Lot's happening with The Straits...

[ds1984]

The only acceptable solution would have been Mark to go back with some DS reunion from time to time.  Dire Strait had jut become too huge to just say one day : it's forever over. Now many people miss them and the happen what happen when the main man refuse to answer the need.

I am sorry, but you must be kidding?! You say all these bizarre happenings are MKs own fault because he refused DS reunion?? I would really re-consider that. If you mean that serious, no words for it...

I would not use the term "fault". For the rest it is all Mark's choice and he can't ignore that he left many Dire Straits fans on the middle of the road.

[Jules]

The only acceptable solution would have been Mark to go back with some DS reunion from time to time.  Dire Strait had jut become too huge to just say one day : it's forever over. Now many people miss them and the happen what happen when the main man refuse to answer the need.

I am sorry, but you must be kidding?! You say all these bizarre happenings are MKs own fault because he refused DS reunion?? I would really re-consider that. If you mean that serious, no words for it...

I would not use the term "fault". For the rest it is all Mark's choice and he can't ignore that he left many Dire Straits fans on the middle of the road.

I kinda agree with that. Its clear that there is an audience for it.

[dustyvalentino]

There's an audience for The Beatles too, doesn't mean McCartney and Starr have to do anything about it.

[Jules]

There's an audience for The Beatles too, doesn't mean McCartney and Starr have to do anything about it.

They dont have to, they could to.

[dustyvalentino]

They're not going to, neither is MK.

The people who want MK to reform DS are nuts. He is one of the few acts of his era who not only releases credible new marerial but tours with it too.

Just about all of his peers do the greatest hits circuit.

[Throttle]

A few words in support of the previous speaker, by your leave.

The main difference is that Mark is still fertile and he may have children of his own.
Whereas those who continue their activity as an ersatz for DS and others of that ilk are totally sterile in a determinate sense of this word.

[Fletch]

They're not going to, neither is MK.

The people who want MK to reform DS are nuts. He is one of the few acts of his era who not only releases credible new marerial but tours with it too.

Just about all of his peers do the greatest hits circuit.

Mark is a great artist, and often (I've recently become aware), these sorts confound their 'fans' by constantly creating and not living in the past, much to many peoples dismay (even my own!)
Dylan is another great example, he's been confounding his 'audience' ever since he cut a record deal... folk, time to move on - electric blues admired by 'growing up Beatle fans', no thanks I'm dropping out...  - Self Portrait, an inspired way to lose fans - Blood On The Tracks / Desire, the old fans go nuts with a return to 'form', but does he build on that? No, he doesn't care, he found Jesus and records 3 records about his life.... need I go on?

[ds1984]

They're not going to, neither is MK.

The people who want MK to reform DS are nuts. He is one of the few acts of his era who not only releases credible new marerial but tours with it too.

Just about all of his peers do the greatest hits circuit.

Calling nuts people that just like to hear again the music they love 

Well I should have been completly nuts these 4 nights of 2002.

[superval99]

They're not going to, neither is MK.

The people who want MK to reform DS are nuts. He is one of the few acts of his era who not only releases credible new marerial but tours with it too.

Just about all of his peers do the greatest hits circuit.

Calling nuts people that just like to hear again the music they love 

Well I should have been completly nuts these 4 nights of 2002.

2002 was a different thing entirely, because MK was there in the band too!

[superval99]

"Mark is a great artist, and often (I've recently become aware), these sorts confound their 'fans' by constantly creating and not living in the past, much to many peoples dismay (even my own!)"



Fletch - Do you really mean that you want Mark to live in the past and not create, or have I read it wrongly?   

[ds1984]

They're not going to, neither is MK.

The people who want MK to reform DS are nuts. He is one of the few acts of his era who not only releases credible new marerial but tours with it too.

Just about all of his peers do the greatest hits circuit.

Calling nuts people that just like to hear again the music they love 

Well I should have been completly nuts these 4 nights of 2002.

2002 was a different thing entirely, because MK was there in the band too!

Because John was in the band and that you could hear the difference, the alchmey that made Dires Straits sounds like Dire Straits and no other one. Mark doesn't need John to play Why Aye Man he's using excelletn musicians but Why Aye Man or Baloney Again never sounded that good since. 

It is like when your favourite restaurant is closing,
20 or 30 years after you may still have the taste of it your mouth.  You can call this nostalgia, but once it is in you like every drug, even well buried, at one point or another it can be back to the surface stimulating your brain with a "it was fuckin' good isn't it?" syndroma.

This is the same reason why several century after Mozart or Chopin's death many people still goes to concert listening their music even played by "ersatz".

[superval99]

Firstly, the 2002 concerts were organized by MK and he was happy to be in the band, but he is not happy about these other bands, according to Guy.   Without Mark playing the songs, I am not interested.

Regarding Mozart, etc, it was so long ago that nobody is alive now to remember them playing their compositions, so we have only "ersatz" to enjoy!   

[dmg]

I think the problem we have here is that Mark was DS.  Where most other bands could operate without one of the other members DS could not and indeed the other members of the band (except John) were, for wand of a better word, interchangeable.  Ironically, Mark Knopfler is John and Mike!

I think it's also clear that the new direction his music has taken has cost him many fans and there is still a market for DS songs being played live.  Now that Mark has dropped most of them from the set, especially Sultans - which was the song many average concert goers (not fans) actually only went to hear - many people won't even go at all now.  MFN, BIA and SOS are perhaps the songs a concert goer would go for if they weren't really a fan so now they won't go to a Mark Knopfler concert but they'll go to a Straits one.

The more rock influenced and faster DS songs always make the atmosphere in the hall far better than the rather bland, sedate flute and whistle inspired stuff of recent albums that send half the hall to sleep.  I don't think there's anything wrong with mixing it up a bit.   Or what about a longer concert!!!

[ds1984]

Firstly, the 2002 concerts were organized by MK and he was happy to be in the band, but he is not happy about these other bands, according to Guy.   Without Mark playing the songs, I am not interested.

Regarding Mozart, etc, it was so long ago that nobody is alive now to remember them playing their compositions, so we have only "ersatz" to enjoy!   

That only tells that the music he wrote is bigger than the man,  and was is true for Mozart is true for Mark. The only difference is one is no more with us, the other is.

[Fletch]

"Mark is a great artist, and often (I've recently become aware), these sorts confound their 'fans' by constantly creating and not living in the past, much to many peoples dismay (even my own!)"



Fletch - Do you really mean that you want Mark to live in the past and not create, or have I read it wrongly?   

You've read that not as I intended... it would delight me to hear a surprise golden oldie dug up, reworked occasionally, not just the regular chosen few TR, BIA, SFA, SOS...
I LOVE that Mark is a true artist, and refuses to 'please' a past era if it does not please him to do so.
That is all.