All The Roadrunning

Performer: Mark Knopfler
Engineer: Chuck Ainlay; Guy Fletcher; Mark Kapps
Producer: Mark Knopfler; Chuck Ainlay; Mark Knopfler; Chuck Ainlay
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Personnel: Mark Knopfler (vocals, guitar); Mark Knopfler; Richard Bennett (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, steel guitar); Dan Dugmore (acoustic guitar, pedal steel guitar, 6-string bass); Stuart Duncan (violin, fiddle); Jim Horn (horns); Guy Fletcher (piano, organ, keyboards, synthesizer); Jim Cox (piano, organ, keyboards); Glenn Worf (bass instrument); Danny Cummings (drums, tambourine); Bill Ware (triangle); Emmylou Harris (vocals, acoustic guitar); Paul Franklin (steel guitar); Glen Duncan (mandolin, fiddle); Steve Conn (accordion); The Memphis Horns (horns); Chad Cromwell (drums). Audio Mixer: Chuck Ainlay. Photographer: Fabio Lovino. Recorded intermittently over the course of seven years, ALL THE ROADRUNNING is the collaborative project between Dire Straits guitarist and vocalist Mark Knopfler and country music luminary Emmylou Harris. While Knopfler's bluesy slow-hand picking and minimalist, muttering vocals may seem an odd match for Harris's lush, full-throated soprano, the pairing works remarkably well. Better still is the songwriting, with the breezy back-porch opener "Beachcombing" and the stately 9/11-themed "If This Is Goodbye" among the highlights. As always, Knopfler's fluid guitar style is engaging, and it adds a shadowy, atmospheric backdrop to the roots-conscious proceedings. On the surface, ALL THE ROADRUNNING is a quiet and unassuming record, but its subtlety and grace are part of its lasting charm. This lush and earthy collaboration between Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris may sound like it rose from an amiable weeklong studio session, but the 12 tracks that make up All the Roadrunning were actually recorded over the span of seven years. The boot-stomping "Red Staggerwing" and the gentle "Donkey Town," both of which were bumped from Knopfler's Sailing to Philadelphia record, give the ex-Dire Straits leader a chance to flex his country muscle, while the wistful title track spotlights the lovely Harris, whose playful demeanor and guarded confidence helps keep Knopfler in check during his sometimes excessive soloing. The two couldn't be more at odds vocally, but Knopfler's laconic drawl is like an easy chair for Harris' fluid pipes, and standout tracks like the 9/11-inspired "This Is Goodbye," the wistful "Beachcombing," and the infectious single "This Is Us" come off as effortless statements of vitality from both camps. ~ James Christopher Monger

Rolling Stone (p.57) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[B]allads like the title track and the Springsteen-esque 'Beyond My Wildest Dreams' are world-wise and gently gorgeous." Entertainment Weekly (p.73) - "[T]he tension between their vocal personas -- she's ever hopeful, he's relentlessly glum -- is the highlight of ALL THE ROADRUNNING." -- Grade: B- Uncut (p.126) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "When Harris is upfront -- as on the wonderfully delicate 'Rollin' On' or 'Love And Happiness' -- it's sublime, emotive stuff." Dirty Linen (p.49) - "When it comes to artistic integrity, commercial appeal, and sheer transcendency, it doesn't get much better than this." No Depression (p.125) - "[A] remarkably cohesive album...sonically every track here sounds like it belongs..." Mojo (Publisher) (p.98) - 3 stars out of 5 --- "[W]hen translating his trademark languorous picaresques into his'n'hers arrangements the result is a series of ordinary life duets that...suggest moments of sun-setting harmony at the end of tired lives. Real hardcore country..."

Although his much-heralded band, Dire Straits, didn't officially disintegrate until the 1990s, lead guitarist Mark Knopfler had enjoyed an impressively prolific solo career since he was recruited to score the 1983 film LOCAL HERO. The soundtrack's sparse and poignant melodies impressed filmgoers and directors, and an alternate career for the rocker was born. He went on to write acclaimed scores for several films, as well as making notable appearances on albums by a diverse roster of big-name artists. As a solo artist, Knopfler occasionally goes back to his singer-songwriter roots and releases the odd album, to the great pleasure of his many fans. In 2006, he released ALL THE ROADRUNNING, a lovely duet album with singer Emmylou Harris.

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