Having attained stardom, Dire Straits upped their game even further with Brothers in Arms, an album that seemingly had it all: great production using digital sound, pop hits, deep messages, and musical artistry.
The hit single, "Money for Nothing," got frequent play on MTV and FM radio. It was as popular as "Sultans of Swing" was on their first album, but the clever video helped to boost its exposure and popularity. An uncredited appearance by Sting echoing the phrase "money for nothing" in his high-pitched voice helped as well. I thought the song was a bit foolish, but I'm sure that was part of its appeal.
Side 2 steers the album into even more serious territory: the horror of war. "Ride Across the River" pictures a mercenary:
Now I'm a soldier of fortune, I'm a dog of war
And we don't give a damn who the killing is for
Yeah it's the same old story with a different name
Death or glory, it's the killing game
To say the least, that's a long way from the silliness of "Money for Nothing." The next song, "The Man's Too Strong," remorsefully lays some of the guilt for war crimes at the feet of "the man."
Oh, Father, please help me
For I have done wrong
The man's too big
The man's too strong
"One World" then portrays a weary protagonist unable to find an antidote for his blues and realizing that the ideal "one world in harmony" is elusive.
The closing title song offers a heartfelt narrative by a soldier dying after being wounded in combat. Removed from his homeland valley, he is abandoned in the mist-covered mountains, his final resting place. It's a wistfully sad song that comes to the conclusion that "we're fools to wage war on our brothers in arms." The sadness oozes from the melody, slow tempo and the stunningly sincere voice of Mark Knopfler. He reportedly felt the weight of the Falklands war in 1982 between the UK and Argentina. Such beautiful melancholy and depth of feeling grabs me every time.
Overall, side 2 deals better with anti-war sentiment than any other rock album I've heard. It's a masterpiece of conception and execution, all within the confines of progressive rock. Simply remarkable!
Steve:
Brothers in Arms was all the rage in 1985. Funny as it seems today, the one song I thought had no chance of being a hit was "Money for Nothing" - simply because of the use of a certain F-word (thrice in the second verse, no less). F-word notwithstanding, I was glad when it did catch on, since it's a pretty rockin' tune, and the subject matter was pretty timely. Sung from the point of view of a guy working in an appliance store ("we gotta install microwave ovens, custom kitchen deliveries"), it apparently paraphrases conversations Knopfler overheard from one such guy complaining about MTV and how little talent was needed to make it in the music business. Knopfler also uses a guitar tone which was quite popular at the time, and one which I don't think he had used before. It resembles the grungy riffing of ZZ Top, who were huge on MTV in the wake of their Eliminator album (1983).
These days, my favorite track is "Ride Across the River", whose spacious production and world-music elements (mariachi trumpet, a synth imitating a pan flute, a vague reggae feel) are typical of the production style of other sophisticated pop artists of the time (Peter Gabriel, Bryan Ferry, Paul Simon, etc.). Mark Knopfler's expressive lead guitar over the top of this stew ensures its place as a classic track, although I had not bothered to ponder its lyrical meaning until reading Dan's comments above. "The Man's Too Strong" was always a favorite of mine too. The loud resolving guitar chords in the chorus of this otherwise quiet song drive home the anger the song is trying to convey.
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