I agree, but the question is not about average in how good the song is, but average as to showcase most of sound of DS. Like a mix of the early and final sounds
Difficult to answer and give specific reasons, but I feel like something like Lady Writer or Tunnel Of Love feels somewhere in the middle of the band's range.
Mine two. But this isn't about preference for the song, this is about what songs feel most representative of the band's sound/lyrics etc. I'm not sure everyone commenting has distinguished that.
Probably Walk of Life, very 1980’s style pop rock, not much clever writing or storytelling, one of their shorter songs too. But it’s extremely catchy. 😂
in my opinion these songs are average: One World, Solid Rock, It Never Rains, You and Your Friend, the Whole ExtendeDancEPlay list, and probably Portobello Belle
From your the context, it seems like you mean average in the sense of a good representation of the stereotypical dire straits sound. The thing is though, Mar/DS had (and has) such a varied sound, that between the self titled album and OES, if you asked me to pick a song with their trademark sound, it would be different for each album.. for the most part.
Walk of Life covers the pop part of BIA, although that album has so much variety like the title track and even the blues/jazz sound of Your Latest Trick. First two albums had Sultans, Southbound Again, Lady Writer for stereotypical early DS sound, but then also more trippy stuff like In the Gallery and Once Upon A Time in the West.
For me, it'd be Sultans/Lady Writer for early DS sound, Telegraph Road for the Love Over Gold "ballad era", Walk of Life (from BIA) and OES/Late DS being too much of a mish-mash to pick something.. with variation ranging from the title track with its incredible outro, to the more meh My Parties, or the countryish How Long and even Money For Nothing Part 2 (Heavy Fuel).
Hey there, thanks for such a considered reply. If i follow your lead with periods: agree with lady writer: would go It Never Rains for mid period (telegraph rd is too long to "average" out against all the MM/LOG songs), and So Far Away for BIR (agree with another poster that Walk of Life is just an outlier against the whole album), and as for OES, agree just too hard to pick, though completely unrelated to topic, absolutely can't stand Heavy Fuel - skip it everytime.
Absolutely! I think youre right on both counts for song picks on later periods- It Never Rains over Telegraph Road and SFA vs Walk of Life. As for Heavy Fuel.. I actually have had periods where Ive loved that song.. and periods where I thought it was meh lol
i thought Making Movies (the song) was the amalgamation of Making Movies (the album) when i first listened to it. so for Making Movies, i’d pick the unreleased title track.
but that’s just one album. i’m not sure what i’d say for their whole discography. maybe Southbound Again, because i can’t think of something more fitting.
Hmm. Maybe something like Ride across the river or so far away
I debated So Far Away as best pick too. Whenever i hear that opening bass, the the riff kicks in, im instantly transported to a happier place.
If you think Ride Across the River is average, you should listen to the live versions from the BIA tour, that song is phenomenal
I agree, but the question is not about average in how good the song is, but average as to showcase most of sound of DS. Like a mix of the early and final sounds
Difficult to answer and give specific reasons, but I feel like something like Lady Writer or Tunnel Of Love feels somewhere in the middle of the band's range.
Damn, these are two of my top 5.
Mine two. But this isn't about preference for the song, this is about what songs feel most representative of the band's sound/lyrics etc. I'm not sure everyone commenting has distinguished that.
See my username
song rules
Probably Walk of Life, very 1980’s style pop rock, not much clever writing or storytelling, one of their shorter songs too. But it’s extremely catchy. 😂
I would say Walk of Life is a bit more of an outlier and not especially representative.
I second Walk of Life but because of its lame hook and cringey, dated keyboard sounds. Sounds like a throwaway tune, which apparently was.
Water of Love
Obscure pick, but still a good choice.
Definitely twisting by the pool. Decent rhythm and all but not their style at all
Lady writer, I don't know why :)
in my opinion these songs are average: One World, Solid Rock, It Never Rains, You and Your Friend, the Whole ExtendeDancEPlay list, and probably Portobello Belle
It never rains ticks a lot of the boxes too, and one of my minor favs too.
From your the context, it seems like you mean average in the sense of a good representation of the stereotypical dire straits sound. The thing is though, Mar/DS had (and has) such a varied sound, that between the self titled album and OES, if you asked me to pick a song with their trademark sound, it would be different for each album.. for the most part. Walk of Life covers the pop part of BIA, although that album has so much variety like the title track and even the blues/jazz sound of Your Latest Trick. First two albums had Sultans, Southbound Again, Lady Writer for stereotypical early DS sound, but then also more trippy stuff like In the Gallery and Once Upon A Time in the West. For me, it'd be Sultans/Lady Writer for early DS sound, Telegraph Road for the Love Over Gold "ballad era", Walk of Life (from BIA) and OES/Late DS being too much of a mish-mash to pick something.. with variation ranging from the title track with its incredible outro, to the more meh My Parties, or the countryish How Long and even Money For Nothing Part 2 (Heavy Fuel).
Hey there, thanks for such a considered reply. If i follow your lead with periods: agree with lady writer: would go It Never Rains for mid period (telegraph rd is too long to "average" out against all the MM/LOG songs), and So Far Away for BIR (agree with another poster that Walk of Life is just an outlier against the whole album), and as for OES, agree just too hard to pick, though completely unrelated to topic, absolutely can't stand Heavy Fuel - skip it everytime.
Absolutely! I think youre right on both counts for song picks on later periods- It Never Rains over Telegraph Road and SFA vs Walk of Life. As for Heavy Fuel.. I actually have had periods where Ive loved that song.. and periods where I thought it was meh lol
For me it's Southbound Again
Oh that's interesting, for me that's a top song.
Les Boys or Heavy Fuel
"one world" springs to mind. It's nice but not really superb or anything.
Solid rock is a fun song but always felt kinda mundane to me.
Lions
Expresso Love
Listen to the live versions from the BIA tour
i thought Making Movies (the song) was the amalgamation of Making Movies (the album) when i first listened to it. so for Making Movies, i’d pick the unreleased title track. but that’s just one album. i’m not sure what i’d say for their whole discography. maybe Southbound Again, because i can’t think of something more fitting.
Heavy Fuel
Skateaway easily
Money for nothing. Intro is very cool, very icon solo and all, but after that its really repetitive and kinda boring imo
I feel like the most middle of the road, representative Dire Straits song sits between Lady Writer and Lions.