Review (Lookback 2.0): Dire Straits, ‘Brothers In Arms (40th Anniversary Ed)’ – Complete With Full ’85 Concert Recording

Dire Straits recently released Brothers In Arms (40th Anniversary Edition) to celebrate the big anniversary of their landmark 1985 album. If you’ve been reading B&V for any amount of time, I know what you’re thinking… “Didn’t you already post about this album?” Yes, I did. As the calendar turned to 2025 I did a playlist exclusively with songs from 1975, my usual “50 year lookback.” And, as night follows day, I followed that up with my “40 year lookback” with a playlist of songs exclusively from 1985. And yes, Dire Straits’ “Money For Nothing” was included on that ’85 playlist. But as I usually do, I started sharing my “lookbacks” to specific albums from each of those landmark years. While I probably prefer the stuff from 1975 (Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin) I find myself somewhat fixated on ’85. I just posted last week about INXS’ ’85 album Listen Like Thieves (40th Anniversary Edition). I had also looked back to ’85 to discuss the Cult’s fabulous second album Love and as I alluded to earlier, I shared my memories from this album, Brothers In Arms, as you can’t really talk about 1985 and not talk about that album. I had no idea at the time that Mark Knopfler and the gang down at Dire Straits were planning on releasing this 40th Anniversary Edition, complete with a full concert from the 1985 tour, recorded in San Antonio, Texas. I’ve always wondered why I didn’t see that tour but they didn’t come to Kansas City. I think this is audio from a previously released DVD but who goes back watches those? So, like I did for the Police’s masterpiece Synchronicity, I posted about my recollections in a lookback and then later posted about their Deluxe Box Set for the album too. Sometimes bonus material is just so good you’ve gotta say something about it.

Brothers In Arms was the album where Dire Straits conquered the world. It was number one for over 3 months in ’85. I think at that point critics finally stopped referring to them as an overachieving “bar band.” I remember when their debut came out and “Sultans Of Swing” was a huge hit. Maybe since it was a song about a bar band, they got stuck with that description. I also remember all the critics said that lead guitarist/singer Mark Knopfler was what would happen if Eric Clapton (guitar) and Bob Dylan (nasally vocals) had a love child. I suppose Knopfler got the last laugh as he later produced an album by Dylan and toured with Clapton. I didn’t get to see Dire Straits until the tour for their final album, On Every Street, and after a particularly dazzling guitar solo, which had the place on it’s feet in a standing ovation, Knopfler apologized for indulging himself or some such stuff. I remember the review in the paper had the title, “No Apologies Necessary, Mr. Knopfler.” I couldn’t have agreed more.

I’m not going to rehash what I said about the original album, you can see my thoughts thru the link above… But I did want to talk about the bonus concert they’ve included. I just love live Dire Straits. Yes some of it verges on pretty mellow stuff. They were a band who could take a four minute love song and stretch it to 10 minutes. But Knopfler was usually playing some intricate guitar part and it’s worth the extra time. He seemed to write in a cinematic way so stretching songs out – or just playing mellow, noir-ish tracks like “Private Investigations” just seemed to work (no wonder he did some soundtrack work). I included their live album – the only one they released while still active – Alchemy: Dire Straits Live on my list of Essential Live Albums. Critics weren’t as keen as I was, but that version of “Sultans Of Swing” is the definitive one, to my ears anyway. And any time I can hear a virtuoso guitarist like Knopfler practicing his craft, uh, count me in.

On this tour for Brothers In Arms, the band was Knopfler and original bass player John Illsley, augmented with two keyboard players, Alan Clark & Guy Fletcher, with Terry Williams (drums), Jack Sonni (rhythm guitar) and Chris White on sax. The band was really able to flesh out their sound with the enhanced line up…remember, at one time they were a trio. With the sax and piano on some of these songs they almost sound like the E Street Band. Of course, E Street pianist Roy Bittan played keyboards on Making Movies, another personal favorite of mine, so maybe that’s why I’m making that association. Considering Alchemy was recorded merely 2 years prior and released a year before this tour, I did go back and listen to it. It’s interesting to me, as they kept the same basic framework for their live shows from that tour but rotated songs from Brothers In Arms in instead of songs from Love Over Gold. A band tours and tours but many of them keep the same basic framework…like say, playing “Sultans Of Swing” midway through the show. Songs may change, the order may mix up a little but from a mood or tone, it’s strikingly similar. I noticed it with Springsteen on bootlegs from the Darkness Tour and the River Tour. You also get a similar framework for shows by Creedence Clearwater Revival… but maybe I’m getting a little too into the weeds here.

The concert, which fills disc 2 and 3 of the CD version, and 4 LPs in the vinyl box, starts off with an over 10 minute version of the atmospheric track “Ride Across The River.” This version of the song makes me want to do a playlist with songs about rivers…Knopfler’s playing, late in the song, is just sublime as he’s playing off the flute player. From there it’s the rocking “Expresso Love.” Knopfler sounds ebullient as he thanks everyone for being there and launches into “One World,” and claims they “changed it a bit.” (And why wouldn’t he be ebullient, he’d conquered the world?). Again, towards the end, Knopfler lets go on guitar. This would have been the ultimate tour to see these guys on.

Next up was “Romeo And Juliet,” another personal favorite… “Oh, Romeo, yeah, you know I used to have a scene with him.” Indeed…”It’s just that the time was wrong…” The track rolls onto 10 minutes with some wonderful sax. Then its on to the aforementioned “Private Investigations,” and  you’ll forgive me for imaging Knopfler dressed as Bogart as Sam Spade while he’s singing it. I knew a guy at KU who absolutely loved that song. He was a bad guy but he wasn’t wrong about that. I will always tell you that the version of “Sultans Of Swing” on Alchemy is the definitive version but this one is a very very close second. It’s incendiary. After “Why Worry” they launch into a jaunty “Walk Of Life,” which yes, I know it sounds like an energy drink commercial, but it’s a great upbeat tune. The producer wanted to cut it from the album but Knopfler was too smart for that.

“Two Young Lovers” from one of Knopfler’s soundtrack excursions is a nice rockabilly barn burner. “Money For Nothing” is ragged and epic and wonderful to hear live. Sure, they miss Sting doing the “I want my MTV” thing but nothing is perfect. I was stunned to see one of my all time favorite songs from their debut here, “Wild West End.” It’s the best song ever written about someone’s neighborhood. It’s as mellow as the album version for the most part, with some lovely sax added but then blows up at the end with a gorgeous guitar solo. I’ve always loved the lyric, “And my conductress on the number nineteen, She was a honey, Pink toenails and hands all dirty with money…” It’s like I’m on the train. “Tunnel Of Love” sounds like the E Street Band, jittery on speed.

What sounds like the encore, starts with the mellow title track from Brothers In Arms, done exquisitely. Then it’s on to the upbeat “Solid Rock,” which verges on metal. Then they wrap up, just like on Alchemy, with the instrumental “Going Home.” Which, I get it, you’re going home, but I’d have loved “Down To The Waterline” or “Setting Me Up” to end it on, but nobody asked me in ’85. There are the occasional electronic drums, but hey, it was the 80s you have to expect that. What a show!

This is a great live concert capturing a band at the absolute height of their powers and their popularity. This is definitely a “worth the price of admission” concert recording and may be the best Dire Straits live document out there. If I didn’t already own the vinyl, I’d probably spring for the vinyl box, but the CD box is more economical, and hey, we love vinyl but CDs are groovy too. I like music I can hold in my hands… but I digress. This is a wonderful way to celebrate 40 years of Brothers In Arms. Check this one out at maximum volume. Perhaps something to listen to when you’re “walking with your wild best friend…”

Cheers!