Dire Straits – Brothers In Arms | 2x LP 180g 45rpm Vinyl, Limited, Numbered, MOFI

SOLD MORE THAN NINE MILLION COPIES IN U.S. ALONE, RANKED #351 ON ROLLING STONE’S 500 GREATEST ALBUMS OF ALL TIME
Digital clone of Sony 1630 U-Matic digital master
There are hit records. And then there are blockbusters. One of the world’s best-selling records, a winner of two Grammy Awards, an era-defining reference statement, an MTV favorite, and a set that catapulted an already-acclaimed band to arena status, Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms is the kind of epic spectacular that comes around only once or twice a decade. Surpassed only in fame and visibility during the period by Michael Jackson’s Thriller, the 1985 album remains idiosyncratic for its covetable combination of adventurous songwriting, precision-based performances, and reference-caliber fidelity.

Tracklist:

A1 So Far Away
A2 Money For Nothing
B1 Walk Of Life
B2 Your Latest Trick
C1 Why Worry
C2 Ride Across The River
D1 The Man’s Too Strong
D2 One World
D3 Brothers In Arms

Bass, Vocals – John Illsley
Drums – Omar Hakim, Terry Williams
Guitar, Vocals, Written By, Producer – Mark Knopfler
Keyboards – Alan Clark
Keyboards, Vocals – Guy Fletcher

The sense of realism this edition delivers will leave slack-jawed even the most hard-to-please audiophiles. As the recipient of the Grammy for Best-Engineered Recording, the album has always been a go-to sonic standard, but never has it sounded so reach-out-and-touch-it realistic as it does on this analog pressing. All of the hallmark characteristics – ample spaciousness, ideal balances, widescreen dynamics, immersive depth, lush production – are here in spades. As is music-making of enviable proportions.

While it’s easy to speculate that the colossal success of Brothers in Arms relates to its timing – its release during an era obsessed with catchy singles, flashy MTV videos, and whistle-friendly melodies – reasons for the album’s chart-busting success primarily owe to the expertly crafted songs and memorable playing turned in by a group hitting its creative peak. Not to mention the spatial dimensions that cause instruments and vocals to naturally float in a fixed area.

Anchored by “Money for Nothing,” a caustically themed smash immediately identifiable via Mark Knopfler’s resonant finger-picked guitar riff and Sting’s “I want my MTV” vocal refrain, Dire Straits’ fifth album is stuffed with bluesy signatures, jazz-rock motifs, clever lyrics, and organic accents. Diversity and consistency also extend to the songs’ moods. Singing with his trademark light-to-the-touch timbre, Knopfler conjures feelings of poignancy, peacefulness, and mellowness, channeling wistfulness on the Top 10 single “So Far Away” and somber assurance on “Why Worry.”

Perfection abounds, not only in the manner in which the band nails its pop hooks and uptempo boogies with debonair flair — but also in the control room. Iconic session jazz drummer Omar Hakim supplies fluid beats and solid rhythmic foundations while Knopfler and Co. comb over grooves so smooth it seems that they’re made of honey butter. Dire Straits would never play with such effortlessness again.

Recording information:

Title: Brothers In Arms
Artist: Dire Straits
Genre: Pop-Rock
Media: 2x 180g LP Vinyl Stereo 45rpm, Limited, Numbered, Remastered, . Mastered from Digital clone of Sony 1630 U-Matic digital master to analog console to lathe. Mastered @ Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab on The Gain 2 Ultra Analog System.
Label: MoFi – Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab
Cat#: MFSL-2-441
Released: 2024 in US
Original release: 1985 by Vertigo 824 499-1
EAN: 0821797244114
Discogs rel.#: 14582697