Concert #1:2011.10.06, o2 Arena, Dublin, Ireland #SPOILER AHEAD!!

[goldenheart96]

Agree with you Fletch. I've never liked Dylan, and I will probably never be a devoted fan but some weeks ago I decided to give him another try and listen to parts of his large oevre. I worte a longish post about why I never found access to Bob's music in that MK and Bob - Differences and Similarites thread, so I won't repeat it here. But the most important thing is: I now know the reasons, and I don't need to be frustrated anymore. And I understand Dylan better. I even like some of his stuff. And yes, even though many people say his concerts are horrible from an aesthetic point of view, I'm looking forward to seeing him live and judge by myself. That's a HUGE step forward for me personally, and I'm glad this tour forced me to think about it.

[MarkB]

Agree with both of you (fletch and goldenheart 96) I can not understand why anyone would criticise Knopfler-one of the things I've always liked about him is how his guitar playing always serves the songs-some people who are great guitarists seem to write songs that give them an excuse to show how good they are on guitar but Knopfler has never done that, his focus has always been on the song.

[vgonis]

Agree with you Fletch. I've never liked Dylan, and I will probably never be a devoted fan but some weeks ago I decided to give him another try and listen to parts of his large oevre. I worte a longish post about why I never found access to Bob's music in that MK and Bob - Differences and Similarites thread, so I won't repeat it here. But the most important thing is: I now know the reasons, and I don't need to be frustrated anymore. And I understand Dylan better. I even like some of his stuff. And yes, even though many people say his concerts are horrible from an aesthetic point of view, I'm looking forward to seeing him live and judge by myself. That's a HUGE step forward for me personally, and I'm glad this tour forced me to think about it.

 Back on an other thread - topic, I had began writing a "defense" thesis for Bob, initiated from your comments goldenheart (you know the one that finds similarities with Paul Simon). I finished the first paragraph and I realized it would take me at least an afternoon to finish it and it would be too big to offer anyone to read, especially in a forum. Now I find that the well tempered people don't need logic to be persuaded. I started listening to all (and I mean all) of the Bob Dylan albums, now that I have more time, (since I was recently laid off - you know the terrible crisis in Greece, leaves nearly 800 people without a job each day. The unemployment rate is officially 17% and unofficially 25%) together with my daughter. She couldn't understand, she is just a month old.

But yesterday a strange thing happened. You know when you hear a familiar song but an the exact moment everything, sort of falls into place, and you connect, like listening to it for the first time. Many people claim that the BD album closer to the sound of DS (actually influencing DS) was Blood on the tracks. But on an album released close to that,  "planet waves" there is this song "Going going gone". The opening 3-4 chords reminded me of a DS song. And even if the song follows it's own magnificent turn, I couldn't get this feeling that MK somehow had ? connected with this very song. Give it  a listen if you are not familiar with it and let me know what you thing. And yes, his voice back then was almost nice, youthful zest filling the gaps. Lately I can hardly take it. But it is quite distinctive and fabulous to hear BD's voice as a character on a film like "Masked and Anonymous".  

[MarkB]

Going Going Gone is a wonderful song and great recording. Robbie Robertson is playing lead guitar on that one and I think Robertson & Knopfler have a lot in common as guitarists and songwriters. I guess guitarists who are songwriters take a different approach to playing than guitarists who are not writers.

[Best Brown Baggies]

I can connect to the song 'Going going gone'.
About 5 or 6 years before Dire straits came on to
the scene, I was only a child. My Dad was constantly
playing great records. Amongst these, he regularly
played 3 albums by Dylan. 'Desire', Blood on the tracks'
and 'Planet waves'.These songs as a child, seemed to weave
their way into my soul.
The song that seemed to grab me the most
was Going going gone, especially the opening part
on the guitar. It had a Knopfler feel to it even before
Knopfler came onto the scene. It may have even
been this song which sowed the seed in my brain,
so that when Knopfler's guitar playing arrived on the
scene a few years later, my ears must have pricked up.
My favourite Dylan records are definitely from the 70's
& early 80's. 'Slow train coming' is my favourite,
& not even for Mark's exquisite guitar playing,
but for Dylans vocals, & the way he delivers the songs.
'Precious Angel' is for me Dylans overall best song.
Again not just for the great guitar, but for the way Bob
sings.

Cheers. BBB

[Knopflerfan]

I actually find it very interesting that Sultans is not in the set list. Thinking about Ian Thomas for me it was always clear that I would judge him by the way he would play Sultans of course. Seems to be the absolute (drummer's) reference song. But while I guess that Coyote, What It Is and maybe Donegan's Gone will show up during the next shows, I am quite sure that Romeo and/or Sultans will not see the light of day on this tour.

LE

LE,
I totally agree with you about the omission of 'Sultans' and after reading some 'reasonable' reviews from the Dylan fraternity I think a couple of 'Straits' numbers should of been included as a lot of Dylan fans don't know Knopfler's 'solo' songs like we all do.
One such review reckoned that if he had played Sultans it would have bought the house down!!! that says it all I reckon. Still looking forward to next Friday evening when we see him at Bournemouth. Not sure I am staying for the Dylan part though....

Any 'MK' goodies for sale at the shows anyone?

[marky49]

Isaac also twittered that MK played 60 minutes and indeed NO Dire Straits song.

LE

MK played exactly 67 min. 

[Pottel]

marky49, you sneaky bastard :-)

anyways, if anyone wants to hear Bob singing in a VERY unusual way, then try the (i love it) album "Nahsville Skyline...

[vgonis]

Come on Pottel, tell us something new! Anyway, it was a surprise back then, but even in those times it was a NICE surprise. Imagine all the Dylan fans back then listening to the voice of Modern times. That would be surreal. Or Dada. Or postmodern, when postmodern term wasn't even invented and it simply put such things under the "unlistenable" area. .

[Pottel]

for dylan fans it is obvious that is true Vgone, but not for the average knopfler fan, that is why.

[vgonis]

Thanks for bringing me back to the ground Pottel, I just thought this was supposed to be common knowledge. After all it is one of his shortest albums, less than 30 minutes, so it should be the most approachable one, especially for the ones not particularly fond of Dylan.   But since you are a Dylan fan as well, if you are looking for something let me know, I might be of some help.  For Floyd as well. Really what do you think of the immersion Dark side?

[Love Expresso]

I guess there are few people in Europe with more Dylan stuff than our chairman... 
Knopfler stuff the same.

LE

[vgonis]

OK, LE. That should teach me next time to be modest. But maybe this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

[Pottel]

Thanks for bringing me back to the ground Pottel, I just thought this was supposed to be common knowledge. After all it is one of his shortest albums, less than 30 minutes, so it should be the most approachable one, especially for the ones not particularly fond of Dylan.  But since you are a Dylan fan as well, if you are looking for something let me know, I might be of some help.  For Floyd as well. Really what do you think of the immersion Dark side?

got it and love it.
do not like the marbles and the scarf though.
i think the sound quality of the quad versions is brilliant, and really love the live wembley 1974 show on it, as, even though i got about 12 different bootleg versions of it, it never EVER sounded this good....

[Pottel]

I guess there are few people in Europe with more Dylan stuff than our chairman... 
Knopfler stuff the same.

LE

 oh trust me, there are, if i am in the group of 500 people with shitloads of Dylan then that is already good. i am nowhere near a complete set of Dylan shows. i still have huge gaps, even though i got well over 2400 live recordings, not counting video's (am not into collecting dylan voio's, he's not the most exiting of performers, so i rather hear him play then watch him stand and play) or the hundreds of different compilations, also i do not really collect multiple versions of the same show, yet. if i can get a soomlos, bach or schubert recording i will go for those, but i plan to start collecting multiples some day, something i always did with Knopfler and Floyd,...now as for the floyd, there i can say that i have friggin shitloads of material, here i come closer to the top 200 or so, but still, that is not my aim, it just happened as i loved these artists, and wanted to hear ANYTHING that i can lay my filthy little hands upon, not being in some elite group.