While the news of Michael Jackson’s death was certainly surprising, it didn’t have a very strong emotional impact on me. That’s not to diminish his contribution to both music and pop culture (or his equally significant bridging of the racial divide in both). On the contrary, I hold his talent in the highest regard and my childhood is wrapped up in memories of ‘Thriller,’ ‘Beat It’ and ‘Billy Jean.’
I even saw him in concert on the Victory tour in 1984, sitting in the nosebleed seats at the Orange Bowl, my view obstructed by a metal pole. I don’t remember the show but I remember the experience.
Dire Straits’ 1985 album Brothers in Arms was their artistic and commercial highpoint. They released one other album (On Every Street in 1991) but it was pretty much an afterthought. Brothers in Arms, propelled by mega-hits ‘Money For Nothing’ and ‘Walk of Life,’ sold more than 9 million copies in the U.S. and more than 13 million in the U.K.
For years I loved this song but had no idea what it was called. I figured the title was ‘Making Movies’ because that phrase appears in the chorus and I knew that was the title of one of Dire Straits’ albums. But when I checked out the tracklist of the album I didn’t see a song with the name. And the actual title of the song — ‘Skateaway’ — shows up only a couple of times toward the end.
The first Dire Straits album I owned was actually not a proper album at all, but the greatest hits collection Money for Nothing. I am resolutely anti-greatest hits — despite my ‘Song of the Day’ blog, I consider the album the principal unit of musical artistry. Money For Nothing was a bit different than most because it contained live and alternate versions of many of the songs, but it’s still just a little bit evil.
Meet Me In Montauk 