Communiqué was recorded in December 1978 and January 1979 at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas, produced by Jerry Wexler and Barry Beckett, the same team that had completed the mixing of the debut album. The sessions utilized the studio's relaxed Caribbean setting, though the band later expressed dissatisfaction with the recording process, feeling that Wexler and Beckett's approach was too laid-back and failed to capture the energy of their live performances. Engineer Neil Dorfsman worked on the album, which was recorded relatively quickly while the band was still touring extensively in support of their hugely successful debut. Mark Knopfler's clean Fender Stratocaster tone through a Fender Twin Reverb amplifier remained central to the sound, though the production was criticized for closely replicating the sonic template of the first album without significant evolution. The album was released in June 1979 and, despite reaching high chart positions commercially, the experience led the band to seek a different production approach for subsequent records, with Knopfler eventually taking on greater control of the production process himself.
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4 cataloged · sorted by audiophile score
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Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab — MFSL 2-467
MoFi 45RPM two-LP set mastered from the original analog tapes; regarded as the best vinyl reissue with phenomenal clarity, dynamics, and dead-quiet surfaces.
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab — UDSACD 2185
Highly praised MoFi SACD from the original analog master tapes by Shawn R. Britton; widely considered the definitive digital version with superb dynamics and detail.
Vertigo — 3752904
Back to Black reissue; generally regarded as acceptable but sourced from digital files, not preferred over original analog pressings by SHF members.
Rhino Records — R1 3330