Album Club: 13.09.2011: Dire Straits - Dire Straits (1978)

[The Grand Wazoo]

Obviously you're not a fan of punk then, Chris?

Au contraire!
Actually, there were several albums that year that I count among my personal favourites but I'd they're not exactly mainstream & was trying to list landmark albums. But you've got to admit that it wasn't exactly a vintage year!

My favourites from that year:
Patti Smith - 'Easter'
The Only Ones - 'The Only Ones '
Bob Dylan - 'Street Legal'
Wire - 'Chairs Missing'
Black Sabbath - 'Never Say Die'
Funkadelic - 'One Nation Under a Groove'
Rush - 'Hemispheres'
Rory Gallagher - 'Photo Finish'

Now go back to Andre's cut off year of '73, for example, & my list would probably have 30 or 40 titles in it.

[The Grand Wazoo]

I am not anti Dire Straits but reconise they have a certain not cool factor to them, perhaps because they have been over played

That's it John, I think.

[Marco]

Au contraire!
Actually, there were several albums that year that I count among my personal favourites but I'd they're not exactly mainstream & was trying to list landmark albums. But you've got to admit that it wasn't exactly a vintage year!

My favourites from that year:
Patti Smith - 'Easter'
The Only Ones - 'The Only Ones '
Bob Dylan - 'Street Legal'
Wire - 'Chairs Missing'
Black Sabbath - 'Never Say Die'
Funkadelic - 'One Nation Under a Groove'
Rush - 'Hemispheres'
Rory Gallagher - 'Photo Finish'

Now go back to Andre's cut off year of '73, for example, & my list would probably have 30 or 40 titles in it.

There are quite a few there that I also like.

Coolio - I gets ya.... I guess that what one considers as "landmark albums" is somewhat subjective!

Martin, the Dire Straits album is ok for Dire Straits. I don't think it warrants much more comment than that. I prefer the early Eagles stuff

Marco.

[griffo104]

Well I like this album, loved it when I bought it on release and still do, so could have voted without listening. But I haven't done that for any of the albums so far, as what's the point in joining in if you don't play before commenting? And some of the comments have been (IMO) a little intolerant and disappointing.

Anyway, I'm not going to go there - I gave it 2 listens and I still like it .... 5

I think for someone my age with my tastes in music then Intolerance and Dire Straits go hand in hand. Someone mentione '82 to '86 when I was 11 to 15 so in my formative years and all you heard on the radio Was Dire Straits, so yes my view of them is taken from this era.

It's also taken from pretty much every bake off I've been to having to listen to Love Over Gold (or whatever it is). Well produced, granted but totally mediocre and bland.

there are several bands I have an intolerance to and these do fall in to that category.

But I'm older and (hopefully) wiser and maybe a little more open minded now so I've a friend bringing this particular album over tonight, and he promised me it's a lot better than these later albums, so I am prepared to have a listen and judge.

I'll be sat there, fire extinguisher at the ready in case the CDP decides to commit suicide

[Audioman]

An interesting and obviously divisive choice, this one!

I think some of the nay sayers are maybe letting their judgement be clouded by memories of not being able to go anywhere or do anything between 1982 & about mid-'86 without hearing the singles from 'Love Over Gold' and 'Brothers In Arms'.

As I've done with all of the Club albums so far, for my own interest, I've taken a quick look at it in the context of the time in which it was released and the year of 1978 was, overall, a pretty dreadful year for music, as far as I'm concerned!
The five biggest singles were offerings from The Bee Gees (x2), John Travolta & Olivia Newton John (from whom there were several other huge selling singles), Boney M & Village People. The album releases were generally pretty ropey too, with very little that most people would now consider to be landmark albums - maybe at a stretch, you could list the first Van Halen album, 'The Kick Inside', 'Darkness on the Edge of Town', 'Live and Dangerous', 'The War of the Worlds', 'Don't Look Back' and 'Parallel Lines'.
So, in amongst most of the other stuff released that year, this was a bit of a gem really, I'd suggest! It was also pretty much different from anything else on offer that year

That list of exceptions pretty much contradicts your theory about 78 being a dreadfull year. There was a lot of bad stuff but still a lot of good. Marco suggests a few other titles of quality as well. Compare that to today or the last decade and overall music quality was high. Just not nearly as good as 1967 to 1973. As for people complaining about Dire Straits dominating 82-86 their memories are seriously flawed. This was dominated by Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Thompson Twins, Culture club etc etc. Hardly quality stuff compared to DS output.

[griffo104]

That list of exceptions pretty much contradicts your theory about 78 being a dreadfull year. There was a lot of bad stuff but still a lot of good. Marco suggests a few other titles of quality as well. Compare that to today or the last decade and overall music quality was high. Just not nearly as good as 1967 to 1973. As for people complaining about Dire Straits dominating 82-86 their memories are seriously flawed. This was dominated by Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Thompson Twins, Culture club etc etc. Hardly quality stuff compared to DS output.

Yes but nobody tries for force Duran Duran on to you at hifi shows and bake offs

they were dreadful but then I was listening The The and The Cult around that time - both of whom made pretty great albums around that time.

Sad fact - I went to same high school as a couple of the Duran Duran boys - as our Latin teacher kept telling us in a feeble attempt to be cool.

I just love the fact, going back to Dire Straits, that back then you always had a cocky one trying explain what an MTV was. Oh how naive were we back then ?

[WAD62]

As for people complaining about Dire Straits dominating 82-86 their memories are seriously flawed. This was dominated by Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Thompson Twins, Culture club etc etc.

You might as well say that the 'glitter band', 'mud', and 'showadywaddy' dominated the 70's, you can't just use commercial singles chart popularity to define a decade...The Cure, Southern death Cult, The Cult, The Clash, Talking Heads, The Cocteau Twins, Everything But the Girl, New Order, Echo and The Bunnymen, U2, Mudhoney, The Pogues, Cabaret Voltaire, The Pop Group, 23 Skidoo, The Pixies, Ride, Husker Do, Jesus and Mary Chain, A Certain Ratio, Wire, PIL, The Smiths, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, The Wedding Present, Bill Nelson, Sister of Mercy, Killing Joke, Ministry, The Fall...etc.etc.

Were far more representative of the decade from an artistic point of view, unless of course you were listening to dire straits, and shopping at Millets

[Concerto Audio]

You are entitled to dislike Dire Straits but honestly it only reflects your inability to appreciate serious musical talent and great production. You are obviously someone who is more concerned with what is currently trendy. I fail to understand the number of DS and MK knockers on forums who have probably never sat down and seriously listened to anything by MK other than perhaps 'Brothers In Arms' . The album in question here is far superior and was a revelation in 1978 being a success in the face of the Punk/New Wave trend. Dire Straits got me through the 80's when most popular music was a steady diet of synth pop.

Dire Straits self titled - Every track is excellent my favourite being Switch Blade Knife. Great arrangements and guitar playing which is superbly recorded. The best sounding DS/MK album. Must be heard on vinyl via original UK Vertigo Spaceship label or the recent Warner US pressing. Love this album.
A classic. 5/5

This is the best Dire Straits album and will give 5 stars to it. This is the first album i bought when i was in my teens and still remember the excitement i had when i bought the album saving my pocket money for few months.
Best track in the album In the Gallery.

[Audioman]

You might as well say that the 'glitter band', 'mud', and 'showadywaddy' dominated the 70's, you can't just use commercial singles chart popularity to define a decade...The Cure, Southern death Cult, The Cult, The Clash, Talking Heads, The Cocteau Twins, Everything But the Girl, New Order, Echo and The Bunnymen, U2, Mudhoney, The Pogues, Cabaret Voltaire, The Pop Group, 23 Skidoo, The Pixies, Ride, Husker Do, Jesus and Mary Chain, A Certain Ratio, Wire, PIL, The Smiths, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, The Wedding Present, Bill Nelson, Sister of Mercy, Killing Joke, Ministry, The Fall...etc.etc.

Were far more representative of the decade from an artistic point of view, unless of course you were listening to dire straits, and shopping at Millets

I like some of your selections (U2, EBTG, Talking Heads, some Clash) but as for most of the rest I found them uninteresting or fall into that 80's alternative/indie style led by my pet hate The Smiths. You can certainly stick The Beastie boys and Public Enemy were the sun don't shine. . Sorry but if one grew up on 60's /70's beat/rock/psych/prog styles Dire Straits were a breath of fresh air in the first half of the 80's. Put this lot together with the pop acts I mentioned, which in fact had serious album sales as well as hit singles, makes the period from 1981 - 1986 pretty dire indeed.

[MartinT]

Sorry but if one grew up on 60's /70's beat/rock/psych/prog styles Dire Straits were a breath of fresh air in the first half of the 80's.

That's exactly how I remember it.