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Sultans of Coool'N'solid Rock indeed.
This was one group which could possibly lay claim to the title of "The Sultans Of Rock". With a number of rock and roll classics such as "Sultans of Swing", "Money for Nothing" and "Communique", Dire Straits were the undisputed masters of rock and roll during the late seventies and eighties.
Dire Straits took shape in the year 1977 when Mark Knopfler (a teacher of English after his graduation in English Literature for some time before he moved to London) and his younger brother David Knopfler and room mate John Illsley started playing together. During the summer of 1977, they cut a demo disc and played it to the BBC Radio London DJ Charlie Gillet who then played "Sultans of Swing" on his show. This got them their first label contract with Vertigo Records and in 1978 they recorded the "Dire Straits" LP which included the hit tracks "Sultans of Swing", "Water of Love", etc. Thanks to "Sultans" the album reached the top 10 on both sides of the Atlantic.
In 1979 they released "Communiqué" with Warner in the US.
Communiqué reached number 11 in the US and reinforced their position further.
Dire Straits would always be identified with Mark Knopflers'trademark guitar style and their bluesy, 'J J Cale'ish rock style. Since they came at the rise of the MTV and the Compact Disc era, Dire Straits' music with its roots and influences from Blues, Jazz, Country and Rock made them more "mass friendly" and helped define their success. Despite their success the band could not deliver more than five major albums (their fifth being the hugely successful Brothers in Arms) before they withered away.
Communiqué was followed by their 3rd album 'Making Movies'(during the making of this album David Knopfler left to pursue a solo career) which spawned the memorable 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Skateaway'. Two years later, in 1984, came their experimental 'Love Over Gold' with the hit single "Private Investigations" and that was followed by the double live set 'Alchemy' a perennial favorite with fans.
This was followed by the international blockbuster 'Brothers In Arms" in 1985. The single 'Money for Nothing' propelled the album to the number one position in the US where it remained for nine weeks and also sold more than 9 million copies. "So Far Away" and "Walk Of Life" ensured that the album became the largest selling album of the 80's in UK.
However the success of Brothers in Arms was to prove very hard to replicate and resulted in an extended hiatus of almost six years for the group. The band produced 'On Early Street' in 1991, but the best was over and the album had disappointing sales and reviews. However the work that Dire Straits had produced would continue to be placed reverentially in rock history and give pleasure to rock fans of many more generations to come.
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DIRE STRAITS for the Real taste of life
The Rock doesn't get harder & classier then zeps; never
One of the most enduring legends in rock history with sales of more than 50 million records Led Zeppelin were the pioneering heavy metal band. Formed when 'The Yardbirds' became defunct they generated a tremendous fan following and are by and large regarded as the inspiration behind the score of metal bands that flowered in their wake.
The name came about quite curiously: Who drummer Keith Moon commenting on the prospects of the band said that they would sink like a "Lead Zeppelin" and from there was born the name. Quite ironically the band took off like a rocket from their debut.
Their 1969 debut album 'Led Zeppelin' recorded in a flat 30 hours drove its way up to The Billboard Top Ten. Vocalist Robert Plant, Drummer John Bonham and Jimmy Page pounded ferocious music at ear-splitting volume and established a peerless reputation for themselves. Jimmy Page, an accomplished guitarist, also had a fine tuned understanding of just how far he could push the envelope with sound experimentations and noise, a unique judgment ability that helped the band create its own weird brand of music.
Led Zeppelin II was released two months later after their debut album and immediately reached number 1. The introductory track 'Whole Lotta Love' is now considered a classic. After that almost every album the band came up with went platinum and five of the groups albums reached number 1. Their tour popularity skyrocketed as a result and it was not long before they were setting new records at the box office and were fast on their way to becoming one of the most popular rock bands in the world.
Their music was very strongly founded on rock and blues but the band members were not averse to liberal doses of folk, world music (especially Middle East music) and funk being added to their music. They also shared a common fascination with the occult and mythology and this blended with the aura of mystique they shared. Led Zeppelin was a strange group for its times: It forswore singles, focusing only on studio generated albums and had a deep aversion of the media and hence, rarely if ever, were featured in the popular press. Their contact with their legion of fans was through their concerts and their music.
"Led Zeppelin III' and 'Led Zeppelin IV' (the album with no name or the 'four symbols album' as it was known since it had no official title)followed. LZ IV was classic stuff and sold more than 16 million copies. The hit song from LZ IV was "Stairway To Heaven', arguably the most popular rock song of all time and a must for rock enthusiasts. In 1974, they came up with their own record company, Swan Song and released 'Physical Graffiti' their first double LP. The album sold more than four million copies. Led Zeppelin disbanded in December 1980 after the death of Bonham.
FOR MORE INFO. PLEASE CHECK THIS FABULOUS SITE : led-zeppelin.com
" GODFather of hard & Raw Rock Music "TOP
