AMIT reviews of Tracker

[Mark Heritage]

Finally got round to looking at the CD booklet. I love the design and the way each song has the character or a theme of the song behind the lyrics. My fave is the shot out of the tour bus for Silver Eagle. I wonder if Mark gets the same design company to do his always good album design..

[TJ]

I wonder if Mark gets the same design company to do his always good album design..

I'm pretty sure Mark is doing the design himself now.  I remember Guy talking about Mark setting up the Privateering design, and since some of the photos in this album are taken by Kitty and Guy, and no one is credited with the design, it seems safe to assume Mark did it himself again.

I believe Get Lucky was the last time a design company was credited in the liner notes.

[Mark Heritage]

I wonder if Mark gets the same design company to do his always good album design..

I'm pretty sure Mark is doing the design himself now.  I remember Guy talking about Mark setting up the Privateering design, and since some of the photos in this album are taken by Kitty and Guy, and no one is credited with the design, it seems safe to assume Mark did it himself again.

I believe Get Lucky was the last time a design company was credited in the liner notes.

Thanks, that's interesting. It's good how Mark is on his own cover for once, albeit with his back to us as he takes in the pleasant countryside. All got to be worked out, and nice it all is from back to front; it completes the whole package and era of this recording..

[ollyz]

For me overall his best album since sailing to.

Overall tracker delivers for me a very relaxed and selfconfident album from a man, and band, which do what they want to do and like most.
Nothing groundbreaking, but detailed and with passion written and played music.
And, for the first time i really like the production.
Still perfect and polished, but not in a digital, more cold feel as get lucky was for example.

[Nick14]

A week since release date and I am absolutely loving the album - my favourite of all his solo albums right now - I will see what time does to that view! Overall rating:

Laughs and Jokes - 9/10 - terrific opening song - just gets better every time you hear it - wonderful melody and sound - it is all in there - jazz, rock, folk - great lyric - superb opening song

Basil - 9/10 - another beauty - just lovely - so evocative - again such a great melody and sound

River Towns - 9/10 - what a start to this album - his best ever - and this is another subtle grower - a ton of power and empotion in this song - not obvious at all - a beauty

Skydiver - 9/10 - something different - fun, bouncy - charming, cheeky - I can;t get enough of it

Mighty man - 9/10 - the biggest grower on the album for me - on first listen I hearda s lightly boring dirge - but the song opened up in front of me - such depth and power - another gem

Broken Bones - 7/10 - a weak spot of the album for me - I tired of this pretty quickly - not a song that withstands repeated listening

Long Cool Girl - 7/10 - coupled with Broken Bones as the dip in the album from which, thankfully it soon recovers - -this meanders but doesn't go anywhere

Lights of Taoromina - 10/10 - masterpiece - to write a song evoking Dylan in a way Dylan himself would be proud - a towering masterpiece

Silver Eagle - 9/10 - almosy as good as Lights - the Dylan Duo add to the albums richness and depth

Beryl - 8/10 - enjoyable short Straitsesque rocker - Lyrics get old quickly as there aren't many of them - same couple of lines recycled - but enjoyable to listen to

Wherever I go - 8/10 - this one falls short of other songs on the album as it veers a little too much to easy listening schmaltz

.38 Special - 8/10 - nice riff, nice song

My Heart Has Never Changed - 10/10 - wow - what a song - one of his very best

Terminal of Tribute To - 8/10 - great rock song - clever, well executed - music veers a bit into cliche but maybe that was the point.....

Heart of Oak - 10/10 - the second stone cold masterpiece to be left off the album proper - great, great song. One for the ages

Hot Dog - 7/10 - throwaway little rock song - disposable!

Oklahoma Ponies - 9/10 - great! A wild ride, dirty, nasty, funny - great romp

Time WIll End All Sorrow - 9/10 - A beautiful song - closing out a terrific set of 18 songs - so much stronger overall than Privateering.

[Rail King]

I finally found some quite hours this weekend to listen to the album (not the bonus tracks yet). And I pretty much 100% agree with Nick14 (right above). He has it spot on.

What surprised me most is how coherent the whole thing is, both lyrically and musically, even though the music is VERY diverse. Very thoughtfully arranged. And although I'll never like Guy's synths, I must say that this time they fit in more organically than they used to.

The weakest songs (Broken Bones, Long Cool Girl) are still very okay in my book. And as with every Knopfler album, there are some that brought tears to my eyeds immediately – this time it's Lights of Taormina and Silver Eagle.

I should know what to expect from a Knopfler album by now, but the man never fails to impress me. 

[Nick14]

Thanks Rail King! I should have mentioned the theme - you have that spot on - the music and style is very diverse but it hangs together very well indeed as a themed collection of songs - starting with the young Mark in Laugh and Jokes - then Basil - young Mark again and the theme of the drudgery of work v a vocational calling (for Mark and Basil both in the two opening songs) - on through the sadness of snuffed out early life in River Towns - a diversion through artistic temprement in Skydiver - through the theme of youth and old age and work and survival again in Mighty Man and Broken Bones - getting older - love in Long Cool Girl - the Dylan duo - full of art, age, love - into another tale of an artist unappreciated in Beryl - and the closing song about distance and love and friendship and the passing of time again. Most of the bonus songs fit the theme as well which gives it such coherence.

[ingridswing]

Well said, both Nick and Rail King. The only one that didn't grow on me so far, after listening hours and hours, is Broken Bones. Mighty Man was a grower, as was Long Cool Girl.
I instantly loved Taormina, Wherever I Go, Basil, Laughs and Silver Eagle.

[foma]

At least I found the review what I can get a pleasure of reading to, thank you Nick!

Not because you praise most of the songs, but because you have ears and know exactly what to hear in the song.

I'm just tired with these one-word cocky reviews like 'This album is a boredom' all over the internet, so thank you for your words of wisdom.

[yontwocrows]

At least I found the review what I can get a pleasure of reading to, thank you Nick!

Not because you praise most of the songs, but because you have ears and know exactly what to hear in the song.

I'm just tired with these one-word cocky reviews like 'This album is a boredom' all over the internet, so thank you for your words of wisdom.

  I agree totally

[LoveExpresso]

Can't get warm with Lights Of Taormina. Together with Wherever You Go the only two songs that are in danger to be skipped from time to time.

Because



they are just BORING!

 

LE

[superval99]

Can't get warm with Lights Of Taormina. Together with Wherever You Go the only two songs that are in danger to be skipped from time to time.

Because



they are just BORING!

 

LE

Lights of Taormina boring, LE?       It's one of my most favourite songs on the album, but most of them are my favourites!   

[LoveExpresso]

'Yes I know it is very popular among Amiters and it is really not just said to needle you. The lyrics are great, but TO ME it sounds somewhat weak.. it is just rippling there along the percussion/drums..
Well, it's not bad, but, not sure why I don't like it. I prefer Mighty Man, Long Cool Girl and, yes, Broken Bones, very much more than this one.

I like "He came, he saw, he conquered".. however it is somewhat strange that MK has to slip into the role of Bob to narrate this story, he has had many 10.000 faces at his feet himself.. too modest, I think..

The balcony story behind it is much more interesting (again: for me!) than the song itself.

LE

[Marikablue]

Can't get warm with Lights Of Taormina. Together with Wherever You Go the only two songs that are in danger to be skipped from time to time.

Because



they are just BORING!

 

LE

That's quite funny......those two songs are my faves at the main album   

[Fletch]

After 2 weeks getting to know the songs I bumped 3 of them and added all the bonus songs to make my own cd playlist. I won't bother saying what got dumped as were all different and we all seem to love slightly different things about Marks songwriting and production. What I don't find very good at all, lots of people love!

I did the same for privateering, although i have no hesitation in saying it was the dodgy blues songs that were dumped there, replaced with the beautiful bonuses. That double album could've been an all time classic if it were issued that way.