Dire Straits

Brothers in Arms Dire Straits

Limited edition Japanese pressing of the 1985 album. Brothers in Arms brought the atmospheric, jazz-rock inclinations of Love Over Gold into a pop setting, resulting in a surprise international best-seller. Of course, the success of Brothers in Arms was helped considerably by the clever computer-animated video for Money for Nothing', a sardonic attack on MTV. But what kept the record selling was Mark Knopfler's increased sense of pop songcraft - 'Money for Nothing' had an indelible guitar riff, 'Walk of Life' is a catchy up-tempo boogie variation on 'Sultans of Swing', and the melodies of the bluesy 'So Far Away' and the down-tempo, Everly Brothers-style 'Why Worry' were wistful and lovely. Dire Straits had never been so concise or pop-oriented, and it wore well on them. Vertigo. 2005.