Dire Straits: Mark Knopfler (vocals, guitar); Guy Fletcher (guitar); Alan Clark (keyboards); John Illsley (bass).

Additional personnel: George Martin (conductor); Danny Cummings, Paul Franklin, Vince Gill, Manu Katche, Phil Palmer, Jeff Porcaro, Chris White.

Recorded at Air Studios, London, England.

All tracks have been digitally remastered.

In the six-year hiatus between BROTHERS IN ARMS and ON EVERY STREET, Mark Knopfler immersed himself in soundtrack work and occasional collaborations with other artists. Knopfler was always hugely influenced by country music, and his passion for this genre was predictably inflamed by winning a pair of 1990 Grammys for his work with Chet Atkins on NECK & NECK. This led to the Scottish guitarist reuniting Dire Straits for what would be the group's final studio album.

With his trademark twangy guitar in tow, Knopfler indulges his love of the American South with odes to Memphis (the chugging "Calling Elvis") and Louisiana (a moody "Planet Of New Orleans"). Throughout STREET, Dire Straits does an impressive job trying on various styles, including infectious rockabilly ("The Bug"), lush countrypolitan ("Ticket To Heaven"), and Appalachian-flavored folk ("Iron Hand"). Elsewhere, Knopfler does his best Dylan vocal on the film-noir blues of "Fade To Black" and has fun playing a boor obsessed with material possessions (the lite-jazz-flavored "My Parties").

What the critics say...

Q (10/11/91) - 5 Stars - Classic "...The best news of all concerns the songs. Well-crafted as ever, they also pack more of a punch that any Knopfler has previously written..."