Scaled smaller than 2012's double-album Privateering, Tracker also feels suitably subtle, easing its way into being instead of announcing itself with a thunder.
Such understatement is typical of Mark Knopfler, particularly in the third act of his career.
When he left Dire Straits behind, he also left behind any semblance of playing for the cheap seats in an arena, but Tracker feels quieter than his new millennial norm.
Some of this is due to the undercurrent of reflection tugging at the record's momentum.
Knopfler isn't pining for the past but he is looking back, sometimes wistfully, sometimes with a resigned smile, and he appropriately draws upon sounds that he's long loved.
Usually, this means some variation of pub rock -- the languid ballad "River Towns," the lazy shuffle "Skydiver," the two-chord groove of "Broken Bones" -- but this is merely the foundation from which Knopfler threads in a fair amount of olde British folk and other roots digressions.
This delicate melancholy complements echoes of older Knopfler songs -- significant stretches of the record are reminiscent of the moodier aspects of Brothers in Arms, while "Beryl" has just a bit of the "Sultans of Swing" bounce -- and this skillful interweaving of Knopfler's personal past helps give Tracker a nicely gentle resonance.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laughs and Jokes and Drinks and SmokesMark Knopfler | Mark Knopfler | Play | 06:40 | 15 MB | 40 MB |
| 2 | BasilMark Knopfler | Mark Knopfler | Play | 05:44 | 13 MB | 30 MB |
| 3 | River TownsMark Knopfler | Mark Knopfler | Play | 06:16 | 14 MB | 36 MB |
| 4 | SkydiverMark Knopfler | Mark Knopfler | Play | 04:38 | 10 MB | 28 MB |
| 5 | Mighty ManMark Knopfler | Mark Knopfler | Play | 05:55 | 13 MB | 30 MB |
| 6 | Broken BonesMark Knopfler | Mark Knopfler | Play | 05:30 | 12 MB | 32 MB |
| 7 | Long Cool GirlMark Knopfler | Mark Knopfler | Play | 05:05 | 11 MB | 27 MB |
| 8 | Lights of TaorminaMark Knopfler | Mark Knopfler | Play | 06:09 | 14 MB | 33 MB |
| 9 | Silver EagleMark Knopfler | Mark Knopfler | Play | 05:01 | 11 MB | 25 MB |
| 10 | BerylMark Knopfler | Mark Knopfler | Play | 03:10 | 7 MB | 20 MB |
| 11 | Wherever I GoMark Knopfler | Mark Knopfler | Play | 06:26 | 14 MB | 30 MB |
| 60 mins | 139 MB | |||||
| 60 mins | 337 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kitty Aldridge | Cover Photo |
| 2 | Peter Blake | Photography |
| 3 | George Bray | Photography |
| 4 | Basil Bunting | Poetry |
| 5 | Andy Cook | Assistant |
| 6 | Phil Cunningham | Accordion |
| 7 | Jason Elliott | Assistant |
| 8 | Guy Fletcher | Bass, Engineer, Keyboards, Photography, Producer, Ukulele |
| 9 | Henrik Hansen | Photography |
| 10 | Nigel Hitchcock | Saxophone |
| 11 | Martin Hollis | Assistant |
| 12 | Joe Kearns | Assistant |
| 13 | Brendan King | Photography |
| 14 | Mark Knopfler | Composer, Guitar, Mandolin, Primary Artist, Producer, Terz Guitar |
| 15 | Bob Ludwig | Mastering |
| 16 | John McCusker | Cittern, Fiddle |
| 17 | Mike McGoldrick | Featured Artist, Flute (Wood), Guitar (Tenor), Whistle |
| 18 | Bruce Molsky | Fiddle, Guitar (Rhythm) |
| 19 | Ruth Moody | Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Vocals |
| 20 | Steve Pyke | Photography |
| 21 | Ian Thomas | Drums, Washboard |
| 22 | Art Turner | Photography |
| 23 | Tom Walsh | Trumpet |
| 24 | Wendy Whiteley | Sketches |
| 25 | Glenn Worf | Bass (Electric), Bass (Upright) |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |