Dire Straits: Making Movies - 1980

 

Released in 1980, this was the album that saw Dire Straits take their first steps from being a cultish 'pub rock'-ish, somewhat introspective band into a multi million selling outfit beloved of those whose only other albums were by Phil Collins and Michael Jackson. This wasn’t quite Brothers In Arms though and is still a highly credible album. 

First of all, it contains the magnificent opener, Tunnel Of Love, a seven minute gloriously atmospheric tale of the fairgrounds in Whitley Bay, in the UK’s gritty North East. Mark Knopfler’s guitar from half way through is just heavenly, joined by Roy (E St Band) Bittan on piano as it fades out, taking the listener truly through the pearly gates. "Girl it looks so pretty to me, like it always did, just like the Spanish City to me, when we were kids". What a lyric. The "Spanish City" was an amusement arcade in Whitley Bay, by the way.

Then there is the laid-back but strangely singalong hit single, Romeo And Juliet, with its killer romantic but ultimately cynical lyrics. There is a real evocative feeling to this that is hard to describe, but identifiable when you hear it. It just had something. The engagingly rhythmic and understated Skateaway concludes the old 'side one' with another atmospheric extended song and another knockout chorus. Great percussion and guitar feature, of course. 

The old 'side two' contains shorter, more punchy, rock orientated material. Espresso Love is probably the best track, followed by the chunky, riffy Solid Rock. Hand In Hand is a bit more ordinary, comparatively. 

Then there is the bizarre and utterly incongruous Les Boys - a completely odd, tongue-in-cheek song about cross dressers in Germany. It sits totally at odds with the rest of the album, to be honest, and indeed to the rest of Dire Straits' output overall. I am not quite sure what the point of it was. There have been the occasional outbreaks of hoo-hah concerning its supposed homophobia but I think it is all a bit of a storm in a teacup. Nobody minded The Kinks' Lola, did they? That was a better song though - the truth about Les Boys is simply that it's bloody awful. 

Unlike some, I have no real problem with Bob Ludwig’s remaster of this album, either. It features clear, full, nice stereo separation and probably as good as this 1980 recording could get. However, that is just my opinion. Others may differ, of course. Maybe the bass could be highlighted a bit more, but that is small beer, it is certainly not tinny. Listen to the point where Espresso Love kicks in. Big and full. I do agree, though, that the three subsequent Dire Straits albums have a richer sound to them. Maybe they always did. In fact I am sure they did.