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It's a long way from the heyday of those Creole-playing sultans, but Mark Knopfler still knows how to swing on Get Lucky, his sixth solo album. There's no question that the 180-gram vinyl of this two-LP set is the best way to experience the subtleties, warmth, and breadth of the Celtic-leaning arrangements by Knopfler and veteran keyboardist Guy Fletcher. John McCusker's violin deftly weaves in and out of the fourth verse of the tone-setting opener, "Border Reiver" (which, by contrast, sounds downright brittle on CD). Pennywhistle and accordion complement Knopfler's signature guitar-riff stabs on the wistful "Before Gas and TV." And you should be able to catch him taking a breath before he sings the first line of "Hard Shoulder," a track where Burt Bacharach meets Van Morrison circa 1966. Knopfler continues to evolve as a storyteller who's never afraid of shying away from rock theatrics to explore his considerable British roots. Lucky us.
