I’ll be dedicating next week’s blog posts to Christmas music new and old, so I’m getting a head start today by featuring a track from Brad Paisley’s recently released Christmas album, Snow Globe Town.
This is Paisley’s first studio release in eight years, a long dry spell for a guy who put out an album every other year between 1999 and 2017. I’d welcome a new set of originals from Paisley, but I guess this is better than nothing.
Sixteen years ago today, I posted Frank Sinatra’s 1957 recording of ‘Close to You’ to commemorate my parents’ wedding anniversary. ‘Close to You’ is the title song of the first Sinatra album my father gave my mother, and marks the beginning of not just their love affair with each other, but their joint love affair with Sinatra.
That was their 44th anniversary, a praiseworthy milestone if not a distinctive one. Well, today they are married for 60 years… now that’s a cause for celebration!
As a follow-up to my Dire Straits deep dive, I wanted to acknowledge the solo career of Mark Knopfler, the band’s lead guitarist, lead vocalist, and sole songwriter.
After Dire Straits broke up, Knopfler went on to record 10 solo studio albums and three EPs, in addition to continuing the soundtrack work he’d been doing since 1983’s Local Hero. His soundtrack for The Princess Bride is a personal favorite, and one that hits harder this week after director Rob Reiner’s horrible death.
I’ve wrapped up my brief deep dive into Dire Straits six-album discography, and my biggest takeaway is that this is one of the most consistent artists I’ve given the treatment.
Granted, I’m sure they’d have some soft spots if they had put out a dozen or more albums, but I do think there is something about the band’s sound that just works. It’s the tone of Mark Knopfler’s guitar, the comforting rasp of his voice, the expansive but welcoming soundscapes of his production. And while Knopfler is the primary creative force behind Dire Straits, I also must shout out the expert musicianship of his various bandmates.
Three years after the release of the blockbuster Brothers in Arms, Dire Straits broke up. Mark Knopfler was overwhelmed by the pressure and attention that accompanied success.
He focused instead on solo projects, and formed a country band called the Notting Hillbillies, releasing one album with that outfit in 1990. That same year, Dire Straits reunited for a festival performance then decided to head to the studio to record another album.
Meet Me In Montauk 