I will now compare this to the previous CD, which has a booklet with colour photos, song lyrics and an appreciation essay talking about the history on that album and the reaction to it when it was released. The drums and bass guitar are clear and detailed but there is a lack of drive and punch in the sound. With their unique blend of rock and blues influences, Dire Straits gained international acclaim for their musical prowess. This was finally rectified when I was found myself chatting with Pick Withers at a Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame event at Abbey Road Studios in London. However it sounds a little “flat” in that whilst not overly loud the volume of all the instruments is consistent and level i.

Knopfler used a few guitars for the recording, including a pair of red Fender Stratocasters—one from 1961 (serial number 68354) and one from 1962 (serial number 80470).

People recognise the band for their later hits and albums, but I will stand my ground and say that the bands debut album is the best in their catalogue. This first leg took the band around Great Britain in June and July 1978, performing in England, Scotland and Wales. Luckily, I had help from the archive team at Universal and British Grove engineer Luie Stylianou, who was happy to do most of the assembly and syncing.

We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. When tapes are digitised, they are simply numbered, and individual tracks are not identified, resulting in many hours of work to even understand what you are hearing. It is very simple in approach and is one of the reasons that it has aged better than some of the bands later albums. The reality is, of course, FAR from this, and the nature of how the industry worked then and, to some extent, does so today means that it’s a while before the hard graft pays off, if at all, as any major band that has achieved longevity will testify. By reissuing back catalogues with the promise of perfect sound for ever, they could persuade fans to shell out all over again for albums they already owned.

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