In the interim, frontman Mark Knopfler “took time out to play with the Notting Hillbillies and Chet Atkins (while most British guitar heroes idolize American blues, Knopfler obviously has a thing for Nashville). On Every Street finds those influences complementing the late-night melancholy that’s always been Dire Straits’ specialty. Instead of Sting singing ‘I Want My MTV,’ fans got Hillbillies pedal steel player Paul Franklin adding to the high-lonesome sound of the quite infectious title track and the epic Planet of New Orleans, along with meditations on the mistreatment of striking miners in the cinematic Iron Hand, and some of Knopfler’s most haunting guitar work throughout.” ^BF

Of course, the fans Dire Straits had amassed with Arms weren’t looking for that. “Although On Every Street sold in the expected multi-millions worldwide on the back of the band’s renown and a year-long tour, it was a disappointment” ^WR to those expecting Brothers in Arms II. “Sure, radio programmers could hear echoes of ‘Money for Nothing’ in Heavy Fuel, or traces of ‘Walk of Life’ in The Bug,” ^BF “but much of the album was low-key to the point of being background music.” ^WR

Still, Knopfler remained a gifted guitar player with tastes in folk (‘Iron Hand’), blues (Fade to Black), and rockabilly (‘The Bug’), among other styles.” ^WR And it becomes readily apparent that Knopfler wouldn’t have waited so long to follow-up Arms if all he intended was a copycat sequel. In fact, the album wears “its apparent refusal to exploit the success of its predecessor” ^BF like a badge of honor. “The result can be seen as a dignified – and, at times, even inspiring – farewell album” ^BF even if fans felt like it “was not the comeback it should have been.” ^WR