The album is an mixture of country, honky-tonk, blues and completed with some rock. A very accoustic effort... this one. That's certainly not bad to somebody who does not believe a musician has to play the same type of music. To tell you the truth after couple of listenings, I was a little disappointed because of the lack of power jams in the line of Tunnel of love, Sultans of swing or Telegraph road. It does not even have something like 'Silvertown blues'. So what does it have... I found out soon that it has 'This is place we used to live' - a song sung softly and hits heart at the center. Wow, Mark that's a great vocal effort. It has 'You don't know you were born' with thumping drum beats (anybody expecting a John Bonham beat will be disappointed but it is rockable). It has the title track, which again is soft and superb. It has 9 more tracks that may not be his greatest songs but they fit well in an album that creates a new dimension for the man himself. The album was not 180 degree turnaround of few previous albums. He hinted that this album is coming up in Dire Strait's 1991 album 'On every street' (listen the song 'How long'), His first solo 1996 'Golden heart' and second solo 2000 'Sailing to philadelphia'. So we got an album 11 years in the making!!!

Now it seems that this is not going be as praised as 'Golden heart' or as successful as 'Sailing to Philadelphia'. Reason is simply, the lovers of accoustic/country kind of music may not pick this album in the first place because they are not aware. If you are one of them you can pick this album. You won't be disappointer. Some non flexible Dire Straits fan may find this album a little disappointing as this is quite a change of genre for them.

Had I written this review after 4 listenings, I would have given 4 stars, but now it has grown on me considerably. I will give it 5, a standard for Mark's huge talent.

Knopfler keeps his classy acoustic guitar skills alive throughout the CD, though they are aimed at expressing a working class sentiment. This is complimented by lyrics like "You don't want no stand-by pair/'cos these'll take the wear and tear/made to take good care of you/for that trip by road or rail" But while the earthy mood and calloused theme are refreshing, I can't help but yearn for more of what Mr. Knopfler is famous for: classic electric guitar playing. "Coyote" gives a rare sample of this talent, but not enough to feed hungry ears. "The Ragpicker's Dream" is certainly not for enthusiasts of Knopfler's firey finger-picking. But it is for those who enjoy a good story in a song.
- B. Molinelli

But as music there is not much to recommend here. My brother-in-law who is a guitar freak speaks very highly of this CD; but I was disappointed. On first listen, I had the impression that Knopfler was phoning in his performance. Successive listening have dispelled that impression but as fine a craftsman Mark Knopfler is nothing on this CD matches his work with Dire Straits.

I did like "You Don't Know You're Born" and "Coyote" but over half the CD is finished before you get to these gems. Then the rest of the album sinks into the same undistinguished doodlings as the first part. Sorry, I simply can't say this is a good CD.