Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris - All the Roadrunning
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Music CD Cover
Artist: Mark Knopfler and Emmylou HarrisBrand: KNOPFLER,MARK
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2006-04-25
Music Label: Warner Bros / Wea
Soundtracks:
- Beachcombing
- I Dug Up A Diamond
- This Is Us
- Red Staggerwing
- Rollin' On
- Love and Happiness for You
- Right Now
- Donkey Town
- Belle Star
- Beyond My Wildest Dreams
- All the Roadrunning
- If This is Goodbye
Free Music Notes for All the Roadrunning
Free Music Review: A near-perfect - pairing of musical talents
Hit: 5 Stars
On the surface, the pairing of Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris seemed a bit peculiar. But to those familiar with the artists and their work, "All The Roadrunning" had some intriguing possibilities. Fortunately, this project exceeded expectations.
In my mind, Mark Knopfler is tremendously underrated, both as a guitarist and as a songwriter. Outside of his days in Dire Straits (which included the seminal "Brothers In Arms" album), not many people know him. His body of work in his post-Dire Straits career has been quite interesting and enjoyable. His sound is unmistakable, and he can play everything from blues to rock to bluegrass, with a few other genres mixed in. As for Emmylou Harris, I think she has also been overlooked and maybe a little underrated in the most recent stages of her career. She possesses a remarkable voice that can be both haunting and angelic (even at the same time), and can effortlessly sing any type of music with just about anybody. She has also crafted an interesting body of work in the past decade or so that.
Throughout "All The Roadrunning", this combination of songwriting, vocals, and musicianship all blend together to create an impeccable collection of songs. Mr. Knopfler and Ms. Harris seem to have a tremendous respect for each other's talents, which comes across in the music. There isn't a sense that they are trying to upstage the other, nor is there the odd song that seems "out of the wheelhouse" of one of the musicians. Rather, the songs play to their strong suits; nothing seems jarring or forced.
Vocally, the pairing is nearly perfect. Mr. Knopfler prowls the deep end of the vocal range, which complements Ms. Harris' higher vocal range and vice versa. On other songs, it is Mr. Knopfler's guitar work that complements Ms. Harris' vocals. They seamlessly work through a collection of songs that range from rock to bluegrass to a sort of alternative, with a little bit of blues thrown in for good measure.
More often than not, the tracks on a disc seem to be laid out in such a way where the stronger songs are early, with the marginal or weak tracks bringing up the end. On "All The Roadrunning", the track list seems far more balanced; in fact, it almost builds to a very strong, emotional conclusion that leaves the listener wanting more.
The disc starts off with solid, if perhaps a bit unremarkably, with "Beachcomber" and "I Dug Up A Diamond". But soon enough, the rocker "This Is Us" - a favorite of mine - really gets the disc in high gear. Another favorite, "Right Now", follows a few tracks later. It continues along with several more solid songs before a terrific 1-2 punch of the title track and "If This Is Goodbye" that close out the disc. These last two songs are the ones I like the most of all. "All The Roadrunning" speaks - at least in part - to a concert tour, but depending on how you interpret the lyrics, you can take about 3 or 4 other stories from the song. "If This Is Goodbye" is a beautifully poignant track which Mr. Knopfler has said was inspired by the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks. The attacks aren't directly referred to in the song, so there is no sense that it is a cheap attempt to "capitalize" on that terrible day. Instead, you have a song that can speak to any romance in any phase of life, and Mr. Knopfler's haunting guitar work in the song (eerily reminiscent of the great title track of "Brothers In Arms") create an added emotional punch to the song.
You don't need to be a fan of any particular genre to truly enjoy "All The Roadrunning". You should simply be a fan of - or otherwise appreciate - good music, period. Mr. Knopfler and Ms. Harris have put together a great disc, and one that hopefully enjoys a wide audience beyond that which has already picked up on it since its release last year. I hope that perhaps these two great musicians will collaborate again on another disc; if not right away, then before their respective careers are over.
All the Roadrunning Poster
For several years, the iconic Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris have been quietly recording a remarkable collection of duets whenever the Grammy winning artists could steal away from their own illustrious careers. The extraordinary result is All the Roadrunning. The songs from their Nashville sessions, all originals, while undeniably modern, have the appeal of classics, whether country, Celtic flavored or gently soulful. All the Roadrunning is Knopfler & Harris making music and, as the lyric for "This is Us" puts it, making history.Over the last seven years, Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris quietly recorded an album by stealing "a few precious hours of studio time here and there," as the ex-Dire Straits singer/guitarist puts it. Good thing they kept it largely under wraps--expectations would have pushed through the clouds, especially as Knopfler conjured 10 of the 12 cuts, and Harris, who writes potently, but little, contributed two ("Love and Happiness," "Belle Starr"). Yet now that it's here, All the Roadrunning--while beautiful--seems somehow underwhelming, and without a true centerpiece. Anyone familiar with the artists' famous catalogues would expect the repertoire to be poetic and brooding, and that Harris's ethereal soprano would add light to Knopfler's dark Prozac rumblings. But the surprise is that the album is too tame, never breaks out of its midtempo groove, and never takes any big chances.That said, there is much to like: The marital scrapbook romp of "This Is Us," the bluesy bickering of "Right Now," the wrenching poignancy of the 9/11-inspired ballad "If This Is Goodbye." Knopfler, ever the hypnotic guitarist, turns in some thrillingly droll and laconic vocals, and Harris brings the spirited coltishness of her early work to "Belle Starr." In the end, though, this is not so much a duet album as two famously melancholy musicians singing together--at times, strikingly so. --Alanna Nash
More Mark & Emmylou
 Private Investigations: The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler |  Brothers in Arms Dire Straits |  Screenplaying Mark Knopfler |
 Anthology: The Warner/Reprise Years Emmylou Harris |  Pieces of the Sky Emmylou Harris |  Wrecking Ball Emmylou Harris |
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