John Illsley (Dire Straits) - VIII (2022)

[beers 4]

John Illsley - VIII (2022) 48-24
Country: UK
Genre: Rock,Blues Rock
Format: FLAC (*tracks)
Quality: Lossless [48 kHz/24 bit]
Time: 42:13
Full Size: 485.12 MB

For many, John Illsley will always be the imposing figure standing next to Mark Knopfler as Dire Straits left the London pub circuit behind and achieved worldwide domination via their fifth album 'Brothers In Arms'. The band almost singlehandedly convinced every household they needed a shiny little 5" silver disc to replace all those old and antiquated black slabs of 12" vinyl. Approximately 30 million of us did just that (which, in 2022, is pretty ironic considering the perceived cool factor of LPs these days). Alongside Mark Knopfler, John Illsley was the only other band member to do a full tour of duty with Dire Straits on their almost twenty-year run before the band slowly faded away in the early 1990s. John's solo career actually began during his time in Dire Straits with the 'Never Told A Soul' LP in 1984. John has continued to release albums on a semi-regular basis, with VIII being, unsurprisingly, his eighth studio album.

Straight out of the gate opener 'It's A Long Way Back' leaves us in no doubt whatsoever that John happily embraces his part in the Dire Straits story. An ambient opening sets the scene with lightly picked guitar over the swell of keyboards before the rhythm section of John and drummer Paul Beavis settle into a familiar shuffling rhythm that is the aural equivalent of coming home to a warm fire in deepest midwinter. Hushed, half-spoken, lyrical references to 'Deptford Town' and 'six-blade knives' further enhance the familiarity as John's understated vocal is nicely augmented by some rather lovely female backing vocals, while top blues/session guitarist Scott McKeon fires off numerous Knopfler inspired guitar flurries. This terrific opening track is sure to please fans of John and his musical back story. John and his band repeat the trick on the recent/first single 'Which Way Is Up' via a groove that seems ridiculously effortless. These two songs alone make 'VIII' a highly recommended purchase, but there is plenty more to enjoy here.





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhzMZl_a-J8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQYwl3gSUwk

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01. It's a Long Way Back (05:50)

02. I Love You Still (04:10)
03. 21st Century (05:20)
04. Market Town (04:56)
05. The Mission Song (05:00)
06. Wondering (04:25)
07. Which Way is Up (03:47)
08. None of This Was Planned (04:47)
09. I'm Only Sleeping (03:58)