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Label:
  Vertigo
Serial:
  9871497
Title:
  Dire Straits: Brothers in Arms (Ltd. Edition Digipak)
Description:
  "Brothers in Arms (Ltd. Edition Digipak)"

Dire Straits:
Mark Knopfler (guitars & vocals)
Alan Clark (keyboards)
Guy Fletcher (keyboards & vocals)
John Illsley (bass & vocals)
Omar Hakim, Terry Williams (drums)
Track listing:
  1. So Far Away
2. Money For Nothing
3. Walk of Life
4. Your Latest Trick
5. Why Worry
6. Ride Across The River
7. The Man's Too Strong
8. One World
9. Brothers In Arms
Genre:
  Pop/Rock
Content:
  Stereo/Multichannel
Media:
  Hybrid
Recording type:
 
Recording info:
  Recorded at Air Studios, Montserrat, West Indies
Original recording: Produced by Mark Knopfler and Neil Dorfsman
Engineered by: Neil Dorfsman

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Reviews: 10 show all

Review by Goodwood May 23, 2005 (18 of 19 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
I only listen in stereo so, sorry, no talk of spinning guitars and drums here. The general view of this disc is the sheer listenability. The RBCD, especially the first version, could sound ferocious at times. It seems that the high end has been tamed, yet the mids shine through in a way like never before. Here’s a run down of observation on tracks.

1) So Far Away
The first thing that struck me was how easy the drums are to listen too. That snare doesn’t seem as aggressive as before.

2) Money for Nothing
This track seems transformed. It seems to have a groove that I never derived from the RBCD. As a result I find myself less likely to skip before the end. It really has come to life.

3) Walk of Life
Here again the opening guitars seem a lot easier on the ear but with the whole track not really generating any new interest.

4) Your Latest Trick
The trumpet (if that’s what it is) seems to have more of that resolution that we love with SACD. The vocal sounds far more convincing than before with a lovely 3D quality to it.

5) Why Worry
I expected the multi-tracked guitar intro to perhaps reveal more detail than we have heard before. They sound a little artificial to me and probably don’t let enough of the vocal harmonies come through but that is obviously a production issue. The quiet part from the middle going on to the end does seem to sound a lot more dynamic with more meaning and a great sense of interplay between the musicians. It fades away really nicely.

6) Ride Across the River
The great thing about this track for me is the electric guitar which wails away throughout. The solo has far more emotion than before. It really does sound like a guitar interacting with an overdriven amp. Now the trumpet in the background doesn’t distract like it used to. Yet the vocal remains clear throughout.

7) The Mans Too Strong
The vocal introduction sounds really sweet here and the instrumental crescendos in the choruses again sound easier on the ear although, on my system, I still struggle to work out exactly what the sounds are.

8) One World
I really like the balance of this track, the percussion, little reverberant sounds in the background, funky guitar sounds. Just great.

9) Brothers in Arms
What strikes me about this track is how gentle the vocals are, something completely lost on RBCD. It completely changes my perception of the track. The guitar doesn’t seem any more revealing but the Leslies on the Keyboards seem to really stand out and add to the end of the track.

The greatest thing about this issue is that I will probably be enjoying the music rather than just listening to it. If I have a concern it’s that I’m a little sceptical about the ultimate resolution that is on the original master tapes. I heard that this was a digital recording and at the time this was recorded that would have had implications on quality. I would therefore like to bet that this is as good as it gets with any future issues varying in mixes only. However if you want to actually enjoy this album for its music rather than as a hifi experience this issue absolutely beats anything before it and I thoroughly reommend it.

I look forward to seeing other reviews.

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Review by Quadophile July 9, 2005 (7 of 7 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
I just cannot believe the dynamics of this album could improve so much with the SACD version. Very smooth sounding and exceptional vocal clarity. The biggest surprise was the separation of the intruments, each one very distinct and can be followed individually. I own the original version of the cd as well as the LP (a reissue) and it beats both of them hands down in every department.

Any fan of Dire Straits if owns an SACD player must have this album. I thought twice about buying this since this is the third format for me, but I am glad I decided to get it. Worth every penny I spent on it.

My system is two channel.

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Review by S. Plukker May 27, 2005 (5 of 11 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
After the LP recording 20 years ago, the sacd brings this album in a new dimension.
Fantastic 5.1 recording.

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