Down the Road Wherever

by Mark Knopfler

Overview

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. ~ Timothy Monger

Product Details

Release Date:	11/16/2018
Label:	Blue Note
UPC:	0602567940449
Rank:	922

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Trapper Man
2. Back On The Dance Floor
3. Nobody's Child
4. Nobody Does That
5. Good On You Son
6. Floating Away

Disc 2

7. One Song At A Time
8. Heavy Up
9. Slow Learner
10. Just A Boy Away From Home
11. My Bacon Roll
12. When You Leave
13. Matchstick Man

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Mark Knopfler   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Guy Fletcher   Keyboards,Vibraphone,Synthesizer,Vocals (Background),Keyboards,Vocals (Background),Organ
Imelda May   Vocals (Background)
Mike McGoldrick   Low Whistle,Flute (Wood)
Tom Walsh   Trumpet
Ian Thomas   Drums
John McCusker   Fiddle
Robbie McIntosh   Guitar
Beverley Skeete   Vocals (Background)
Trevor Mires   Trombone
Lance Ellington   Vocals (Background)
Richard Bennett   Guitar
Katie Kissoon   Vocals (Background)
Glenn Worf   Guitar (Bass),Bass (Upright),Bass (Electric)
Danny Cummings   Percussion,Vocals (Background)
Jim Cox   Organ,Piano,Keyboards,Synthesizer
Kris Drever   Vocals (Background)
Nigel Hitchcock   Saxophone,Sax (Alto),Sax (Tenor)

Technical Credits

Guy Fletcher   Mixing,Producer,Recording,Engineer,Producer
Chris Friedman   Cover Photo
Jason Elliot   Assistant
Martin Hollis   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Henrik Hansen   Photography
Jason Elliott   Assistant Engineer
Rowan McIntosh   Assistant,Mixing Assistant
Josh Tyrrell   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Poppy Kavanagh   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Glenn Saggers   Guitar Technician
Bob Ludwig   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Andy Cook   Assistant,Mixing Assistant
Oscar Hammerstein II   Composer
Richard Rodgers   Composer
Mark Knopfler   Composer,Producer