MARK KNOPFLER

"Sailing to Philadelphia"

Warner Bros.

The Sultan of Swing is at it again. After a few years of laying low, Mark Knopfler is back with Sailing to Philadelphia, now out in the states on the Warner Bros. lable. You might be asking, “who the hell is Mark Knopfler,” and to tell you the truth, I did so myself at first. He’s most notably known as the front man for Dire Straits, and he was also one of Bob Dylan’s session guitarists during the early 70s. No matter how you slice it, his new album was more than worth the wait.

Beginning with a familiar sound, “What it is”, brings you in with Knopfler’s stylistic wailing guitar. The second track, bearing the album’s title, gets into the ‘coming to America’ theme of the album with a beautiful duet, guest starring James Taylor. Among others, the album also guest stars Van Morrison. With a more contemporary beat, “Do America” chronicles Knopfler’s own experience of making the trip over the Atlantic as a ‘balls out’ rock n’ roll star.

Unlike many of today’s releases, Sailing to Philadelphia is an album in the true sense, not a bunch of miss-matched singles. With a storytelling feel along the lines of Springsteen’s Ghost of Tom Joad and Dylan’s Time Out of Mind, this is one album that you’ll want to sit down and listen to from beginning to end. The toughest choice you’ll have to face will be: Scotch or Bourbon? Enjoy!

- Gabe Leyshon