Mark Knopfler appreciation

[tinnitus]

I stumbled into a fun TV series a few years ago (2017 it seems), Brian Johnson: A Life on the Road. Not remotely the scream-fest one might expect from ACDC's frontman, episodes featured Brian hanging out and reminiscing about the glory days with various big name musical superstars (Robert Plant, Joe Walsh and Roger Daltrey come to mind). There were a dozen I think.

The episode featuring Mark Knopfler charmed my socks off. Here's a snippet from that one:



I'm going to do some digging and try to find reruns of the episodes I missed.

[BEJ]

When I first heard (eons ago) Dire Strait's "Sultans of Swing" you just knew they were going to be big.
Saw them on their first US tour in Seattle at the Showbox. Back then it was standing only no seating with small round tables though out for setting down drinks.
I was able to move up front and got so close to Mark I could have reached out and touched him.
One hell of a show, those were the days.

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by BEJ

When I first heard (eons ago) Dire Strait's "Sultans of Swing" you just knew they were going to be big.
Saw them on their first US tour in Seattle at the Showbox. Back then it was standing only no seating with small round tables though out for setting down drinks.
I was able to move up front and got so close to Mark I could have reached out and touched him.
One hell of a show, those were the days.

Yes, I distinctly remember where I was the first time I heard "Sultans of Swing." I specifically remember the stop light where I stopped on my way home from work as I was listening to the radio. I remember thinking, "Who IS this!!??" Players had for so long been playing solos with distortion or all kind of overdrive, and here was somebody playing a Strat all over the fretboard as clean and as melodically as I had ever heard. I still love that song today decades later.

- Glenn

[Silly Moustache]

Here it is on YouTube, and would you believe that You Tube had the malicious disrespect to break it for ads ?

Click on it and before going full page - click the left and right arrows in the top left to disarm the ads.

[Glennwillow]

Wow, that was really wonderful, Andy! I had no idea that so many big names from the entertainment world were involved in this project.

Thanks for that! Wow, what a sound, too!

- Glenn

[DianeA]

It is so charming the way Mark looks & smiles at the people he plays with, so at ease, as if they were just drinking coffee instead of playing those complex riffs.

[Gromitspapa]

A full concert movie A Night in London (from 1996) just released on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOlrUi3BSVg&t=885s

[macuaig]

If I could have only one album to listen to for the rest of my life, it would be Knopfler’s first movie soundtrack, Local Hero. Absolutely, purely magic.

[DianeA]

Originally Posted by macuaig

If I could have only one album to listen to for the rest of my life, it would be Knopfler’s first movie soundtrack, Local Hero. Absolutely, purely magic.

Yes that is a good one. My fav is Speedway at Nazareth.

[Gitfiddlemann]

One of my favorite albums of all time. Just pure listening pleasure.
Mark Knopfler is one of the greats, and Emmy Lou isn't bad either.
If you've never heard this one, you're in for a treat.

[KenL]

I concur with guitfiddlemann regarding "All the Roadrunning." It's a masterpiece. I play it when we have friends over for dinner, and someone always asks "what/who is this?". Brilliant album.

And I remember exactly where I was the first time I heard "Sultans." I was driving to work down Metcalf in KC, Kansas. I was so stunned by that guitar riff that I had to pull over and listen. A couple of month later I got to see Dire Straits in a little club in downtown KC during their first American tour. Great show.