“Les Boys” floats back into the old, stripped-down Dire Straits sound as it ham-handedly makes fun of the homosexual club acts the group had seen in Germany (where Dire Straits always did very well). Even though these songs are less memorable, they fit into the “big sound” effort that Iovine and Knopfler were bringing out for the album. Making Movies also contains more of an “arena rock” feel on songs like “Expresso Love” and “Solid Rock,” which was a new departure for the group’s sound. “Skateaway” is a similarly stellar example of Knopfler’s lyricism, this time painting a tableau about a roller skating girl on city streets. Here, the picked guitars weave effortlessly with the keyboards until they explode into a chorus of electric guitars before quieting down once again. “Romeo and Juliet” is a beautiful blend between the classic love tale and a heartbreaking love affair gone wrong. Take the opening track, “Tunnel of Love,” which stretches beyond eight minutes but can hold the listener’s interest throughout with tempo changes and sheer energy. What’s more, they hold together well, even though their length would suggest that they could not. Once married to the musical tracks, they come together in masterful style. He had always employed dense poetic imagery on his songs, but here the lyricism is tighter and the stories carry further. Knopfler’s songwriting also makes a change on this album as well. This production resulted in a richer sound, which when coupled with Knopfler’s writing, comes off as almost cinematic. By this point, Mark Knopfler’s brother David had left the group, and Mark brought on board Springsteen engineer Jimmy Iovine to produce, who in turn brought along keyboardist Roy Bittan. While Communiqué was a sad attempt to recreate their first album, Making Movies was a new, fuller sound. After listening to the disappointing Communiqué from 1979, hearing Dire Straits’ third album, Making Movies, is a welcome change.