Dire Straits Rockpalast 1979

[Ingo]

It has nothing to do with definition but with the simple fact that there were two completely different arrangements/versions of Southbound. Your link (from the Old Waldorf, March 31, 1979) is an example of the original version (as it was demo'ed and played on stage) while the studio version is like a completely different song, with a different riff, a different groove, and much shorter.

The studio version was never performed live, neither before nor after the album.

The original version has always been very much the same with only little variation (sometimes a bit faster or slower, a drums intro added in late 1979 , one riff missing in the break in the middle on the demo, that's all I think..)

[vgonis]

You are right. Excuse me I didn't read your first reply very carefully and missed the point.

[JF]

You've hit on something that I've thought for a while now and that's that I've always preferred the performances from 1978 to the 1979 ones.  Just that little bit less polished in them and some evidence of over-confidence with the '79 ones that I don't like.  The '78 recordings are so good it's just a pity we have so few of them.

you are maybe right for the first leg of 79, but I disagree about the end of the year : listen to Amsterdam 79  or Oslo 79 for example, and you can hear the pre-80 arrangements, e.g. on Single handed sailor.
Mark is improvising a lot, and doesn't play like on the record, like he did on rockpalast

[dmg]

You've hit on something that I've thought for a while now and that's that I've always preferred the performances from 1978 to the 1979 ones.  Just that little bit less polished in them and some evidence of over-confidence with the '79 ones that I don't like.  The '78 recordings are so good it's just a pity we have so few of them.

you are maybe right for the first leg of 79, but I disagree about the end of the year : listen to Amsterdam 79  or Oslo 79 for example, and you can hear the pre-80 arrangements, e.g. on Single handed sailor.
Mark is improvising a lot, and doesn't play like on the record, like he did on rockpalast

True, the Cologne concert is one of my favourites.  Just wish it had better sound - love SMU. 

I also like the New York City concert from '79 but I suppose the good sound quality helps.  A great OUATItW and many others.

[Ingo]

I also like the New York City concert from '79 but I suppose the good sound quality helps.  A great OUATItW and many others.

Agreed, that is a great recording. Funny how they had to stop a few times as they caught some pop music with their brand new radio guitar transmitters. 

The sound is really good, I am wondering if it is not even soundboard. The mix is hardly panned to stereo but this is typically for the PA system mix, you do hear the audience but can't hear the 'neighbours' talk. What do you think?
(we are talking about the 'new' Sept. 11, 1979 recording, not the crappy previous one, and not the one from March 3, 1979 (??, which in fact is identical with Providence February 25 !!! )

[dmg]

I also like the New York City concert from '79 but I suppose the good sound quality helps.  A great OUATItW and many others.

Agreed, that is a great recording. Funny how they had to stop a few times as they caught some pop music with their brand new radio guitar transmitters. 

The sound is really good, I am wondering if it is not even soundboard. The mix is hardly panned to stereo but this is typically for the PA system mix, you do hear the audience but can't hear the 'neighbours' talk. What do you think?
(we are talking about the 'new' Sept. 11, 1979 recording, not the crappy previous one, and not the one from March 3, 1979 (??, which in fact is identical with Providence February 25 !!! )

Yes, the "new" one.  I don't know.  Possibly just an excellent audience one if I had to guess.  Some people really know how to record well in a concert setting, so well that you could almost call them professional bootleggers! 

Coincidently, for many years the Boston '79 bootleg was billed as a radio gig by many but was actually audience so it can sometime be difficult to tell with these old recordings.