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Dire Straits & Mark KnopflerPrivate Investigations: The Best Of Mercury/UMA The man and the band that led the AOR charge for many years are back, albeit with only one new track out of the 22 on this combined best of double disc set. You know all the 11 songs on Disc 1; the gorgeous and lengthy 14 minute Telegraph Road which opens proceedings, the breakthrough 1978 hit Sultans Of Swing, the attack at MTV with Money For Nothing and the homage to the 'fifties of Walk Of Life. But where oh where is Twisting By The Pool, my favourite summer party track? Disc 2 opens with two more 'Straits tracks (the excellent Calling Elvis and On Every Street) before concentrating on Mr Knopfler's solo career. Again you know the tracks; the superb Celtic influenced Going Home from the movie 'Local Hero', The Long Road, and the underrated and Highwaymen sounding Sailing To Philadelphia which features James Taylor. The funk/roots of Boom, Like That off 2004's Shangrila, ends the best of the solo stuff. The "new" track is a duet, All The Roadrunning with Emmylou Harris, a rather pedestrian Scottish outing that sounds like it was lifted off a Billy Connolly TV show. However, Emmylou's voice is a fine balance against Knopfler's Dylanesque drawl. Disc 2 is the standout simply because it haven't been thrashed to death on radio: in fact, I don't think I've ever heard a Knopfler track on commercial radio. Most music lovers would likely have one of their Greatest Hits albums already, but would still be more than happy with the solo stuff here.  |
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