Tracker (album)

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]

Tracker
Studio album by
Mark Knopfler
Released16 March 2015
RecordedBritish Grove Studios
GenreRock, folk
Length60:40
LabelMercury, Verve (US)
ProducerMark Knopfler
Mark Knopfler chronology
Privateering
(2012)		 Tracker
(2015)		 Altamira
(2016)

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
Main article: Tracker Tour

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
Metacritic70/100[4]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
American Songwriter[6]
Boston GlobePositive[7]
The Guardian[8]
Popmatters[9]
Rolling Stone[10]
The Telegraph[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"5:45
3."River Towns"6:17
4."Skydiver"4:38
5."Mighty Man"5:55
6."Broken Bones"5:30
7."Long Cool Girl"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)3:49
3."Terminal of Tribute To" (Deluxe + Box Set)5:52
4."Heart of Oak" (Deluxe + Box Set)1:46
5."Oklahoma Ponies" (Box Set; Traditional melody, lyrics and arrangement by Mark Knopfler)5:19
6."Time Will End All Sorrow" (Box Set)2:59

Personnel
Production
  • Mark Knopfler – producer
  • Guy Fletcher – producer
  • Richard Ford – sleeve notes[2]

Charts and certifications

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)[39] Gold 7,500*
Germany (BVMI)[40] Gold 100,000
Poland (ZPAV)[41] Platinum 20,000*
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[42] Gold 10,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[43] Silver 60,000

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

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References
  1. "Tracker". Mark Knopfler. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  2. "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. "Tracker". Metacritic. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  5. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Mark Knopfler: Tracker". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  6. Horowitz, Hal (17 March 2015). "Mark Knopfler: Tracker". American Songwriter. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  7. Capobianco, Ken (17 March 2015). "Mark Knopfler, Tracker". Boston Globe. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  8. Carnwath, Ally (15 March 2015). "Mark Knopfler: Tracker review, familiar pleasures". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  9. Garrett, John (18 March 2015). "Mark Knopfler: Tracker". Popmatters. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  10. Hermes, Will (17 March 2015). "Eighties guitar hero looks back with a quietly great solo album". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  11. 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. "Officialcharts.de – Mark Knopfler – Tracker". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  23. "Top 40 album DVD és válogatáslemez-lista – 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. "Ö3 Austria Top 40 - Album Charts 2015".
  36. "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 January 14, 2016.
  37. "The Official NZ Music Charts - End of Year Charts 2015".
  38. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2015".
  39. "Austrian album certifications – Mark Knopfler – Tracker" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  40. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Mark Knopfler; 'Tracker')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  41. "Polish album certifications – Mark Knopfler – Tracker" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  42. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Mark Knopfler; 'Tracker')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  43. "British album certifications – Mark Knopfler – Tracker". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 31 January 2017. Select albums in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Tracker in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
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