MUSIC REVIEWS
MARK KNOPFLER'S SHANGRI-LA

Mark Knopfler's fourth solo album, Shangri-La, was released on September 28, 2004. The CD contains 14 songs and represents a steady continuation of the artist's style and steady grace that anchored Dire Straits and his first three solo albums.

The opening cut on the CD, "5:15 a.m." is an easy ballad about a crime, working, and the opening of another day in a working class neighborhood. In typical Knopfler style, the CD moves on to another survey of the futility of life in "Boom, Like That," where 'it's dog-rat eat rat.' The CD moves on through the collection with ups and downs, soft melodic tunes, hard hitting rock riffs, and always with Koppfler's storyteller's eye for minutiae. One great cut is the "Song For Sonny Liston." This song, about the famous boxer, has a British Blues beat and touches on Sonny's childhood, boxing career, fixed fights, drug use and even civil rights. Other interesting songs include "Our Shangri-La," "Everybody Pays," "Postcards From Paraguay," and "Don't Crash The Ambulance."

Musicians on the CD include many of Knopfler's favorite sidemen. Richard Bennett's guitar work always seems to compliment Knopfler's. Jim Cox and Guy Fletcher played the keyboards on the CD. Glenn Wolf played the bass, and Chad Cromwell played the drums. The CD was produced by Chuck Ainlay and Mark Knopfler. Shangri-La was
Recorded in Malibu at Shangri-La studios.

Mark Knopfler fans are swearing by Shangri-La. While it is better than The Ragpicker's Dream the listener may feel that Sailing To Philadelphia is a better collection of songs. However, Shangri-La is a good solid Mark Knopfler release, and you may want to give it a try.

A 2004 release of interest to the followers of Stan Ridgway is Snakebite, Blacktop Ballads and Fugitive Songs. This CD is typically Ridgway and does not open any really new musical doors for the artist; however, Snakebite does contain all of the 'usual suspects of Ridgway's compelling musique noir' that has gained the LA singer songwriter a unique cult following. Highlights of the 16 song collection include "Into The Sun ," "Monsters Of The Id," "That Big 5-0," "Your Rocking Chair," "God Sleeps In A Caboose," and "My Own Universe."

A song that is mentioned in almost all of the reviews if this CD is "Afghan Forklift." In this song Ridgway describes a worker in Arkansas loading cargo for export with a forklift. He loads coca-colas, shoes, fans, and 'boxes marked top secret heading for Afghanistan.' The classic Ridgway combo of guitar and harmonica accompanies the song. Another song that has got a lot of ink is about the revenge of an estranged husband and father entitled "King For A Day." Once again Ridgway's lyrics, guitar and harmonica take the listener into a violent, tragic situation, with a touch of humor, of course.

2004 witnessed the release of Carolyn Dawn Johnson's second CD, Dress Rehearsal. While most critics felt that her debut CD, Room with a View, was overproduced, it did introduce the artist to the country music world with the hits "Complicated" and "I Don't Want You To Go." Dress Rehearsal is a more mature, less produced CD that allows the artist to display both her song writing talents and her abilities as an artist.

Johnson's voice has just a touch of country twang that accents her every woman's approach to life, love, and the pursuit of the romantic dream that inspires her music. The music is definitely country and can be up beat as in "Simple Life" or slow and dramatic as in "Die Of A Broken Heart," and "We Talked." Other songs on the 12 cut CD include "God Doesn't Make Mistakes," "My Little Secret," "and "Life As We Know It."

Carolyn Dawn Johnson is a Canadian artist and her music is sensuous and lusty. If that's your bag or if you just like female country singers, Dress Rehearsal may be the CD for you.