418. Dire Straits, "Brothers in Arms"

 


When does an album become a Dad album?  Led Zeppelin albums started off for kids, then became Dad albums, and are now officially Granddad albums (not Grandaddy albums).  Pavement albums are now Dad albums.  Even Green Day albums are now Dad albums.  (When you have a Broadway show based on your music, you are automatically a Parent Band).  This album, however, was a Dad album the day it came out and has somehow become even Dadder as time goes on.

(There are also, of course, Mom albums.  Bruno Mars.  Any former boy bander.  John Mayer.  The Hamilton original cast recording.)

I hate to break it to the Dads out there but a lot of this album is B-O-R-I-N-G.  Of course you know "Money for Nothing" and "Walk of Life" and you might now "So Far Away" but man, once you get past those things really drag.  Why does every song have a too-long intro?  And why do half the songs sound like Mark Knopfler was just noodling around on guitar and then said "Fuck it, I'll just half-write some melody to go with it and call it a day"?  I know this album sold a bajillion and a half copies but a lot of it sounds like half an idea.

"Money for Nothing" was, of course, a huge hit due in large part to its video, which was inescapable on MTV, which is ironic or something because Sting - another Mom album purveyor! - sings "I want my MTV" over and over and over again.  It's not a terrible song and the crunchy guitar (which the producer has said was done in emulation of ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons) is a cool and distinctive sound, so there's that.  But the porno sax that's all over this album is so dated it might as well be wearing Wayfarers and a Members Only jacket.  Let's put on something else, Dad.

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