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Three decades after Dire Straits broke onto the scene with their remarkable debut, Mark Knopfler remains an iconic figure in popular music, his graceful guitar playing equaled only by his genial baritone and a novelist's ability to create distinct characters and themes in his songs. His fifth solo album since he pulled the plug on the band in 1995, Crimson reflects on a torrent of narratives, from the gracefully aging spouse in the flute-powered ballad "The Scaffolder's Wife" to the valiant down-and-outer in the Scottish folk song "Heart Full of Holes." Employing accordions, fiddles, and horns as majestic accompaniment, Knopfler drifts into the Celtic-tinged melodies of his past, explicitly in the whiskey-soaked singalong "Secondary Waltz," the busker's saga "Madame Geneva's," and "The Fish and the Bird," with its vagabond pensiveness. Clocking in at just under an hour, the album--without any page-turning epic--plays instead like an anthology of written works, every personification crisp in definition, every story exquisitely told. --Scott Holter
Building on last year's Grammy®-nominated All The Roadrunning collaboration with Emmylou Harris, his highest charting non Dire Straits album to date Top 20 Pop, scanning 400,000 copies in the U.S. acclaimed singer-songwriter guitarist Mark Knopfler unveils his fifth solo album, Kill To Get Crimson. While certain to appeal to his loyal fan base, the album's artful guitar rock will also entice new fans to Knopfler's signature sound (he's #27 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time), instantly recognizable vocals and smart lyrics. A multiple-Grammy winner who has sold more than 110 million albums worldwide, Knopfler remains one of rock's most admired artists.
Mark Knopfler Photos
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More from Mark Knopfler
 All the Roadrunning |  Shangri-La |  The Ragpicker's Dream |
 Sailing to Philadelphia |  Neck and Neck |  One Take Radio Sessions [EP] [LIVE] |
 Real Live Roadrunning (with DVD) [LIVE] |  Golden Heart |  Screenplaying [SOUNDTRACK] |
 Private Investigations: The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler |  Night in London (1996) |  Ragpicker's Dream [LIMITED EDITION] [ENHANCED] [EXTRA TRACKS] [IMPORT] |
Building on last year's Grammy®-nominated All The Roadrunning collaboration with Emmylou Harris, his highest charting non Dire Straits album to date Top 20 Pop, scanning 400,000 copies in the U.S. acclaimed singer-songwriterguitarist Mark Knopfler unveils his fifth solo album, Kill To Get Crimson. While certain to appeal to his loyal fan base, the album's artful guitar rock will also entice new fans to Knopfler's signature sound (he's #27 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time), instantly recognizable vocals and smart lyrics. A multiple- Grammy winner who has sold more than 110 million albums worldwide, Knopfler remains one of rock's most admired artists.
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| It's hard to describe the measure of talent that is displayed by Mark Knopfler in this enchanting effort. If you were to put in equal measure a bit of world-weariness displayed by Springsteen in Devils & Dust with the optimism displayed by Christian Floyd in Dreams Into Daylight, as well as a host of other influences and throw on top of all of that Knopfler's signature dynamic lead guitar style, you'd still only describe a shade of the brilliance of Kill to Get Crimson. I simply can't say enough good things about this CD! |
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| Mark finally reaches the next level of professionalism. The guitar is not as prominent as on his other releases, yet it is woven into the pattern of music and played with (typical) perfection. More of ensemble work indeed, but the guitar still leads, creates harmony and transitions. The whole album feels as one complete piece, alike to say a piano concerto rather than a book of songs. I do not think I listened to any of Mark's albums as much, not even to his Dire Straits opuses. |
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| I buy every Mark Knopfler CD that he does now. I listen to each one over and over in the car before the songs sink in. At first I almost always think that the songs are blasé. Then a few emerge and go on my list of fantastic songs that I wondered how I lived without. Then some of the other songs that I didn't really care for at first start to emerge and I begin to like them too. Usually I end up liking every song on the CD, eventually, and I never seem to get sick of them. It just takes awhile to "get" some of the songs.
Mark Knopfler has become my favorite musician and he's vastly underrated in my opinion. But who cares. People simply don't know what they are missing. They don't play his music on the radio and that's good because frankly it's too good for the radio, although once in awhile it would be nice to hear one. The bottom line; it takes a little while to really get his music, but once you do, there's nothing else like it. Simply fantastic. And some of the most beautiful guitar playing on the planet. |
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| This is a work of art. Not one bad song. The songs are truly wonderful, with beautiful music and outstanding lyrics. Follows the story telling approach of the previous album (Shangri La & Sailing To Philadelphia) and is very well produced and mastered. This is not a rock album though and anyone expecting that kind of music will be disappointed. Rather, this is an album that requires you to sit and concentrate and listen to what is being said. My only disappointment is that MK has taken on a backseat approach re his fantastic guitar playing, would loved to have had some more extended solos present. Perhaps in the live versions?
Truly outstanding. A must have for all MK fans... |
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| I'm a child of the greatest two decades of music ever - the 60's and 70's. Plain and simple, if you appreciate listening to songs WHERE YOU CAN ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND THE WORDS, and are a fan of Mark Knopfler's work with "Dire Straits", then you'll appreciate this album.
I have an ear for good tunes. This album is a great listen. BUY IT! - you won't be disappointed. |
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