This is one of my fave Knopfler solos.

It is a thing of melancholy beauty.

Trademark diddly-diddly-diddly bit.

The piano bits in that were very pleasing.

It is ending. What a beautiful song, all in all.

Track 2 - Romeo and Juliet.

National Guitar being used as such things were meant to be used.

Herein we see the eternal appeal of Dire Straits to a certain and infinitely loyal demographic.

Technically excellent musical ability, tasteful melodies and pensive lyrics and themes married to the winning formula of making more-or-less the same song over and over again...

Now, I like this one.

"Hey la, my boyfriend's back." Old-style girl band reference.

I like the pared back quality.

I like the way the drummer gets involved more front and centre.

I think it's this track where you can most spot the benefit of a keyboard player having been added. It gives the chorus that bit more oomph than on their previous albums.

"Pfler's vocals and the drums effectively duke it out like punch drunk boxers.

This song is much less bad than I was led to believe.

I might add that I really love this song.

Of course it comes from an immensely difficult time of my young life.

Weirdly, it reminds me of staying with my mad aunt in the South of France when my cousin Lily was a baby.

The Call of the Wendigo wrote:

National Guitar being used as such things were meant to be used.

Does that mean the line in Graceland, about how the 'Mississippi delta, was shining like a national guitar' isn't a metaphor about America at all, it's just a simile?

I think the genius of Knopfler is that he understand both the worthlessness and the pricelessness of ordinary lives.

Vaguely Pet Shop Boys drums there just for a moment.

Track 3 - Skateaway.

Did I already say that I love this song?