-down version of the piano intro to that album's "Jungleland". A more general connection is the torrent of imagery centred around the romance of the city, most notably on "Skateaway", but also present in the perfectly-rendered teenage angst of hit single "Romeo and Juliet", and the celebratory tale of tawdriness and passion that is "Tunnel Of Love". Mark Knopfler and drummer Pick Withers were fresh from the honour of recording an album with Bob Dylan after he had seen and been impressed by the band playing in LA earlier in the year; but sadly this was to be Withers' last album with Dire Straits, as he left for a career in jazz shortly after. A fine album, the most truly outstanding song is the devastating lovers' lament of "Hand In Hand". Unfortunately it closes on a low note with "Les Boys", Knopfler's faintly embarrassing and uninventive song about the gay scene in Berlin. --James Swift

Customer Reviews

Dire Straits' zenith (in places)
After the almost "cult" appeal of their eponymous debut album, and the comparative lack of interest shown in "Communique", as the band trod water, 1981 saw the band release this, their seminal recording. Forget "Brothers In Arms" for one minute, if you possibly can, for it is here that the true soul of Dire Straits is to be found.

There is nothing, in my opinion, that beats "Tunnel Of Love" in Dire Straits' recorded output for lyrics, atmosphere, musicianship and sheer joy. Beginning with the swirling fairground wurlitzer organ, the listener is catapulted immediately to that seedy fairground world so beloved a few years' earlier of David Essex. The imagery is second to none and is indeed, continued in "Romeo And Juliet" (despite the change in pace) and the underrated "Skateway", with Knopfler's mumbling magnificence to the fore. "Expresso Love" is back to rock n roll imagery and is a great rocker, as indeed is "Solid Rock". "Hand In Hand" keeps up the quality, but, however, the less said about Knopfler's one true recorded aberration that is the execrable, unlistenable "Les Boys" the better.

Despite that one turkey, though, "Making Movies" is excellent from its iconic plain red cover to its joyous yet nostalgic and often sardonic ambience soundscape. "Love Over Gold" didn't better this, neither did "On Every Street", and "Brothers In Arms" certainly didn't. If you want a Dire Straits album other than the copy of "BIA" everyone seems to own, this is the one to go for.

Making a move
Dire Straits' third album came at their version of the proverbial crossroads. Apart from losing a member, they decided not to release volume 3 of the same and instead created a few epics. Those first two albums are marvellous, but here they reached out for the dramatic, typified by the 'Carousel' intro and the Shakespearean theme of the second track. 'Tunnel Of Love' sees the band moving away from the pub band route and into a wider soundscape, Mark Knopfler giving full rein to vivid lyrical fairground imagery. In an era when the three-minute pop single was fashionable, Dire Straits went for the antithetic rock extravaganza. They already had the image of a band out of time. 'Romeo and Juliet,' a major hit, seemed to emphasise Mark Knopfler's dominant status in the band, pushing him forward almost as a solo performer. 'Skateaway,' a lesser hit, is one of my favourite Dire Straits tracks, featuring a bustling, rhythmic lyric.

Side two of the original LP comes across as the remains of the band's old style, featuring three diverse, but fine songs, plus the less popular 'Les Boys,' a tacky song asking for the label 'novelty item.' Even so, you're carried away by the time you reach this track. Superb.

making movies
i am a big fan of the band of dire straits and this is a great cd, i would rate that tunnel of love is the best song on this cd and skateaway, i like the title and is great, expresso love is great too and so is the love song romeo and juliet. solid rock is great too, this is a masterpiece!!