Dire Straits magnum opus’ Brothers In Arms is a landmark achievement in sound that has been one of my favorite albums of since I first heard it as a teenager. To this day I still get chills when I hear the stinging precision of Mark Knopfler’s incredible guitar riff that kicks off “Money For Nothing” (a song which by default would probably put this entire album on my personal Best Of list it’s so damn good), but the impressive thing about this album is that there isn’t a single filler track throughout the whole record. It is a true classic in every sense of the word both in commercial success (9x platinum, 30 million copies sold around the world) and artistic achievement.
Recorded at AIR Studios on the island of Montserrat, which possessed the legendary Neve 8078 board renowned for its warm sound (more details on the Neve board’s influence on music history can be read in our May ’23 write up for Sound City), the sessions for Brothers In Arms appeared to be relatively straightforward from the outset. Lead songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler had written every song and rehearsed with the band ahead of time, bringing a complete album into the studio for one of the first times in the band’s history.
In a flash of brilliance Knopfler also had a vision for how Brothers In Arms could be marketed post-release. One of his favorite musicians Sting (who we also love deeply) would often go to Montserrat to wind-surf, and by a stroke of luck was on the island during the initial recording sessions. At the time The Police were doing adverts for MTV, and the idea was pitched that Sting would sing “I want my MTV” to the melody of “Don’t Stand So Close To Me”, one of The Police’s most popular songs at the time. Sting got behind the mic, that simple melody became an iconic part of the song, and coupled with the “Money For Nothing” music video that was one of the first to use computer generated graphics, the song became an instant hit on (you guessed it) MTV.
But like every good album story, there were a few twists and turns along the way. Long-time guitarist Hal Lindes shortly was fired by Knopfler just a weeks into recording, and was replaced by Jack Sonni (who was referred to “as the other Dire Straits guitarist”, a term that was probably hilarious to everyone but him) in the middle of the sessions. In addition, drummer Terry Williams was basically sent home after recording all of his parts as his performance was considered “unsuitable” for the sound and direction the band was looking for (ouch!). He was subsequently replaced on a temporary basis by jazz session drummer Omar Hakim, who banged out all the parts on the album over the course of two days. Hakim’s parts are the ones you hear on the album (Williams remained in the band for another three years). And if that wasn’t enough, three tracks were lost in the process due to defective recording tape, which forced the band to reconvene at New York’s Power Station in early 1985 to finish the album.
But in the end none of that drama really mattered– Brothers In Arms turned out to be a masterpiece of the highest order, peaking at #1 on the charts in 14 countries across the world and sending the band to new heights in popularity. And, with all due respect to all the wonderful musicians who contributed to this record (of which there are many), it was largely due to the vision of Mark Knopfler.
Brothers In Arms showcases everything that makes Knopfler such a legendary guitarist and songwriter. The tones and atmospherics he creates with the guitar are simply gorgeous (take one listen to “Why Worry” or “Ride Across the River” for an absolute masterclass in how to tell a story with just your guitar) and the precision he plays with is felt throughout the entire record. The secret to his tone lies in his finger playing capabilities– Knopfler is a fingerstyle player which basically means that all five of his fingers are free to craft melody across the fretboard (compared to just a single point that you get with a pick). This gives Knopfler a larger range of motion with his right hand and adds a dimension of color into his playing that is somewhat of a rarity in contemporary players, and why his playing sounds so damn rich and rhythmic.
Put another way– this is a man that during a live show in 1997 got Eric Clapton to play rhythm guitar, Phil Collins to play drums, and Sting to sing backing vocals for him. What an absolute legend.
Knopfler once said that “playing guitar with your fingers has something to do with immediacy and soul” which I think is a beautiful sentiment. Brothers In Arms has that soul in spades.
Standout Songs: “Money For Nothing”, “So Far Away”, “One World”, “Walk of Life”, “Why Worry” (but seriously, every damn song)
