With Shangri-La, Mark Knopfler’s fourth solo studio album, the former Dire Straits man opts for safety, sticking close to the tried and tested and remaining firmly planted in the middle of the same old AOR road.
It’s amazing how 14 songs can sound so similar. The tempo rarely varies, neither does the singing style nor the emotional expression. One positive element at least is that Shangri-La is so easy-listening and unchallenging.
Thematically, however, there’s no depth, and bizarrely – considering the ethos behind the corporation – Knopfler includes a fond little ditty called ‘Boom, Like That’, which eulogises the work of Ray Kroc, the real-life character who brought McDonald’s across the US in the ’50s and ’60s.
All the guitars are there, listed in the credits: the National Hawaiian Steel, Tiple and Ramirez Spanish; the Eko 700, Gretsch 6120, Fender Stratocaster and Silvertone Denelectro. If you’re a big guitar head you’ll enjoy trainspotting this album, but if you’re an ordinary Joe who likes to keep abreast with new trends in contemporary music, forget Shangri-La – it’ll make you feel like you’re listening to a wedding band.