Mark Knopfler – Tracker

It sounds great but don't buy it if you aren't prepared to deep-clean it as soon as you take it out of the package. The sleeves it comes in disintegrate on the record.

Great album of songs. Noisiest record I own. Almost unlistenable.

I partly agree with the reviews, but I mostly beg to differ.
Yes, there is scuff, and the sleeve does not have good quality.
However, Bob Ludwig did an excellent mastering and Chris Bellman did a fantastic vinyl cut for such a beautiful record.
I believe it sounds almost incredible.
-played with Ortofon Bronze 2M-

Another noisy pressing from GZ. Mastering is great, but good luck getting a decent copy. I own 3, and they're all pretty bad. It is not a static issue. Record cleaning does not fix poor GZ pressings.

I'm really surprised by the negative reviews. My copy is whisper quiet and the mastering is fantastic; it sounds better than my digital copy; I will put this up against any of my Mofi Dire straits records. My only quibble is that disks came out dirty from the paper sleeves but quick ultrasonic clean took care of that. I also replaced the inner paper sleeves. The clarity of sound on this record is stunning; dynamics are wonderful and dynamic range is just the right amount to provide plenty of air around vocals and instruments. My copy is so good, I almost wonder if this was really pressed at GZ media.

Sound is a bit congested in the midband, affecting vocal presentation mainly. Vinyl mastering could have been better, a bit dissappointed really. As on most contemporary vinyl there is more surface noise than one would want even after RCM cleaning, although not a major problem here.

I had to replace it several times due to poor QC and craftsmanship (scratched right out of the sleeve). The sound is nice, but it noticeably differs from side to side. Both records are slightly warped, but dead quiet. I'm a bit disappointed, when comparing to Privateering release. It is not rocket science, but somehow the manufacturers are still failing.

I bought a sealed copy. At the bottom right hand corner of the clear plastic sealing covering the back cover is a clear plastic sticker with white writing "MADE IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC"

My copy is labelled correctly but sides C and D are not from this album. They are sides C and D of the Rolling Stones' Lonesome & Blue. Both albums were recorded at Knopfler's British Grove Studios. Has anyone else come across this?

Excellent recording, the mastering on this record is superb with very good dynamic range and sweet treble response. Cymbals sound a little compressed at times, but overall the sound gives you excellent spatial cues.

My copy did have some scuffing on it, but this seems to be superficial as I didn't experience any problems with the sound quality. The sleeves aren't lined and as a result induce a lot of static, so cleaning these records before play isn't just a recommendation, its a must! If not cleaned, I'm sure there will be a lot of surface noise, pops and clicks. My copy is very quiet after cleaning on my Okki Nokki.

In of the music.....how can anyone fault the venerable Mark Knopfler?! This album has everything that one expects from him; beautiful songs, excellent guitaring and above all an album that's been beautifully put together. While "Privateering" was a Knopfler album through and through, I find this album to resemble Dire Straits on a few tracks.