Dire Straits
Communiquè

THE REVIEW

The unexpected triumph of the debut self-titled album pushes the London band led by Mark Knopfler, who is already stirring curiosity far and wide, to immediately retreat to the studio (in the Bahamas) to try and follow up on that trail of praise that began with the B minor of "Sultans of Swing" not even a year earlier. As one might expect, this second effort by the Dire Straits follows in the footsteps of the first, essentially reprising the same style as its predecessor and tweaking a few things here and there. Surely it's not by listening to "Once Upon A Time In The West" that one realizes that Mark Knopfler can offer more than he has already delivered so far; the opening song is indeed a connection point that is all too explicit with the previous album, a slow and rhythmic pace reminiscent of "Wild West End," with the Fender chiming in from time to time.
"News," in the second position, already creates a delicate atmosphere that was unknown in the first album; Knopfler's fingers touch the strings gently and the voice sometimes seems afraid to let itself be heard too much. Later this track, one of the best on the album, will be dedicated to John Lennon.

The Dire Straits style is evolving, slowly for now, but still evolving: a dark tone dominates the entire "Where Do You Think You're Going" and only towards the end does a driving instrumental tail offer some clearing. The song has an acoustic and country body carved by a Dobro guitar which is starting to become one of Mark Knopfler's trademarks, which he will also bring back in what is one of the gems of the album: "Portobello Belle" in the seventh position, a flower.
The innovations proposed by "Communiqué" are slight, but tracks like "Angel Of Mercy," cheerful and buoyant, would hardly have found space on the debut album, which was much more inclined to host pieces like the nocturnal and mysterious "Single Handed Sailor" (another peak of the album) or the title track, a delightful march on which you instinctively keep time by tapping your foot. "Lady Writer" would also be a notable piece if it hadn't had the daunting task of replacing "Sultans of Swing" in this new work; the poor Lady Writer was indeed chosen as the lead single and with such a predecessor, it's almost impossible to make an equally good impression, one just has to try not to disappoint without aiming to amaze. If that's the goal, "Lady Writer" succeeded, unfortunately, it never enjoyed great appreciation even from Knopfler himself, who always preferred other tracks to include in the setlists of live performances.

It's 1979, the year after the debut, and the Dire Straits confirm their presence, Mark Knopfler winks at JJ Cale for the technique and Bob Dylan for the lyrics and creates a style that remains unique for now, one of those that you immediately recognize as soon as one of his songs starts on the radio.
And the ascent is just around the corner.