Dire Straits • Dire Straits
Warner Brothers 47769-1
33-RPM 180 g LP
I’ve been a Dire Straits fan pretty much since Sultans of Swing was in the UK singles chart, so I was very pleased to hear that Warner would be re-releasing most of Dire Straits’ catalogue, with plating and pressing performed at Pallas’ plant in Germany, from the original analogue master tapes.
Dire Straits is the eponymously-titled debut album from the British group. The album has a bluesy-rock feel to it, with a hint of country thrown in for good measure. Several of the songs serve as a showcase for Knopfler’s guitar virtuosity, perhaps most notably the Sultans of Swing’s coda.
The sound quality is good, benefiting from the simple, unfussy production. The bass is nice and warm sounding. I don’t have an original UK pressing of this album, but I do have a half speed master and another UK pressing, with which I compared this version. The half speed master and this new release were much better than the old UK copy I have: the bass is better defined, details are more apparent, and the treble is more clear. Dire Straits fans: if you want to get a shiver in the dark when it’s raining in the park, this is the version to buy!