Mark Knopfler Solo Album Elimination Poll - Round 6

[Jules]

STP has to go away, it's not a proper MK solo album, but the remaining of the DS sound on him. That record CAN'T be his best solo!

No offence but what sort of logic is this?  The albums should be taken on their own merit, not whether they sound like a MK album or not!  If you don't like it fair enough, but that logic surely doesn't make any sense at all. 

It does.

MK fans nowadays are of two types, the ones that miss the DS sound and would like MK would be doing that on his solo records, or the ones that like the path MK took on his solo career.

The first ones love GH and STP, that one specially

The second ones doesn't listen to those only on rare occasions. Because the real MK solo artist started on Ragpickers, when he found out who he wanted to be.

STP is a record for nostalgia. I moved on from that long ago.

[KnopfleRick]

SL iş a great album with lots of percect songs. Like Eveybody Pays, 5.15am, Boom like that, Song for Sony Liston, Our Shangri la, Sucker Row, Postcards From Paraguay, The Trawlerman's Song, Whoop de doo...

And not folkie stuff. Just perfect MK and guitars...

I totally agree with you. SL is such a perfect album lyrically, musically and I love the way Mark sings. And the relaxed atmosphere of the studio was transmitted perfectly to the album.

I disagree concerning the folkies. I really love their contribution to Mark's band. A perfect addition to his folk songs, some of them sound like thousand years old.

[Love Expresso]

STP has to go away, it's not a proper MK solo album, but the remaining of the DS sound on him. That record CAN'T be his best solo!

No offence but what sort of logic is this?  The albums should be taken on their own merit, not whether they sound like a MK album or not!  If you don't like it fair enough, but that logic surely doesn't make any sense at all. 

It does.

MK fans nowadays are of two types, the ones that miss the DS sound and would like MK would be doing that on his solo records, or the ones that like the path MK took on his solo career.

The first ones love GH and STP, that one specially

The second ones doesn't listen to those only on rare occasions. Because the real MK solo artist started on Ragpickers, when he found out who he wanted to be.

STP is a record for nostalgia. I moved on from that long ago.

Sorry jbaent that is far too easy as an explanation. And your last two  sentences are rubbish (I mean it in a friendly way).The world is not black and white only. Good for you that you moved on, congratulations. But don't judge what other people like or not like. Or try to find some sort of theory or explanation where there is none. STP is widely acknowledged as MK's best solo album, look at the sailing figures. No need for some strange theory.

LE

[KnopfleRick]

STP has to go away, it's not a proper MK solo album, but the remaining of the DS sound on him. That record CAN'T be his best solo!

No offence but what sort of logic is this?  The albums should be taken on their own merit, not whether they sound like a MK album or not!  If you don't like it fair enough, but that logic surely doesn't make any sense at all. 

It does.

MK fans nowadays are of two types, the ones that miss the DS sound and would like MK would be doing that on his solo records, or the ones that like the path MK took on his solo career.

The first ones love GH and STP, that one specially

The second ones doesn't listen to those only on rare occasions. Because the real MK solo artist started on Ragpickers, when he found out who he wanted to be.

STP is a record for nostalgia. I moved on from that long ago.

So, I belong to both of them. I still do love DS and I do love his solo stuff more than ever.
The man has developed into the right direction and has not stood still like many other artists who only play their old stuff forwards and backwards. How boring.
No other artist has ever impressed me that much. He also is a great inspiration. He made me pick up a guitar and I'm still at it.
I'v been listening to Mark's music since 1979 and it never gets boring. Can't wait to hear his new album.

[Knopflerfan]

SL iş a great album with lots of percect songs. Like Eveybody Pays, 5.15am, Boom like that, Song for Sony Liston, Our Shangri la, Sucker Row, Postcards From Paraguay, The Trawlerman's Song, Whoop de doo...

And not folkie stuff. Just perfect MK and guitars...

I totally agree with you. SL is such a perfect album lyrically, musically and I love the way Mark sings. And the relaxed atmosphere of the studio was transmitted perfectly to the album.

I disagree concerning the folkies. I really love their contribution to Mark's band. A perfect addition to his folk songs, some of them sound like thousand years old.

Oh yes I'm 100% with you in your total statement knopflerick!!!

[Knopflerfan]

Wtf - Get lucky - the least favourite album so far?!

[Jules]

Some of you are also mixing concepts.

Quantity VS Quality.

Sailing sold lots more than Shangri-la because STP had a Dire Straits single like What it is. But in terms of solo artist, Shangri-la or Get Lucky, both show a more nature artists, with more complexity and really far from the Straits style.

That's my opinion, and I know it's shared with many other people, with many others fans. I even know fans that didn't buy any MK record after Sailing, because "that was a different Knopfler"

I'm sorry but I can't consider than STP, the second solo record, in a long career of many records, where he evolved a lot, is his best. No. It's his more commercial one, hence the sales.

You are entitled to have another opinion, of course, but you are wrong 

[Love Expresso]

I was concerned that your account had been hacked or something but now I know you are just making fun of us. You can't be serious about this anyway.

LE

[Jules]

I was concerned that your account had been hacked or something but now I know you are just making fun of us. You can't be serious about this anyway.

LE

I am.

I can't remember last time I listened to STP.

But I listen DTRW, Privateering, Crimson and Shangri-la very often.

[dustyvalentino]

I know exactly what you are saying Julio.

I agree to an extent, except everything that MK has ever wanted todo was what he wanted to do, he never really thought DS vs solo.

[Knopflerfan]

I know exactly what you are saying Julio.

I agree to an extent, except everything that MK has ever wanted todo was what he wanted to do, he never really thought DS vs solo.

Surely MK is MK here? Surely there will always be a slight DS sound to anything he does on his albums?

[Darling Pretty]

I know exactly what you are saying Julio.

I agree to an extent, except everything that MK has ever wanted todo was what he wanted to do, he never really thought DS vs solo.

Surely MK is MK here? Surely there will always be a slight DS sound to anything he does on his albums?

He will be forever the Voice and Guitar of DS. That's a fact. He was 98% DS.

But regarding STP:  There are a lot of tracks which already got the MK solo touch. The only really straitish songs is What it is

[dmg]

STP has to go away, it's not a proper MK solo album, but the remaining of the DS sound on him. That record CAN'T be his best solo!

No offence but what sort of logic is this?  The albums should be taken on their own merit, not whether they sound like a MK album or not!  If you don't like it fair enough, but that logic surely doesn't make any sense at all. 

It does.

MK fans nowadays are of two types, the ones that miss the DS sound and would like MK would be doing that on his solo records, or the ones that like the path MK took on his solo career.

The first ones love GH and STP, that one specially

The second ones doesn't listen to those only on rare occasions. Because the real MK solo artist started on Ragpickers, when he found out who he wanted to be.

STP is a record for nostalgia. I moved on from that long ago.

Most people say his "solo" career started with OES, which is a DS record, so it doesn't really matter what's on the label.  What do you like least is the question.  Half of KtGC doesn't sound like a MK album but a Hank tribute album and Privateering sounds half blues rejected bonus tracks. What's the criteria for how a MK album should sound?  I think his sound has always evolved to an extent.

P.S. 
I think StP sold better not because of WII but due to the enormous amount of promo work he did for it, more than for any solo work.

[NicoMK]

I can't imagine Golden Heart being out next. 

[KnopfleRick]

OMG it's not looking good for Shangri-La either.