The poetry and musical expertise of Dire Straits have proven to stand the test of time, and their hit 1985 album Brothers in Arms offers all the astounding guitar riffs and eloquent lines that defined rock music of the 1980s.
Lets narrow down and review two songs from the album that offer some of lead singer and writer Mark Knoplfer’s best work to date.
The album starts off with a slow tune, “So Far Away,” that throws the listener into a very relaxed yet melancholy mood. Mark Knoplfer sings from the perspective of a man who has been separated in some way from his love interest.
The phrase “so far away from me” is used in the song both literally and figuratively, as he describes how he is “tired of making out on the telephone,” as well as “being in love and being all alone.” The refrain now means so much more. He is both physically far away from his lover, having to use a telephone, and emotionally far away, feeling very lonely.
The long and drawn out wails of his guitar work alongside the slow tempo and echoes to create an atmosphere where the listener floats through the music, feeling the same emotions Knopfler describes.
On the heels of this melancholy tune leaps the roaring song “Money for Nothing,” which is the band’s second most listened to song.
“Money for Nothing” begins like the previous song – slowly – until a massive guitar riff crashes in and separates it from the lull of “So Far Away.” “Money for Nothing” mainly focuses its lyrics around a blue collar narrator who has to “move refrigerators” and “color TVs” and is tired of seeing all the eclectic rock stars on the television making money and getting women.
The irony of Knopfler’s criticism of rock stars, himself being one, shows his great writing skills. Riff Magazine ranks the opening riff of the song in their top five riffs of all time.
Knoplfer is a magician with the strings on the entirety of Brothers in Arms. It is no surprise that he was a professor of English at Loughton College. Both wonderful writing and revolutionary riffs on the guitar contribute to the album’s all time greatness, winning a Grammy award and being the eighth best selling British album of all time.
