Dire Straits before breakthrough

The ideal counterpart to the debut album, the band but six of the nine songs of "Dire Straits", half a year playing here for the studio recordings. The band was at that time still an absolute must, and you can hear the muted reaction of the audience and to the relatively tight performance ("Sultans of Swing" is only slightly longer than the studio version - later the piece was like to more than ten minutes!). Yet here many pieces are livelier and "meatier" than on the debut album. Especially the bass of John Illsley is much more present and crisp. "Six Blade Knife" has a lot more momentum, and at the end of "Lions", the band increases in a sweeping groove into which is to imagine on the studio version only. With "Wild West End" I can still do anything. That the band "In the Gallery" has not played, is a great pity. Thus, still lacks an official live recording of this classic. The recordings sound pretty neat except for a few moments. With "What's the matter baby?" there is even a song, which is represented on any (!) DS-studio album. Atypical also: "What's the matter baby?" was written by Mark Knopfler and his brother David Knopfler, the then rhythm guitar in the Straits played - so that it is next to "Money for Nothing" the only DS-number that was not composed by MK alone. Alone for this track belongs "Live at the BBC" in every Straits Collection. With "Tunnel of Love" there is then also a recording from 1981 (from the program of the same stupid title "The Old Grey Whistle Test"), with a surprisingly strong singing Mark Knopfler. Too bad that no other songs are available of this concert.

Nevertheless, an asset to any DS Collection.