Customer Reviews

Sailing to Philadelphia

5 star:		(129)
4 star:		(45)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

In sharp contrast to his last solo effort, 1996's wildly eclectic "Golden Heart," Mark Knopfler returns with a vengeance to the roots rock/folk/blues that defined his songwriting with Dire Straits. The result is "Sailing to Philadelphia," a stirring collection of tunes that can only be described as cinematic.

The driving first cut, "What It Is," oozes with imagery of Scottish nightlife and a slightly sinister undercurrent. Yet the song is thrilling; Knopfler's clean Stratocaster sound, which was his early trademark, is a joy to hear again, as his fiddle-like solos literally gallop to the fore.

The many ballads on the album are also quite atmospheric. In each lovingly crafted song, Knopfler layers varying textures and tones, and combined with his remarkable lyrics, they become little "movies" for the listener. "Prairie Wedding" evokes haunting scenes of the Old West, while "Sands of Nevada" is almost oppressive with the weary desperation of washed-up Las Vegas gamblers. The beautiful title track, a duet with James Taylor, works surprisingly well, as their vocals blend so perfectly. The best way to appreciate these gems is through headphones; every nuance adds to the experience.

The faster songs are also noteworthy. The tongue-in-cheek "Do America" sounds like a cross between "Money for Nothing," "Heavy Fuel," and "The Bug." And "Who's Your Baby Now" would certainly be the result if you tossed the Everly Brothers and the Beatles in a blender. "Junky Doll" is delightfully edgy, but "Speedway at Nazareth" is a marvel. The lyrics are sung at a snappy, bluegrass pace, but the instrumental climax roars with Knopfler's epic guitar work. His soloing here is reminiscent of the thunderous finale to "Telegraph Road," and helps to intensify images of heroic racecar drivers battling for position.

Imaginative, intelligent, and thoughtful, "Sailing to Philadelphia" will probably not appeal to the teen-pop crowd, who weren't even born when Dire Straits were in their heyday. This one's for us adults, and Mark Knopfler triumphantly proves, once again, he's still "Making Movies" with the best of 'em.

Mark Knopfler`s new "Sailing to Philadelphia" is his long awaited second solo effort. This interesting CD is in many ways a retrospective of Knopfler`s work, from 1978 to present. At times it`s simple, honest and bluesy, remindful of J.J. Cale`s influence on him. Other times, especially during ballads like the title track "Sailing to Philadelphia," it sounds like a track from Dire Straits "Love Over Gold." And a pleasant surprise is "Prarie Wedding," which is a rare stylistic return to the early Dire Straits sound of the classic "Communique" album.

But certainly the finest work on the CD is "What It Is." This is destined to go down as one of Knopfler`s most important songs, alongside the likes of "Sultans of Swing," "Wild West End" and "Brothers In Arms." It`s obvious he took special care in crafting it. One word of advice: this track (and actually the entire album) is best listened to on a quality set of headphones or a very expensive stereo -- in a very quiet setting -- to be fully appreciated. "What It Is" is both complicated and delicate, leading the listener down a curvy country road of intricate guitar work that is unmistakably Knopfler. It is classic Knopfler in its ability to offer both toe-tapping energy and a relaxing, almost hypnotic flow.

True Knopfler fans listen to each release with an ear for his patented Stratocaster style. This album delivers, but while offering a glimpse into the past, takes a look into the future as well. Though his style looks forward and continually evolves, Knopfler never seems to lose sight of his roots.

A real gem.

If it were possible to give the latest Mark Knopfler work six stars (or more), I definitely would! He is at his best. And while I think "Brothers in Arms" is the greatest song ever written, there are some here that give it a run for its money. 1) What It Is - Incredible lyrics, imagery; tones it down towards the end, then effectively builds it back up (vintage MK); Top notch. 2) Sailing to Philadelphia - Atmospheric; MK and James Taylor together; it doesn't get any better than that. 3) Who's Your Baby Now - Good; reminds me of a Buddy Holly song. 4) Baloney Again - Bluesy; Extremely effective guitar; excellent song. 5) The Last Laugh - With Van Morrison; very melancholy; Superb. 6) Do America - OK; Upbeat tempo; out of place, considering the other songs. 7) Silvertown Blues - Again, incredible lyrics, imagery; the most effective guitar playing in the world; May be the best song on the disc. 8) El Macho - Latiny feel; not bad, but not great either. 9) Prairie Wedding - Very atmospheric; lots of synth; Guitar lead-ins; excellent song. 10) Wanderlust - Again atmospheric, with synth; 7 on a scale of 10. 11) Speedway at Nazareth - Remarkable; starts out sounding like bluegrass, then finishes with rock guitar; only he can do something like this and make it sound good. 12) Junkie Doll - Didn't like it when I first heard it, but it is growing on me. 13) Sands of Nevada - Very atmospheric; Excellent in all respects. 14) One More Matinee - Melancholy; ends CD on a great note. (As you can see, I bought the UK version) This is one of the best CD's I have ever heard. While we don't get any of the long guitar solos (a la "Love Over Gold"), the songs themselves (melody, lyrics) more than make up for that. And there is plenty of his guitar work in every song. The Stratocaster never sounded so good.

Fans of Knopfler will love this album. The songwritng is superb with lyrics that conjure all kinds of images. He also shows his love of all kinds of music from jazz (El macho), Blues (Junkie Doll), Country(Prairie Wedding), Rock (Do America) and tremendous ballads (Last Laugh). His collaborations with James Taylor and Van Morrison are terrific. Lets not forget the tremendous guitar work. The technique is superb and subtle. This is just a great album.

This is an excellent piece of work with just a few exceptions "Do America" would probably be fun live, but I skip it every time I play the CD. It is several cuts below the other material. I'm a sucker for Beach Boy type harmonies and Beatlesque compositons so I like "Who's Your Baby Now" just fine. "What It Is", "Sailing to Philadelphia" "El Macho" and "Prairie Wedding" are all excellent. "Prairie Wedding" sounds like an old Waylon Jennings tune in drop D tuning. But the real fun starts with "Speedway at Nazareth" which starts off with bluegrass sounding harmonies and then erupts with some full-fledged Knopfler guitar. "Junkie Doll" is my favorite song on the CD; JJ Cale's influence is abundant here, and I love the guitar work throughout, especially the solo in the middle and the subtle, quiet stuff at the end. "Silvertown Blues" is a classic; great lyrics, great melody, great guitar. Overall, I thought Golden Heart was a superior album, but even though I had extremely high expectations for this CD, I am not disappointed. If you don't have Golden Heart you are missing a real treat; buy it and this one too.

I give this five stars not because it is his best work ever (in my opinion that is on "Love Over Gold" and "Brothers In Arms"), but because it is his best solo work to date, and it is very good. But remember, this is a MK solo album, not a Dire Straits album. Although to me, with just slight changes, it could be a Dire Straits record.

Upon the first listen I knew that I was hearing what would soon be one of my most listened to discs. I'm not going to run through every track, but the album is very atmospheric with much more synth work than on "Golden Heart". Also, there is none of the Celtic influence that was present on "Golden Heart". I think the overall style compares favorably with "Brothers In Arms". The album is a nice mix of Rock, Blues, and a touch of Country influence. If you enjoyed "Golden Heart", and are also a Dire Straits fan, you will like this album.

I don't think Mark Knopfler's solo works will ever match Dire Straits, when he was at the height of his powers as a musician. But if anything, age has made him a more sophisiticated lyricist. Instead of writing in the 1st person, he now uses characters almost exclusively for his "narrators." Consider some of the cast on this album: * Mason and Dixon in 18th-century America * two old black bluesmen sleeping in their car in segregated 1940s America * an aging NASCAR driver * a settler on the prairie meeting his mail-order bride * a washed-up gambler in Las Vegas....

If there's a theme here, it is the arrival at a frontier. Perhaps this is Knopfler's way of confronting the white hairs on his head. (Ironically, he is now finally old enough for his voice, which has never sounded better!)

There are some moments of sublime beauty here, as on the title track. The various guest artists are perfectly placed - they never distract you from the fact that this is still a Mark Knopfler record. But if you're seeking the kind of guitar wizardry that made him famous in his youth (was he ever really a "youth?"), you'll be disappointed.

Still, absolutely nobody sounds like him. No guitarist or vocalist has ever dared to imitate him. He is a genre unto himself; a musician who can make a guitar speak, whisper, and cry, but never, ever scream.

Mark Knopfler manages to conjure up wonderful memories of those heady Dire Straits days and still advance his art by an order of magnitude. Highlights: What it is - vintage 'Straits, delicious stratocaster sound - summons up memories of "tunnel of love" Sailing to Philadelphia - Great to hear James Taylor - can't wait for his upcoming album with Knopfler producing. A logical advancement for Knopfler's cinematic sensibilities Baloney Again - another cinematic pastiche, wouldn't have been out of place on "Brothers in Arms" Do America: Some have said this sounds like a "Money for Nothing" or "Heavy Fuel" derivative. Quite the contrary: a shuffling ditty more in the spirit of "Twisting by the pool" Expendable. Speedway at Nazareth: Mindblowingly evocative - will rock them on tour! Silvertown Blues: Knopfler now reduces his epics to 5 or 6 minutes, intensifies them. Reminds me of "Skateaway", "Love over Gold", but takes this sort of thing to a whole new level. Sands of Nevada: eerie and keenly observed - think "On every street". Album of the year hands down - why no grammys?

Knopfler fans will not be disappointed. This is very much worth the wait. The musical influences are all here: jazz, pop, rock, country, bluegrass. Another Knopfler original. Personally, I can't get enough of his haunting, dreamy guitar licks so I rearranged the mix to lead off with Prairie Wedding and then into the JT and Van Morrison stuff and burned a new CD.I think anyone that enjoys serious original singer/songwriter/musicians, like Dylan, Lightfoot, and Petty will really appreciate this latest effort by Mark Knopfler.

of songs is as well written, produced and played as any since Dire Straits' Brothers In Arms. That record was significant on a number of fronts, capturing a huge audience new to the sound quality of the compact disc and in tune with a broad radio and video-tv audience. Sailing To Philadelphia shares all the aesthetic qualities of that illustrious predecessor, but it is hard to believe that it will reach a fraction of its audience today. That is a shame, perhaps, but hopefully a few old Straits enthusiasts will be coaxed out of retirement to buy. Amongst the joys to be found here are the two duets - the title track with James Taylor and The Last Laugh with Van Morrison. So in tune is Knopfler with the Celtic soul of The Man, that this song could have been written by him for one of his late 90's albums. Then there is the guitar. Totally distinctive but not identical in tone to earlier records, this is still one of the most evocative sounds in rock music. No-one who has ever loved the guitar solo could deny Mark Knopfler his place among the finest plankspankers of the rock era. In today's business, it may only evoke times gone by, but this is a great 'rock' record that will make many 'old' music fans very happy and perhaps turn a few of todays rock fans on to something altogether more tuneful and musically rewarding than most contemporary fare.