When my Dad first mentioned Dire Straits to me, I wasn't at all intrigued. As a teenage proponent of intense or "out there" music from The Velvet Underground to Black Flag, my ears weren't open to a band famed for their lack of rock ethics in favor of a "rootsy" approach, led by a finger-picking guitar player more in line with Chet Atkins than Jimi Hendrix. I ignored suggestions to listen to their music for years.
I finally heard "Money For Nothing" for the first time in 2007 while sitting in the car. After a long intro that was unmistakably '80s sounding, the tune finally launched into a groovy electronic bounce that surprisingly featured Sting's notable cameo singing "I want my MTV" in his signature falsetto. I'd actually heard that hook, grotesquely appropriated for a Toyota commercial as "I want my MPG". The lead vocalist sang in a gruff, English baritone. I figured it was David Bowie circa 1984.
Over the next few weeks, I discovered the true identity of the band who had me truly addicted with "Money for Nothing". I went so far as to learn Mark Knopfler's intricate but infectious fuzz guitar lick, which was equal parts J.J. Cale and ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons. I "acquired" a few other Dire Straits songs, including their other signature hit "Sultans of Swing".
At that point, their appeal started to make sense to me. They sounded very much of their time, yet I'd be hesitant to slander them with the tasteless generalization of typical "80's Music", as most of their music was far less dated than the many gated reverb and synth-driven one hit wonders you might hear in a retro sports bar. They were equally undeserving of the "roots rock" label, for even with all of their twangy licks reminiscent of country, blues and rockabilly, their music didn't sound like any one of those genres. It was hard to classify them at all, as they straddled the purgatorial line between the Blues Rock and New Wave generations. The former eventually drew them in due to Knopfler's virtuoso guitar playing, which had the same dignified attributed to Clapton.
This heightened level of artistic depth was a blessing and a curse for the band. Even early on, Knopfler was already a seasoned songwriter who with the band turned out songs like "Wild West End" and "Down to the Waterline", which sound more like the more seasoned efforts from Clapton in his solo career than your typical New Wave-era band thrashing out their first album. Sometimes this resulted in the catchy, listenable song craft that resulted in their breakthrough single "Sultans of Swing" and it also meant they missed out on the charmingly energetic rock adolescence that gave early albums by The Police a sense of fun. At their most ambitious, Dire Straits could often be deservedly pegged as boring and pretentious, with some of their music bordering on tepid smooth jazz.
At their best, they always reminded me of fellow '80s fixtures Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and sometimes Elvis Costello in that no existing sub-genre of music accurately defined them. These bands created a sound of their own, which had stylish inflections of the new wave era but featured from-the-heart songwriting more typical of confessional singer songwriters like Van Morrison. Incidentally, Jimmy Iovine produced landmark albums for both Petty and Dire Straits. The timeless love anthem "Romeo and Juliet" from the Straits' Making Movies was the first song of theirs to become an all time favorite of mine, due in no small part to Iovine's earthy treatment.
Unlike Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers who endured into the Alternative Rock era, Dire Straits have not necessarily endured as a hip fixture. A reunion would probably land them a gig at the bigger Nokia stage than Coachella. Guitar players might appreciate Knopfler's status as a hero only beginning to enter the same conversations about Hendrix and Jimmy Page but their general perception has usually dubbed them middle aged Dad rock,
mostly memorable for "Money For Nothing" and its influence on MTV.
Perhaps it's due to a greater separation of time since the '80s and thus the sense of nostalgia has grown fonder, but I've noticed a shift in this perception, which is why I chose to write this piece. If I had to imagine a Dire Straits fan, I would imagine someone around my Dad's age who hangs on to the look and lifestyle glorified in Springsteen's"Glory Days", but two of the biggest fans I know are both lovely young women in their twenties who are connected with the more tastefully hip trends of modern music. Their influence can even be heard in today's pop music, with the Killers covering "Romeo and Juliet" and Bruno Mars augmenting his 2012 Sting tribute "Locked Out of Heaven" with a beat straight out of Knopfler's songbook.
It's unlikely this slowly burning buzz will reunite Knopfler with his cohorts, as he cordially yet firmly rejects his time with the band as a thing of the past he no longer wishes to revisit. This is understandable, as Knopfler is known to be adverse to the level of fame that threatened him when the band released their commercial blockbuster Brothers in Arms. A reunion would also be sadly unnecessary since the Straits' overall sound was produced largely by Knopfler alone. It's not like we would be treated to any new music on the level of "So Far Away" or "Tunnel of Love" anyway. Let's just enjoy the legacy they've left behind and see Knopfler in his comfort zone while we've still a chance.
Recommended Albums: Dire Straits, Making Movies, Brothers in Arms
Recommended Songs: "Money For Nothing", "Sultans of Swing", "Romeo and Juliet", "So Far Away", "Tunnel of Love", "Walk of Life", "Six Blade Knife", "Down to the Waterline", "Skateaway", "Telegraph Road"
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