Dire Straits – On Every Street – 180g Vinyl Review

Vinyl surface noise: 4 (not pops & clicks)

Dynamic Range: 5

Stereo Imaging: 5

Image depth/perspective: 4+

Overall frequency response: 5

Please see here for my comments on reviewing albums.

Track List:

Disc 1:

Side 1:

1. Calling Elvis (Album version)
2. On Every Street (Album Version)
3. When It Comes To You

Side 2:

1. Fade To Black
2. The Bug
3. You And Your Friend

Disc 2

Side 3:

1. Heavy Fuel
2. Iron Hand
3. Ticket To Heaven

Side 4:

1. My Parties
2. Planet Of New Orleans
3. How Long

Dire Straits:

• Vocals/Guitar  – Mark Knopfler
• Bass – John Illsley
  
• Alan Clark – Organ, Piano, Synthesizer
• Guy Fletcher – Synthesizer, Backing Vocals

On Every Street was recorded between November 1910 and May 1991 at AIR studios, London.

On Every Street is the sixth and final studio album by British rock band Dire Straits, released on September 10, 1991 by Vertigo Records internationally, and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The follow-up to the band’s massively successful album Brothers in Arms, On Every Street reached the top of the UK albums chart and was also certified platinum by the RIAA. This album features a string of well known session musicians and spawned six singles including: “Calling Elvis,” “Heavy Fuel,” “On Every Street,” and “The Bug.”

This release features the full length versions of all tracks on an Audiophile 180g double album. It was mastered from the original masters by Bernie Grundman and Bob Ludwig, with the lacquers cut by Chris Bellman and Bernie Grundman and released on the Universal Music Catalog (UMC) label as part of the Back To Black campaign; UPC:602537529148. This disc is a European import and was pressed by GZ Vinyl. The album also offers an MP3 download that worked in the USA.

This double album was originally released in 2014 and again in 2020. Many vinyl and CD versions of this album have been released since 1991, mostly on the Vertigo label. See Discogs for more release information.

(The 2021 re-release for the Start Your Ears Off Right 2021 campaign on the Warner Record label, UPC:603497848560 was reported as being manufactured in the USA.)

Reviewed using my Hana SL, Lentek Head Amp and MX-VYNL pre-amp.

See here for my vinyl review playback hardware.

Let me open by saying that both of these albums were covered with paper “dust”. I assume it was what was left inside the thick paper sleeves after they were manufactured. So I immediately set to work with my Nitty Gritty vacuum cleaner thoroughly cleaning the discs twice and replacing the sleeves with Mo-Fi Original Master Sleeves. The good news was that both were perfectly flat, concentric and showed no visible signs of pressing or vinyl flaws. Two issues arose with the pressings; the first was that S1T2 (On Every Street) had a click for 13 revolutions, even though nothing could be seen on the track surface and two, for a supposed audiophile pressing the vinyl noise was far too high and occasionally intruded into some of the quieter passages. General clicks and pops were otherwise very minor.

With a maximum of three tracks per side there is plenty of space for high groove modulation that provides both high output levels and very good dynamics. Such a pity about the vinyl noise level being higher than one would expect for an audiophile pressing. Imaging throughout was solid, very stable and spread from the left to right hand speakers. Depth of image was restricted with the kit sat well back and most instruments appearing in the same front line-up. However, the addition of the significant levels of “Dire Straits” up-front reverb with its long decay afforded several instruments the feeling of being sat well back or even distant in the mix. Only the cymbals showed any height information.

So what about the music and sound? The music and musicianship was a solid 11/10 as you would have expected. After all, its Mark Knopfler and the ‘gang’. Each LP’s opening tracks, Calling Elvis and Heavy Fuel, took me straight back to my studio days with some stellar guitar solos and amazingly clear vocals that almost put the performance in the room with you. While Heavy Fuel provided me with what I had expected from the album, an outstanding musical performance, terrific dynamics, great vocals and a kit and bass line that sounds great. These were just two tracks of twelve that all had something wonderful, and a little different musically, to offer the listener, but all with Mark Knopfler vocals and his guitar work leading the way.

The overall sound is very ‘open’ and clean. Reverb is detailed giving some depth to the overall sound and providing some fine tail-outs. There is plenty of space around all instruments and Marks’ vocal stays clear and crisp, dead center, right at the front at all times, with little sibilance. The kit sound never really changes from track to track. The kick drum varying between a dull well damped pat/thud and a very deep, solid and well damped punch, with plenty of slam and occasional beater impact like S2T2 and S3T1, while the snare is tight and clean with plenty of attack and a well damped ring. Brushwork was delicate and detailed. The toms are nicely placed in the stereo image and are tight with a well damped short resonance. Cymbals and hi-hat had plenty of sparkle and are very bright, clean, and detailed even when worked hard. Nor was there any lack of ‘sparkle’ for the triangle on S4T1. Other percussive instruments like congas, wood blocks and cow bell all have detailed, open and natural sounds.

General points of note throughout all tracks; the bass lines were tight, clean and prominent really driving several numbers along and digging deep on occasions, being very well integrated with the kick drum and overall sound. Unfortunately it was never given its own real solo or break except on S2T2. Both guitars could have been in my room, finger and fret work were clearly audible giving a real sense of presence, while the keyboards/piano/organ tended to blend in except on a couple of occasions were they were pushed to the front of the mix for a short break. The sax(s) on S4T1 and S4T2 were warm and mellow showing no signs of stridency.

No, it doesn’t rise to the dizzy audiophile heights of my Mo-Fi Dire Straits pressings. But that is no reflection on the mastering process. I put it all down to a poor quality pressing process and less than stellar QC and care at GZ Vinyl.

The real let down was the 13 revolution “invisible” click damage on S1T2. This is unacceptable for an album at this or ANY price. ELUSIVE DISC, from who I purchased the album, immediately replaced it without hesitation, also providing a pre-paid RMA label. The new album was similarly covered in white paper dust and also showed the same click issue but to a lesser extent, so I decided it had to be a lacquer/stamper flaw and was probably on all pressings. I therefore decided to keep the disc…BUT BE WARNED!!

After Bernie Grundman, Bob Ludwig and Chris Bellman created, first class masters and lacquers, it is such a pity the GZ Vinyl cannot get its act together and consistently create good pressings using high grade vinyl. It certainly doesn’t reach the pressing quality of my other Dire Straits pressings from Mobile Fidelity/RTI even though this album was far more expensive.

Despite the less than stellar pressings this last studio album sounds excellent, with great dynamics and clarity and is well worth owning, providing the usual terrific performances expected of Dire Straits. I just wonder what the much less expensive 180gm “Start Your Ears Of Right 2021″ double album version sounds like in comparison…..Anybody?

Available from Elusive Disc.

See my other vinyl reviews here.

UPDATE: 6/21/2021. ELUSIVE DISC offered yet a third disc or to keep the disc and a partial refund for the inconvenience. Clearly I went with the latter.