Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits Tracks
1. Sultans of Swing
2. Lady Writer
3. Romeo and Juliet
4. Tunnel of Love
5. Private Investigations
6. Twisting by the Pool
7. Love Over Gold [Live]
8. So Far Away
9. Money for Nothing
10. Brothers in Arms
11. Walk of Life
12. Calling Elvis
13. Heavy Fuel
14. On Every Street
15. Your Latest Trick [Live]
16. Local Hero/Wild Theme [Live]
Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits Review
This compilation repeats seven tracks from 1988's Money For Nothing anthology. Given that Mark Knopfler and crew have recorded one new album during the decade between best-of collections, how different could Sultans of Swing be? For one thing, CD dominance has made for longer compilations, and this one is fleshed out by singles, three tracks from 1991's On Every Street, and Knopfler's solo "Local Hero" theme, performed live. More importantly, the second track here is the band's terrific second single, "Lady Writer," previously only available on the otherwise dismal Communiqué LP. Five tracks from Dire Straits' huge Brothers in Arms LP appear here, but only two tracks surface from Making Movies, the group's pinnacle achievement. Ultimately, if you own Making Movies and this compilation, you own the essential Dire Straits. --Bill Holdship
This bring us to Mark Knopfler, who admits that he is not as "fast" as some. Why is his music so popular, then? Why do musicians such as Chet Atkins actively seek Mark out for musical projects? The answer is clearly that Mr. Knopfler is sublimely "musical". His tunes are tasty and he performs them with a sure-handed style that I think I could describe as "the right notes at the right time." His voice is not Steven Tyler's or Sinatra's, but can you imagine anyone else crooning lines like "money for nothin', and the chicks for free"?
On the title tune of this collection: "Sultans of Swing" makes the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of songs that have been most influential in shaping rock and roll. (No other Dire Straits tunes made the top 500, although a good case could have been made for several including "Walk of Life", "So Far Away" and "Money for Nothing" from just the "Brothers In Arms" CD. "Sultans" stands atop the heap, though, and rightfully so. It's a seductively skillful ballad, with Mark's Straits companions laying down a simple vamping pocket for him to create his masterpiece about the band that plays for their own pleasure. It is ironic that "Sultans" has become so popular because the song depicts a skillful band that could care less about popularity - they play Creole and other music that is ignored by the boys in their "platform soles" who "don't give a damn about any trumpet-playing band, it ain't what they call ROCK and ROLL!" For any musician who has even contemplated straddling that fence between popularity and pandering to the "fans" who could care less about the quality of the music - "Sultans of Swing" is like a national anthem for any musician who devoted themselves to the music.
This collection combines "Sultans" with noticeably many cuts from the previously mentioned "Brothers in Arms", including the title cut from that collection. It also includes Knopler's fine theme from the equally fine film "Local Hero" performed live.
As long as people care about popular music recorded in the 20th century, they will be listening to Dire Straits.