The Notting Hillbillies
Missing... Presumed Having A Good Time

THE REVIEW

Although many of the die-hard supporters of Mark Knopfler would have preferred to see their idol engage more in releasing a few more albums with the band that allowed him to establish himself as a complete artist, one cannot help but acknowledge that when it comes to the founder of the Dire Straits, there is a clear sense of dealing with a musician with a confident and determined personality. An artist who stubbornly follows the instincts of his path, rarely yielding to the needs of marketing (as with the very rare "Live in U.S.A." of '79 and the "Money For Nothing" collection under the Dire Straits name, but let's also include the collaboration for "Gaucho" by Steely Dan in 1980), supporting and prioritizing that uncommon professional growth of which he has been the architect.

It is in this context that the collaboration between Knopfler, Brendan Crocker, Steve Phillips, and Guy Fletcher must be seen, four musicians united by a previous friendship and longstanding collaborations (The Duolian String Pickers, the duo formed by Knopfler and Phillips, dates back to the late '60s), but also by the desire to create an album of country music with penetrating capability even among an audience inclined to listen to rock music, under the homophonic name of The Notting Hillbillies.

The cover, where the four protagonists are portrayed in perfect order of height each accompanied by their own dobro, immediately makes clear what to expect from the album: country music or rather a true act of reverence towards those distinctive sounds of that American tradition rooted in rockabilly, roots, bluegrass, and rock 'n' roll.

Given the uniformity of the album, a track by track would be superfluous, as it would be unjust not to mention the validity of "That's Where I Belong" by Crocker, whose Mexican flavor of sound is diluted with the gentleness of country, while the engaging "Will You Miss Me" written and interpreted by Phillips, drags us into sounds less rural and closer to a pop inclination, thanks to a remarkably appealing vocal. The torment of "Blues Stay Away From Me" (already covered by Gene Vincent And the Blue Caps and The Everly Brothers) effectively spreads the sadness of disillusionment towards love following a sudden disappointment, while the tradition evoked with "Please Baby" displays the comfort in which the four hillbillies navigate the purest country-blues terrain. The only song composed by Knopfler is "Your Own Sweet Way" (chosen as the leading single of the album for obvious reasons) which allows the Dire Straits leader to engage in a sophisticated, smooth blues where voice and guitar are inseparable protagonists.

It is the first album that allows Mark Knopfler - present and recognizable in almost every track - to be in a band that is not the Dire Straits, where the equitable combination of new and appreciable songs and traditionals enables the listener to immerse themselves in this electro-acoustic ride, through those clichés that provoke a sense of intimate pleasure for those who do not disdain the blurred and fascinating settings of the far west, made also of sweat and toil.

"Missing...Presumed Having A Good Time": for genre lovers an album of substance, for everyone else an excellent tonic for the mind and heart in a world made of sumptuous banality, where, however, there is still room for the appreciation of genuine beauty that always suggests where to look.