New Mark Knopfler Album 2024 - One Deep River (2024)

My CD came on Friday but I’ve just listened to the ATMOS mix on Apple Music. Like others so far, it seems like a solid effort. I rank Tracker among his best albums, and Down The Road Wherever has several songs that have grown steadily in the last few years.

Now I await the SDE to check out the bonus tracks. Hopefully all tracks make it to digital sooner rather than later!

Fingers crossed!!!

Thank you for this post. I bought the LP but am likely to spring for the CD for a digital copy and the bonus tracks. I miss the days I’d get downloads with an LP purchase; even sometimes high res files like the ones that came with a Paul Simon LP I purchased years ago. When I bought tickets to see Mark during his Tracker tour I was surprised to receive a CD copy in the mail with my ticket purchase!

Glad to see the love for this new release and for “Tracker” too as I thought I was alone in my love for that album.

Maybe more than any other artist, Mark has been there during my adult life from college in 1978 to the current day. I remember hearing “Sultans of Swing” in my car and went straight to the record store and bought the LP which I still have. Glad he’s still making music that I love.

I love Tracker (and any of his albums). And I agree, he is a huge part of my life as well It's nice to know he's around...

Oddly enough, I can't play this album immediately after Tracker. I must follow that with Down The Road Wherever first. I don't know if it's due to familiarity or if those two albums form a couplet. Lol.

I was surprised that the hd/promaster release only had the 12 tracks. I expected the 2 CD release.

I'm the same way, Sailing to Philadelphia is my favorite, followed by Tracker. For me, a good Knopfler solo album has 4 or so great songs, and the rest being good songs. One Deep River has all good songs, but none that are great. It's pleasant enough though. But the low DR gives it a "stuffed in a can" feel to the sound quality.

I'd like at least one "Beryl" level song.

While the MK fans are all in one thread, I've got to ask, what was Mark thinking with the lyrics to My Bacon Roll from Down The Road Wherever? One of the most romantic and heart felt melodies he's ever written but with such trite lyrics.

He must love bacon sandwiches and centered a song around that culinary devotion. No matter what's going on, it all leads back to a bacon sandwich. He even includes the recipe at the end.

Some discussion here:
https://www.songfacts.com/facts/mark-knopfler/my-bacon-roll

I recognise the team building thing from the corporate world. Those lyrics are at least.. different!

Yes, I know.

I can't agree with your listening experience. I don't read DR values and just listen to the music and find it and the production to be overall superb - if not above. Sure it's dense. But Guy Fletcher wanted it that way and Mark obviously gave him his thumbs up, so it sounds as intended. In an interview not long ago Guy was being asked why many of Marks albums have such bad DR values. This is what he said on 13 December 2021:

"I should elaborate on my previous answer here. Dynamic range is not something I particularly strive for, each piece of music is treated in its own way. When it comes to mastering however, dynamic range is always considered. When we hand Mark’s music to (the great) Bob Ludwig, he rarely does much to it, thus retaining our vision on how dynamic it should be. Or not.

Some music productions speak well with limited Dynamic Range, others really benefit from wide open space that a high DR gives. In a lot of ways, the loudness wars are less of an issue these days as more sensible producers are aware of the benefits to the music of avoiding crushing limiting and maximisation. Plug-ins make these things very accessible and therefore prone to mis-use.

Then there is the relatively new medium of Dolby Atmos and it’s recommended avoidance of limiting. In that case, it’s nice to be able to use a sonic space and explore full dynamic range. Hopefully more consumer listeners will be able to appreciate it. It’s early days."

Source: Dr Fletch Questions

Hear. Hear. I couldn't have said it better. GF and MK are only concerned with what sounds good to them, and they should know.

If they wish to strive for a compressed, low DR sound, that's their prerogative. However, that's simply their opinion rather than a universal declaration of what sounds good to which we must bow and accept. If one uses the golden era of jazz recordings as the gold standard, then compressed recordings like One Deep River come up short in comparison. And there are many well produced current era recordings that have a proper dynamic range and sound terrific, so it's not limited to 1950's jazz.

I speculate their goal of a lower DR is centered around One Deep River sounding best on ear buds and the like. It's a reasonable economic decision, but one that brushes against audiophile goals. It's a decent "for the masses who don't care one way or the other" recording. But it's a "B" grade audiophile recording. And it's a shame as the Dire Straits and other earlier MK solo albums have an excellent DR and sound amazing.

There are compelling reasons why producers adopted the loudness war standards. Having recordings sound best on the way the vast majority of modern day people listen to music is very reasonable. It does sacrifice sound quality for those who listen in an audiophile context. They know that. And I don't blame them one bit for doing what they've done.

Audiophiles don't pay their bills.

Are you seeking a more esoteric interpretation about why MK wrote a song about bacon sandwiches, some hidden deep meaning?

No, I'm just wondering if his mind is turning to mush.

I couldn't disagree more. I'm an audiophile and I don't have to adhere to the Audiophile's Code of high DR. I take every recording on an individual basis. Some sound good with slight to moderate compression, some don't. MK falls into the former category. I gave up on the need to know what the numbers are before listening to any recording and judge it on its own sonic merits. After all, isn't that what being an audiophile is really about, and not book keeping?

Beryl is the song that stinks the album out for me. I'm constantly amazed by people's different tastes on this forum, even within one artist's repertoire.

My favourite Knopfler solo album is Privateering.

Beryl is the bomb. Love the intensity and the lyrics. Classic Knopfler.

It's not about following a DR number. It's the reality that great recordings nearly universally have a healthy DR. If you're not familiar with the Loudness Wars and the history of compression, I suggest you do some research. Once upon a time, natural dynamic range was the norm. Then came the Loudness Wars.

Compression is the enemy of great sound quality - not the only factor, but a meaningful one. I didn't know the One Deep River DR upfront, but could hear right away that it's compressed. It wasn't about a number, it was about ok, but not great sound quality.

I speculate that the vinyl version of One Deep River may sound much better in terms of compression.

I haven't spent my last 20 years in a cave, and I'm a retired sound editor for both TV and Movies and have extensive training in sound recording and editing, what you call mastering. I was successful by trusting my ears and not statistics.

Then what is this audiophile sound that everybody who call themselves that can agree on? And wouldn't it be very boring if every album ever produced sounds alike hence?

I know: audiophile means no compression, high dynamic range, no or few filters, first generation tape use, analog etc etc - or those are merely buzz words that make you think of a piece of music more. Would you believe a MFSL release of this album would sound any better then?

But I don't want to convince you here. We have different approaches on that one and that is totally fine. I like the sound for what it is - high dynamic range or not. In general I tend to prefer high dynamics as well, but for this album the sound just speaks to me as it is.

By the way: I'm aware of why the loudness thing started in the first place. But I doubt many people who listen to Mark, enjoy it in the tube on earbuds or in a car. I believe this music to be made for "home use" on a nice hifi system and I think most people listen to it like this.

Why should it? It's the same mastering for sure. I listened to the bonus LP and it's the same DR for what I can hear. All modem LP releases are the same as their CD equivalents unless specifically mentioned otherwise.

As someone living in the UK, for me it’s one of his finest lyrics.

A 100% spot on character study of a particular type of person here.

Perhaps, but it's the waste of a beautiful melody.