Wow - digging through the vinyl, came across a Dire Straits live album!

[Rabrrrrrr]

Don't have any memory of ever buying it. Listening to side 1 now (after accidentally listening to sides 3 and 4 first) - great stuff!

It's from 1984. Just called "Dire Straits Live". No overdubs, no re-recordings - it's given to us the way a live album should be, raw, unedited live performance, and it's fucking great!!

Knopfler is one of those almost-always-forgotten-underrated guitarists and song writers who should be remembered and honored a lot more than he is.

[Elidor]

1. Knopfler is so good I can't think of the proper words to describe him

I've been a fan since the moment the first Dire Straights album came out. (1979?)

Never seen him live, but I have a live version of "You and Your Friend" that I love. I've spent many happy hours playing his songs. Hmmm...I think I'll que up Telegraph Road.

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. Dire Straits didn't start until 1979?

Wow. I always thought they had been around much longer than that. But, I'm also not really a fan per se, so never payed any actual attention to the band, except for apparently owning this one album (and I have the Money for Nothing album on CD).

I wish I had seen them live at some point - though I've not pursued their music with any passion, I dont' know that I've ever heard a song that I couldn't listen to over and over (except "Money for Nothing" which, sadly, I have heard far too many times... even though it's a good song). I love Knopfler's style.

[Elidor]

4. I'm wrong, It was '78

Sultans of Swing was released as a single in '78. The album took off from there and I first heard of them in '79. I loathe money for nothing. It was funny for a few days, but it got old fast. I like some of the out of the way stuff that pretty much never got airplay, as well as the hits, major and minor. Brothers in Arms was a great album, with just a couple minor piffles that didn't go over. And Knopfler's solo stuff is pretty tasty. He did an album with Chet Atkins that's pretty neat, too, if you like that kinda thing.

[Rabrrrrrr]

5. Huh - ya learn somethin' every day.

If asked, I would have put Dire Straits at the late 60s, maybe early 70s.

I had no idea that when Sultans of Swing came out that was their first recording - I just assumed they'd been around since forever; but that was the cusp of me entering Junior High, so my sense of history vs. new was very skewed.

Son of a gun.

And I bet the Chet Atkins album is phenomenal! Chet was a genius. Gods, what a player he was.

[Nailzberg]

22. What i REALLY loathe is the new car commercial with that song.

I want my MPG? WTF is that? I liked that song. I think the lyrics are pretty shitty, but I freakin love the guitar riff. But hearing it all sold out on a auto commercial is just the straw that broke the camels back. I'm all for a company flouting it's fuel efficiency, but leave Mark Knopfler out of it.

[graywarrior]

2. I think I have that.

I got something from the library and burned it a few weeks ago.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

6. I just love to listen to

Dire Strait's Industrial Disease....
I can listen to this song all day long!

[no name no slogan]

7. wow, back when Knopfler had more forehead than headband

impressive

[bullwinkle428]

8. Okay, this album is "Alchemy"; their last release prior to the blockbuster

"Brothers in Arms" in 1985. Knopfler's been my favorite artist for the past 20 years or so, and I've had the pleasure of seeing perform live 4 times. With Dire Straits in '85 and '92, touring for the last time with the band, and later in 2001 and 2005 as a solo artist. He's been doing soundtracks going back to the early '80s, and began work as a solo artist in the mid 90s. The live shows were always absolutely fantastic - he surrounds himself with brilliant supporting musicians and never tries to dominate the stage...

[driver8]

9. Knopfler is amazing. If you like his playing, check out Richard

Thompson. I read that Thompson was one of Knopfler's influences.

[bullwinkle428]

11. I've heard his name before, but have never listened to any of his music -

thanks for the tip! I'll have to check him out and pick up at least one of his CDs...

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

18. Richard Thompson is a god

no matter how crazy he drove Linda. "Henry the Human Fly" was the first RT LP I bought (for the cover, I hadn't heard of Fairport Convention yet) and it remains my favorite. Also "Shoot Out the Lights," "Hand of Kindness" and "Full House" from FC days.

I saw him live. It was a thrill.

[The Magistrate]

10. That Is One Of My Very Favorite Groups, Sir

Thanks for the reminder.

[Rabrrrrrr]

13. They really are good, aren't they?

I listened to all four sides of the album, and I was, through the whole thing, rivited by the perfection of the playing, the sound, the blend of the musicians...

But then, I'm totally a fan of live albums, and if I were ever to have a band, I would never release a studio album (unless I were composing music that simply couldn't be done live). Speaking personally, I really don't give a shit what a band sounds like in the studio. I wanna hear what they sound like live!

And I hate when bands do a live album, but edit the recording, redo solos, and otherwise change it - I love Rush so much, they're my second favorite band, but I've always been pissed off that they refuse to release a live album that doesn't have a lot of studio edits.

Bands should release ONLY live albums, in my opinion; because that's the only way to hear what they really are capable of.

[The Magistrate]

14. On The Question Of Live Albums, Sir

Our views differ. Perhaps it is from having known too many musicians in my youth, but live performancres can be incredibly un-even: there are great ones, but there is a lot of not-quite tuned junk as well, and Lord help us when the drummer decides to solo....

But Mr. Knopfler is exquisite. The band succeeds in setting a marvelous mood, joyful and melancholly and tinged with menace at times. The lyric work is beautiful, which as you may imagine with me weighs a little greater then purely musical concerns.

Someone above mentioned Richard Thompson, and if you have not heard him, please do treat yourself to some of his early work: you will live it.

[Rabrrrrrr]

15. But it's the unevenness that makes it so exciting!

I truly don't care if a guy can get a solo perfect after 25 takes and some editing of all 25 takes putting individual notes together and using digital pitch adjustment to make it all Hoyle.

Fuck that.

I want to know what they sound like in their pure form. Studio recording, in my opinion, is a Big Lie. Given enough time and money, anyone can sound like a computer.

I want the mistakes, the rawness, the off-key-ness, because it's honest.

Imagine Brittney Spears or any other talentless, asshole blowjob wannabe (like Beyonce, or Mariah, or etc.) doing a concert without a pitch-perfect tape controlled by a guy with pitch-perfect ears ready to punch in the recording for every out-of-tune eighth note.

If this seems incoherent or not as erudite as Rabrrrrrr normally is, please excuse me, because I have eaten little today and really should have gone to bed an hour ago.



Secondly, I have never heard of Richard Thompson other than the other poster who mentioned him. I will try to explore his music - if he was an influence on Knopfler, I have a very strong feeling that I will enjoy him very much.

[Kat45]

12. I love Knopfler's guitar work.

It's just so understated that it does often get underrated.

[Capn Sunshine]

16. Is "Rollergirl" on that ?

Great song live.

[Rabrrrrrr]

17. No, no "Rollergirl".

[Zorra]

19. The guitar solos on "Sultans of Swing" aresome of the tastiest solos

ever.

[enigmatic]

20. fabulous live record

The version of "Going Home" in it is miles better than the original "Local Hero" version, and it's still one of the most stirring melodies Mark Knopfler ever wrote.

I drifted away from Dire Straits after the "Love Over Gold" album, but the debut and "Making Movies" album (especially "Tunnel Of Love", where Knopfler outdoes Springsteen at his own game)have some of the best guitar playing in any album in the last 30 years..

[madrchsod]

21. life is better on vinyl....

very good album....no it is fucking great !