OST Local Hero by Mark Knopfler

Mark Knopfler's First Soundtrack Album Is One for the Ages, Features Folk Inflections, Celtic Themes, and Jazz Accents: Local Hero Includes "Going Home" and Intricate Melodies
Three years removed from crafting Dire Straits' third album, Making Movies, band leader Mark Knopfler elected to adhere to the record's title and try his hand at doing just that in an aural way. Written and performed to accompany the film Local Hero, the iconic guitarist's first soundtrack continues to serve as one of the decade's most prized scores. No wonder the BAFTA Award-nominated work has long eclipsed the Bill Forsyth film in stature, merit, and popularity - and emerged as the basis of a stage musical that debuted in Scotland in 2019.
Ditto the diverse accompaniment, including the Celtic-themed effects, supplemental jazz accents, and folk inflections. The keys to the nearly 44-minute effort's success and continuity relate not only to Knopfler's laidback style and low-key approach, but his ear for uncanny melody and blues traces. Woven acoustically and electrically, his tapestries benefit from the newfound airiness, openness, and balance that live on this reissue. No matter the instrument or treatment, the music arrives with pinpoint imaging and vibrant liveliness.
For instance, take the closing "Going Home", a cherished instrumental whose proud spirit resonates with English football fans and features saxophone playing by the late, great Michael Brecker. Heard before every Newcastle United F.C. home game, it has become an anthem on both sides of the Atlantic. Or, look to "The Ceilidh: Louis' Favorite, Billy's Tune" on which Scottish-flavored vibes and dance tempos conjure a festive jig until a transition gives the number a more subdued, romantic feel. Then, the pattern repeats. Seeking to expand beyond the parameters of Dire Straits, Knopfler taps into a global economy of structures and sounds, and takes anyone with a sense of adventure along for the ride.
Not that his hallmark six-string is absent from the proceedings. It frames the lovely tin-pan whistle motif of the aptly titled "Whistle Theme", acts as a beacon for the elegant, vibraphone-kissed "Smooching", and pushes forward the jovial, top-down momentum of "Freeway Flyer", among other highlights. Knopfler also receives assistance from session pros Mike Mainieri, Steve Jordan, and Terry Williams, as well as vocalist Gerry Rafferty on the set's sole vocal tune, "That's the Way It Always Starts".

Features:

• 180g High Quality Vinyl
• Mastered at Abbey Road Studios
• Half Speed Mastering

Selections:

Side A
1. The Rocks and the Water
2. Wild Theme
3. Freeway Flyer
4. Boomtown (variation Louis' Favourite)
5. The Way It Always Starts
6. The Rocks and the Thunder
7. The Ceilidh and the Northern Lights
Side B
1. The Mist Covered Mountains
2. The Ceilidh: Louis' Favourite. Billy's Tune
3. Whistle Theme
4. Smooching
5. Stargazer
6. The Rocks and the Thunder
7. Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero