| Mark Knopfler has been producing his own work | | | | the 80s, and the Village Voice awarded it as one |
| for years, first with Dire Straits, then his film | | | | of its Top 10 Albums of the Year. |
| soundtracks, and finally and most recently for his | | | | A continuing mystery is why Dylan ultimately |
| solo albums. In the 1980s, however, he also | | | | decided to remove the track "Blind Willie McTell" |
| produced tracks and entire CDs for other very | | | | from the finished product. The song, eventually |
| notable artists - including Bob Dylan. | | | | released as one of a series of outtakes, was |
| After performing on Dylan's 1979's religion-laden | | | | simply arranged with Dylan singing and playing the |
| "Slow Train Coming," Knopfler was approached | | | | piano, and Knopfler on acoustic guitar. Knopfler, |
| once again in 1983 to produce his newest album. | | | | who wanted to leave the song on the album, had |
| Knopfler brought along engineer Neil Dorfsman | | | | to leave for a previously-committed tour in |
| (who went on to engineer and produce the Dire | | | | Germany with Dire Straits and Dylan ended up |
| Straits megaalbum "Brothers in Arms") and Dire | | | | finishing the editing and ultimately delivered the |
| Straits' keyboardist Alan Clark, and put together a | | | | masters to CBS Records without his assistance |
| number of other musicians who ultimately created | | | | or input. |
| the eight tracks entitled "Infidels" that would end | | | | In a 1987 interview in Q Magazine, Knopfler |
| up on the finished product (along with the | | | | admitted "I was lucky with Bob. He's wild to work |
| countless other songs that didn't make the cut). | | | | with but different people get results different |
| Knopfler played guitar on the album as well, along | | | | ways. If anybody ever has the dubious fortune to |
| with former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor. | | | | end up in the producer's seat they'll find out for |
| Christopher Connelly of Rolling Stone | | | | themselves that the best way to go forward is |
| complimented Dylan, saying it was "a stunning | | | | to respect others' feelings about things, |
| recovery of the lyric and melodic powers that | | | | sometimes when they're directly opposed to your |
| seemed to have all but deserted him." It ended up | | | | own. |
| being the only one of Dylan's albums to go gold in | | | | |