Brothers in Arms

Dire Straits | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Warner Bros / Wea
• ASIN: B000002L7G
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (213 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #111,870 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. So Far Away

2. Money for Nothing

3. Walk of Life

4. Your Latest Trick

5. Why Worry

6. Ride Across the River

7. The Man's Too Strong

8. One World

9. Brothers in Arms

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

Propelled by Mark Knopfler's literate songs, gruff vocals, and spidery guitar work, Dire Straits had overcome initial skepticism for their resistance to '70s new wave accents in favor of a rootsy traditionalism. This 1985 album captures the band consolidating a far more epic style than the concise shuffles and ballads that the original scrappy quartet had reeled off, their ambitions fueled by the larger canvas afforded by the CD. One of the first albums to exploit the format's longer playing time, Brothers in Arms was initially released in separate versions for CD/cassette and edited LP, and the band became digital poster boys on a world tour sponsored by CD hardware interests. Critics that had once warmed to the band sniffed at the marketing, but the album remains their best known, noteworthy for the MTV staple "Money for Nothing" and the breezy rock shuffle "Walk of Life," as well as for the wistful "So Far Away," the plot-driven narratives of "Ride Across the River," and the title song. --Sam Sutherland

Product Description

Limited edition Japanese pressing of the 1985 album. Brothers in Arms brought the atmospheric, jazz-rock inclinations of Love Over Gold into a pop setting, resulting in a surprise international best-seller. Of course, the success of Brothers in Arms was helped considerably by the clever computer-animated video for Money for Nothing', a sardonic attack on MTV. But what kept the record selling was Mark Knopfler's increased sense of pop songcraft - 'Money for Nothing' had an indelible guitar riff, 'Walk of Life' is a catchy up-tempo boogie variation on 'Sultans of Swing', and the melodies of the bluesy 'So Far Away' and the down-tempo, Everly Brothers-style 'Why Worry' were wistful and lovely. Dire Straits had never been so concise or pop-oriented, and it wore well on them. Vertigo. 2005. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

102 of 106 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An era-defining classic., July 7, 2001

By 

Themis-Athena (from somewhere between California and Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brothers in Arms (Audio CD)

Trust Mark Knopfler not to succumb to platitude, regardless where he is and what's going on around him. There they are sitting on the Caribbean island paradise of Montserrat, and what does the man write? Songs about the pain of separation, love gone wrong and The Blues in general ("So Far Away," "Your Latest Trick," "Why Worry" and "One World"), a part tongue-in-cheek, part grating duet with Sting, who just happened to be available because he was vacationing on Montserrat, on an underdog's gripes about rock stardom ("Money For Nothing"), followed by a more upbeat variation on the "stardom" theme (although even there, we are reminded that "after all the violence and double talk, there's just a song in all the trouble and the strife, you do the Walk Of Life") ... and no less than three songs about war and the abuse of power ("Run Across The River," "The Man's Too Strong" and of course, "Brothers in Arms").

Musically, this album is more diversified than Dire Straits' prior studio albums; there's a sax in "Your Latest Trick," "Walk Of Life" has a rockabilly feel, and the instrumentation of "Run Across the River" is inspired by the Caribbean setting in which the record was produced - but listen to that song's lyrics and see how they contrast with what at first impression sounds like airy island paradise melodies: "I'm a soldier of fortune, I'm a dog of war and we don't give a damn who the killing is for; it's the same old story with a different name - death or glory, it's the killing game." ("The Man's Too Strong," which deals with a dictator's thoughts upon being brought to trial, is similar in that respect; although the Caribbean sound is replaced by rhythm and steel guitars, with two single guitar riffs, sharp as bullets, accentuating the chorus.) The band also took full advantage of the advances in production techniques available to them at that time. The result was an album that drove home to even the last uninitiated chump out there that Dire Straits were a musical force to reckon with, and that the success of their prior albums had not been coincidence alone.

Among all the excellent songs on this album, it is the title track which stands out mile-high. From the growling thunderstorm opening, the sad and evocative electric guitar intro, and the first verse, more whispered than sung, through the slow and steady crescendo of the song's intensity to the closing guitar solo, Mark Knopfler's ode about war, in ancient Scotland and today, "civil" and otherwise, is nothing short of a true masterpiece. The interplay of Knopfler's vocals and his guitar. The sole riff introducing the guitar part after the line "and we have just one world but we live in different ones," tearing through the song's fabric like a sore wound breaking open. And of course, the closing guitar solo which completely defies description and makes any attempt to characterize it by words like "haunting" or "dramatic" sound like a shallow cliché.

"Brothers in Arms" was Dire Straits' most successful studio album, and one of the biggest-selling albums of the 1980, thanks to an exhaustive tour and the high exposure its single releases received on MTV. But more than anything, it helped define a decade; musically and otherwise. It has made rock music history, and it will always stand right up there with the best that anybody in the business has ever produced.

53 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome SACD 5.1 Surround Sound, July 17, 2006

By 

IJEFF (Milwaukee, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Brothers in Arms (20th Anniversary Edition) (Audio CD)

This quite possibly is the best quality 5.1 surround sound mix I've ever heard. This is the import only SACD 5.1 CD, not to be confused with the DVD-Audio 5.1 edition available in the U.S. Actually one of the reviews posted here appears to be for the DVD-Audio version. Both versions are playable on standard CD players though the DVD-A is a 2 sided disk where you must flip it over to the other side for the standard CD mix. So, with both Hybrid SACD and DVD-A we now have CD's that can be played on any player though you really need to play them on surround sound systems to get the full appreciation of their sound. Otherwise, why buy it? I will say that most hybrid SACD's I've played on standard CD players (automobile) do sound better than their non-SACD versions.

Well, I do have both the SACD and DVD-A versions (just to show my obsession/love for this CD). The first thing to make clear, the SACD version may or may not have used the same audio source mixes used for the DVD-A version, but they are by no means inferior. The 2 versions truly do sound different. Its hard to describe in words how much additional sonic details come out in the SACD version verses the DVD-A. I have an above average system (not top high end) and I'm able to hear sonic details including guitar passages I've never heard before. One listen to the final song, Brothers in Arms is all it takes though there is not a weak moment song-wise or sound-wise on this SACD. As for the DVD-A, it's still good, but on my system I can't draw out the same details that I'm able to on the SACD version. Maybe has something to do with my DVD player being a SONY SACD/DVD combo player? Or, maybe the SACD version is just that much better. I'll leave that for further debate.

The fact that most people have a surround sound DVD system and not many people have a SACD player does mean the DVD-A will be the more popular version purchased. That is a shame as I just don't hear the same level of detail in the DVD-A 5.1 mix (at least on my system). From a playability perspective, I also prefer the SACD over the DVD-A. When you put the DVD-A in your player you will find it defaults to the standard 2 channel mix and requires you to go into the menu and select the 5.1 mix. With the SACD it will automatically detect the 5.1 mix if played in a SACD player. Also, if you have a multi-disc DVD player, once the DVD-A has finished playing it will not automatically move to the next disc in the changer as this SACD will.

So, if you love this CD and have a SACD player, don't hesitate to purchase this one. As for the DVD-A, I've heard better than this one, but I still believe the DVD-A is a worthwhile purchase if you don't have a SACD player as long as you have surround sound stereo DVD system. It will still provide a new level of enjoyment for listening to this classic Dire Straits CD.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SACD Review, June 23, 2005

By 

Michael R. Zwarun "phenker" (Thornhill, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brothers in Arms (20th Anniversary Edition) (Audio CD)

I've waited a long time for this album to be available on SACD. The wait was definitely worth it. This is reference quality audio that beats any vinyl in my collection.
I dare you to listen to Money for Nothing and not get chills. The surround mix is fantastic,using all speakers to great effect.
My advice, rush out and buy this one. It may be the best SACD out there.