Here are some customer reviews of
Shangri-La
: I am a long standing Dire Straits fan and a fan of Mark's music generally, but this CD, no matter how fine the playing and wordsmithing, almost literally put me to sleep.
One really good guitar rave would have been enough, but no, we are denied. He just plays with something that you think, maybe, just maybe, this is going to take off. Doesn't happen.
Simply not worth spending the money.
 This CD is a lot like "The Ragpicker's Dream". It has a slow tempo throughout, and features well crafted songs that place an emphasis on the lyrics and often involve stories. There are no extended guitar flourishes which we Mark Knopfler fans relish. The guitar is used to highlight the songs rather than wow the audience.
The first half of this CD is very strong for a collection of slow songs. But the affect is subtle; it doesn't hit you over the head. I especially like "Back to Tupelo", a very expressive low-key song about an aging rock star; and "Boom like that" with it's signature Knopfler guitar line and humorous lyrics about the rise of hamburger king Ray Kroc.
But, like "A Ragpicker's Dream", this CD kind of starts dragging toward the end. "Song for Sonny Liston" may be interesting to hear once or twice, but musically it is repetitious. By the time of "All That Matters", I found myself resisting the slowness. That is not to say that the last half does not have it's hightlights. "Don't Crash the Ambulence" is vintage Mark Knopfler, and in the same vein and as entertaining as "My Parties" and "Money for Nothing".
It would have been better, in my opinion, if he had picked up the tempo more, but this work is very high quality, especially in comparison to all of the junk out there today; and deserves 5 stars.
I get a real positive vibe from this album. It makes you feel good to be alive and free. The artwork on the inside of the cd case features a beautiful beach scene with dolphins, seagulls, and happy people. And that's just how the music makes you feel - like you are sitting on a chair at the beach with an ice cold Corona. The lyrics are unbelievably well-developed and thoughtful. It is yet another work of genius from the legendary Mark Knopfler.
This is an amazing little album. I have been a fan for years, but I think this is Mark's best solo effort so far. This album just grooves, with those rich guitar riffs and a sound that echos in your head long after the song has finished. The song "Boom Like That" about Ray Kroc (yep - of McDonalds fame) is pure genius...Elvis, and many others get their own special Knopfler tributes. Some of the best work that DS did was not the heavy handed stuff, but mesmerizing songs like "Telegraph Road." That is where this album wants to take you...to a spiritual sort of place. GREAT STUFF!
I find this album to be another mature step in Mark's career. Great project! The album moves at a perfect mellow tempo and sports new gems I'll be listening to for a while. I feel there will always be guaranteed satisfaction with the group of guys Mark plays with, namely Bennett and Fletcher.
I get pretty disappointed in people when they feel they automatically need to compare latest efforts with earlier efforts, etc...Take it as another step, another project, and stop trying to find the Dire Straits in his material. His signature guitar/voice will always be present in most of the projects he undertakes.
I will thoroughly enjoy this new gift of music...
|
