Album Review: Mark Knopfler - Sailing To Philadelphia!

Hi,
    My name is Surjo and I'm a pro-musician. The songs you are hearing (hopefully) are from my debut album 'The Key Has Turned' which you can buy here.

Today, I shall be reviewing Mark Knopfler's Sailing To Philadelphia. I have a vested interest in this album, since 'What It Is' was really the song that attracted me towards playing solo guitar when I was 15, for all I was doing with guitar at that time was playing chords and singing John Denver and MLTR, not that there's anything wrong with that. 'Sailing To Philadelphia' is Mark's 2nd solo studio album and of course brings back fond memories for Dire Straits fans.

The album starts off with 'What It Is', and of course I have previous association with the track for it's incredible music, but I'll try and listen to it from a fresh perspective. The intro comes in nice and smooth and the guitar intro just feels so right, signature Knopfler coming right in. The words seem to be jumping through time and space, sometimes it seems he's talking about a time period in the past, and sometimes it seems he's in the present. A lot of words used would describe either a scene from the past or a city living in it's past. The music has no ambiguity whatsoever, with the driving rhythm having a force and intensity that is altogether missing in most pop music today. The start of the guitar solo just before the bridge, I mean it's just a master at work, and the final guitar solo is what me made want to play lead guitar at age 15, because it was, and is, just so damn musical and cool. 

'Sailing To Philadelphia' is the title track and features another legend in James Taylor. James' acoustic guitar lights up the start of the track. The song speaks of explorers Mason and Dixon, who were from England and who wound up establishing the Mason-Dixon line in the 1700s, which is the border between the South and North of the United States of America. The music is far more relaxed in it's approach, brushes on the drums and so forth, and a lot of ambient keyboard and piano work, and punctuated by Mark's licks as any Dire Straits will be familiar with. Really evocative music. 

'Who's Your Baby Now' sounds very close to being a song about a hooker. I couldn't be sure, but my stab in the not-so-dark is that it's a love song about a hooker. Working girl, with big dreams, and the breakdown of said dreams, and Mark's failure to contain his emotion at the sight is basically what the song is about. The song has a really easy-going and relaxed tempo and feel and there is enough guitar in the layers, and enough sounds to make it seem like a wonderful cohesive unit. I don't know how it's done, but it sounds great. 

'Baloney Again' starts off with a morose harmonica riff before launching into a drum beat that Eminem could have laid a rap to, instead it was Mark with his signature licks. I'm writing this as I'm listening to the song for the first time, and the song seems set in the 1950s, and seems to be written about a travelling gospel band spreading the word of the Lord in that time and age, and it also references fear of getting into white hotels and restaurants, so I take a stab and say that the band isn't white. The drum beat is really in the pocket and it's a pleasure to listen to with the bass riding on it. Mark pulls out a wonderful solo at the end to remind us who's boss. 

'Last Laugh' is a duet with Van Morrison and it starts off with a neat little tremolo riff and the relaxed vocal style that Mark is synonymous with. Van Morrison sings the second verse, and adds to the vibe of the song. The song to me seems to be about surviving day by day and staying alive. The words might mean a lot to those who have physically taxing jobs. It's hard for me to relate to the words except maybe in the last verse, but the music is just wonderful. There are quite a few elements in there which are great in terms of the pacing and overall feel of the song.

'Do America' has the staccato riff styling made most popular with 'Money For Nothing', and a lap steel lick to start things off. The song is fairly straightforward, about the rock-n-roll lifestyle and touring and could almost be a homage to The Beatles if looked at from a certain vantage point. Cool, fun and easy on the ears, nothing spectacular though. 

'El Macho' starts with a Andalusian riff almost with a horn melody to boot. The music could have been hypnotic but is lacking a couple of x-factors that could take it to the hypnotic level. The words are talking about someone like Jerry, and I'm not well-versed with popular culture to decipher who the reference is to. That horn melody at the top and the interlude is pretty cool. 

'Prairie Wedding' starts off with a quiet intensity which lasts till the words come in to ease the tension a bit. The music has the looming intensity that did mark a lot of Dire Straits' music, and can definitely bring back the memories of a few songs from that catalogue. Also, Mark's vocals are so distinctive that it's hard to not think of the old material. The words speak of an arranged marriage and the thoughts of the groom through the process. The big keys at the back does bring that big almost ethereal feeling into the song. Very interesting combination of big music and relaxed vocals. 

'Wanderlust' has an interesting guitar bit throughout with the acoustic on one side and the tremolo electric on the other side. Sounds like an acoustic bass or a cello, and the drums are really relaxed and the big ethereal sounds in the back. The words are about a man's desire to travel everywhere. Some signature Knopfler licks make their way through to the bridge of the song. I often wonder how loud Mark would be singing in a room in front of you because it sounds so low and soft it's hard to imagine what that'd be like without a mic. 

'Speedway At Nazareth' threatens to start with a  dobro before an electronic bass part takes over, wow a sample in a Knopfler song? It's a race song? Again, not familiar with the heart n soul of American and British references but is this a nascar thing? The music is good, the lyrics flying over my head even if it's a racing song. I wouldn't be able to relate to the life of a nascar driver, so I'll leave that be. Really cool guitar bit at the end. 

'Junkie Doll' is possibly the best lyrical composition I have come across for the particular subject, which is being in love with a drug addict. I've never been in the situation myself, but it is so well written, especially the continuous up and down in the chorus which is something that any addict goes through. The guitar riff is a concoction of a mean electric part with a mild dobro part. Could these be songs to drive down the highway with? I think it's quite possible. Also, does Mark ever play mediocre guitar solos?

'Silvertown Blues' has some good music, and the excitement really builds up near the end with the added bass and drum work. I must confess to not understanding what the theme of the song is about, it might be about a specific town and the workings of that town, but it's hard to catch on because not too many specifics are available in the words. 

'Sands Of Nevada' starts off with the acoustic temolo duality that I spoke of before. It is a song about the gambling culture of Las Vegas with some clever metaphors in the words. I feel that it'll be really difficult for youngsters to listen to this music, although there are a lot of old Dire Straits songs at this tempo which can be listened to by a younger demographic. There seems to be a certain kinship with age that Mark has formed that's difficult to understand without the years in your kitty. 

'One More Matinee' has very minimalistic arrangements for the greater part of it's start, with the drums kicking in much later. It seems like a song of nostalgia, almost a narration of the past and present, like a reminiscence which leads to the present. I am very curious as to what older fans of Mark Knopfler who are closer to him in age and location would have to say for the album, I'm almost sure they'll be able to relate a lot better to the subject matter of the album. If you just wanted to listen to the album without a great focus on the album then it'd pass by fairly quick, but once you focus on the words then it's a fairly tough pill to swallow.

'The Long Highway' starts with the sort of understated rhythm guitar playing that we've come to love from Mark. The words almost seem like just a chapter from a story. As a matter of fact, a lot of the lyrics from the album don't seem to be complete stories but just bits and pieces of whole stories, and that might be a little unsettling for listeners like me who want the whole picture at one go. 

'Let's See You' starts off with Mark singing a verse before the music really kicks in good. Horns and telecaster for good measure. The drums sound really sweet and crisp in this track with the tambourine adding quite a bit. The words could be about the music industry, could be about a fan, could be so many things. I'd be very interested to know if that were a reaction to a fan or to another musican or someone else entirely. The words have quite a bit of sting to them. 

  

'Camerado' closes out the album, but starts off with a driving rhythm, reminiscent of songs accompanying cowboys in movies while they're on their way to the bad guy's lair. Turns out it is a form of cowboy song after all. Nothing spectacular, just what you'd expect from Mark Knopfler through and through. 

One thing which I must mention is that I don't think the album is meant for easy listening for too many casual fans. It took me 5 days to get through this entire review because it took me 5 days to listen to the album. The album is too intense when you focus and listen in, and I must say that I don't think I am part of Mark's demographic here, since a lot of the themes and subjects in the words are completely alien to me, and if  I were to go on the music alone, then I'd rather listen to his work with Dire Straits since there is a certain something there which appeals to the younger listener more. Maybe it's his own age which is reflected in the performance of this album, but at my age, I think a more frantic energy finds me easier than elderly wisdom. I hope you enjoy the album when you hear it. 'What It Is' stands out for me from the album.