Dire Straits - Communique
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Free Music Notes for Communique
Free Music Review: Dire Straits' second album still sounds excellent 30 years on
Hit: 5 Stars
Dire Straits' second album entitled Communique was released in June of 1979 on Vertigo/Phonogram in Europe and on Warner Bros here in the United States.
By the time Dire Straits recorded Communique in the Bahamas in late 1978 with Warner Bros A&R man Jerry Wexler and Barry Beckett producing this go around, their self-titled debut which had a great blend of rock, blues, folk, jazz and even some Country to great effect caught on in many countries (with their native England being the last to catch on to what Holland, Germany, Australia and the US saw as rock's great new band).
Like its predecessor, Dire Straits consisted of lead singer/lead guitarist/songwriter Mark Knopfler, his rhythm guitarist brother David (who would leave in 1980), bass player John Illsley and drummer Pick Withers plus session keyboard player B Bear. Those who put this sophomore effort were in for a treat (as I found out one day when I finally acquired the album in January of 1998 (although was familiar with "Lady Writer" as US radio played it alot).
We begin the album with the epic "Once Upon a Time In the West" which starts with Mark's stellar guitar work which gives way into a great mid-tempo rocking number. "News" is next and another great mid-tempo track with excellent electric guitar work. Next is "Where Do You Think You're Going" which is a great number with some piano work and starts out in a slow tempo before it ends in a faster tempo with some fiery guitar work. The first side ended with the album's title cut which was a great mid-tempo rocker with a catchy chorus and a great riff.
The album's second side started with the hit single "Lady Writer" which is a great rocker. This was the put Dire Straits on the map and made the band huge here in the US. Next is the shuffling "Angel of Mercy" which was another great song with a great riff and superb chorus. We follow with "Portobello Belle" which was another great song. "Single Handed Sailor" follows and is another great number. We close the album with another five plus minute piece called "Follow Me Home" which was another phenomenal track.
Communique peaked at #11 on the Billboard chart and went Gold here in the US with 500,000 copies sold upon its release. Sales aside, Communique proved Dire Straits were to be no one-hit wonder.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Free Music Review: Absolutely Beautiful!
Hit: 5 Stars
When I first listened to the first Dire Straits album, back in the Seventies, I was instantly drawn to them. There was too much going on in the music scene at that time, sonically that is, and suddenly, here comes a band with a no-distortion guitar sound, with down-to-earth themes-mind you, those themes had their own spirituality- and, most important, with the ability to touch us all with music and words that speak directly to our hearts and souls! Am I exaggerating here? (...)
I do feel though, that, while other bands and artists at that time felt the need to create a complicated "progressive rock sound" aiming at impressing their young and inexperienced audience, these guys took their themes out of the harsh reality of life and made them songs, without bothering to sugar-coat them or disguise them in any way...and yet, the beautiful simplicity of their music is breathtaking!
I was born and raised in Athens, Greece, a city where life is damn difficult, but also a city that has never lost its soul, and this is where the first big success came for Dire Straits: Over 40,000 sales for their first album and at least as many for Communique, almost overnight!!!!
And this album was much inspired by the Greek way of life, especially the last song, "Follow Me Home", which Mark Knopfler wrote after the band visited the island of Rhodes. Having lived in Rhodes for three years, I can totally relate to that song...
I must say, I enjoyed what Dire Straits did after "Communique". I like "Making Movies" and even more I like "Love Over Gold", the second Dire Straits album to deeply touch my soul, especially after going through the 80's recession in British Columbia, Canada.
I still maintain though, that, "Communique" is a unique album. Despite some sonic similarities with their first album, especially in the opening tracks of "sides A & B", the feeling here is distinctly different from their first LP. I won't go through the individual songs here, other reviewers have done this already, and the fact is, I like all the songs.
My advice to all the listeners is simply to just relax, listen to this CD and get the feeling of it! Enjoy!
Free Music Review: A good sophomore effort
Hit: 5 Stars
Let's get to the point right away - this 2nd album by Dire Straits is not better than their debut. Particularly, because the songs are not so good. But yet it calmly flows along just fine, provides a handful of beautiful melodies, a striking guitar playing by Mark Knopfler, and all in all proves to be a 5 star record.The sound of this album is made with 2 major influences. One, is that the band clearly wanted to make an album in the vein of their first. It gets very obvious in a number of songs, which sound like a rehash of songs from "Dire Straits" with different lyrics. This album starts with almost the same lone guitar licks, and ends in the same style with very calm and relaxed song ("Lions" in the debut and "Follow Me Home" here). "Where Do You Think You're Going?" is not without a taste of "Six Blade Knife". "Lady Writer" borrows a lot from "Sultans of Swing". But what the album lacks in originality, it gains back in soul with which this songs are performed. Another influence I'm talking of is Hawaiian. This album was recorded in the studio in Hawaii, and it shows in positive relaxed feeling to some songs, like "Communique", "Angel of Mercy", and gets to the most notable form in "Follow Me Home".
Along with this tropical feeling, the band introduced keyboards to their sound, that first can be heard in "Where Do You Think You're Going?". History proved it was a step in the right direction.
While this record doesn't hold your attention like "Dire Straits" does, I tend to judge it positively, because typically for Mark, it's done very tastefully. My favorite songs here are "News", "Where Do You Think You're Going?", "Lady Writer" and "Single-Handed Sailor". This album will be a good addition to any blues-rock fan collection. And Mark Knopfler's guitar playing is incredible, like it always was.
Free Music Review: Great second effort
Hit: 5 Stars
This album seems tighter than the first, although it wasn't near as popular - only the 'Sultans' copycat 'Lady Writer' seemed to get any radio airplay. While I'm not a fond of 'Once Upon a Time in the West' as the others, the album is a good solid play all the way through - no getting up to skip any songs. The counterpoint guitar and solo of 'News' is beautiful, and listen for some wonderfully subtle volume pedal work. The beginning guitar licks of 'Where Do You Think You're Going?' blend perfectly with the ending of 'News'. 'Communique' is a bouncy unpretentious song the revolves around a great little Strat riff - some find it monotonous as it seldom leaves A major, but it works for me. 'Lady Writer' has better-than-it-deserves guitar work, but seems a bit derivative of 'Sultans of Swing'. 'Angel of Mercy' shifts the gears back down to where Dire Straits is at their best - mid-tempo blues/rock. 'Portobello Belle' reintroduces Mark's steel guitar work, although in a simpler manner than 'Wild West End' 'Single-Handed Sailor' took a couple of listens to get into, but is another better-than-it-first-seems tunes. 'Follow Me Home' - well, if it fell off the album I wouldn't miss it, but it's not bad enough to skip.David left the band after this album, suddenly they were famous, and became "Springsteen-ized" by Jimmy Iovine on Making Movies, so they would never again have this sound again. Shame - I liked the old Dire Straits better.
PS - and to the reviewer who gave the album 0 stars because he couldn't play it on his PC - what does the inablity to play it on a PC or Mac have to do with the quality of the material? How lame...
Free Music Review: Quite possibly Dire Straits' best work
Hit: 5 Stars
I've been a huge Dire Straits fan for almost 30 years now, and have just gotten around to replacing all of their albums with CDs and giving everything a thorough listen. While Love Over Gold had long been my favorite, I have fallen in love anew with all of the earlier CDs, particularly Communique. There simply is not a weak track on the disk.
While Mark Knopfler has consistently written exceptionally strong music (and his voice, while not technically very good, suits his compositions perfectly), each of the band's disks has at least one, if not more, weak track. Even Love Over Gold has, well, "Love Over Gold," which while lovely, probably goes on about 2 minutes too long. Communique does not have that problem. The songs, while for the most part understated, each showcase different aspects of Knopfler's playing that would come to the forefront on later songs. Particular favorites are "Where Do You Think You're Going?", "News", "Lady Writer", and "Single-Handed Sailor." The lyrics show a maturity and darkness not readily available to the casual listener. The variety of playing styles is incredible.
If you're a fan at all of the band and have hesitated checking this disk out because of it's age or some of the reviews here, please give his disk a chance. You will be greatly surprised and thoroughly pleased. Besides, it's only $7 brand new.
Haunting, lovely, and a clear roadmap for the band they would become in the future. A best buy.