All The Road Running - Mark Knopfler,Emmylou Harris Album Review

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Album Review

Duets have a propensity of being hit –and- miss affairs, especially when you consider that the main ingredients are a musical odd couple. Finding complementary singers is the main problem - no such worries here. In their separate careers, both silver-haired Knopfler and Harris (looking as stunning as ever) have done their fare share of roadrunning. They now meet at a new musical crossroad. Their separate journeys meet head -on on this easy-on-the-ear MOR country collaboration, mostly written by the ex-Dire Straits frontman (10 songs) and Harris’ two – Love And Happiness and Belle Star. Knopfler veers more into her territory than his rock outings on these originals, though he can’t help himself on the odd occasion such as Belle Starr: his wiry warbling guitar his evident along with his uncultured baritone voice. You kinda feel she’s the one actually teaching him the ropes, though his songwriting is graceful at every level, backed by 14 session musicians.

A Fleetwood Mac sounding Beachcombing (at ‘Dreams’ pace) opens the proceedings followed by a reflective ballad Dug Up A Diamond as he throws in some restrained bluesy picks. The introductory single This Is Us smacks of Knopfler from the early 80s, (as does the gentle Donkey Town) - maybe another party classic? Going for a more indigenous Nashville feel we get a violin hoe-down finger-licking Red Staggerwing, which is a riot. Slowies like the title track and If This Is Goodbye showcase Harris’ voice better than any other song. To his credit Knopfler adapts well on the songwriting and singing, and who better to have alongside than, arguably, the Queen Of Country as a mentor.

As an album, its way short of being a classic, but it’s still an excellent fusion of two icons at play. Part two soon, please?

Best track – Rollin’ On.

Elly Roberts