DIRE STRAITS The man's too strong Music Reaction - Knopfler is a songwriting genius! First hearing

[@double00spy]

This is one of the greatest albums ever made. From the first time I heard Mark Knopfler's voice, I was reminded of Bob Dylan. Fine with me, since I love both. Dire Straits music is different anyway. Mark is one of the greatest guitarists ever, but I think his song writing even tops that. What a genius musician ... let's enjoy him while we can.

[@r.awilliams9815]

"...I have hid behind walls that have made me alone, striven for peace, which I never have known." Powerful stuff that hits too close to home for comfort.

[@diane-]

One of my favourite bands and Mark is outstanding.

[@paulgrendall5138]

Remember!! This Is sung by a British Band!! Sound's very much like a19th century cowboy love-storey!! I Love Dire Straits!!!!

[@rickandgen]

One of my favorite songs from this album!❤

[@masonsdaddy1000]

One of my go to albums it's fantastic

[@annheckenbach9396]

Telegraph Road, story telling at its best. The live version, truly epic.

[@steved525]

I get goosebumps when I hear the hard strumming in the chorus! Its intensity matches the lyrics beautifully. Thanks Harri

[@agross12345]

"hard strumming " - imitates shooting (execution?).

[@ghefley]

"You may have got your silver, but I swear upon my life Your sister gave me diamonds And I give 'em to your wife" Brilliant.... last great act of defiance

[@HappyAitch]

I’ve always imagined that I if I was stranded on a desert island and only had one CD what songs I’d like to have on it. This would be on it. One of my favourite songs of all time.

[@cshubs]

One of my favorite bands! I saw Mark play a solo show in Indy about 20 years ago, and it was among the best shows ever!

[@Cynthia...]

It turned out fine Rob and I can see it now too. ✌I love Dire Straits.

[@drcanergin]

Mark Knopfler is the best guitarist, song writer man. Most of all , he has a brilliant heart. Thank you Mark for all the songs you gave us. 👏👏👏

[@johnharding7650]

Yes yes yes yes! So underappreciated, this one.

[@kathrynedwards366]

Biggest fan of Knopfler and Dire Straits. This is beautiful. Try live at Wembley 1985. Great, powerful performance as always.

[@rethla]

Admiring Knopfler for his songwriting more than his guitar skills says alot when hes the best guitar player ever and i agree.

[@Seabee_Camper]

mp3's have robbed songs of much of their dynamic range. If you listen to the original CD, the difference in volume between the beginning and when that first big chord hits is HUGE. Back in the 80's we used this song to demonstrate speakers. That chord hit literally made people jump. That's how good it is.

[@marybaillie8907]

From their 5th album, "Brothers in Arms" from 1985, I agree this sounds like Bob Dylan. This album is a masterpiece, such excellent tunes, powerful guitar work and great stories. A story of a war ctiminal who expresses regret and appeals to a higher power for help. He feels he was controlled and manipulated by an authority figure too powerful to resist. Told brilliantly. Great reaction Harri. Thanks Harri and Rob. 👏👏 Cheers from Canada 🇨🇦

[@sourisvoleur4854]

Reminds me of T Bone Burnett.

[@marybaillie8907]

​@@sourisvoleur4854 Bob Dylan's original guitarist, such a talent. 👍✌️🎶🇨🇦

[@HelynnHeels]

Mark is indeed a genius. He turns that guitar into a vocalist that he''s singing a duet with. By the way...have you seen the "Sultans of Swing - Alchemy Live"? It's a performance to die for. If you haven't seen it, please let us see you see it. ☺

[@rodeo4786]

Many times I've been on the road and the legendary dire straits always keeps me company. So many delicious tracks always gets me home.

[@lauraclark427]

I had forgotten about this song! Thank you for reminding me! Probably my favorite from this album.

[@Stephenconder]

He’s a Newcastle boy . Whey aye man . Very similar to my home town of Liverpool ❤

[@scottalker9113]

Born in Scotland I think you’ll find

[@adammclennan2627]

my second favourite dire straits song....number one down to the waterline

[@davebzen795]

Rob - I always enjoy listening to the musical genius of Mark Knopfler with or without Dire Straits, and this was no exception. This is my favorite Dire Straits album. Harrri, your review was quite interesting. Great stuff all around!

[@unclejohn1053]

Used this song to sample home speakers and compare back in the day.

[@frshunter]

Thanks for the reaction!

[@Wolverines77]

Great, great, great muscian!!! Mark Knopfler is the very definition of a modern-day Troubadour. A must review is "Why Aye Man" off his solo album "A Ragpickers Dream - 2002). If you ever review the song "Brother's in Arms" please review the live performance from his 1995 A Night in London BBC televised concert. As beautiful as the studio version is, this concert, in particular, will tear your heart out... This coming from an old U.S. Marine.

[@Wolverines77]

Great choice Rob, thank you

[@agnetesorensenelbom5085]

❤🎉👍

[@clannad99germany70]

I got this album in 1985 and it was great, of course no 1 was the title track "Brothers in arms".

[@wzmt2399]

Yes Man yes , dire. Of Brasil

[@luvdylanstar]

He always reminded me of Dylan from the first time I heard them. Not that the music is anything like Dylan, there's just something in his phrasing that is similar at times. Dire Straits is one of the best ever. Even as the resemblance at times, they are totally unique and awesomely their own sound.

[@paulmichaeluk]

Love your reactions bro. This is one of my faves. Listened to this on repeat training for my first boxing match 30 plus years ago. It's Hemingway'esque like David Gray's "The One I love." which is pure lyric perfection. Those who've loved, lost and fought through will feel such songs viscerally. Great job man, keep it up!

[@foxcm2000]

A great song and a great commentary!

[@danclaynz]

Great analysis of a great song.

[@jimcuozzo9190]

Great reaction!

[@loganbothma9822]

❤....sir Harri, good evening 🥂🍾 some fine as music.... right here is the place ❤🇿🇦💎

[@khalidcabrero6204]

Well, Knopfler was the guitarist on Bob Dylan's "Slow Train Coming" album. Pretty sure he he took some inspiration.

[@oscarfranco9769]

recuerdo comprar el álbum y encontrarme con esta joya de canción, fue todo un hermoso viaje !

[@scottgaran7328]

I love that you feel the way i do!

[@arnodobler1096]

This Akbum CD is music history of alltime

[@andrewwinter7843]

Most people never paid any attention to the flip side of that album. Remember this is the same album that gave us "I want my MTV". But the flip side is all dark and filled with Cold War Lore. This "Drummer Boy". "Brothers in Arms" reeeks of Vietnam etc. The Flip side is where Knopfler really unleashed his lyricism.

[@cshubs]

I recommend the album and song Love Over Gold. The song Telegraph Road is a must as well.

[@bigbirdwpg]

The sun rose in the courtyard, and they all did hear him say, "you always was a Judas, but I got you anyway! You may have got your silver, but I swear upon my life. Your sister gave me diamond, and I give 'em to your wife!". I see a cruel dictator, betrayed by an ally or friend, facing a firing squad. His last shot at his betrayer: he slept with the man's sister and his wife!

[@anthonyferrell7517]

In my opinion, this is easily the best cut off this album.

[@allanb52]

Genius is the word to describe Knopfler....and great review, thanks.

[@lotsoffun4716]

I too thought he sounds like Bob Dylan in this song.

[@Nowheremt]

Good one.

[@loisrogers9042]

Yes, I hear the resemblance to Bob Dylan too. Great band!

[@MarceloQueirozstavale]

Mark is the best❤❤❤❤

[@clarkvaughan]

When I was a kid, I thought it was about a really bad dude that messed with the wrong wife. Now, it's so much more. I hear it now as a way to explain the inevitable regret and loneliness of old age. 'The man' is not a man. 'The man' is time.

[@AmeyBarkaylow]

This song is inspired from the incoming of Jesus everyone behind him @ The man's is too big and too strong.

[@arnodobler1096]

They worked together, Bob and Mark.

[@jonmccarty3116]

They have already gone to far to repent!

[@corbe1970ify]

We went to see Bob Dylan few years ago because Mark knopfler was warm up artist, after 10 songs he was done and Dylan came on we lasted about 6 songs and wasn't really upto knopflers quality although dylan is huge and an absolute legend the stewards who let us out was like but it's Bob Dylan I said not our cup of tea really and we only came to see knopfler 😊

[@nicholasmaude6906]

Yeah, now that you mention it he does sound like Bob Dylan in this song.

[@ClammyThe3rd]

This song was written about Bob Dylan

[@johnharding7650]

I believe he wrote this about a top nazi henchman who fled to Britain during WWII.

[@mattiasjohansson7231]

FYI. Mark plays on a Ovation Adamas guitar that looks really quirky adn is made from carbon fibre

[@stuartgarwood2325]

Additionally: on this track, Mark is playing the echoey/tinny notes on a 12-string guitar, and it is one of the few occasions that he uses a pick

[@grimreaper-qh2zn]

How about some relationship to George Orwell's "1984" and Big Brother, The mans too Strong?

[@JeremyMacDonald1973]

I believe the POV we are listening to is Himmler at the Nuremberg trial.

[@Deguello23]

To me, it always sounded like a blend of the story of Manuel Noriega in Panama, Saddam Hussein, and various other dictators and military strongmen, when they realize that the jig is up. They all seem spurred by humiliations and indignities, real or imagined, and they're forever trying to look bigger, tougher, meaner, but they imagine themselves as heroes. They *had* to be this way. It's not their fault! You don't have to look too deeply to find that there usually was some other monster behind them when they were younger, and they never really escape them. Noriega was holed up for some time in a Catholic church, claiming asylum until U.S. troops drove him out with loud music. He spent a lot of time in there talking to a priest. I don't know if he was confessing so much as bitching, but... Noriega came to power when the preceding military strongman, his mentor, died in a suspicious plane crash. While it doesn't match up with the narrator of the song witnessing the execution of the preceding strongman he betrayed, it always made me think of that, and the idea of someone like Noriega being haunted and feeling that he'd been made small by the humiliations of the man he'd served under, because that kind of person always feels the need to absolutely dominate those around them. Even on his way to the firing squad, or the gallows, the narrator's predecessor humiliates him with his last words in front of everyone. *The sun rose on the courtyard, and they all did hear him say, "You always was a Judas, but I got you anyway. You may have got your silver, but I swear upon my life, your sister gave me diamonds... and I gave them to your wife."* And he's still haunted by it. In his head, "The man's too big. The man's too strong."

[@andrewwinter7843]

You may have gor youe Silver but I swear upon my LIFE Your Sister gave me Diamonds. And I gave em to your WIFE. Oh Father please help me? He's laughing at God.

[@whiskeysudsjackwagon8510]

my reaction to your reactions.............................................meh

[@lionelraoul]

Brother in Arms is arguable the worst album of Dire Straits. It's cloying and lacks the integrity of their earlier efforts. It was very successful because they used early computer animation in their music video for Money For Nothing. A waste.

[@vinsgraphics]

Heartfelt disagreement. Sure, MFN got all the attention and maybe overplayed somewhat, but the entire album is exceptional. It requires more than a soundbite-browse.

[@marcanderson9211]

Couldn’t disagree more.

[@lauraschwartz1077]

Then you didn't really listen. Try again. Everyone has different tastes in music . Your critique is pretentious and doesn't really say much.

[@lotsoffun4716]

I agree with you Lionel! I guess the other commenters find something different in this album than we do.

[@lotsoffun4716]

@@lauraschwartz1077 Pretentious???