Love For Dire

If you watched to much MTV in the 80's like I did you more then likely saw the Dire Straits video about 3 trillion times. It was technically Dire Straits second breakthrough. Their first was for the song "Sultans of Swing" and that too is played a trillion times. I actually got sick of both Dire Straits songs so much I would cringe when I heard them on the radio. I even stopped listening to them for about a year. While in high school they played at the Civic Center while promoting a new album. I went to the show and bought the album. It was different from that 80's stuff and actually had some quality to it.

I decided after the concert I would go back and listen to some of their other albums. What i realized I did not have any other albums except Brothers In Arms and Alchemy the live album from the 80's that I borrowed from the library too many times. I was on a mission. I told my friend who also went to Dire Straits that I needed to do a record store run sometime during the week. He did not have many Dire Straits albums as well so in a way we both had to go beef up our collection.

We both looked for albums that we did not have. I went for the first two and my friend went for the live one I heard and anything else we could find. At the same time we stumbled on Love Over Gold. There were two near mint copies on record. So we both grabbed them and went home. We created our own homework assignment. Listen to the album and write a one page response. When I got home I decided to start my response by talking about the artwork and songs. The titles had a feel of Progressive Rock even the length of the songs felt like the same way.

The first side was very atmospheric and very much like a Progressive Rock album from the 70's. It was great to hear lengthy passages and atmospheric like songs. With only two songs on side one they were not looking for anything the 80's had to offer. It was a nice departure on what they played previous albums. Even the acoustic guitar parts on "Private Investigations" were amazing. This was a great album. Why did they not play anything from this album at the show.

I turned the record over to side two. If there was a single for the album the opening track was the one. "Industrial Disease" is a killer song. It rocked like their early stuff and gave hint of what was to come. Again, the songs were and it was quite enjoyable. I gave it my all and at the end of the response I mentioned that Dire Straits was one of the best bands in the world. I liked the non typical 80's sound that they would do next. I mentioned how great the guitar playing by Mark Knopfler was. I mentioned the lyrics too. I mean here take a reading of the cool song "Industrial Disease"

Warning lights are flashing down at Quality Control
somebody threw a spanner and they threw him in the hole
there's rumors in the loading bay and anger in the town
somebody blew the whistle and the walls came down
there's a meeting in the boardroom they're trying to trace the smell
there's leaking in the washroom there's a stink in personnel
somewhere in the corridor someone was heard to sneeze
'goodness me goodness me Industrial Disease?
The caretaker was crucified for sleeping at his post
refusing to be pacified, it's him they blame the most
the watchdog's got rabies the foreman's got fleas
and everyone's concerned about Industrial Disease
there's panic on the switchboard, tongues in knots
some come out in sympathy some come out in spots
some blame the management and some the employees
everybody knows it's the Industrial Disease
The work force is disgusted downs tools and walks
innocence is injured, experience just talks
everyone seeks damages and everyone agrees
that these are 'classic symptoms of a monetary squeeze
on ITV and BBC they talk about the cuts
philosophy is useless theology is worse
history boils over there's an economics squeeze
sociologists invent words that mean 'Industrial Disease'
Doctor Parkinson declared 'I'm not surprised to see you here
you've got smokers cough from smoking, brewer's droop from drinking beer
I don't know how you came to get the Betty Davis knees
but worst of all young man you've got Industrial Disease'
he wrote me a prescription he said 'you are depressed
I'm glad you came to see me to get this off your chest
come back and see me later - next patient please
send in another victim of Industrial Disease'
I go down to Speaker's Corner I'm thunderstruck
they got free speech, tourists, police in trucks
two men say they're Jesus, one of them must be wrong
there's a protest singer he's singing a protest song - he says
'they wanna have a war to keep their factories
they wanna have a war to keep us on our knees
they wanna have a war to stop us buying Japanese
they wanna have a war to stop Industrial Disease
they're pointing out the enemy to keep you deaf and blind
they wanna sap your energy, incarcerate your mind
they give you Rule Brittania, gassy beer, page three
two weeks in Espana and Sunday striptease'
meanwhile the first Jesus says 'I'd cure it soon
abolish Monday mornings and Friday afternoons'
the other one's on a hunger strike he's dying by degrees
how come Jesus gets Industrial Disease?

Pretty damn good lyrics from a damn fine album. If you think Dire Straits was totally 80's you be correct. But if you listen to their albums before they were 80's you might be surprised. Find this album and you will be very impressed. Enjoy what an group can to when they try Progressive Rock! Enjoy!