Brothers in Arms
Dire Straits, 1985, from Brothers in Arms. Solo by Mark Knopfler.
A mournful solo on a Les Paul.
Mark Knopfler played a 1983 Les Paul reissue through a Marshall JTM45 head, and rather than one flashy break, the track uses a recurring lead voice. Long, sustained, vocal notes answer each line, and the extended outro solo lets him stretch phrases across the bar with sparing bends and swells. His warm, slightly overdriven tone is a model of restraint. The playing serves the song's mournful mood rather than showing off. Listen for the space Knopfler leaves between phrases; he seems to know exactly how long a single note can hold your attention.
Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits is ranked #101 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Mark Knopfler and the song was released in 1985. It appears on 6 lists, placing as high as #7 (TopGuitar.pl).
The story of Brothers in Arms
Mark Knopfler wrote 'Brothers in Arms' in 1982, while Britain was fighting Argentina over the Falkland Islands. The song is usually read as an anti-war lament: a dying soldier addresses his comrades, reflecting on the mist-covered mountains and on how foolish it is for people who share one world to kill each other. It became the closing track and title song of Dire Straits' fifth album, balancing the radio-friendly hits on the first side with a darker, more reflective second half.
The band recorded the album at George Martin's AIR Studios on Montserrat between November 1984 and February 1985, finishing some work at the Power Station in New York. Knopfler co-produced with engineer Neil Dorfsman. The sessions were among the first in pop to use a Sony 24-track digital tape machine, and tropical rain reportedly drummed on the studio roof for weeks while fragile digital gear was hauled over rough island roads.
Guitar tech Ron Eve encouraged Knopfler away from his usual Stratocaster sound and toward a Gibson Les Paul, and the result gave the track its thick, singing lead voice. Knopfler later explained that the first four notes of the guitar part are essential: he has tried other introductions on stage and none worked, but once those notes are in place he feels free to improvise.
The album appeared in May 1985 and topped the charts in the UK and US, becoming the first album to sell a million copies on compact disc. 'Brothers in Arms' followed as a single on 18 October 1985 and is often cited as the first CD single. Its rotoscoped video, mixing band footage with First World War imagery, won the Grammy for Best Music Video in 1987.
The solo
Knopfler played a 1983 Gibson Les Paul '59 reissue bought at Rudy's Music in New York, and he has said Peter Green's 'Need Your Love So Bad' may have steered him toward that guitar. It ran through a Marshall JTM45 head belonging to tech Ron Eve, feeding a Laney 4x12 cabinet at AIR Montserrat, per Guitar World. Rather than one flashy break, the track uses a recurring lead voice: long, sustained, vocal notes answer each line, then the extended outro solo lets him stretch phrases across the bar with sparing bends and swells. Knopfler has described learning how much space a single bar offers, and he varies the fills between verses. The tone, warm and slightly overdriven, is often held up as a model of restraint.
Legacy
Classic Rock ranked it among Dire Straits' five best songs and praised the guitar solo, while Spin noted the dark, heavy tone of Knopfler's Les Paul. The video's Grammy win and the song's status as an early CD single tie it to the digital-audio boom. It has become a regular at military funerals, featured in The West Wing's second-season finale and the final episode of The Grand Tour, and Knopfler re-recorded it at Abbey Road in 2007 to raise money for Falklands veterans. Its closing lyric also gave a Witcher novel its title.
Top 10 facts about Brothers in Arms
Knopfler wrote the song in 1982 during the Falklands War.
WikipediaThe album was one of the first recorded on a Sony 24-track digital tape machine.
WikipediaBrothers in Arms was the first album in history to sell a million copies on CD.
WikipediaThe title track single is widely cited as the first CD single.
WikipediaKnopfler used a 1983 Les Paul '59 reissue through roadie Ron Eve's Marshall JTM45 and a Laney 4x12 cab.
Guitar WorldRon Eve has admitted he pushed a reluctant Knopfler toward the Les Paul sound during the sessions.
Guitar WorldHeavy tropical rain reportedly hammered AIR Montserrat's roof for six weeks during recording.
Guitar WorldThe rotoscoped video won the Grammy for Best Music Video in February 1987.
WikipediaKnopfler re-recorded the song at Abbey Road in 2007 to help Falklands veterans.
WikipediaA live version recorded in Nimes and Rotterdam in 1992 closes the live album On the Night, running nearly nine minutes.
Wikipedia
Live versions
- Wembley Arena, Brothers in Arms Tour (1985) Part of the July 10 show was televised on Channel 4's The Tube in January 1986.
- Sydney tour finale (1986) The tour's final concert on April 26 was broadcast as a live simulcast.
- On the Night (1993) 8:54 version recorded in Nimes and Rotterdam in 1992; closes the album.
- San Antonio concert (40th-anniversary reissue) (1985) Full August 16, 1985 show released on the 2025 album reissue.
Notable covers
- Joan Baez Folk singer's recording is catalogued by SecondHandSongs.
- John Illsley Dire Straits' own bassist recorded a version of the song.
- The Twang Listed among the song's covering artists by SecondHandSongs.
In our lists
- The Greatest Solo of Every Year — #42
- The 25 Greatest Classic Rock Guitar Solos — #22
- The 1980s — #20
- Ballad Solos — #13
- Most Divisive — #4
- The Best Dire Straits Guitar Solos — #2
- The Best Mark Knopfler Guitar Solos — #2
Sources
- TopGuitar.pl: 25 najbardziej emocjonalnych solówek wszech czasów — #7
- Ranker: The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time — #32
- guitarguitar: Top 50 Guitar Solos of All Time — #42
- Planet Rock: The 75 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time — #54
- Magazyn Gitarzysta: 100 solówek wszech czasów [100 solos of all time] — #84
- Digital Dream Door: 250 Greatest Rock Guitar Solos — #235
- Wikipedia: Brothers in Arms (song)
- Wikipedia: Brothers in Arms (album)
- Wikipedia: Brothers in Arms Tour
- Wikipedia: On the Night
- Guitar World: Mark Knopfler on 40 years of Brothers In Arms
- Guitar World: Knopfler and Dire Straits' inner circle look back on Brothers in Arms
- SecondHandSongs: Brothers in Arms versions
Who played the guitar solo on Brothers in Arms?
Mark Knopfler played the solo on Dire Straits's Brothers in Arms (1985).
What guitar was used on the Brothers in Arms solo?
A gibson les paul, according to widely reported accounts.
Where does Brothers in Arms rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#101 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 6 of them.
What is Brothers in Arms about?
It is an anti-war song written during the 1982 Falklands War, voiced by a dying soldier addressing his comrades.
What guitar did Mark Knopfler use on Brothers in Arms?
A 1983 Gibson Les Paul '59 reissue through a Marshall JTM45 head and a Laney 4x12 cabinet.
Where was Brothers in Arms recorded?
At AIR Studios on Montserrat between late 1984 and early 1985.
Was Brothers in Arms the first CD single?
It is widely cited as the first CD single, released in October 1985.
Who wrote Brothers in Arms?
Mark Knopfler wrote it alone and co-produced the recording with Neil Dorfsman.