Tracker (album)

Last updated

Tracker
Tracker Cover.jpg
Studio album by
Released16 March 2015
Studio British Grove Studios, Chiswick, West London
Genre Rock, folk
Length60:40
Label Mercury, Verve (US)
Producer Mark Knopfler
Mark Knopfler chronology
Privateering
(2012)
Tracker
(2015)
Altamira
(2016)

Tracker is the eighth solo studio album by the British singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler, released on 16 March 2015 (17 March 2015 in North America). [1]

Contents

Release

Tracker was released on CD, double vinyl, deluxe CD with four bonus tracks, and a box set with the album on both CD and vinyl formats and a bonus CD with six extra tracks and a DVD with a short film directed by Henrik Hansen and an interview with Knopfler. [2]

Touring

Knopfler promoted the album on his Tracker Tour, which started on 15 May 2015 in Dublin, Ireland. The tour included 86 concerts in two legs — Europe and North America — and ended on 31 October 2015 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in the United States. [3]

Critical response

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 70/100 [4]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [5]
American Songwriter Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Boston Globe Positive [7]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Popmatters Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [10]
The Telegraph Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]

According to the review aggregator website Metacritic, Tracker received generally favorable reviews, achieving a critical score of 70 based on 15 critic reviews. [4] In his review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album three and a half out of five stars, noting that the album is "scaled smaller" than his previous double-album effort Privateering, "easing its way into being instead of announcing itself with a thunder". [5] Erlewine writes:

Tracker feels quieter than his new millennial norm. Some of this is due to the undercurrent of reflection tugging at the record's momentum. Knopfler isn't pining for the past but he is looking back, sometimes wistfully, sometimes with a resigned smile, and he appropriately draws upon sounds that he's long loved. [5]

Erlewine concludes that the "skillful interweaving of Knopfler's personal past helps give Tracker a nicely gentle resonance". [5]

In his review for American Songwriter , Hal Horowitz gave the album four out of five stars, observing:

Touches of Celtic, jazz, country and folk, but seldom rock, inform these lovely tunes that take their time as if on a leisurely stroll ... He's in no hurry telling these colorful stories that unspool slowly and deliberately. Like much of Van Morrison's best work, the relaxed pace provides the consistent thread that makes this a cohesive album instead of a batch of songs. [6]

Horowitz concludes that the album's "softly dignified pace, immaculately constructed lyrics and especially the immediately identifiable slithering guitar lines" all work to create "timeless songs that feel organic, measured and are clearly heartfelt as Knopfler crafts music that will sound as magnificent in 50 years as it does today." [6]

Ken Capobianco, in his review for the Boston Globe , gave the album a positive review, writing, "Mark Knopfler continues his late-career resurgence with this skillfully crafted eighth solo effort, revealing a portrait gallery of quotidian and accomplished lives marked by yearning and reflection." [7] Capobianco praised Knopfler's overall effort "delivering finely wrought, elegantly arranged songs of subtle depth and rich musicality". [7] In his review for Rolling Stone , Will Hermes gave the album three and a half out of five stars, calling it "modest" and "multifaceted". [10] Hermes noted, "Knopfler's quicksilver guitar is understated, and he delivers stories of stoic ache like an old watchmaker on a pub stool—quietly riveting." [10]

In his review for The Telegraph , Neil McCormick gave the album three out of five stars, acknowledging the work's "understated refinement", but noting it "lacks the epic scope of Dire Straits". [11] According to McCormick, there is a predictability to the album that undermines its effectiveness, noting, "Fans will find much to enjoy here, but it might be time for Knopfler to push himself out of his comfort zone." [11] Ally Carnwath, in her review for The Guardian , also gave the album three out of five stars, observing a "predictable whiff of whiskey and rolling tobacco" about the effort. [8] While Carnwarth notes Knopfler's inconsistency as a storyteller, she believes his music "remains a reliable source of warm bluesy guitarwork". [8] In his review for Popmatters , John Garrett gave the album six out of ten stars, concluding, "It’s hard to nail down a specific identity for Tracker. The quality of each song is consistently good, but the album doesn't feel very cohesive when you step back to consider the whole package." [9]

Track listing

All songs were written by Mark Knopfler except where indicated. [1]

Disc one, standard
No.TitleLength
1."Laughs and Jokes and Drinks and Smokes"6:40
2."Basil" (featuring Ruth Moody)5:45
3."River Towns"6:17
4."Skydiver" (featuring Ruth Moody)4:38
5."Mighty Man"5:55
6."Broken Bones"5:30
7."Long Cool Girl" (featuring Ruth Moody)5:06
8."Lights of Taormina"6:09
9."Silver Eagle"5:02
10."Beryl"3:11
11."Wherever I Go" (featuring Ruth Moody)6:27
12."Hot Dog" (bonus track only at Mediamarkt and Saturn in Germany)2:53
Disc two, bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
1.".38 Special" (deluxe + box set)2:47
2."My Heart Has Never Changed" (deluxe + box set + featuring Ruth Moody)3:49
3."Terminal of Tribute To" (deluxe + box set)5:52
4."Heart of Oak" (deluxe + box set)1:46
5."Time Will End All Sorrow" (box set)2:59
6."Oklahoma Ponies" (box set; traditional melody, lyrics and arrangement by Mark Knopfler)5:19

Personnel

Production

Charts and certifications

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria) [47] Gold7,500*
Germany (BVMI) [48] Gold100,000
Poland (ZPAV) [49] Platinum20,000
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [50] Gold10,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [51] Silver60,000

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Dire Straits</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Dire Straits

Dire Straits is the debut studio album by the British rock band Dire Straits released on 9 June 1978 by Vertigo Records internationally, Warner Bros. Records in the United States and Mercury Records in Canada. The album has the hit single "Sultans of Swing", which reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 8 on the UK Singles Chart. The album reached the top of the album charts in Germany, Australia and France, number 2 in the United States and number 5 in the United Kingdom. Dire Straits was later certified double platinum in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

<i>Communiqué</i> (Dire Straits album) 1979 studio album by Dire Straits

Communiqué is the second studio album by British rock band Dire Straits, released on 5 June 1979 by Vertigo Records internationally, Warner Bros. Records in the United States and Mercury Records in Canada. The album featured the single "Lady Writer," which reached number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 51 on the UK Singles Chart. The album reached number one on album charts in Germany, Spain, New Zealand, and Sweden, number 11 in the United States and number 5 in the United Kingdom. Communiqué was later certified gold in the United States, platinum in the United Kingdom and double-platinum in France.

<i>Brothers in Arms</i> (album) 1985 studio album by Dire Straits

Brothers in Arms is the fifth studio album by British rock band Dire Straits, released on 13 May 1985 through Vertigo Records internationally and through Warner Bros. Records in the United States. It is credited with being the first album in recorded history to sell over one million copies in a CD format.

<i>Making Movies</i> 1980 studio album by Dire Straits

Making Movies is the third studio album by British rock band Dire Straits released on 17 October 1980 by Vertigo Records internationally, Warner Bros. Records in the United States and Mercury Records in Canada. The album includes the single "Romeo and Juliet", which reached #8 on the UK Singles Chart, as well as “Tunnel of Love,” featured in the 1982 Richard Gere film An Officer and a Gentleman.

<i>On Every Street</i> 1991 studio album by Dire Straits

On Every Street is the sixth and final studio album by British rock band Dire Straits, released on 9 September 1991 by Vertigo Records internationally, and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The follow-up to the band's massively successful album Brothers in Arms, On Every Street reached the top of the UK Albums Chart and was also certified platinum by the RIAA.

<i>Sailing to Philadelphia</i> 2000 studio album by Mark Knopfler

Sailing to Philadelphia is the second solo studio album by British singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler, released on 26 September 2000 by Vertigo Records internationally, and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album contains featured vocal performances by James Taylor, Van Morrison, and Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze.

<i>Love over Gold</i> 1982 studio album by Dire Straits

Love over Gold is the fourth studio album by British rock band Dire Straits, released on 24 September 1982 by Vertigo Records internationally and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album featured two singles: "Private Investigations," which reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart, and "Industrial Disease," which reached No. 9 on Billboard's Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in the United States. The title track was released as a single two years later in its live version, and reached #15 in France, #29 in New Zealand, #43 in Netherlands and #50 in the band's native United Kingdom. The album reached number one on album charts in Australia, Austria, Italy, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom, as well as number 19 in the United States. Love over Gold was later certified gold in the United States, platinum in France and Germany and double-platinum in Canada and the United Kingdom.

<i>Shangri-La</i> (Mark Knopfler album) 2004 studio album by Mark Knopfler

Shangri-La is the fourth solo studio album by British singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler, released on 28 September 2004 by Mercury Records internationally and Warner Bros. Records in the United States. Shangri-La received generally favorable reviews.

<i>The Ragpickers Dream</i> 2002 studio album by Mark Knopfler

The Ragpicker's Dream is the third solo studio album by British singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler, released on 30 September 2002 by Mercury Records internationally, and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album received generally favorable reviews upon its release.

<i>Golden Heart</i> 1996 studio album by Mark Knopfler

Golden Heart is the debut solo studio album by British singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler, released on 26 March 1996 by Vertigo Records internationally and Warner Bros. Records in the United States. Following a successful career leading British rock band Dire Straits and composing a string of critically acclaimed film soundtrack albums, Knopfler recorded his first solo album, drawing upon the various musical influences he'd engaged since emerging as a major recording artist in 1978. The album reached the top-10 position on charts in Austria, Belgium, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The album peaked at 105 on the Billboard 200 in the United States.

<i>On the Night</i>

On the Night is the second live album by the British rock band Dire Straits, released on 10 May 1993 by Vertigo Records internationally, and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album features many of the band's later hits, including the singles "Walk of Life" and "Money for Nothing". The cover art of the album features dishes of the Very Large Array in central New Mexico.

<i>All the Roadrunning</i> 2006 studio album by Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris

All the Roadrunning is a collaboration between British singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler and American singer-songwriter Emmylou Harris, released on 24 April 2006 by Mercury Records and Universal Music internationally, and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album received favorable reviews, and reached the number one position on album charts in Denmark, Norway, and Switzerland. The album peaked at number eight in the United Kingdom, and number 17 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. The title track, which actually was released the year before as a new track on the compilation album Private Investigations, was released as a single and reached number 8 in the UK.

<i>Missing...Presumed Having a Good Time</i> 1990 studio album by The Notting Hillbillies

Missing...Presumed Having a Good Time is a studio album by the Notting Hillbillies, released on 6 March 1990 by Vertigo Records internationally, and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States.

<i>Private Investigations</i> (album) 2005 compilation album by Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler

Private Investigations: The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler is the third compilation album by Dire Straits and Scottish-born British singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler, released in 2005 by Mercury and Vertigo internationally, and Warner Bros. in the United States. Named after their 1982 hit single, the album consists of material by Dire Straits, with songs selected from the group's six studio albums from 1978 up through the group's dissolution in 1995. It also features work from the solo career of the group's singer, songwriter, and guitarist Mark Knopfler, including some of his soundtrack material.

<i>Kill to Get Crimson</i> 2007 studio album by Mark Knopfler

Kill to Get Crimson is the fifth solo studio album by British singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler, released on 17 September 2007 by Mercury Records internationally and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album's title comes from a line in the song "Let It All Go." The album cover image is taken from the painting Four Lambrettas and Three Portraits of Janet Churchman by John Bratby, painted in 1958. The first singles from the album were "True Love Will Never Fade" in Europe and "Punish The Monkey" in North America. The album debuted at number 26 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling about 23,000 copies in its first week. The Kill to Get Crimson Tour promoting the album started on 29 March 2008 in Amsterdam, Netherlands and ended on 31 July 2008 in Miami, Florida. The album was released on CD, CD/DVD, double vinyl LP, and a Deluxe Set of 180g vinyl LP and CD.

<i>Get Lucky</i> (Mark Knopfler album) 2009 studio album by Mark Knopfler

Get Lucky is the sixth solo studio album by British singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler, released on 14 September 2009 in Europe by Mercury Records, and on 15 September in the United States by Reprise Records. The album was released in four formats, including CD, a Limited Edition CD/DVD Digipak, a Deluxe Edition Boxset, and a double vinyl album. Get Lucky received generally favorable reviews, and reached the top three positions on album charts in Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, and Poland. The album peaked at number nine in the United Kingdom, and number 17 in the United States.

<i>Apocalyptic Love</i> 2012 studio album by Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators

Apocalyptic Love is the second solo studio album by guitarist Slash. However, it is also the first studio album billed to Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators. The band features vocalist Myles Kennedy, bassist Todd Kerns and drummer Brent Fitz in addition to Slash on guitar. Produced by Eric Valentine, it was released on May 22, 2012.

<i>Privateering</i> (album) 2012 studio album by Mark Knopfler

Privateering is the seventh solo studio album by British singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler, released on 3 September 2012 by Mercury Records. The first studio double-album of Knopfler's 35-year career as a recording artist, Privateering consists of 20 original songs, and integrates blues rock with traditional folk and country genres. Recorded between March and December 2011, the album received generally positive reviews throughout Europe, and reached the number one position on album charts in Austria, Germany, Norway and the Netherlands, as well as the number two or three position in Belgium, Italy, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. The album peaked at number eight in the United Kingdom. The album was released in North America a full year after its European release due to a contractual dispute between Knopfler and his North American distributors.

<i>Duets: Re-working the Catalogue</i> 2015 studio album by Van Morrison

Duets: Re-working the Catalogue is the 35th studio album by Northern Irish singer/songwriter Van Morrison, released on 13 March 2015 on RCA Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music. Produced by Van Morrison along with Don Was and Bob Rock, it consists of previously recorded Morrison songs, reworked as duets. Collaborators include Bobby Womack, Steve Winwood, Mark Knopfler, Taj Mahal, Mavis Staples, Michael Bublé, Natalie Cole, George Benson, Gregory Porter, Clare Teal, P.J. Proby, Joss Stone, Georgie Fame, Mick Hucknall, Chris Farlowe, and Morrison's daughter Shana Morrison. Morrison's first album for Sony, it entered the Top 10 in six countries, including the UK.

<i>Down the Road Wherever</i> 2018 studio album by Mark Knopfler

Down the Road Wherever is the ninth solo studio album by British singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler, released on 16 November 2018 by British Grove Records via Virgin EMI in the UK and via Blue Note in the US.

References

  1. 1 2 "Tracker". Mark Knopfler. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "Mark Knopfler's 'Tracker' coming March 16th/17th". Mark Knopfler. 16 January 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  3. "Current Tour". Mark Knopfler Official Website. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  4. 1 2 "Tracker". Metacritic. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Mark Knopfler: Tracker". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 Horowitz, Hal (17 March 2015). "Mark Knopfler: Tracker". American Songwriter. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 Capobianco, Ken (17 March 2015). "Mark Knopfler, Tracker". Boston Globe. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 Carnwath, Ally (15 March 2015). "Mark Knopfler: Tracker review, familiar pleasures". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  9. 1 2 Garrett, John (18 March 2015). "Mark Knopfler: Tracker". Popmatters. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 Hermes, Will (17 March 2015). "Eighties guitar hero looks back with a quietly great solo album". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  11. 1 2 3 McCormick, Neil (14 March 2015). "Mark Knopfler, Tracker, review: 'understated refinement'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  12. Fletcher, Guy. "Recording the 'Tracker' album with Mark Knopfler, 2014". Guy Fletcher. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  13. "Australiancharts.com – Mark Knopfler – Tracker". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  14. "Austriancharts.at – Mark Knopfler – Tracker" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  15. "Ultratop.be – Mark Knopfler – Tracker" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  16. "Ultratop.be – Mark Knopfler – Tracker" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  17. "Top Stranih [Top Foreign]" (in Croatian). Top Foreign Albums. Hrvatska diskografska udruga. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  18. "Danishcharts.dk – Mark Knopfler – Tracker". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  19. "Dutchcharts.nl – Mark Knopfler – Tracker" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  20. "Mark Knopfler: Tracker" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  21. "Lescharts.com – Mark Knopfler – Tracker". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  22. "Offiziellecharts.de – Mark Knopfler – Tracker" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  23. "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2015. 12. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  24. "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 13, 2015". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  25. "Italiancharts.com – Mark Knopfler – Tracker". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  26. "Charts.nz – Mark Knopfler – Tracker". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  27. "Norwegiancharts.com – Mark Knopfler – Tracker". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  28. "Portuguesecharts.com – Mark Knopfler – Tracker". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  29. "Spanishcharts.com – Mark Knopfler – Tracker". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  30. "Swedishcharts.com – Mark Knopfler – Tracker". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  31. "Swisscharts.com – Mark Knopfler – Tracker". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  32. "Mark Knopfler | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  33. "Mark Knopfler Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  34. "Mark Knopfler Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  35. "Mark Knopfler Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  36. "Ö3 Austria Top 40 - Album Charts 2015".
  37. "Jaaroverzichten 2015". Ultratop. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  38. "Rapports Annuels 2015". Ultratop. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  39. "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2015". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  40. "Top de l'année Top Albums 2015" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  41. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  42. "Classifiche "Top of the Music" 2015 FIMI-GfK: La musica italiana in vetta negli album e nei singoli digitali" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  43. "The Official NZ Music Charts - End of Year Charts 2015".
  44. "Top 100 Albums Annual 2015". El portal de Música. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  45. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2015".
  46. "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2015". Billboard. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  47. "Austrian album certifications – Mark Knopfler – Tracker" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  48. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Mark Knopfler; 'Tracker')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  49. "Wyróżnienia – Platynowe płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2015 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  50. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Mark Knopfler; 'Tracker')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  51. "British album certifications – Mark Knopfler – Tracker". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 31 January 2017.