This day (14 february) in 1978

[JeroenvG]

Dire Straits began recording their first album at Basing Street Studios, London, produced by Muff Winwood. It includes "Sultans of Swing" , "Water of Love" and "Six Blade Knife".  The whole project cost

[Love Expresso]

Cool info, thanks!

LE

[Justme]

Cool info, thanks!

LE

Indeed. And it is a reminder that time flies!

[dustyvalentino]

Cool thread!

Still the best DS album (IMO).

[Jules]

It says that the Take That record was recorded there, but we saw a video of Take That inBritish Grove studio...

[Jackal]

Still the best DS album (IMO).

Yup. They never managed to match the freshness of that album.

Man, how I'd wish Mark would take a month off to get his guitar chops up to snuff, jump into the studio, leave out cheesy synths (sorry Guy), sweet "filmscore arrangments" and fiddles and whistles, and make a record that's a bit rough round the edges and FUN to listen to! Imagine a record that could capture the feeling of the stuff he did live with the Notting Hillbillies in 1998. Fun, cool and playful stuff. The fellow's gotten so sedated and comfortable over the years, that many of his records are a huge test of patience.

In your dreams, eh ...

[Rollergirl]

Still the best DS album (IMO).

In your dreams, eh ...

no, in YOUR dreams! 

[Jackal]

Still the best DS album (IMO).

Yup. They never managed to match the freshness of that album.

Man, how I'd wish Mark would take a month off to get his guitar chops up to snuff, jump into the studio, leave out cheesy synths (sorry Guy), sweet "filmscore arrangments" and fiddles and whistles, and make a record that's a bit rough round the edges and FUN to listen to! Imagine a record that could capture the feeling of the stuff he did live with the Notting Hillbillies in 1998. Fun, cool and playful stuff. The fellow's gotten so sedated and comfortable over the years, that many of his records are a huge test of patience.

In your dreams, eh ...

You know, this kind of stuff:

 

[Jackal]

Still the best DS album (IMO).

In your dreams, eh ...

no, in YOUR dreams! 

[superval99]

Hey Jackal, I love the whistles and fiddles and stuff, but I also love NHB stuff too!   It's not a question of either, or - I want both!  Also I don't call songs like Marbletown and Speedway as played on the GL tour, sedate.  They blew my socks off, particularly from Manchester!   

[Jackal]

Hey Val. I know, I know. And there are of course the occasional highlights, such as your examples, but those were live songs. I'm talking about albums. I must admit, when I first heard Border Reiver, I felt really happy. A joyous, fresh song, and I thought that boded well. When I heard the rest of Get Lucky, I thought, ah, yet another ... nice ... Knopfler album. His stuff just doesn't engage me anymore. I'm not talking about putting Dire Straits back together or "going back", but maybe taking a "road not taken"? Would be fun to have someone outside his circle produce him.

Sorry if this sounds like a rant. I have nothing against the fellow. Just wishing for something different.

[superval99]

Yes, I know what you mean, but personally I really love "Get Lucky" - the whole of it and I have never tired of listening.  

The NHB's were really great live and it would be nice if they could get together and make a live album together, even just as a one-off!  Live albums, though, can never be as exciting as being there at a live performance!  Maybe they will do some more shows again, but I really doubt it very much

The main thing for me, though, is that MK still makes music, even if it isn't always what everybody wants.  It's what MK wants to do that's important, because the thought that he may never make another album, or tour again is too awful to contemplate!   I will be always happy to follow him on his musical journey, whatever it may be!   

[Jackal]

Sure. Only thing is that he's been traveling down the same, or very similar, road for some time now. Kind of like twice told tales ...

[dmg]

You know, I kind of get what Jackal is saying here.  There are too many fiddles, flutes and synths on his records these days but I'm not saying they should all be banished from all his songs;  just some from some.  There is a time and place for you to hold your flute you know. 

I realise through the years one accumulates musical friends and may even feel obliged to include them on an album but mostly his albums songs sound a little too layered.  You may not even realise this until you listen to an early album, then it hits you.

[dustyvalentino]

For me it's all about the song. If the song is good then the "correct" instrumentation follows.

Piper to the End is a fantastic song. It needs all the flutes and whistles etc.

The songs on Kill to get Crimson aren't very good for the most part (IMO) so it doesn't really matter what instruments are on them, as I'm not going to listen to them anyway.

Where I get annoyed is instruments being shoehorned into songs inappropriately on tour just because a particular musician is there, ie McGoldrick's flute all over Sppeedway, or McCusker's cittern on So Far Away (but at least you can't really hear that).