All the Roadrunning by Mark Knopfler and Emmy Lou


Anyone bought this disc or heard it? It sounds like it should be a great combo.
Amazon writes, "Over the last seven years, Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris quietly recorded an album by stealing "a few precious hours of studio time here and there," as the ex-Dire Straits singer/guitarist puts it. Good thing they kept it largely under wraps--expectations would have pushed through the clouds, especially as Knopfler conjured 10 of the 12 cuts, and Harris, who writes potently, but little, contributed two ("Love and Happiness," "Belle Starr"). Yet now that it's here, All the Roadrunning--while beautiful--seems somehow underwhelming, and without a true centerpiece. Anyone familiar with the artists' famous catalogues would expect the repertoire to be poetic and brooding, and that Harris's ethereal soprano would add light to Knopfler's dark Prozac rumblings. But the surprise is that the album is too tame, never breaks out of its midtempo groove, and never takes any big chances.

That said, there is much to like: The marital scrapbook romp of "This Is Us," the bluesy bickering of "Right Now," the wrenching poignancy of the 9/11-inspired ballad "If This Is Goodbye." Knopfler, ever the hypnotic guitarist, turns in some thrillingly droll and laconic vocals, and Harris brings the spirited coltishness of her early work to "Belle Starr." In the end, though, this is not so much a duet album as two famously melancholy musicians singing together--at times, strikingly so. --Alanna Nash
I'd sure like to hear others opinions
128x128sgr
not one of the better emmy lou records. adult contemporary in the worst way. nothing worse than a pointless record that sounds pointless.
Wow - not good. It was on my list today. The SF Chronicle thought quite highly of it on Sunday.

From CD REVIEWS SF Chronicle Sunday, April 23, 2006


MARK KNOPFLER/EMMYLOU HARRIS

Seven years in the making, this exquisite pairing of these idiosyncratic and iconic singers results in a tour de force, outshining anything either has done in recent memory. Dire Straits honcho Mark Knopfler's normally flinty edges are blunted and made more appealing and less anxious once Emmylou Harris fits her sparse harmonies around them. Her perfectly articulated and understated phrasing elevate the guitarist's restless travelogue of moving from space to space, in and out of love, in various vehicles and means of transport, making it matter little that he never quite gets to where he's going nor that he isn't able outrun his shadowy but well-drawn demons. But with her pristine vocals riding shotgun, the journey is more interesting than the destination. Harris' lead on "Rollin' On" is a like a paper-cut silhouette from a bygone era, fragile, yet haunting in its dark relief.

Jaan Uhelszki

Regards,
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I heard the PHC cuts and thought the album sounded promising. I bet I'd like pork ice cream. ;-)
I like it. I agree w/Jaybo not one her best records-no doubt but what a great pairing, nice tunes, decent recording to boot, nothing earthbreaking here. I liked notting hillbillies & 'neck and neck' too so it would figure. Gimmie Guy Clark & Emmylou anyday
I'm listening to it now. It's great music. A little compressed and a little on the dark side but, most Mark K's. stuff is recorded a little dark. EmmyLou is a perfect duet for Mark. They just work very well together. I'm a big fan of both.
I bought and listened to it today. Nothing impressed me so far. Maybe after another listen or two.
Viridian, do you sprinkle bacon bits on your pork ice cream?
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I heard several cuts at a friend's house. Neither he nor I were impressed and I'm glad I saved the money. The recording is compressed, it seems like the Knopfler decided to accent his guitar work instead of the vocals. Harris's vocals sound shrill and thin.
The song lyrics themselves are weak.
One person remarked that is sounds recorded for MP-3 very hollow and truncated.
The singers's voices don't harmonize well together. I wonder if anyone listened to this recording before it was released. This dog was sure a waste of money. Woof! Woof!
It is a shame consumers cannot return bad sounding discs for credit towards another purchase. That is the may be the best way that artists and labels could get negative feedback on their productions. Instead it is assumed that the only reason one wants to return a disc is because we copied it and are trying to ripoff the artist, store, and label.
Steve
If you like Emmylou's recent work with Willie Nelson, then you'll probably like this. Not great, but very good. The recording is clean with a modern sound, it's not horrible by any means. Knopfler is not a great sounding vocalist and this album highlights that fact. Glad I got it.
I've heard that Mark Knopfler is an 'audiophile'. Odd that more care wasn't taken in the recording. I sure hope that the concert is memorable.
I thought it was good but not great. As a huge  knopfler fan I'm glad I have it. 
Emmylou has done two albums recently with a much better singer/songwriter than Knopfler imo---Rodney Crowell: Old Yellow Moon, and The Travelling Kind. He's much more sympatico with Emmylou than Mark. 
I bought this CD when it first came out. It has become a go-to album for me. The tunes are so catchy, I can't think why anyone would not like it. It is certainly among my top ten albums.
The CD I am referring to in my previous comment is "All the Road Running," but IMO all Mark Knopfler albums are well done.
Funny, I'm a big Emmy-Lou fan and like All the Road-running CD.  I want to like the Rodney Crowell ones, but somehow they leave me feeling "meh..."
Go figure?
If you like the cd, by all means pick up the DVD of the concert - Real live Roadrunning. Sound is good, great production values and the band really, really smokes it on a few of the cuts. Emmylou does the most haunting version of Red Dirt Girl I have ever heard, and Speedway to Nazareth showcases the band at full throttle. Very, very good imho.

I like this CD so much that I will look into the DVD. I'm surprised at the negative comments about "All the Road Running." It must be true that one man's trash is another man's treasure. Try listening to a few cuts on YouTube. If you like Mark Knopfler (and Emmy Lou), I think you will find a lot to like on this CD.
I'll second mcondo on the dvd.  I think that this is the best way to enjoy this collaboration.  It's an excellent concert.