Mark Knopfler - Shangri-La (9867260) CD

Shangri-La sees the sweatband-loving Knopfler team up once again with producer Chuck Ainlay for a sturdy celebration of Americana through country and the blues with a dash of easy listening thrown in. The overall sound is laid back with only the electric blues of "Song for Sonny Listen" providing a bit of a crunch. For the most part Knopfler sounds heavily influenced by troubadour JJ Cale and none more so than on "Boom, Like That", a groove driven country honk with soft, lazy vocals. Renowned for not taking things too seriously, many of the lyrics are comical in their narrative such as "I stuck a couple of air-craft carriers up his ass" on the mariachi backed "Don't Crash the Ambulance", a tongue in cheek song set around the Mexican border.

1. 5:15 am
2. Boom, Like That
3. Sucker Row
4. The Trawlerman's Song
5. Back To Tupelo
6. Our Shangri-La
7. Everybody Pays
8. Song For Sonny Liston
9. Whoop De Doo
10. Postcards From Paraguay
11. All That Matters
12. Stand Up Guy
13. Donegan's Gone
14. Don't Crash The Ambulance