Mark Knopfler

Golden Heart

Knopfler's Best Solo Album To Date

Review Score:

(10/10)
I have been a Dire Straits fan for decades now, and was eagerly awaiting this CD when it was released in 1996. I was not disappointed. It truly is among a handful of CDs that I listen to over and over. Largely the content is more muted and leaning toward folk than Knopfler's earlier work with Dire Straits, with the rocking exception of "Imelda," which sounds like it could have come off of any Dire Straits album from the 1980s.

The songs are all generally strong, and interestingly some of them grew on me much faster than others. I loved "Golden Heart," "Imelda," "No Can Do" (which has an interesting shuffle beat), "Cannibals" (very zydeco), "Je Suis Desole," and the cautionary tale of despotism, "Done With Bonaparte" immediately. Over the past few weeks I rediscovered what on reconsideration I believe to be the true gem of the album, the haunting love song "A Night In Summer Long Ago" featuring a strong Celtic influence (including a bouzouki, Uillean pipes, violin, whistle, and accordion) and perhaps the most poignantly rending lyrics Mark has ever written.

The album isn't perfect, and I cite "Vic and Ray" and "Rudiger" as clunkers, although Mark is fond enough of "Rudiger" to perform it live frequently in his sets.

This is a masterwork from the greatest guitarist living, and I highly recommend it to everyone.

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