Consumer Guide Album

Dire Straits: Money for Nothing [Warner Bros., 1988]
An active member of the Fraternal Order of Old Farts since birth, Mark Knopfler has always identified simply, spontaneously, and soddenly with anybody who's bitter because life has passed him by--no, not "him or her," that's just the kind of pussyfooting a man's man won't abide. He's most convincing when directing his empathy at musicians--cf. "Sultans of Swing," in which glam types reject trad tsk-tsk, and "The Walk of Life," in which our hero dances as best he can. Skillfully accompanied on guitar, his supposedly unfashionable ressentiment has made him a rich man. How could such a thing happen? B−