Unfortunately, when
Mark Knopfler and the rest of
Dire Straits are removed from their own music, it begins to sound a little flat. That's the problem with this tribute to the band, which features 12 tracks spanning their entire career, performed by a faceless collective called the Sultans of Swing. Well-known tracks like "Walk of Life," "So Far Away," and "Sultans of Swing" suffer from weak instrumentation and a nondescript vocal delivery. Only "Money for Nothing," with its purposely synthetic, processed sound, succeeds here. ~ Johnny Loftus