Mark Knopfler - Sailing to Philadelphia
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Free Music Notes for Sailing to Philadelphia
Free Music Review: I am now sailing with Mr. Knopfler
Hit: 5 Stars
I bought this album because I had read numerous reviews about it as being one the year's best recordings. I had never heard his music, I didn't know who this artist was, and I was only able to sample a few of the songs before I purchased it. However, when I recieved the album, I was not let down at all.If you are into musicians who play their own guitars and sing with deep voices, this album is for you. Knopfler strokes the guitar and sings his songs with ease, and this album plays so effortlessly that the music can almost blend into any atmosphere.
It reminds me of the Lucinda Williams "Car Wheels...." album in that every song is written with precision and thought. It seems as though Knopfler is sitting down in front of a camp fire and allowing all us to enjoy what he has to offer. All of the recordings reveal something about the musician, and the album it is crafted so that all of the listeners can come along for this journey.
His voice also reminds me of James Taylor. The tones they both use in their voices are very similar, and the way they address their music is acutely parallel.
If you like music from artists like Shawn Mullins or David Gray (or James Taylor and Lucinda Williams), I think that you will appreciate what Knopfler has created with this album.
Free Music Review: Storytelling isn't dead
Hit: 5 Stars
This album caught my eye when it was released but it was after a friend's strong recommendation that I picked it up. It's become my favorite album. In a world where songwriters all too often simply rip out pages of their journals and purport them as songs, turning listeners into their psychiatrists, their accomplices, or their disciples, this album plays like a clarifying rain. Knopfler almost never talks about himself in these songs, none of these songs are about himself. He tells stories. Mason & Dixon. A race car driver (I was listening to this track the night of the Pepsi 400 at Daytona). The moving husband and wife in "Prairie Wedding", right out of Willa Cather. When Knopfler uses the first person in these songs, more often than not it's narrative, not autobiographical. Yet all the characters relate some truth or observation about the world with a greater compassion than if Knopfler had done the common thing and said "I think this" or "I feel that" or "I did this the other day". If you're a listener who has lost patience with being some anguished or angry artist's therapist or enabler, sick of hearing about lives seemingly lived without an ounce of imagination, buy this album and treat yourself to a real storyteller.Free Music Review: A fabulous CD.
Hit: 5 Stars
This is easily Mark Knopfler's finest effort, beating anything he has done solo or with Dire Straits. I've always enjoyed the fact that Knopfler tells great stories with most of his songs, and he ventures into true bard territory here. Thirteen strong songs, each weaving their own story, all accompanied by Knopfler's top-notch guitar work, soft voice and Guy Fletcher's fantastic keyboards.The Straits-like "What It Is" leads off the CD, followed by the beautiful Mason-Dixon story ("Sailing to Philadelphia") with James Taylor. Then there are five songs of great variety, from the bouncy "Who's Your Baby Now" to the amusing "El Macho." The eighth song is one of my favorites, the sweet "Prairie Wedding" that has some of the most touching lyrics I've heard. The tenth song, "Speedway at Nazareth," is easily my favorite song on the CD. It has a great bluegrass feel, closing with an instrumental "duel" that is some of the finest playing I've ever heard.
Knopfler's voice and guitar are perfect for this collection of songs, his quietly smooth vocals and subtle guitar weaving with the stories he's singing to create some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard. This is a must-buy for songwriters, storytellers and music lovers.
Free Music Review: A truly great solo album...
Hit: 5 Stars
Over the years I've grown to not expect too much from a solo album from a member of a great classic rock group. They inevitably disappoint in comparison to their previous classic work.However Mark Knopfler's "Sailing to Philadelphia" can comfortably settle in the rare air of the great solo album.
Knopfler feels at home covering a wide range of genres and songwriting topics. Few albums cover such subjects as a black gospel group in the South, the Mason-Dixon line, and drug abuse!
The album's guest stars are also stellar. I was particularly impressed with James Taylor's duet with Mark on the title track (and I am by no means a James Taylor fan). As usual, Van Morrison turns in a soulful vocal performance on "The Last Laugh."
The music itself is great and covers a lot of ground. Although you can hear lots of echos of Knopfler's work with the Dire Straits he doesn't slavishly rely on the sound that made him famous to craft the record. There is a lot of great Americana (and some distinctively Irish) music coming from the CD.
Even if you aren't a fan of the Dire Straits, you can get into this album. Finally, if you are into thoughtful, well-crafted rock music than this ablum is a must have!
Free Music Review: Not as good as Golden Heart, but...
Hit: 5 Stars
This is an excellent piece of work with just a few exceptions "Do America" would probably be fun live, but I skip it every time I play the CD. It is several cuts below the other material. I'm a sucker for Beach Boy type harmonies and Beatlesque compositons so I like "Who's Your Baby Now" just fine. "What It Is", "Sailing to Philadelphia" "El Macho" and "Prairie Wedding" are all excellent. "Prairie Wedding" sounds like an old Waylon Jennings tune in drop D tuning. But the real fun starts with "Speedway at Nazareth" which starts off with bluegrass sounding harmonies and then erupts with some full-fledged Knopfler guitar. "Junkie Doll" is my favorite song on the CD; JJ Cale's influence is abundant here, and I love the guitar work throughout, especially the solo in the middle and the subtle, quiet stuff at the end. "Silvertown Blues" is a classic; great lyrics, great melody, great guitar. Overall, I thought Golden Heart was a superior album, but even though I had extremely high expectations for this CD, I am not disappointed. If you don't have Golden Heart you are missing a real treat; buy it and this one too.