Dire Straits are the vehicle for session guitar whiz Mark Knopfler, who first appeared as a member of Bob Dylan's band in the mid-1970s. Dire Straits play well-behaved, rhythm-heavy radio-rock that gets all its personality from Knopfler's J.J. Cale-ish guitars and montone vocals. The classic rock radio staple "Sultans of Swing" may be the best example of the band's art, featuring Knopfler's wry lyrics and laid-back, jiggering guitar lines. Their critical apex came with Making Movies in 1980, and its eerie, neon-lit masterpiece "Skateaway." In 1985, the group attained massive star status with Brothers In Arms which yielded the hits "Money For Nothing" and "So Far Away.
