SydBarrett96

It drives me crazy too "It ain't easy" even though (I believe by the Kinks) it's not one of his original songs.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA this is great!

Hi Syd. You already know how I feel about the great Mark Knopfler and his immortal band; I consider the first two works equally important and beautifully crafted. And you mentioned, besides "Sultans of Swing," whose final guitar solo still has a devastating effect on me, three little songs that truly capture the enormous scope of the album. Forgive my continuous use of the same adjectives, but after over thirty years since my first listen, the opening of "Down to the Waterline" is still a welcome therapy. Sweets surrender on the quayside, you remember we used to run and hide...

But of course, your comments are always welcome. I love Dire Straits; they were among the first to open the roads of Rock for me. This might still be their best for me, but it's tough.

It's a story too, I wouldn't know how to choose my favorite from the group...

On the choice of tastes, the Latins used to say. What I have always found spectacular, something I've already stated in my career as a music listener a couple of hundred times, is the uniqueness of Mark's guitar sound, so clean, elegant...unique.

It is always a welcome, I hope mutual, pleasure to engage with such knowledgeable aficionados of the poetry in music bearing the name Dire Straits. There’s nothing to argue about the sound expansion; I’ve never worried too much about it, considering it a sublime continuation of their first work. Please allow me to add "Where do you Think you're Going" to your precious gems, with that ascending finale where Mark's guitar demonstrates what clean sound, magic in touch, and softness in execution truly mean. Spectacular.

Yes, I forgot to include it! D: Among the most beautiful on the album, yes.

Well, it does have quite a few points in common with the first one, and among these is the fact that it's on the same level in terms of quality of the tracks. For me, it's not a 5-star album, but come on, a solid 4 isn't to be tossed aside, right? Great album.

It's more than normal that it has common points with the first one since it's the following album; however, for me, they are really two different records and I like this one more. This is probably my favorite album by DS. It barely has a track that has entered the collective memory, except maybe "Once upon a time in the west" because it opens Alchemy, yet not a single bad song. Each track on this album lives its own life, it has personality. In the first album, on the other hand, there are two or three filler songs that sound similar to one another.

Syd, forgive me, but I hadn't noticed your affection towards me... I took action and did you a favor that I hope you appreciate.

But of course. :)

Basically, you highlighted, in a hypothetical cassette tape that is so dear to me, side A; I would also add the entire Side B, which consists of: "Expresso Love," "Hand in Hand," "Solid Rock," and "Les Boys." I consider it the best album for a newcomer wanting to start listening to Dire Straits... and I have no great difficulty in saying so.

Yes, I completely agree. Everything is great.

And yes, perhaps the perfect album of the band, full of classics...what a group, wonderful.

I appreciate the opportunity to present the following argument: within my extensive musical knowledge, I have never heard a guitar sound so clean and instantly recognizable after just a few notes. If you can provide me with any comparisons, I would be most grateful.

Knopfler drew inspiration from Chet Atkins and JJ Cale, a bit of jazz and a bit of Tulsa blues, but his way of handling the guitar remains unique and unrepeatable... a clean sound that reminds me only of Beck and Clapton, but in some cases, no one sounds like him—smooth and precise, never a distorted note.