Five Classics from Dire Straits

Along with U2 and The Police, Dire Straits was among the most successful bands from the British Isles in the 1980s. Their fifth studio album, 1985’s Brothers in Arms sold in staggering numbers, earning Platinum or Diamond status in ten countries, storming to the number one spot on album charts each and every time. Yet in many ways, it was a last gasp for the beloved band; they’d take six years to record and release a followup, and by that time, popular tastes had changed, with grunge all the rage. (1991’s On Every Street still made it to #1 in eight countries, no mean feat.)

The overwhelming success of Brothers in Arms tends to overshadow the catalog of fine work Dire Straits had already created. So on the 40th anniversary of the release of Brothers in Arms, here are five great Dire Straits tunes from the records that came before it.

“Once Upon a Time in the West” from Communiqué (1979)
After the slow-burn success of Dire Straits’ self-titled debut LP, Communiqué was met with a more modest reception. But the album arguably built on the first record’s strengths. The understated “Once Upon a Time in the West” added some reggae textures to the band’s rootsy approach. The song would remain a staple of Dire Straits’ live set; it featured prominently in an epic version, opening their 1984 live album (see below).

“Tunnel of Love” from Making Movies (1980)
Opening with the strains of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Carousel Waltz,” Dire Straits’ “Tunnel of Love” signaled Mark Knopfler’s move toward grand, sweeping musical works. The evocative song showcases emotional depth, exceptional instrumental work and some of Knopfler’s finest lyrics, rivaling Bruce Springsteen (who would write a “Tunnel of Love” of his own a few years later).

“Telegraph Road” from Love Over Gold (1982)
Mark Knopfler’s gift for creating wide-screen, epic songs continued on Dire Straits’ fourth studio LP. The album’s single, “Industrial Disease” would be the only tune on the five-song album to come in under six minutes. Yet at fourteen minutes plus, “Telegraph Road” never wastes a second. Knopfler’s lyrics were inspired in part by the Nobel Prize winning novel Growth of the Soil by Norwegian author Knut Hamsun.

“Twisting by the Pool” from ExtendeDanceEPlay (1983)
Brothers in Arms displayed some playful humor in songs like “Money for Nothing,” but the MTV hit wasn’t Dire Straits’ first tune with a bit of whimsy. A three-day recording session in Fall 1982 yielded four new songs for the group, including this fun and uptempo track. The uncharacteristic “Twisting by the Pool” made it onto the singles charts in the U.S., UK and New Zealand; it reached the #1 spot in the latter.

“Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero” from Alchemy: Dire Straits Live (1984)
While guitarist and songwriter Mark Knopfler formally launched his solo career after Dire Straits broke up in 1995, he had already been active outside the band for more than a decade. His first recorded work outside the group was composing, recording and producing the soundtrack for the well-received 1983 film Local Hero. On tour, Dire Straits featured the movie’s stirring instrumental theme song in a full-band version; it’s a highlight of the Alchemy album.