Dire Straits-Brothers In Arms (1985)
Artist: Dire Straits
Title: Brothers In Arms
Label: Warner Bros.
Format: CD
Sell Date: 10/14/26
Condition: VG+/VG+
Discogs Last Sold: 10/18/26 VG+/VG+ $1.99
Low: $0.99
Median: $2.48
Average: $2.82
High: $7.20
Current low price: $1.99 VG/G+
Curren Number on Sale at Discogs: 8
Have/Want: 257/335
Where Sold: Mill Valley, CA
Time It Took To Sell: 3 years
Where and When Bought: Facebook CD lot
Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: B-
Sad To See It Go: No
With the 40th anniversary come and gone, I guess it is finally time to assess Dire Straits' Brothers In Arms. This was a band I liked in the first half of the 80's. Heck, Communique was played relentlessly by my parents in the early part of the 80's. British but Dylanesque, what was not to love for all eternity. Well, a synth bank and overexposure changed all that. The opening three tracks could not be escaped on Rock radio and "Money For Nothing" became an annoying, overplayed cultural signifier. The accompanying video was well done computer animation meeting pastel outlines and Springsteen style headbands and scarves. Middle age jock rock to the point the "Walk Of Life" video ran like a sports bloopers reel. In a way it was pandering to the millions in the US that bought Springsteen's Born In The U.S.A and sold about as much. It was a pop culture niche in 1985. I didn't even consider buying this then and I held firm until it came to me in a CD lot a few years ago, but still went unplayed until now.
All that said, "So Far Away" was the hit I liked and that made opener of the album. The title track is closer to what Dire Straits were doing before this, at least on Love Over Gold with an atmospheric wash puntuated by Knopfler guitar. Despite the video, I don't remember hearing it on the radio like the other three. In fact, the 5 songs in between never really had radio legs either. Of these, "The Man's Too Strong" is the one that verges toward familiarity after a few listens.
Better than I gave it credit for but I rather hear anything of their releases before it.
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