Seattle on mk.com

[Love Expresso]

Exactly..., I thought the same, about the 3 days I mean... 

Jesus, isn't it like Christmas time when having been a little child? I am astonishingly cool and relaxed this time, maybe because I have the feeling that this
album IS really strong - happy about the things to come, enjoying the anticipation... great!

It is nearly sad that this great time is over... 

What will be talk about in all these threads once the album is out?

LE

[Rail King]

Okay, I gave in and listened to it anyway (how weak am I?). And: It's gorgeous. If someone should ever have any doubts about Mark Knopfler being an even better songwriter than he is a guitarist, just play him that. Actually, this song reminds me that Knopfler is probably the best songwriter, generally. Of them all.

Someone said the guitar solo should have been longer. I don't agree. Sure, if he'd noodled on for a couple of minutes, it would have been nice to listen to. But the song doesn't need it, and I think its relative shortness makes it even stronger. Some of his older songs (especially on Shangri-La) tended to be too stretched rather than too short. Everybody Pays, for instance, or Whoop De Doo, as great as they are. He seems to have realized that.

Of course I sometimes miss guitar outros like than one in Don't You Get It, too. But he just doesn't write the kind of songs that require them these days. No problem, the song shall be king. And I'm sure we'll get to hear some great solo parts in the blues songs.

[nababo]

Seems i'll be the only one against the tide, but Seattle didn't send shivers up my spine. Almost for certain it will be a song i'll often skip... From all the three songs we entirely know, in my opinion it lies far behing from Privateering and, mainly, Redbud tree, a real treasure. I guess it sounded me too KTGCish, my least adorable DS/MK/OST/NH album.
Nevertheless, still hoping for the prompt arrival of my suppaduppa box. Yet many weeks will pass till it gets to Brazil.
Kind regards

[Hophead]

Love all three songs on the list...and I can't wait to hear the studio version of "Haul Away". I'm going to have to make some calls to local record stores tomorrow..see if anyone admits to having a box under the counter.   

[JF]

Of course I sometimes miss guitar outros like than one in Don't You Get It, too. But he just doesn't write the kind of songs that require them these days. No problem, the song shall be king

Agreed, but I've never understood why some songs "justify" outro or solos (you don't know you're born, SAN, in the sky, piper at the end,WII, STP, boom like that...) and others don't need (Hill farmer blues,5.15 am, so far from the clyde....) ?

in other words, why a solo is more justified on STP than on so far from the clyde ?

why WII needs more solo and outro than silvertown blues ?

I agree with the "song is king" rule, but  can't see how this is applied

[Love Expresso]

Same here! I was thinking about this a lot during the last few years.
The solo in "You Don't Know You're Born" for example is really a great one - for me, there is a story behind it: It's like the sun going up, like sunshine suddenly falling in your dark daily work - (or gnosis). It sounds really awesome, I still listen a lot to that great song.

Punish The Monkey is another example: Great sounding track, nice little ideas, but somehow (lyrics) irrelevant to me - one of the weaker songs of MK on an overall weak album (imho) - compared to work MK has already done... but this song has this beautiful solo. Why? Never got it.

Why has Song For Sonny Liston on the album NOT a solo as live? Would the song not be much better and varied when there would have been a solo?

I guess only Mark knows...

L E

[dmg]

When you have a talent with the guitar like Mark has why not use it to drive the song?  Use the guitar as a sort of structure to hang the lyrics on.  Make the best use of your available assets, that's what I say.  He's a great songwriter, yes - but he's also a great guitarist and all too often latterly he seems to want to forget that.

I grew up listening to DS and was mainly attracted by the great guitar playing.  At the age of 9 I wasn't really interested by their meaning and now I'm thinking maybe he's forgotten how he made his name because the songs were arguably even better written back then.

[Eddie Fox]

I will never understand why Hill Farmer's Blues in studio doesn't have a solo as it does live. The song begs for a solo towards its end.

Seattle is a gorgeous little tune but I have to agree with my Brazilian fellow nababo, it doesn't send shivers up my spine either.

Based on the snippets I think Dream of the Drowned Submariner, Yon Two Crows, Blood and Water and Bluebird will do the job though.

[dmg]

I will never understand why Hill Farmer's Blues in studio doesn't have a solo as it does live. The song begs for a solo towards its end.

Seattle is a gorgeous little tune but I have to agree with my Brazilian fellow nababo, it doesn't send shivers up my spine either.

Based on the snippets I think Dream of the Drowned Submariner, Yon Two Crows, Blood and Water and Bluebird will do the job though.

+1

Also, if a song has no solo on the album he won't feel compelled to play one on tour.  It appears to me he wants to play as little guitar as possible these days.

[Eddie Fox]

I will never understand why Hill Farmer's Blues in studio doesn't have a solo as it does live. The song begs for a solo towards its end.

Seattle is a gorgeous little tune but I have to agree with my Brazilian fellow nababo, it doesn't send shivers up my spine either.

Based on the snippets I think Dream of the Drowned Submariner, Yon Two Crows, Blood and Water and Bluebird will do the job though.

+1

Also, if a song has no solo on the album he won't feel compelled to play one on tour.  It appears to me he wants to play as little guitar as possible these days.

+1

Even though I do reckon Mark was in top form during the last tour unlike on ATRR and KTGC tours when he clearly lacked confidence - and passion methinks - in his guitar playing.

And you are absolutely right about not playing solos on tour if the album version doesn't have one, that's why I think he regrets not having recorded one on HFB lol

[Rail King]

About "the song is king": I'm sure he would apply that rule differently to some old songs if he were to record them today. And he may have gotten it wrong sometimes (Hill Farmers Blues - too short, Everybody Pays - too stretched etc.). But generally, I think the better his singing gets, and the more melodic the songs (See-aaaaatle!), the less guitar is needed. He used to let the guitar do the singing, so to say, but now he can do quite a bit of that himself.

And something else regarding the song Seattle: "We talked of looking just out of town" - does anyone know what that's supposed to mean?

[superval99]

And something else regarding the song Seattle: "We talked of looking just out of town" - does anyone know what that's supposed to mean?

A place to move in together?   

[TJ]

When you have a talent with the guitar like Mark has why not use it to drive the song?  Use the guitar as a sort of structure to hang the lyrics on.  Make the best use of your available assets, that's what I say.  He's a great songwriter, yes - but he's also a great guitarist and all too often latterly he seems to want to forget that.

I grew up listening to DS and was mainly attracted by the great guitar playing.  At the age of 9 I wasn't really interested by their meaning and now I'm thinking maybe he's forgotten how he made his name because the songs were arguably even better written back then.

I agree with this completely.  Mark obviously is backing away from the guitar hero thing as fast as he can.  If Mark were a new artist, and KTGC and Get Lucky were his first two albums, he would never have made it.  Chuck Ainlay once told me in a private email that (paraphrasing) Mark almost left Silvertown Blues off STP for the very reason you state - it was too much of a guitar-driven song.  As much as I love Mark's music and am looking forward to Privateering, after the Emmylou thing and the last two solo albums, I have resigned myself to being let down when I listen to it.  I'm sick to death of "the song is king" and "his music has to evolve".  There's no reason he can't stretch out the guitar parts on some of these songs.

Seattle is a nice song, nothing remarkable, it's a song 100's of other artists could have done.  Like you said, Mark's strength is in his guitar playing; take that away and what's left is not that special.

Sorry.  Rant over.

[superval99]

When you have a talent with the guitar like Mark has why not use it to drive the song?  Use the guitar as a sort of structure to hang the lyrics on.  Make the best use of your available assets, that's what I say.  He's a great songwriter, yes - but he's also a great guitarist and all too often latterly he seems to want to forget that.

I grew up listening to DS and was mainly attracted by the great guitar playing.  At the age of 9 I wasn't really interested by their meaning and now I'm thinking maybe he's forgotten how he made his name because the songs were arguably even better written back then.

I agree with this completely.  Mark obviously is backing away from the guitar hero thing as fast as he can. 

Well, he said as much in the EPK didn't he.   Personally, I would hate it if he became like Brian May at the Olympic Ceremony, still cavorting around like a guitar hero - truly embarrassing!   I really like the direction Mark's music is taking and I'm sure the new album will be his best ever!     Mark's strength WAS in his guitar-playing - nowadays it's in his voice and his songwriting, but his guitar is still beautiful, if not guitar hero stuff.

[TJ]

When you have a talent with the guitar like Mark has why not use it to drive the song?  Use the guitar as a sort of structure to hang the lyrics on.  Make the best use of your available assets, that's what I say.  He's a great songwriter, yes - but he's also a great guitarist and all too often latterly he seems to want to forget that.

I grew up listening to DS and was mainly attracted by the great guitar playing.  At the age of 9 I wasn't really interested by their meaning and now I'm thinking maybe he's forgotten how he made his name because the songs were arguably even better written back then.

I agree with this completely.  Mark obviously is backing away from the guitar hero thing as fast as he can. 

Well, he said as much in the EPK didn't he.   Personally, I would hate it if he became like Brian May at the Olympic Ceremony, still cavorting around like a guitar hero - truly embarrassing!   I really like the direction Mark's music is taking and I'm sure the new album will be his best ever!     Mark's strength WAS in his guitar-playing - nowadays it's in his voice and his songwriting, but his guitar is still beautiful, if not guitar hero stuff.

I don't mean he should bring back the headband and revive Dire Straits.  I understand he's 60+ years old and I too would hate to see what you describe.  I don't even mind the style of music he's doing now; in fact, I like it very much.  I just think he should play the guitar more.  His strength is definitely not in his voice; that's just what he's choosing to emphasize.  And I can't really see how the recent songwriting can be said to be better than the songs from STP and before.  The songs from the last three albums (ATRR, KTGC, GL) I think are as a group the weakest he's written (but I do still listen to them from time to time).  I don't get it when I hear someone say that Redbud Tree is a great song - I just don't see it.  For Mark, it's mediocre filler.   I don't mean to offend anyone with this, and I'm glad you're happy with where Mark's at nowadays.  Here's hoping Privateering has something to please all of us!