Reviews

[goon525]

There's not much I'd agree with in that Danish review, but I have a sneaking feeling that knocking a minute and a half off several of the songs would have done them no harm!

[jerryb]

Anyone else hear an excessive amount of sibilance on vocals?

[goon525]

No, I don’t, on a pretty high end system.

[Nick14]

That's an odd review - 4 out of 6 stars - very good rating - then critical about most of the songs.

[Urrim]

AllMusic Review by Timothy Monger [-]

Nine albums into a remarkably consistent post-Dire Straits solo career, Mark Knopfler has little to prove aside from living up to his own high standards. That's not to say he's incapable of surprises or the occasional left turn, but the general trajectory of his non-soundtrack output as far back as 2004's Shangri-La has continued to cut a pleasingly familiar groove that fuses his myriad preferences (country, jazz, blues, pub rock, folk, Celtic) into the distinctive brand of understated English roots rock that has become his bailiwick. A single elegantly muted guitar squall or dry vocal phrase is usually all it takes to recognize the author and yet, Knopfler has never been one to coast on his reputation, diligently putting in the work and honing each of his songs into their essential form. Such is the case with Down the Road Wherever, a classic Knopfler grab-bag that essentially picks up where 2015's Tracker left off. A wide-ranging mix of reflective autobiographical fare and warm, eclectic storytelling, it runs the gamut from tales of a footloose football fan strolling through enemy territory (the bluesy "Just a Boy Away from Home") and a wayward bar musician hitchhiking on Christmas Day (the spare solo acoustic cut "Matchstick Man") to a pair of deeply personal and elegant piano-led jazz ballads in "When You Leave" and the smoky "Slow Learner." Well-crafted midtempo rockers like "Good on You Son" and "Back on the Dance Floor" hit that deep pocket of hooky melodicism, nimble unhurried fretwork, and half-drawled cool that is one of Knopfler's specialties. A somewhat lengthy collection, the album does tend to drag a little in its second half and while there are no outright duds, a bit of editing might have turned a strong 14-track outing into an excellent ten or 12-track one. Still, the fact that Knopfler is writing and recording at such a high level of quality at this stage in his career makes each release something to celebrate.

Source:
https://www.allmusic.com/album/down-the-road-wherever-mw0003210690

[dannr1]

The notoriously grumpy, "old" man from the danish tabloid "Ekstrabladet" is pretty harsh in his review of DtRW: (Hope my translation makes sense):

Oh no: Rock giant with a walking frame
The british veteran Mark Knopfler sounds like a sack of potatoes [translation note: in Danish, it is commonly known that the only thing that rhymes on Knopfler is kartofler (potatoes)] on a hauling, boring album opus.

On the stylish tune ‘Slow Learner” Mark Knopfler mumbles “I do everything slow”.

By that he’s right.

The legend’s more than 70 minutes long album, “Down the Road Wherever” is so calm that it makes you feel time moving backwards.

More than ever, Knopfler changes sprawlingly between almost indolent and just leaned back tones, while his fundamental skills and craftmanship none the less are some guarantee for a certain quality.

Swinging his wooden legs
The old timer, turning 70 next summer, however seems to be using a walking frame, even making you fear for his health, as he with understated humour swings his wooden legs on “Back on the Dance Floor”.

Without any success, Knopfler discreetly experiments with a brass section and soul grooves, but somehow ends standing obdurately still in a weirdly edgy and flat sounding production.

His bone dry caprice is lukewarm and the inspiration only glows by exception in the dusty western-ballad “Nobody’s Child” and the jazzy “When You Leave”, where it - for once - seems something is at stake in his slumbering world.

A track like “Nobody Does That” would none the less make J.J. Cale swing a bit from his grave, but you end up with the empty feeling that Knopfler only went to the studio because he was bored.

That’s contagious. Tardily.

(Source: https://ekstrabladet.dk/musik/intlalbum/aah-nej-rockgigant-med-gangstativ/7396311)

Den var jo totalt idiotisk...

[K-alberto]

Italian review (very good!) and a video (in english, and italian subs)
https://www.rockol.it/recensioni-musicali/album/8329/mark-knopfler-down-the-road-wherever

[vr46mk]

The notoriously grumpy, "old" man from the danish tabloid "Ekstrabladet" is pretty harsh in his review of DtRW: (Hope my translation makes sense):

Oh no: Rock giant with a walking frame
The british veteran Mark Knopfler sounds like a sack of potatoes [translation note: in Danish, it is commonly known that the only thing that rhymes on Knopfler is kartofler (potatoes)] on a hauling, boring album opus.

On the stylish tune ‘Slow Learner” Mark Knopfler mumbles “I do everything slow”.

By that he’s right.

The legend’s more than 70 minutes long album, “Down the Road Wherever” is so calm that it makes you feel time moving backwards.

More than ever, Knopfler changes sprawlingly between almost indolent and just leaned back tones, while his fundamental skills and craftmanship none the less are some guarantee for a certain quality.

Swinging his wooden legs
The old timer, turning 70 next summer, however seems to be using a walking frame, even making you fear for his health, as he with understated humour swings his wooden legs on “Back on the Dance Floor”.

Without any success, Knopfler discreetly experiments with a brass section and soul grooves, but somehow ends standing obdurately still in a weirdly edgy and flat sounding production.

His bone dry caprice is lukewarm and the inspiration only glows by exception in the dusty western-ballad “Nobody’s Child” and the jazzy “When You Leave”, where it - for once - seems something is at stake in his slumbering world.

A track like “Nobody Does That” would none the less make J.J. Cale swing a bit from his grave, but you end up with the empty feeling that Knopfler only went to the studio because he was bored.

That’s contagious. Tardily.

(Source: https://ekstrabladet.dk/musik/intlalbum/aah-nej-rockgigant-med-gangstativ/7396311)

Den var jo totalt idiotisk...

Håller med.. Vad hade han väntat sig? Rent DS-sound á la 80-talet? 

[quizzaciously]

The notoriously grumpy, "old" man from the danish tabloid "Ekstrabladet" is pretty harsh in his review of DtRW: (Hope my translation makes sense):

Oh no: Rock giant with a walking frame
The british veteran Mark Knopfler sounds like a sack of potatoes [translation note: in Danish, it is commonly known that the only thing that rhymes on Knopfler is kartofler (potatoes)] on a hauling, boring album opus.

On the stylish tune ‘Slow Learner” Mark Knopfler mumbles “I do everything slow”.

By that he’s right.

The legend’s more than 70 minutes long album, “Down the Road Wherever” is so calm that it makes you feel time moving backwards.

More than ever, Knopfler changes sprawlingly between almost indolent and just leaned back tones, while his fundamental skills and craftmanship none the less are some guarantee for a certain quality.

Swinging his wooden legs
The old timer, turning 70 next summer, however seems to be using a walking frame, even making you fear for his health, as he with understated humour swings his wooden legs on “Back on the Dance Floor”.

Without any success, Knopfler discreetly experiments with a brass section and soul grooves, but somehow ends standing obdurately still in a weirdly edgy and flat sounding production.

His bone dry caprice is lukewarm and the inspiration only glows by exception in the dusty western-ballad “Nobody’s Child” and the jazzy “When You Leave”, where it - for once - seems something is at stake in his slumbering world.

A track like “Nobody Does That” would none the less make J.J. Cale swing a bit from his grave, but you end up with the empty feeling that Knopfler only went to the studio because he was bored.

That’s contagious. Tardily.

(Source: https://ekstrabladet.dk/musik/intlalbum/aah-nej-rockgigant-med-gangstativ/7396311)

Den var jo totalt idiotisk...

Håller med.. Vad hade han väntat sig? Rent DS-sound á la 80-talet? 

This review basically sums up all that we moaners were moan about after this album came out. No, he wasn't expecting 80s DS sound, neither expected I. The review is about a completely different matter, which is the "feel" and an honest look at the production and the quality of the songs. If you like the album, its completely okay, because in a way it was designed to be as "likeable" as possible. And this is exactly what we moaners and reviewers are talking about.

[quizzaciously]

Mark now has the best voice he ever had in his whole career, and with the voice like that you expect better songs and less cheesy production. No, I don't want an intro that resembles Telegraph Road for no apparent reason. I don't want flashy guitar solos, I don't want Dire Straits, which Mark always bashes and calls his "old boots" while delivering the most DS-sounding record ever. Just give me the voice without embellishments, choruses, flangers, reverbs, delays, the good songs an a simple acoustic guitar. It's not rocket science, Guy and Mark!

[vr46mk]

Mark now has the best voice he ever had in his whole career, and with the voice like that you expect better songs and less cheesy production. No, I don't want an intro that resembles Telegraph Road for no apparent reason. I don't want flashy guitar solos, I don't want Dire Straits, which Mark always bashes and calls his "old boots" while delivering the most DS-sounding record ever. Just give me the voice without embellishments, choruses, flangers, reverbs, delays, the good songs an a simple acoustic guitar. It's not rocket science, Guy and Mark!

Next album with less/no influence by Guy will satisfied you? 

[quizzaciously]

Mark now has the best voice he ever had in his whole career, and with the voice like that you expect better songs and less cheesy production. No, I don't want an intro that resembles Telegraph Road for no apparent reason. I don't want flashy guitar solos, I don't want Dire Straits, which Mark always bashes and calls his "old boots" while delivering the most DS-sounding record ever. Just give me the voice without embellishments, choruses, flangers, reverbs, delays, the good songs an a simple acoustic guitar. It's not rocket science, Guy and Mark!

Next album with less/no influence by Guy will satisfied you? 

The worst case scenario if the next album will have even more of all this. Then, this will be the end of MK for me personally. Imagine even more cheesier production, even more effects, even more sounds, even more drums and even more DS (contrary to what Mark says, again).

Someone told me that after Privateering and Tracker Mark had absolutely no other choice than to release such an album as Down The Road, a different album, because otherwise he would be crushed by people and reviewers as being "too Mark", too slow and boring, all that usual stuff. But somehow I think they took it too far and I hope Mark will get back at his "slow" roots as soon as possible. With, or without Guy.

[dmg]

Mark now has the best voice he ever had in his whole career, and with the voice like that you expect better songs and less cheesy production. No, I don't want an intro that resembles Telegraph Road for no apparent reason. I don't want flashy guitar solos, I don't want Dire Straits, which Mark always bashes and calls his "old boots" while delivering the most DS-sounding record ever. Just give me the voice without embellishments, choruses, flangers, reverbs, delays, the good songs an a simple acoustic guitar. It's not rocket science, Guy and Mark!

This is the direction Mark decided to take with this album though and I am happy to go along with his decision.  I am glad he has evolved from the pipes and whistles from the previous thousand albums. 

Perhaps listening to live versions will lower your blood pressure! 

[quizzaciously]

This is the direction Mark decided to take with this album though and I am happy to go along with his decision. I am glad he has evolved from the pipes and whistles from the previous thousand albums. 

Perhaps listening to live versions will lower your blood pressure! 

Guy probably won't be able to play ALL his synths and the cuíca at the time, so yes, some songs can rejuvenate live. I hope so! Who knows.

[Eddie Fox]

This is the direction Mark decided to take with this album though and I am happy to go along with his decision. I am glad he has evolved from the pipes and whistles from the previous thousand albums. 

Perhaps listening to live versions will lower your blood pressure! 

Guy probably won't be able to play ALL his synths and the cuíca at the time, so yes, some songs can rejuvenate live. I hope so! Who knows.

Only that it's Danny who will play the cuíca lol and with all the tech Guy has at his disposal he can play as many synths as he wants 

I'm with dmg on this one, glad the pipes and whistles were put in the backseat to make room for new things. As much as I liked Get Lucky, Privateering and Tracker I was craving for a change of direction of some sort and they finally did it - and bloody nailed it.