Dire Straits - On every street tour Live at Basel

[xxFordiexx]

My pleasure

It's no denying how amazing Alchemy was, especially when you concider some of the other bands on tour at the time. DS had the perfect sound and musicianship.

It's just a pure fact that not only was the band even better by the time On Every Street came out but Mark's guitaring was at an unbelievable level, one I'm sure many other guitarists must be very envious off.

My pleasure Knopfler fan, Enjoy

[Knopflerfan]

I think that by this great tour in 1992 you could say with hand on heart 'thats 'Dire Straits' playing but after listening to this great concert is it really 'Mark Knopfler' and his big band rather than just 'Dire Straits'? Perhaps this was really a 'practice' run for what was to become of MK with his now fantastic band?

[Rollergirl]

As it seems to be On every Street tour day  and I don't have the Basel one, I am now watching the Nimes gig (september, I was there!!!) and it kicks arse too!

I don't know the difference between a Pensa and a Strat, apart from the colour.

[superval99]

I remember recording the Basel gig from Channel 4, but it was not the whole concert.  It was Christmas Eve and I was just overwhelmed by the whole thing - it was the best Christmas present I could have ever wished for!  I am certain that I watched it just about every day for months on end and never tired of watching - indeed I still love it to this day!  

Previously I had only Alchemy to watch, so this was only my 2nd DS recording.   Now thanks to the internet and wonderful forums like this, I now have the whole concert and also hundreds of others with which to indulge myself!   How things have changed in a relatively short time.      

[ds1984]

I think that by this great tour in 1992 you could say with hand on heart 'thats 'Dire Straits' playing but after listening to this great concert is it really 'Mark Knopfler' and his big band rather than just 'Dire Straits'? Perhaps this was really a 'practice' run for what was to become of MK with his now fantastic band?

This is the reason why I enjoy 1996 so much and that I have the same "overcrowded stage" feeling again in 2010.

This is a question of balance, as you prefer a whole band performance with each member beautiffuly supplying great lines to Mark's music or Mark being the frontman with just a solid and tight backing.

For example for years I enjoyed very much the sax part on Going Home but when I heard it saxless in 1996 it was even better because I could actualy enjoy more Mark's playing.

So as a fan of the guitar hero, the 1996/2005 line up scheme is perfect for that purpose.

[Love Expresso]

For me, 1996 was and IS the best tour of all. MK played much more guitar during the GH tour, concentrated, long virtously played solos, great power chords, great fat Gibson sound, the complete set list was built for a full-of-relish guitar sound, I loved it! He made me gawp at his fingers during Calling Elvis or The Bug, and when he played Going Home in that great style, I thought this cannot be played better.

The 1992 sound was a little bit too "synthetic" in my opinion. However I always loved the Nimes 1992 video more than the Basel show, just because Mark seemed a little bit fresher there. Both were great to have and have of course, they must have been watched on a daily base by me at least for one year after the tour ended (...well, at least parts of it...) And how easy it was in those days to get a complete show, from the first note to the last fire works blast, without any editing or cutting or whatsoever...

Since then, Marks guitar playing declined more and more. Maybe a hard statement (on his birthday) but it is true. Noyadays it is just good music, with somebody also playing guitar on stage. Sometimes. Sultans from 2010 is not more than a shadow from the old days, it hurts me to listen to it these days, he really should not play it anymore. And the most memorable stuff from the 2010 tour is Marbletown or Piper To The End, which of couse sounds so great because of the breat sounding band - not because of a guitar virtuoso! But I think that is exactly the ways he wants it to be! We all have the choice to follow him or not.

LE

[Rollergirl]

Nowadays it is just good music

Fine by me! I am one of the (rare?) ones who didn't/doesn't care much for long guitar solos (although I liked them too!). To me DS/MK has always been much, much more.

[dmg]

For me, 1996 was and IS the best tour of all. MK played much more guitar during the GH tour, concentrated, long virtously played solos, great power chords, great fat Gibson sound, the complete set list was built for a full-of-relish guitar sound, I loved it! He made me gawp at his fingers during Calling Elvis or The Bug, and when he played Going Home in that great style, I thought this cannot be played better.

The 1992 sound was a little bit too "synthetic" in my opinion. However I always loved the Nimes 1992 video more than the Basel show, just because Mark seemed a little bit fresher there. Both were great to have and have of course, they must have been watched on a daily base by me at least for one year after the tour ended (...well, at least parts of it...) And how easy it was in those days to get a complete show, from the first note to the last fire works blast, without any editing or cutting or whatsoever...

Since then, Marks guitar playing declined more and more. Maybe a hard statement (on his birthday) but it is true. Noyadays it is just good music, with somebody also playing guitar on stage. Sometimes. Sultans from 2010 is not more than a shadow from the old days, it hurts me to listen to it these days, he really should not play it anymore. And the most memorable stuff from the 2010 tour is Marbletown or Piper To The End, which of couse sounds so great because of the breat sounding band - not because of a guitar virtuoso! But I think that is exactly the ways he wants it to be! We all have the choice to follow him or not.

LE

You can't say this on his birthday, especially in light of the fact this was the best Sultans has sounded for a while.  Noooo!

[superval99]

I agree, dmg!   I have really enjoyed Sultans on all of the four concerts I attended and the Simfy recordings I have from this tour, much more than previous solo tours, except for 1996, of course, which was exceptional!  

[Knopflerfan]

I remember recording the Basel gig from Channel 4, but it was not the whole concert.  It was Christmas Eve and I was just overwhelmed by the whole thing - it was the best Christmas present I could have ever wished for!  I am certain that I watched it just about every day for months on end and never tired of watching - indeed I still love it to this day!  

Previously I had only Alchemy to watch, so this was only my 2nd DS recording.   Now thanks to the internet and wonderful forums like this, I now have the whole concert and also hundreds of others with which to indulge myself!   How things have changed in a relatively short time.      

Well done superval99, I knew it was around Christmas time and there you are you have reminded me that it was on Christmas eve and yes on channel 4. What a pre - Christmas treat that was but like you say it wasn't the whole hog but none the less great to see.

1996 I agree was the greatest I have known Mark play, but I put that down to being still under the influence of 'Straits' days and nowadays he has mellowed probably because he has gone more 'rootsy' rather than 'rock' each to their own of course but what a talent Mark is to be able to adjust to the various styles, I guess thats what attracts a lot of us to his music and more importantly his guitar playing? please also bear in mind MK's age, he goes great guns in my books for a 61 year old!!!! Roll on the next 'MK' project

[xxFordiexx]

As it seems to be On every Street tour day  and I don't have the Basel one, I am now watching the Nimes gig (september, I was there!!!) and it kicks arse too!

I don't know the difference between a Pensa and a Strat, apart from the colour.

Ooh that is a quality gig I have on dvd too...... he has the same clothes on hehe I think that Mark is even more energetic on Sultans on that concert too

[xxFordiexx]

For me, 1996 was and IS the best tour of all. MK played much more guitar during the GH tour, concentrated, long virtously played solos, great power chords, great fat Gibson sound, the complete set list was built for a full-of-relish guitar sound, I loved it! He made me gawp at his fingers during Calling Elvis or The Bug, and when he played Going Home in that great style, I thought this cannot be played better.

The 1992 sound was a little bit too "synthetic" in my opinion. However I always loved the Nimes 1992 video more than the Basel show, just because Mark seemed a little bit fresher there. Both were great to have and have of course, they must have been watched on a daily base by me at least for one year after the tour ended (...well, at least parts of it...) And how easy it was in those days to get a complete show, from the first note to the last fire works blast, without any editing or cutting or whatsoever...

Since then, Marks guitar playing declined more and more. Maybe a hard statement (on his birthday) but it is true. Noyadays it is just good music, with somebody also playing guitar on stage. Sometimes. Sultans from 2010 is not more than a shadow from the old days, it hurts me to listen to it these days, he really should not play it anymore. And the most memorable stuff from the 2010 tour is Marbletown or Piper To The End, which of couse sounds so great because of the breat sounding band - not because of a guitar virtuoso! But I think that is exactly the ways he wants it to be! We all have the choice to follow him or not.

LE

I disagree heartily I'm afraid. Mark has chosen to perform Sultans this way. If you go back to the likes of Rockpalast '79 or the Old Grey Whistle Test performances or indeed the album version, it's the way Sultans was always played.

The only way Mark would or could play in that style of Basel any more would be to use a Pensa guitar. It's the guitar that allows that particular style of sound.

And also I really beleive Mark just wanted to strip the sound back to it's roots.

Let's be honest Mark still shreds on Telegraph Road so it's not as if he can't play like that anymore.

Just my opinion, and Sultans has been excellent on the GL tour 

[Tally]

I prefer the Fender Strat to the single coil Pensa. It's the perfect sound for Sultans, and I like it more in general too. The clean Pensa tone always sounded a bit flat compared to the Fender to me.

As for Sultans, the OES tour is not my favourite but of course Mark's playing was superb. 2005 was very good.

[Love Expresso]

As for Sultans, the OES tour is not my favourite but of course Mark's playing was superb. 2005 was very good.

I agree, Tallgren! I like the Lyon 2005 version very much. As that whole concert was a very special one.

And coming back to my earlier post from today: Sultans from 2010, COMPARED to the older versions, suffers a little bit and lacks some energy sometimes. That does not automatically mean that I do not like Sultans in general. Sultans is one of my Top-Five-Marky-songs.... But every tour has its ups and downs. For example, that Wembley-Arena-1985-version is still the all-time-favourite for me. But from the same tour I heard some worse sounding (bootlegged) versions.
Also 2010: Hamburg's Sultans WAS great! But in some other towns, it went not so well. That shows how much more improvised the guitar playing is nowadays. In the earlier days I think this was not so much the case . From 2005 on, Mark started to give the two longer solos a totally new
approach, which sometimes led him into the wrong direction, but sometimes brought some really great results. In my opinion, improvising
on the guitar does not automatically mean playing really great. Some good rehearsed and often repeated stuff can also sound great.

LE

[Tally]

And coming back to my earlier post from today: Sultans from 2010, COMPARED to the older versions, suffers a little bit and lacks some energy sometimes. That does not automatically mean that I do not like Sultans in general. Sultans is one of my Top-Five-Marky-songs.... But every tour has its ups and downs. For example, that Wembley-Arena-1985-version is still the all-time-favourite for me. But from the same tour I heard some worse sounding (bootlegged) versions.
Also 2010: Hamburg's Sultans WAS great! But in some other towns, it went not so well. That shows how much more improvised the guitar playing is nowadays. In the earlier days I think this was not so much the case . From 2005 on, Mark started to give the two longer solos a totally new
approach, which sometimes led him into the wrong direction, but sometimes brought some really great results. In my opinion, improvising
on the guitar does not automatically mean playing really great. Some good rehearsed and often repeated stuff can also sound great.

LE

From 2005, I like Rome. Full of energy.

As for improvising, I'm no bootleg expert, but I'm pretty sure that Mark improvised heavily on Sultans at least from 1992 onwards. The difference, I would say, is that he was so good technically in those days and played so much lead that he could improvise effortlessly in his sleep. This is not quite so anymore, though he still gets me from time to time with innovating variations of old licks.