Classic Rock Album of the Day- Dire Straits- Love Over Gold- 1982 **** 1/2
Dire Straits made two absolutely fabulous albums during their career. Making Movies, which I have previously covered, and today's choice Love Over Gold. Interestingly Love Over Gold was the band's least commercially successful LP. It was understandable, but fascination that the fact that Knopfler chose a much different route over other efforts. This album by its nature and creation had no intent of creating a hit, and mostly this is a spectacular example of an artist basically creating musical work that gives the air of pleasantry, while being hook-free.
What Mark Knopfler did do, was create some of the most beautiful rock made in the late 1970's and early 1980's. This is maybe the most keyboard angled of all their work, and did they ever work it in a spectacular fashion. When you hear Knopfler play, it is done in the blues manner, but is not the blues. Knopfler's guitar is as unique and recognizable as Hendrix, or EVH, just on its own merit. Smoothly, bluezy, but with such a jazz like improv inclination. Listening to this album and Making Movies are an immersive experience. Knopfler's supporting cast, though pretty much anonymous augments in like quicksand around a stationary object.
The tone of the album is more sorrowful and introspect than their other works. And thus maybe one of the most apt album titles ever. This truly is the love of the music and the craft over any cash commercial award. And what makes the album so special is how different every song mostly is from the last. You are seeing the full songwriting and performance spectrum of a rock great. I do have to admit that in some ways Making Movies is a more enjoyable relaxing listen, but I still have to give the nod to this one technical greatness.
Fun Fact: Only Dire Straits studio album of their 6 that did not reach platinum status in the U.S.
Side 1-
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Telegraph Road- Jaw Droopingly beautiful 15 minute voyage into the crevices of Knopfler's creative songwriting. I can not think of any other song in DS's career that Knoplers so soulfully annotated his 6 string skills. I have often said that no one made their ax more like an additional vocal than Knopfler, and with this and well intertwined keyboard this is an unabashed unheralded classic. Lyrically, so sad, and wonder how much he showed his emotions in his work. And the guitar work at the end. Just wow. - 1
Private Investigations- Mark dusts off the Ovation in a perfectly constructed Spanish Guitar styling narrative like song. This isn't rap folks. But it is perfectly chorded with soulful inward inflective progressions. Again, it is like he transfers his intense emotions onto the frets with masterful and powerful intent. You can see why this did not have huge appeal. It was art, not arena rock and roll stuff. 3
Side 2-
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Industrial Disease- Maybe the most commercial of a very un-commercial like LP. A lot of tongue in cheek humor interplay with hammond like keyboard, and of course, standard great guitar work. I am sure Knopfler meant more than just a bad day at the factory when writing this song, though there may be some underlying economic/political ills that many of us were witnessing and seeing in the early 1980's 5
Love Over Gold- Title track has some similarity in tenor and tone, of side 1. Again nicely constructed, but minus some of the heart. I sensed a few missed opportunities here. Still good tune. 4
It Never Rains- In what has been mostly a depressing meter, last song on the LP is much more musically upbeat, though lyrically and contrastingly more darker in intent. Some of the best traditional songwriting, and a bit of style that was much more evident on Making Movies or Communiqué. Fantastic ending number, and nice reminder that you sure got your money's worth on this one. 2
Dire Straits made two absolutely fabulous albums during their career. Making Movies, which I have previously covered, and today's choice Love Over Gold. Interestingly Love Over Gold was the band's least commercially successful LP. It was understandable, but fascination that the fact that Knopfler chose a much different route over other efforts. This album by its nature and creation had no intent of creating a hit, and mostly this is a spectacular example of an artist basically creating musical work that gives the air of pleasantry, while being hook-free.
What Mark Knopfler did do, was create some of the most beautiful rock made in the late 1970's and early 1980's. This is maybe the most keyboard angled of all their work, and did they ever work it in a spectacular fashion. When you hear Knopfler play, it is done in the blues manner, but is not the blues. Knopfler's guitar is as unique and recognizable as Hendrix, or EVH, just on its own merit. Smoothly, bluezy, but with such a jazz like improv inclination. Listening to this album and Making Movies are an immersive experience. Knopfler's supporting cast, though pretty much anonymous augments in like quicksand around a stationary object.
The tone of the album is more sorrowful and introspect than their other works. And thus maybe one of the most apt album titles ever. This truly is the love of the music and the craft over any cash commercial award. And what makes the album so special is how different every song mostly is from the last. You are seeing the full songwriting and performance spectrum of a rock great. I do have to admit that in some ways Making Movies is a more enjoyable relaxing listen, but I still have to give the nod to this one technical greatness.
Fun Fact: Only Dire Straits studio album of their 6 that did not reach platinum status in the U.S.
Side 1-
-------------
Telegraph Road- Jaw Droopingly beautiful 15 minute voyage into the crevices of Knopfler's creative songwriting. I can not think of any other song in DS's career that Knoplers so soulfully annotated his 6 string skills. I have often said that no one made their ax more like an additional vocal than Knopfler, and with this and well intertwined keyboard this is an unabashed unheralded classic. Lyrically, so sad, and wonder how much he showed his emotions in his work. And the guitar work at the end. Just wow. - 1
Private Investigations- Mark dusts off the Ovation in a perfectly constructed Spanish Guitar styling narrative like song. This isn't rap folks. But it is perfectly chorded with soulful inward inflective progressions. Again, it is like he transfers his intense emotions onto the frets with masterful and powerful intent. You can see why this did not have huge appeal. It was art, not arena rock and roll stuff. 3
Side 2-
------------
Industrial Disease- Maybe the most commercial of a very un-commercial like LP. A lot of tongue in cheek humor interplay with hammond like keyboard, and of course, standard great guitar work. I am sure Knopfler meant more than just a bad day at the factory when writing this song, though there may be some underlying economic/political ills that many of us were witnessing and seeing in the early 1980's 5
Love Over Gold- Title track has some similarity in tenor and tone, of side 1. Again nicely constructed, but minus some of the heart. I sensed a few missed opportunities here. Still good tune. 4
It Never Rains- In what has been mostly a depressing meter, last song on the LP is much more musically upbeat, though lyrically and contrastingly more darker in intent. Some of the best traditional songwriting, and a bit of style that was much more evident on Making Movies or Communiqué. Fantastic ending number, and nice reminder that you sure got your money's worth on this one. 2
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