DTRW - One week in....

[Knopflerfan]

After listening to the album for two weeks, I have now deleted two tracks - Just a Boy and Heavy Up and added the three bonus tracks.  I now have almost the perfect MK album and it flows much better with Nobody's Child now followed by When You Leave and not interrupted by Just a Boy!   

Still listening to all 19 tracks, maybe not quite as intensive but when I do I don't feel the need to skip anything just yet... The three bonus tracks are soooooo good

[holaknopfler]

After listening to the album for two weeks, I have now deleted two tracks - Just a Boy and Heavy Up and added the three bonus tracks.  I now have almost the perfect MK album and it flows much better with Nobody's Child now followed by When You Leave and not interrupted by Just a Boy!   

Only just a boy here. Heavy Up makes me happy :-) I agree that it flows much better indeed.

[dmg]

After listening to the album for two weeks, I have now deleted two tracks - Just a Boy and Heavy Up and added the three bonus tracks.  I now have almost the perfect MK album and it flows much better with Nobody's Child now followed by When You Leave and not interrupted by Just a Boy!   

Still listening to all 19 tracks, maybe not quite as intensive but when I do I don't feel the need to skip anything just yet... The three bonus tracks are soooooo good

Apart from One Song... I think the three bonus tracks are the best ones.  I can't understand why he left them out for something like Sloooow Learner, for example. 

[Knopflerfan]

After listening to the album for two weeks, I have now deleted two tracks - Just a Boy and Heavy Up and added the three bonus tracks.  I now have almost the perfect MK album and it flows much better with Nobody's Child now followed by When You Leave and not interrupted by Just a Boy!   

Still listening to all 19 tracks, maybe not quite as intensive but when I do I don't feel the need to skip anything just yet... The three bonus tracks are soooooo good

Apart from One Song... I think the three bonus tracks are the best ones.  I can't understand why he left them out for something like Sloooow Learner, for example. 

IMHO, slow learner just works especially where it is placed in the album. I agree all three bonus should of been in the album...

[jbaent]

Tracker went to the drawer very soon because I kept skipping tracks continuosly... DTRW remains strong and the only track I skip is Heavy Up and just because I want to listen the rest of tracks first and then come back to heavy up.

A very strong record to me and it looks like it's going to be in the player for very long.

[Rail King]

I definitely still have issues with some production aspects of this album (as discussed at length in other threads), and I'd still wish he would have used the snowy back cover pic for the front (or Quizzie's horse shot from the Hendrik Hanson film).

But that aside, and if you include the b-sides, this might be his best collection of songs since the start of his solo career. It's quite incredible to get 19 songs this good in one go.

In other words: I'll definitely continue listening to this album A LOT.

[Love Expresso]

I totally lost interest in this album and haven't listened to it at least a week now. I am disappointed by the lack of depth on the lyrics and musical ideas. I am totally left in disbelief that this should be the result of two years work in the studio and appears to me as nothing short of a musical bankruptcy. Apart from My Bacon Roll I only really like Sky And Water which reflects the MK music that I used to love. All other songs wear the stamp of dullness and lack of creativity, disguised  by a very cool sounding landscape of Guyisms but that cannot rescue it.

Sorry don't want to spoil the fun and I am off again already. I can imagine that many fans WANT to like it. No problem with that. I was prepared to love it but I can't. The Matchstick Man post of jbaent and the comparison with a masterpiece like Heart Of Oak brought me back dir a minute. Greetings!

LE

[superval99]

Although I like the album, it is only due to having made some changes - deleting Just a Boy and Heavy Up and I am sure Slow Learner will have the same demise very soon.   It sounds much better with the bonus songs added, but I have never had to do this with other albums.  I am still listening to Tracker straight through, including bonus songs, without any changes and still love it.

[jbaent]

I totally lost interest in this album and haven't listened to it at least a week now. I am disappointed by the lack of depth on the lyrics and musical ideas. I am totally left in disbelief that this should be the result of two years work in the studio and appears to me as nothing short of a musical bankruptcy. Apart from My Bacon Roll I only really like Sky And Water which reflects the MK music that I used to love. All other songs wear the stamp of dullness and lack of creativity, disguised  by a very cool sounding landscape of Guyisms but that cannot rescue it.

Sorry don't want to spoil the fun and I am off again already. I can imagine that many fans WANT to like it. No problem with that. I was prepared to love it but I can't. The Matchstick Man post of jbaent and the comparison with a masterpiece like Heart Of Oak brought me back dir a minute. Greetings!

LE

LE, I kind or warn you about this long ago when I told you that this new record has been recorded during the breaks between the works for the musical... I remember telling that probably MK put more of his creativity in the musical, that is something new, a challenge, something he never done before, than into the record.

When the iswc titles appeared here I pointed that it was rare that the numbers of the tracks were not consecutive, and in some cases, some too far from others, and it might means (not necessarily, but likely...) that some of them were songs that didn't make it in previous recording sessions for previous albums. I asked Guy once if the new record was made of new songs or from unfinished or not released before and he answered me something like "a bit of everything".

However, I like this record much more than Tracker, for example, as I find very interesting things musically, like the synths, the brass, the female vocals, the great amount and variaity of percussion over the record, diversity of styles etc etc

Lyrically is not so great as other records, but musically to me is very very interesting and I truly hope he follows this steps for the future, doing interesting and new kind of things he never done before.

[Knopflerfan]

Oh LE, DTRW isn't that bad is it??

Personally I still haven't got bored of this fabulous 'fresh' sounding album. If it's not being played at home its in the car etc
I do admit subject to mood I only skip 'Slow Learner but otherwise it's still the full 19 tracks...

With regards words/lyrics, when you actually sit quietly and really listen and understand what MK is singing/saying they are just as powerful each time I listen - I do this especially when listening to the Vinyl versions....OSAAT is still my ultimate fave track by a countrymile...
Love the guitar phrasing that we all know is MK and it's only him that can do it that way....

Hopefully you will revisit this lovely album someday...

[dustyvalentino]

I'm enjoying the album more with each listen.

That said, I don't think the deluxe songs add much (bonus songs better).

Current fave is Floating Away.

I still think the initial praise was over the top though. This doesn't mean I think it's a bad record, far from it. But does anybody REALLY think it's his best ever album?

[Knopflerfan]

I'm enjoying the album more with each listen.

That said, I don't think the deluxe songs add much (bonus songs better).

Current fave is Floating Away.

I still think the initial praise was over the top though. This doesn't mean I think it's a bad record, far from it. But does anybody REALLY think it's his best ever album?

Wholeheartedly agree that the album seems to just get better with each listen and funnily enough I thought today that 'Floating away' is actually really amazing....
Certainly not his best album but boy its got to be up there hasn't it?

[Robson]

From November 16, I'm listening to this album with the same pleasure and I'm waiting for more ...Two concerts in my country and Local Hero 2. 
Listen now, right here
It’s going to be a beautiful year

[followmehome217]

I totally lost interest in this album and haven't listened to it at least a week now. I am disappointed by the lack of depth on the lyrics and musical ideas. I am totally left in disbelief that this should be the result of two years work in the studio and appears to me as nothing short of a musical bankruptcy. Apart from My Bacon Roll I only really like Sky And Water which reflects the MK music that I used to love. All other songs wear the stamp of dullness and lack of creativity, disguised  by a very cool sounding landscape of Guyisms but that cannot rescue it.

Sorry don't want to spoil the fun and I am off again already. I can imagine that many fans WANT to like it. No problem with that. I was prepared to love it but I can't. The Matchstick Man post of jbaent and the comparison with a masterpiece like Heart Of Oak brought me back dir a minute. Greetings!

LE

That's interesting...it seemed like you loved most of the album when the leaks/radio shows started coming out.  Maybe you were just listening to it too much?  I took a week off because I was listening too much and listened to the whole thing today and am surprised how much I like it.  As of now it slots right in between Tracker and Golden Heart for my 6th favorite Mark solo album.

[Eddie Fox]

I'm still having a listen every second day and loving it. Quite impressed with the sound quality, it's the best album I've ever heard in terms of sound engineering. Yes, Don't Suck Me In should've been included, probably used as first single even, but DTRW is terrific regardless imho.