Mark Knopfler – Get Lucky

When the book is written on underrated rock stars, two things will happen. One, gear heads will argue for days and days on end. Two, Mark Knopfler damn well better be in there. Twenty years ago, Mark couldn’t walk around (even without his sweatbands) and not get accosted by fans far and wide. Since the dispersal of the seminal Dire Straits, Mark has put out a consistent, if not diverse, body of work delving into different avenues of soundtracks, duets, country and live interpretations. I personally have been a longtime fan of his solo work, so I always put higher expectations on him. Poor bastard.

Sailing to Philadelphia was one of his strongest and most popular releases, and Knopfler’s latest, Get Lucky, shares a lot of ground with Philadelphia. Overwhelmingly, both are filled with stories from the past. Sailing was populated with characters drawing the Mason Dixon line; Lucky is populated with characters like a dying piper and a truck driver.

Knopfler has always had a knack for writing period pieces. From capturing the lingo to depicting the surroundings, Lucky is full of such stories. “Border Reiver” relates the story of a truck driver in late ’60s Scotland. Despite the opening being eerily reminiscent of “My Heart Will Go On,” Mark weaves a tale about everyday life. “Hard Shoulder” continues the analogy of the road as life. He details his task of a “man broken down on the slip road” and “it’s a hard shoulder to cry on.” Similarly, “Before Gas and TV” chronicles the era when singing campfire songs with guitars, spoons and combs was the main form of entertainment. “If heaven’s like this,” Knopfler sings, “well then here’s where I’ll be.”

Knopfler’s trademark resonator and Fender guitar sound comes on in the second half of the album, and he does a great job of really conveying the past. Most times, he hits the mark, but on occasion, the level of detail is a bit tedious. In fact, the biggest strength about writing period pieces is also its biggest downfall; the listener can nary apply their own take on the song. “Piper to The End” is very clearly about the final days of a proud piper. You can’t assign it as having some grand meaning about your most recent breakup. However, if you’re an old sea captain who has to intentionally beach his beloved vessel, well then “So Far From the Clyde” is right up your galley. As such, the potential to turn on new fans is somewhat minimal.

“Monteleone” sticks out a bit lyrically. Though not specifically based in the past, the song is a result of a handcrafted guitar being made for Knopfler. The waltz like melody emerges from the lush string instrumentation of the opening.

Speaking as a Knopfler fan, it took me a while to appreciate the music. Mark still does a fine job of penning a story, and the ethnic instrumentation adds authenticity. I just didn’t find that this grabbed me as quickly as Philadelphia. Sure, there are tunes that grab you despite the source material. “Border Reiver,” “Monteleone” and “Piper” come to mind as far as lyrics gelling with the music. Dire Straits fans looking for a return to that sound will be mildly disappointed. There’s certainly nothing as catchy at the Straits poppiest stuff, and only some cuts flirt with the catchiest cuts of Philadelphia. I can’t imagine true Knopfler fans will be disappointed. You know who you are.

Related posts:

1. Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan – Hawk
2. Biffy Clyro – Only Revolutions

Tagged as: AAA, Glasgow, Scotland

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