Brothers In Arms...again

The last time I wrote about Dire Straits, the rock group and not the state of my purse would of been late 2019 when I was building up a collection of super audio cds and slowly their recordings were coming out in that format.

This week reminds me a little of when I went to my summer holiday around this time in 1985 when after a couple of years there seemed to be a real buzz around the Compact Disc since its introduction and So Far Away was played a lot on the radio.

That was the lead single from Brothers In Arms, the new Dire Straits album and this was for many the gateway album to get a cd player and a few discs one reason being the songs run for longer on the cd (but then they also did on the Chrome cassette) and in time I got the cd with those versions.

That was very much it until I got the sacds.

These days I do play a lot of vinyl and I always wanted to hear those other versions so hearing the record as in a single lp was being reissued at start of this month I picked it ip.

Cut by Miles Showell at Abbey Road, London from the tapes this sounds more analogue and in some ways being more concise does suit it.

It also avoids the four side changes of modern full length versions spread over two records.

I'm pleased to get this version.

Dire Straits on Super Audio cd Part II

 After a four year gap we return to this topic with a new entry.

Dire Straits bowed out in style when they released On Every Street in 1991 some 6 years on from the massive selling Brothers In Arms which was both the first big selling compact disc being used to promote that format and the first in this series of Dire Straits albums issued on sacd in 2013.

They'd taken their time since the knockout success of Brothers In Arms, waiting six years to deliver a follow-up which would satisfy fans of their inimitable sound. 

Mark Knopfler's dusky tones weave many a tale, and there's that pervading sentimental mood hanging over the record like a Dire Straits album should have, but there's also some of those Southern boogie rhythm sections to lock onto, not least on the drawn out splendour of 'Calling Elvis'. 

Remastered by Rob Lo Verde at Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs, this has a much better sound stage and dynamics than the stock Vertigo/Warner Bros issue this released a few days ago joins the remainder of the collection.

Dire Straits on Super Audio CD

Dire Straits on Super Audio cd

Dire Straits were formed in the late 1970's of Mark and David Knopfler, John Illsley and Pick Withers and immediately caught my ears as someone who does appreciate well performed rock music from the moment I heard them in the Summer of 1978 on the radio which back then coupled with the music press was where you heard about artists and new single and album releases.

I moved from borrowed tapes to getting the original cd versions in the mid 1980's as funds and technology permitted but while newer editions had been issued, many had issues with the tendency to reduce the contrast between soft and louder parts and unlike many rock acts soft ambient moments do feature helping frequent listening.

Thus when it was announced in 2016 that the first four studio albums were to issued on the superior Super Audio cd form by the acclaimed Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs (Mofi) I and several others were excited but it wasn't until October 29th of 2019  that they actually came out.

The delay seemed to be because this issue was also to come out on record and the US company they had the license from to issue them (Warner Bros) had decided to reissue the records NOT wanting any competition  so in effect had embargoed the release even though it was agreed in the beginning until October 2019.

 The first album came out in 1978 with a simple graphic art cover more akin to Windham Hill's ambient music albums and was exceptionally well recorded in February 1978 containing the hit single Sultans Of Swing.

The follow up Communiqué, came out in the summer of 1979 with rather less of a buzz about it being something of a sleeper sales wise and featured the single Lady Writer and Where Do You're Think Going? This again is an excellent recording.

 This album came out just in time for the Christmas market in 1980 featuring the hit single Romeo And Juliet, Skateaway was featured in the UK on a EP in 1983 and seaside flavoured Tunnel Of Love.

This album wasn't nearly as well recorded although this disc does sound better than all previous ones.

 1982's Love Over Gold is an astonishing recording being done at 30 I.P.S. rather than usual 15 capturing well the atmospheric effects in breathtaking detail on tracks such as Telegraph Road and the top five UK hit single Private Investigations.

1985's Brothers In Arms was the first album to sell more on compact disc than any other format upon release that year aided no doubt by the cd and tape versions having longer versions of four songs compared to the lp 

Indeed it was used by Philips who co-invented cd to promote the format and they sponsored  the subsequent tour.

It was the home to four big singles So Far Away which as the lead single, Money For Nothing with its famous video, Walk Of Life from early 1986 and Your Latest Trick.
This super audio cd came out in 2013 which managed to extract more detail and warmth from the early all digital recording which was a bit 'lean' sounding which was common in the mid 1980's.

I had the first four for Christmas, mentioning they were with Mr Claus caused some mirth at a audio website and so out of bounds until Xmas and they sound so much better than the originals.

The card gatefold sleeve and insert is really classy so while getting all four at once was expensive for me they are well worth it being the only versions I need around.