The Ragpicker's Dream is the third solo studio album by British singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler, released on 30 September 2002 by Mercury Records internationally, and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album received generally favorable reviews upon its release.
Composition
The album is a collection of songs written from the point of view of poor but dignified itinerant men, struggling to get by in life, often enjoying small triumphs. Knopfler gives a folk imprint to the whole album without relying too heavily on the acoustic guitar. The first song, "Why Aye Man", was used as the theme tune for the third series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet which first aired in 2002. The album contains numerous other references to North East England, including the village of Tow Law on "Hill Farmer's Blues". The photo was also used as the book cover for two novels: The Marriage Artist by Andrew Winer (2010, Henry Holt & Company), and Ancient Light by John Banville (2012, Viking).
Critical reception
In his review for AllMusic, Hal Horowitz gave the album three out of five stars, calling the album "a pleasant, classy, often inspired effort whose unassuming charms are best appreciated after repeated listenings."
Charts
Weekly charts
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!Chart (2002)
!Peak<br />position
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!scope="row"|Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)
|2
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Year-end charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
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!Chart (2002)
!Position
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!scope="row"|Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)
|44
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!scope="row"|French Albums (SNEP)
|83
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!scope="row"|German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)
|61
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!scope="row"|Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)
|46
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!scope="row"|Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)
|57
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!scope="row"|UK Albums (OCC)
|183
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Certifications and sales
References
;Notes
;Citations
External links
- The Ragpicker's Dream at Mark Knopfler official website