Sailing to Philadelphia [Warner]

1	What It Is / Aubrey Haynie 4:57
2	Sailing to Philadelphia / Paul Franklin 5:29
3	Who's Your Baby Now / Danny Cummings 3:05
4	Baloney Again / Chris Willis 5:09
5	The Last Laugh / Jim Horn 3:22
6	Do America / Paul Franklin 4:12
7	El Macho / Chris Rodriguez 5:29
8	Prairie Wedding / Paul Franklin 4:26
9	Wanderlust / Paul Franklin 3:52
10	Speedway at Nazareth / Paul Franklin 6:23
11	Junkie Doll 4:34
12	Silvertown Blues / Glenn Tilbrook 5:29
13	Sands of Nevada / Paul Franklin 3:57

Barnes & Noble

In the long history of British rockers mimicking the sounds of America's South (Rolling Stones, the Animals, Eric Clapton, etc.), no limeys whistled Dixie as convincingly as Dire Straits, who broke onto the American charts in 1978 singing the line "Way on down south." In that song, "Sultans of Swing," Straits' frontman Mark Knopfler may have been singing about London, but his bluesy honky-tonk inspiration clearly came from an ocean away. On only his second non-soundtrack solo album, Knopfler's muse is firmly planted on American soil -- as evidenced by tracks such as "Do America," "Sands of Nevada," "Prairie Wedding," and "Sailing to Philadelphia." On the title track, Knopfler plays Dixon to guest vocalist James Taylor's Mason, as the two turn the mundane history lesson of "drawing the line" into a poignant ballad. Speaking of guests, the mighty pipes of legendary Americaphile Van Morrison transform the laid-back "The Last Laugh" into an inspired spiritual, and Squeeze's Chris Difford and Glen Tilbrook add a little vocal punch to the already punchy "Silvertown Blues." But for Straits' fans, the standout track is likely to be the infectious, "Sultans"-like hoedown rocker "What It Is," on which Knopfler's guitar-pickin' sounds more like fiddle-bowin'. Way on down south indeed. Bill Crandall

All Music Guide

Mark Knopfler's second solo album might as well be called Dire Straits' eighth studio album, though Knopfler abandoned the group name back in 1996, dispensing with hefty sales in the process. There was never much doubt that the fame and lifestyle coincident with platinum sales made him uncomfortable, and discontinuing the Dire Straits billing was a means of walking away from all that. It also allowed him to indulge his love for various musical genres more, and that process continues on Sailing to Philadelphia. True, Knopfler's basic approach remains the same -- as a guitarist, he is still enamored of the minor-key finger-picking style of J.J. Cale, and as a singer/songwriter, he remains enthralled with Bob Dylan. But in one song after another on this album, you get the feeling that he started out playing some familiar song in a specific genre and eventually extrapolated upon it enough to call it an original. Knopfler has grafted his own lyrical concerns to these songs, often playing up the lives of humble people (especially musicians), and putting down powerful people (especially rock stars). There are also story-songs on wide-ranging subjects, but the theme of life on the road and the dichotomy between the rich and famous (what Knopfler is) and the poor and powerless (those he identifies with) predominate. Working with a two-guitars, two-keyboards, bass and drums band (like Dire Straits), Knopfler brings in a variety of sympathetic guests, notably James Taylor, Van Morrison, and Squeeze leaders Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford. These guest stars provide pleasant contrast to Knopfler's modest vocal talents, but they never steal the spotlight from the leader. (Well, okay, Morrison does.) His ability to hold his own is some indication that, however self-effacing he may be, he remains a star. [In 2005 Sailing to Philadelphia was reissued with a bonus DVD that featured "behind the scenes" footage" as well as interviews with Knopfler and his band.] William Ruhlmann