Interview with Mark Knopfler

By Larry Katz - The Boston Herald, 1996

Golden Heart strings, Mark Knopfler leaves his band behind for solo album, but there are no other dire consequences

Goodbye Dire Straits hello Nashville. Nineteen years after forming the mega-selling English rock band Dire Staits, Mark Knopfler is releasing his first solo album, "Golden Heart," in stores Tuesday.

He recorded most of it in the capital of country music - with session pickers usually heard on the albums rolling off the assembly line.

But Knopfler, 46, has not gone country. "Golden Heart" forcefully demonstrates that these Nashville cats can, amoung other things, rock as solidly as Knopfler or anyone else can want.

"I don't come here to make country music," Knopfler says from Nashville, where he's returned to rehearse for a spring/summer European tour that will likely be extended to include a North American leg.

"It's important for people to know how great these players are. I don't want to bandy the word genius around, but they are world class. They're capable of much more than what you hear on the Nashville Top 20. Sometimes they seem to me to have angel's wings on. They're a joy to play with. More songwriters should come here and make records."

The players - among them guitarist Richard Bennett, Keyboardists Steve Nathan and Matt Rollins, bassists Glen Worf and Michael Rhodes - undoubtedly were thrilled to get a chance to stretch their musical, if not angel's, wings with an artist of Knopfler's Caliber. But you won't get Knopfler, seemingly the most modest if rock stars, to say it.

"I think they liked the opportunity to do something else," he allows, "but that's really not for me to say. The impression I get is that they enjoyed it. I would venture to say that they got a little longer with me to tease out the secrets of the music than the 25 minutes they usually get on a session. I don't mind taking a bit longer than that."

Indeed. No one will ever accuse Knopfler of being a fast worker. His last album, Dire Staits' "On Every Street," came out in 1991. Two years ago, he started recording the songs heard on "Golden Heart." He never made a conscious decision to disband Dire Straits - he says the group probably will reform for charity concerts - it just worked out that way.

Asked the significance of putting out an album under his own name, he laughs and replies "Absolutely none."

"I was just chasing the songs I was writing," he explains. "I started with a couple of songs I wanted to do in Ireland with Donal Lunny and the guys in my Celtic band. Then I had something I wanted to do in Tennesse with acoustic instruments and another thing that needed a rock session. Later on, I had a song, 'Je Suis Desole,' I wanted to do with Sonny Landreth in Louisiana. Then I cut a song that didn't get on the rocord with Nick Lowe and Paul Carrack, my little English Group.

"There was something mysterious about the whole business," he continues. "There are so many different players on the record (including country star Vince Gill, cajun fiddler Michael Doucet and members of Ireland's Chieftains), Guy Fletcher only got in it afterwards when he came on and fixed things like his usual brilliant self. But it didn't have any of (Dire Straits) on the origianl cutting sessions."

While "Golden Heart" is not a Dire Straits album, it sure sounds like one. No matter the provenance of the backing musicians, Knopfler's singing and guitar stamp this rich mix if ballards and uptempo songs with his unmistakable identity.

After release of "On Every Street," Knopfler singled out two of his songs, "Heavy Fuel" and "My Parties" for self-criticism. He knocked them as too glib and not likely to stand the test of time. Without getting specific, he finds fault with some of his songwriting on "Golden Heart" too.

"I'm trying to dial out that smart-ass thing," he says. "But there's this observer part of me that wants to be sly and poke fun. I don't really care for that bit in me. All the cleverness in the world is just not as important as addressing the soul. What I'm driving at is I'd just rather listen to a so-called simple love song than 'My Parties' or somthing."

Structuring his conversation like one of his guitar solos, Knopfler takes a long pause to reflect before launching into an extended burst of eloquence.

"It's become important for an intelligent person to try and combat all the cynicism around today," he says. "It's important to counteract that and talk about the importance of having and keeping a relationship, of finding the kind of satisfaction in life that has lasting value.

"There are songs on the album that point out the shortcomings on people not living that way. 'Imelda' is a completely materialistic person trying to get satisfaction from consuming. The 'Rudiger' type about an obsessive autograph hunter is just concerned with fame and has no discrimination. 'Vic and Ray' are your paparazzi types."

"But it's important for people to get some comfort from songs. Take a song like 'Nobody's Got the Gun.' Without actually poking you in the chest, it's an affurmation of the idea that it's important to find a postion in life where you're not threatened and you're not threatening anyone else."

There's no sign if a smart-ass side in the Knopfler talking now. For him, there's inspiring truth in the idea that music can make the world a better place.

"There are songs that just help people to live, he," he says. "It was a wonderful thing for me when a boy said to me recently, 'When all my troubles are way too much, I go home and put on your music and they all go away.' It's quite a simple thing, but it makes me feel quite good. I actually feel like I'm performing a social service."

Interview with Mark Knopfler

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