THE LINEUP
The month’s best guitar music – a hand-picked selection of the finest fretwork on wax
Mark Knopfler
One Deep River
British Grove/EMI (available 12 April)
9/10
A storied masterpiece from the sultan of song There are very few guitarists whose style manages to win a place in the ‘instantly recognisable’ club, but Mark Knopfler is certainly a fully paid-up member of that particular elite. That unmistakable semi-clean Strat sound – plus, of course, the occasional Les Paul, Telecaster and sundry Stratalike six-string exotica – permeated every release by that fabulous beast that was Dire Straits. But when that enterprise took its final curtain call in 1995, Knopfler engaged upon a solo career that has seen him release no fewer than nine albums to date. One Deep River is the tenth, the title song of which is a personal paean to the Tyne that flows through his beloved Newcastle.
Produced by Knopfler and long-time collaborator Guy Fletcher and recorded at MK’s state-of-the-art Grove Studios, One Deep Riverfeatures 12 songs in its single CD release format, expanded to the tune of four or five bonus tracks depending on which deluxe package you choose. Always the master storyteller, lyrically the songs cover everything from early days trying to make it in the music business to a daring railroad robbery in the old Wild West on Tunnel 13. Aside from the signature Strat tones, there’s sensitive acoustic playing on tracks such as SweeterThanThe Rain. But as is the case with every master craftsperson, it’s the songs themselves that bask in the spotlight, the guitars playing only what’s necessary and nothing more. As such, the album is a masterclass in the art of subtlety and restraint that will sit happily alongside Knopfler’s finest work. [DM]
Standout track: BlackTieJobs For fans of: Dire Straits, JJ Cale, John Hiatt
Martin Simpson
Skydancers
Topic Records (available 12 April)
10/10
Moving, perfectly performed feast of folk guitar delivers sorrow and joy Any new Martin Simpson album is a treat for folk-guitar fans, but with Skydancers, he may just have delivered his magnum opus. Comprising two discs, one of studio recordings, the other of some superbly recorded live performances, all of life is here – from nature in conflict with man in the title track to ale-house rakes who’ve lost it all to drink and hedonism in Flash Company, the sorrow and fleeting joys of the world are etched in the listener’s imagination with masterly skill. In so doing, Simpson draws upon a deep well of extraordinary folk songs from both Britain and America as well as his own compositions. So it’s testament to his artistry that everything coheres gracefully and movingly here – and we don’t think we’ve ever
