Dire Straits - On every street tour Live at Basel

[Love Expresso]

Yeah, of course it is easier to improvise a song while playing it the 1000th time, compared to playing it the 5000th time.... 

LE

[superval99]

On every tour there are great renditions of songs and also pretty dire ones, including SOS and 2005 was no exception!   I seem to also remember a terrible version of SOS from Chicago in 2001, for example, as well as great ones,  so it doesn't mean everything was wonderful in the past, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't play it anymore - perish the thought!   Anyway, I really enjoyed SOS on the Get Lucky tour.  

[dustyvalentino]

Yes, highlights of the Basel tour were shown on C4 but the whole how was broadcast live by Sky. I didnt have Sky but got a mate to tape it for me, I even bought a special "good" blank video tape. Wore that tape out. And then when the highlights were on C4 I taped them too. 

[tunnel85]

It seems that once again, I'm completely out of tune.  
I used to claim during many years that I was missing DS, now I wouldn't go backwards.  

I just loved the 2010 version of SOS !
Found it to be the best I've ever seen or heard, especially the one I was lucky to see in Prague.
Need to go  further into 2010 recordings, maybe I will find a better one. It would be a terrific one !  
4-piece band, played as "simple" as the original, no need to add sax, piano or flute parts.    
Don't get me wrong, past versions were great with Mark playing faster, doing longer solos but I've always thought there was a lack of original taste.

So Mark is getting older (believe me, I'm the first one to say we all do !), but he still is the Master.
When I listen to Marbletown or Telegraph Road, I don't see what is missing compared to past years.
Energy is missing but not talent.

[superval99]

You're not out of tune with me, tunnel85!    I am in total agreement!   

[Banjo99uk]

I reckon I wore out my tape and video player after recording that gig on channel 4.  I can remember my brothers mate coming over once and saying to me, do you listen to anthing else? I think its so much fresher sounding than On The Night, I may be wrong but I reckon there is some jiggery pockery with Marks voice on OTN.  His voice just doesn't sound right to me.

[Knopflerfan]

It seems that once again, I'm completely out of tune.  
I used to claim during many years that I was missing DS, now I wouldn't go backwards.  

I just loved the 2010 version of SOS !
Found it to be the best I've ever seen or heard, especially the one I was lucky to see in Prague.
Need to go  further into 2010 recordings, maybe I will find a better one. It would be a terrific one !  
4-piece band, played as "simple" as the original, no need to add sax, piano or flute parts.    
Don't get me wrong, past versions were great with Mark playing faster, doing longer solos but I've always thought there was a lack of original taste.

So Mark is getting older (believe me, I'm the first one to say we all do !), but he still is the Master.
When I listen to Marbletown or Telegraph Road, I don't see what is missing compared to past years.
Energy is missing but not talent.

Many thanks for your input tunnel 85, you have summed up everything that this thread is about and you are like me by thinking what you have put as your punchline...Energy is missing but NOT talent - what words of wisdom!!

[ds1984]

You can't replace enregy by talent - they are two complementary things.

On SOS 2010 the band behind Mark just play it like it was never played before but the lead guitar part does not sound as "easy" or "fluent" it used to be. This is for me the big difference between now and then but I would not say that Mark did improve anyhow performing that one now - except that definitively less eratic than some of the '05 versions. But being able to attend multiple shows on that tour, I had great fun on one of these to concentrate on only Danny playing the drum and not pay too much attention to the rest of the band during SOS.

[Love Expresso]

You can't replace enregy by talent - they are two complementary things.

On SOS 2010 the band behind Mark just play it like it was never played before but the lead guitar part does not sound as "easy" or "fluent" it used to be. This is for me the big difference between now and then but I would not say that Mark did improve anyhow performing that one now - except that definitively less eratic than some of the '05 versions. But being able to attend multiple shows on that tour, I had great fun on one of these to concentrate on only Danny playing the drum and not pay too much attention to the rest of the band during SOS.

Exactly.

LE

[holaknopfler]

Maybe I`m wrong on this one, but I`ll rather see a SOS full of energy etc than a version that hasn`t got those things. Maybe he better replace it by another DS song. No, not MFN or Walk Of Life.

[Dutchessy]

Maybe I`m wrong on this one, but I`ll rather see a SOS full of energy etc than a version that hasn`t got those things. Maybe he better replace it by another DS song. No, not MFN or Walk Of Life.

hmm, nothing wrong with 2010's version imo

[Hoops McCann]

Can we keep this on topic? If you want to discuss MK's progression, please put it in this thread:

http://www.amarkintime.org/forum/index.php?topic=1314

[Love Expresso]

Ok!

My take: Mark was very virtuous in 1992, the same way in Basel as in Nimes for example, but he also had a very "cool", maybe "arrogant" and tough aura.
He played it as if it was nothing. Nowadays, he plays it more from his heart. He has given up the "Maestro", makes some mistakes here and there but has
much more fun to do this little "four-piece-fun" as he names it. So as long as Mark is fine with the song, the audience will love it.

In Basel Mark looked very tired and sounded sometimes very weak when it comes to singing. At Nimes, he was much more lively, his hair was ridiculously
long and he played Sultans like the Devil himself. I would prefer the Nimes version to Basel. But "Private Investigations" from Basel is also really from another world...

If I wanted to get this on a DVD, not being into this tracker thing, what should I do?

LE

[sweetsurrender]

Ok!

My take: Mark was very virtuous in 1992, the same way in Basel as in Nimes for example, but he also had a very "cool", maybe "arrogant" and tough aura.
He played it as if it was nothing. Nowadays, he plays it more from his heart. He has given up the "Maestro", makes some mistakes here and there but has
much more fun to do this little "four-piece-fun" as he names it. So as long as Mark is fine with the song, the audience will love it.

In Basel Mark looked very tired and sounded sometimes very weak when it comes to singing. At Nimes, he was much more lively, his hair was ridiculously
long and he played Sultans like the Devil himself. I would prefer the Nimes version to Basel. But "Private Investigations" from Basel is also really from another world...

If I wanted to get this on a DVD, not being into this tracker thing, what should I do?

LE

Last night I got the opportunity to watch this concert again after sooo long.  It was indeed an amazing gig.  I had to agree with LE on Mark's singing.  His voice was scruffy at times and I don't think he sang the best.  I don't quite see Mark being arrogant but more confident and comfortable in his playing that he was able to play so effortlessly.  It reminded me of " A night in London" when Mark played SOS almost in the same manner albeit less ostentatious. 

Irregardless, it was undoubtably amazing.  I'm still trying to decide whether Alchemy is better than Basel or not. I'm gravitating toward Alchemy partly because Mark looked so much better than 1992.  He looked so worn out during OES tour. 

LE,

I got my Basel DVD a few years ago.  (not a torrent)  This concert looked professionally taped to me.  Sharp picture/sound from every angle. Incredible.

[superval99]

Yesterday evening I played Sultans from both Nimes and Basel, followed by the version from "A Night in London".   Regarding Nimes versus Basel, Basel won hands down!   I found the Nimes version to have some glitches here and there, whereas the Basel version was just about flawless and I enjoyed the general performance much more anyway.  The atmosphere was better at Basel too.  I think, though, that both of these sound a bit dated now with the sax giving them a very 80's feel!  

Next I played Sultans from "A Night in London"  and it is amazing how much slower this version is to the other two, when played back-to-back,  but no less wonderful, so, for me, the speed or energy, whatever you like to call it,  doesn't matter one bit, it is the accuracy that counts.   It's no good playing fast or energetic if the notes are in the wrong order, LOL!  

These days, even though I loved the other performances, it is the four-piece version that I enjoy most, especially those from 2010.

Oh, another thing - MK is so much more fanciable these days - he has aged very well indeed!