I'm Floored...

[Brass Monkey Date]

I had no idea Mark Knopfler was such an extraordinary songwriter.  A big thanks to juliet43 for coming over to Expecting Rain, which led me to this site and my curiousity being peaked by all of your enthusiastic comments on Knopfler

[superval99]

Hi Brass Monkey Date!    Welcome to the wonderful world of Knopfler and also to this forum!     

[Brass Monkey Date]

Thanks Val!

Sorry Bobby D gave you a headache in Manchester.  I agree, the volume at his shows these days is too high, and the sound mix too muddy.

[ds1984]

Welcome Brass Monkey Date

[Brass Monkey Date]

Thanks, ds1984.  Happy to be here and looking forward to making my way through the rest of Mark's catalog.

[knopfling]

Welcome, BMD.
While you are discovering MK's solo material, may I suggest you might also give a listen to the Straits records because there is some tremendous songwriting (and playing) involved in those albums, too. Telegraph Road, Single-Handed Sailor, Once Upon A Time in the West, In the Gallery, Down to the Waterline, Wild West End, News, industrial Disease, The Man's Too Strong . . . you might find some of these interesting lyrically. And for a Dylan fan, It Never Rains might be of interest. It always reminds me of a Dylan influence.

[ds1984]

It Never Rains is one of my fave DS song.
Dylan influence on that one is obvious.

[Brass Monkey Date]

Thanks knopfling, and thanks for the tips.

I did pick up a bunch of DS records this week as well but haven't dipped into them much yet.  I have put my ear on Brothers In Arms (the song), Telegraph Road and Industrial Disease a few times and love them.  I'm sure I had heard them all back in the day, but only have a memory from then of Industrial Disease.  I have the first record and Love Over Gold, so I look forward to hearing Wild West End and It Never Rains.  From what I've heard so far, MK's solo stuff is really jarringly different from DS, though Brothers In Arms seems in a similar vein.

[Brass Monkey Date]

OK, I've just listened to Wild West End and It Never Rains, twice through.  They almost sound like they could be Dylan songs, with MK guesting on guitar of course - his guitar is unmistakable.  The Dylan influence seems very clear and I have to say I like both songs a lot,  but the DS "sound" definitely doesn't bowl me over the same way that the MK sound does.  I'm going to keep digging in though.  A lot of music that I come to dearly love doesn't hit hard me at first.  That's one of the reasons I'm so jazzed about MK's stuff - it knocked me over instantly.  I think part of it is his early voice - though I like it - doesn't have the same depth and resonance as that he's settled into.  His voice on the solo stuff is tremendous to my ears.  But then again, I love Dylan's voice, Tom Waits' voice, even Tom Verlaine's voice  

[Love Expresso]

Another proselyte...  

Hey Brass Monkey Date,

welcome on board! I like your nickname because I love those lyrics so much, and now I have Mark's deep voice in my head singing it...

Somehow I am a little bit jealous of you because you have it all yet to discover... I remember the great times between announcement and release date of all those solo albums, the first listen of all those great songs you listed and how often I heard them since then and still love them all.

Feel free to be part of this great community and learn as much as possible about Mark, his music, his catalogue and his live repertoire - which is the best part of all... Last year he made it possible for us to get 50 shows via Simfy Live Download... And even if they all had the same set list more or less, it is really great to have the possibility to listen to 50 nights in good mixed quality!

LE

[Brass Monkey Date]

^ haha, yeah what a great song LE.  I can't stop listening to it. 

What I really love is live music.  I listen to boots way more than studio albums.  It's great to hear that Mark puts out a lot of live shows.  It'll be great to dip into those. 

[Love Expresso]

One of my all time favorite bootlegs (and I think I am not the only one who loves it) is the show "Vaison 1996". I think it was a radio recording, great sounding, long show, excellent versions, 16 minutes Sultans, very rare Wild West End and exclusive Long Highway and and and...

From 2010, most of the shows from July (those in Spain and Portugal) were really exciting. Audiences going mad, a band that really was into it and Mark getting better and better...

LE

[goldenheart96]

Very happy to see someone from "the other side" found interest in MK, after all those negative comments we've been reading about MK over at ER. Welcome aboard!  I certainly envy you - you're still at the beginning with discovering all those beautiful songs! 

[dmg]

One of my all time favorite bootlegs (and I think I am not the only one who loves it) is the show "Vaison 1996". I think it was a radio recording, great sounding, long show, excellent versions, 16 minutes Sultans, very rare Wild West End and exclusive Long Highway and and and...

From 2010, most of the shows from July (those in Spain and Portugal) were really exciting. Audiences going mad, a band that really was into it and Mark getting better and better...

LE

I think you mean Water of Love, not WWE.

PS Long Highway's rubbish.

[Love Expresso]

Didn't you know? When you play Telegraph Road backwards, you will hear Wild West...


ahmm, no, thanks, you are right of course. Water of Love is the track I was talking about. 


LE