Mark Knopfler

Usually, when the main talent from a successful group ditches his old bandmates to go solo, it's because he or she wants to present their musical vision uncorrupted by musical compromise. Mark Knopfler's solo career, by contrast, seems more the work of a man who's made enough money not to have to worry about hits, and so approaches recording the way other people look at gardening. It may be more than a hobby for him, but one has the sense that he wouldn't do it if he didn't enjoy it, and that he's more interested in satisfying himself than any audience.

As such, Dire Straits fans are more likely than not to be disappointed by these albums. There are elements in common, of course. Local Hero, for instance, is recorded with Dire Straits alums Alan Clark, John Illsley, and Terry Williams, and at times evokes much the same mood as the quieter bits of Love Over Gold. Cal also uses a few Straitsmen in the rhythm section, but pulls more of its color from the Irish folk contributions of Paul Brady and Liam O'Flynn. The Princess Bride, assembled with the help of orchestral arranger Guy Fletcher, offers more straight-up movie scoring -- lots of suspense-building strings and swashbuckling flourishes, as well as a wonderfully sentimental vocal by Willy DeVille on "Storybook Love." It's fun, and much more satisfying than the empty, mechanical Last Exit to Brooklyn, which features some Knopfler guitar but leaves most of the music to Fletcher. (Screenplaying draws from the best of these soundtracks.)

Golden Heart, released a year after Knopfler officially disbanded Dire Straits, may open with an Irish traditional flourish, but plays off many of the same tropes as the Straits, from the "Money for Nothing"–ish rhythm guitar that kick-starts "Imelda" to the "Walk of Life"–style shuffle that drives "Don't You Get It." A pleasant album, but hardly as appealing as Sailing to Philadelphia, in which Knopfler combines his cinematic flair with his fondness for folk music to create a truly memorable set of story-songs. Nor does it hurt that the album boasts a memorable set of vocal cameos, including James Taylor (on the title tune), Van Morrison ("The Last Laugh"), and Squeeze's Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook ("Silvertown Blues").

Knopfler hadn't abandoned movie scoring, of course. Wag the Dog is a pleasant mélange of roots rock and country, but clocks in at well under 30 minutes -- hardly a bargain. Metroland includes a nice sampling of new-wave rockers (Elvis Costello's "Alison," Dire Straits' "The Sultans of Swing") and French pop (tracks by Françoise Hardy and Django Reinhardt), but only a smattering of new Knopfler. But the Scots-inflected A Shot at Glory is more like a pop album than a standard soundtrack, and in many ways upstages Knopfler's pleasant but more conventional third album, Ragpicker's Dream. (J.D. CONSIDINE)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide