Mark Knopfler picks a dream

It was only after listening to the new Mark Knopfler album The Ragpicker’s Dream that I realized how much I miss the sound of Dire Straits. The group fronted by Mark and made up of his brother David plus John Illsley, Pick Withers and Alan Clark was one of the biggest acts of the New Wave blitz that swept the international music scene during the late ’70s and early ’80s. The blitz included Blondie, The Knack, The Police, Poco and others. Dire Straits was up there among the best.

Examples of Dire Straits’ big sellers are Sultans of Swing from the debut album also titled Dire Straits, which became number one in many countries, the Grammy-winning Money for Nothing from the even bigger selling Brothers in Arms album plus So Far Away, Tunnel of Love, A Night in Summer Long Ago and others.

Although all those hits plus everything was credited to Dire Straits – and I believe there must have also been a lot of contributions from the other members of the group – it was clear that Mark Knopfler exercised a great deal of control in the music of the band. He was after all the songwriter, lead singer, guitarist, album producer and arranger.

Dire Straits has since disbanded. Knopfler though continues to create music. He still does motion picture scores. I particularly like his work in Wag the Dog. He produces albums for other artists and he gets to work with really big stars like Randy Newman, James Taylor and Bob Dylan. Once in a while he also comes up with a solo album. He has so far released three, Golden Heart, Sailing to Philadelphia and The Ragpicker’s Dream.

Since Knopfler was the main force behind Dire Straits, it also follows that his solo efforts sound like Dire Straits. This was the consensus with his first two solo albums and The Ragpicker’s Dream is no different. There is the same laid-back, very British sophistication, brilliant guitarwork, his trademark expressive vocals and mundane themes that no other composer around will think of writing about. They are presented in an out-of-the-box manner.

Best of all though, his sense of humor is intact. In the album are songs to smile about. Knopfler himself sounds like he is having a lot of fun and he is able to impart the feeling to the listener. He may be singing about gray bittersweet tales as in the album stand-out A Place Where We Used to Live but the beat has a haunting lilt that you carry inside your head long after the album has played the final track. Take note too of You Don’t Know You’re Born. The title hints of philosophical musings from the former English teacher but the music is decidedly pop of the excellently put-together kind.

It takes Knopfler quite some time to come up with his solo albums but you can surely bet that the result will be one worth keeping and listening to again and again. And I tell you The Ragpicker’s Dream just gets better everytime.

Take a longer look at the songs with these interesting titles, all composed by Knopfler, by getting a copy of the album: Why Aye Man, Devil Baby, Hill Farmer’s Blues, A Place Where We Used to Live, Quality Shoe, Fare Thee Well Northumberland, Marbletown, You Don’t Know You’re Born, Coyote, Daddy’s Gone to Knoxville, Old Pigwood and of course The Ragpicker’s Dream.

Songs on US charts

Now for a look on the US charts. Here are the listings from the latest Billboard Magazine. The albums: Get Rich or Die Tryin’ by Eminem protégé 50 Cent; Come Away with Me by Norah Jones; Chocolate Factory by R. Kelly; Home by the Dixie Chicks; Sing the Sorrow by AFI; Chicago, the soundtrack of the Academy Award winning motion picture; Sweet Dreams by Fabolous; Cocky by Kid Rock; Fallen by Evanescence; and Monster by Killer Mike.

The singles: In Da Club by 50 Cent; Ignition by R. Kelly; All I Have by Jennifer Lopez featuring LL Cool J; Miss You by the late Aaliyah who was once married to R. Kelly; Picture by Kid Rock featuring Sheryl Crow or Allison Moorer; Mesmerize by Ja Rule featuring Ashanti; How You Gonna Act Like That by Tyrese; Gossip Folks by Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott featuring Ludacris; I’m with You by Avril Lavigne; and Landslide by the hot country trio, the Dixie Chicks.