Like many of my vintage, I would imagine, what I remember most about this record from the time it was current is "Money for Nothing." Which, of course, now sounds the most dated of the record's tracks (who "installs microwave ovens" or "moves color TVs" these days, or for that matter, writes the word "faggot" into a pop song, no matter how ironic the intent?). "So Far Away" and "Walk of Life" are the standouts on this record, yet for whatever reason I missed them at the time, and have since associated these songs with the Straits' earlier years; go figure. The rest of the record, at turns, hides behind a maudlin curtain of soft rock ("Your Latest Trick" and "Why Worry"), while at others showcases the diversity of Knopfler's musical sensibilities, as well as his sheer muscle as a songwriter ("Ride Across the River" and "The Man's Too Strong"). A mixed bag to be sure, but this is what I've always loved about Knopfler: his unpredictability, rather than his consistency.
#350, Niel Young & Crazy Horse's Rust Never Sleeps: Neil Young paints the experience of Americana (or more accurately, North Americana) in all of its colors, with an admirably broad brush at that. Yet he's always seemed like a lake I could never really jump into, as though there's something there that I can't quite wrap my head around; there are moments, though, "Pocahontas" and "Powderfinger" among them. I may well get around to understanding Neil someday... Or perhaps I'm just more of a Springsteen guy.
#349, The Yardbirds' Roger the Engineer: More great stuff from the Yardbirds. This one finds them acknowledging their blues revival roots, while moving into the edgier psychedelic territory of the late '60s. Not surprisingly, it was their first record without Eric Clapton...
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