Rick Beato made an interesting live session on Sultans of Swing

[Pierre]

Rick Beato, famous for his youtube channel was live yesterday and it was about Sultans and quite interesting - it's right there:

[quizzaciously]

Yeah, long time waiting. It's astonishing how rarely videos on Mark appears on major music channels, but it's always fun to read the comments, where everybody seems to be obsessed with MK's music and guitar playing. How these things — underrateness and universal acclaim — can co-exist is beyond my understanding. I hope for a proper video though, not a live stream from Rick.

[Rolo]

I did not entirely dislike this Beato's live.
Interesting story about the 'Bridge Man' but he talked more about Page and Larry Carlton than Knopfler.
It's clear that Rick is not a MK fan and there is no problem with it.
He mentions one or two guitar phrases then he started to sell the Beato Book and shows the Page solo on Stairway To Heaven.

For a Knopfler admirer... not worthy.

[Rolo]

Yeah, long time waiting. It's astonishing how rarely videos on Mark appears on major music channels, but it's always fun to read the comments, where everybody seems to be obsessed with MK's music and guitar playing. How these things — underrateness and universal acclaim — can co-exist is beyond my understanding. I hope for a proper video though, not a live stream from Rick.

I always felt that MK is the 'hidden favorite guitar player' of the world.

Everyone loves his music, lyrics, sense of melody and, of course, his guitar playing and, as you said Quizz, the major channels seem to reject his work.

Maybe because MK's playing is so unique?
He is not bluesy as Clapton?
Or his songs are not Rock oriented like Zep or Deep Purple?
I really don't know.

[quizzaciously]

Yeah, long time waiting. It's astonishing how rarely videos on Mark appears on major music channels, but it's always fun to read the comments, where everybody seems to be obsessed with MK's music and guitar playing. How these things — underrateness and universal acclaim — can co-exist is beyond my understanding. I hope for a proper video though, not a live stream from Rick.

I always felt that MK is the 'hidden favorite guitar player' of the world.

Everyone loves his music, lyrics, sense of melody and, of course, his guitar playing and, as you said Quizz, the major channels seem to reject his work.

Maybe because MK's playing is so unique?
He is not bluesy as Clapton?
Or his songs are not Rock oriented like Zep or Deep Purple?
I really don't know.

I think that's because, on the surface level, Mark is "just another finger-style player" and people assume it's like playing regular stuff, but only with fingers, so not a big deal. Not a lot of people actually dig deep into his playing and realise, that he's got one the craziest chops on the planet and perfectly constructed solos and riffs, where every single microscopic move matters. Mark is able to fool people to think that what he's doing is regular finger-style playing, but it's actually completely his own style.

Same thing with his songs, I think so many people know him for Dire Straits and big hits, but not everybody's into his less popular stuff, because again, on the surface it looks like another big-group-star-turned-solo-artist recording boring stuff, not realising he's as creative as in Dire Straits now, and even more.

[Pierre]

I think Mark Knopfler's music suffers from the tag "music for dads" or "music for grown up".

He is not "sexy" enough for some but he has a loyal and long-lasting fan base ready to pay good money for poker chips and overpriced boxsets so he is a gold mine for some avid youtubers.

[Rolo]

I think that's because, on the surface level, Mark is "just another finger-style player" and people assume it's like playing regular stuff, but only with fingers, so not a big deal. Not a lot of people actually dig deep into his playing and realise, that he's got one the craziest chops on the planet and perfectly constructed solos and riffs, where every single microscopic move matters. Mark is able to fool people to think that what he's doing is regular finger-style playing, but it's actually completely his own style.

Same thing with his songs, I think so many people know him for Dire Straits and big hits, but not everybody's into his less popular stuff, because again, on the surface it looks like another big-group-star-turned-solo-artist recording boring stuff, not realising he's as creative as in Dire Straits now, and even more.

Agreed.
Knopfler songs are not for first listeners.
I know a bunch of people that only listen to Sultans, MFN and So far Away and that's all.
You need to going deep to realize how astonishing is the DS/MK work.

As a guitar player, i know other guitarrists that prefer to chalenge themselves with rock virtuosos or jazz fusion styles than the Knopfler style.

In a artistc decision, not to copy MK is a good choice, because his sonority is his signature.ectul

But Beato, as a admirer of other players, mentions more Page and Carlton than Knopfler during a Straits video... I think is a bit disrespectful.

[hunter]

I did not entirely dislike this Beato's live.
Interesting story about the 'Bridge Man' but he talked more about Page and Larry Carlton than Knopfler.
It's clear that Rick is not a MK fan and there is no problem with it.
He mentions one or two guitar phrases then he started to sell the Beato Book and shows the Page solo on Stairway To Heaven.

For a Knopfler admirer... not worthy.

Totally agree with this. Beato is a click-baiter and talker and makes his videos as long as possible (for advertising/monetizing purposes). And it's particularly irritating when you sit through a full video and the topic is barely discussed ... He does have some good videos though. His interview with Sting, for example, is great. This video not so much.

[ds1984]

Mark Knopfler has toured solo over the years with great success.

I don't agree he is underrated by any means.

This is just he has chosen to go somewhat low profile and be pleased as it.

[Robson]

Mark Knopfler has toured solo over the years with great success.

I don't agree he is underrated by any means.

This is just he has chosen to go somewhat low profile and be pleased as it.

I agree.

[quizzaciously]

Underrated is a bad word... He's certainly highly rated and successful, maybe overlooked is a better word? People rarely cover his songs (close to never), he rarely goes to interviews, and Grammy forgot about Mark's existence despite the fact that he's producing one of the best soundings albums in the industry, and with great songs. People rarely discuss his music, he's overlooked in various lists, music YouTube channels, etc., heck, he's not even knighted yet, and he's probably the greatest contender for this. I don't think he will be, by the way.

To be honest, I kinda like that he has this "independent artist" feel, but sometimes I sort of wish more people would appreciate his brilliant songwriting, or at least guitar playing. I try to remedy this a little bit by discussing his music on my channel.

[superval99]

I found this site recently and couldn't stop reading.   

https://www.quora.com/Is-Mark-Knopfler-really-a-good-guitarist-or-is-he-overrated?share=1;D

[quizzaciously]

I found this site recently and couldn't stop reading.   

https://www.quora.com/Is-Mark-Knopfler-really-a-good-guitarist-or-is-he-overrated?share=1;D

LOL! Knopfler and overrated are words from two parallel universes.

[Robson]

Underrated is a bad word... He's certainly highly rated and successful, maybe overlooked is a better word? People rarely cover his songs (close to never), he rarely goes to interviews, and Grammy forgot about Mark's existence despite the fact that he's producing one of the best soundings albums in the industry, and with great songs. People rarely discuss his music, he's overlooked in various lists, music YouTube channels, etc., heck, he's not even knighted yet, and he's probably the greatest contender for this. I don't think he will be, by the way.

To be honest, I kinda like that he has this "independent artist" feel, but sometimes I sort of wish more people would appreciate his brilliant songwriting, or at least guitar playing. I try to remedy this a little bit by discussing his music on my channel.

Unfortunately, it's all true. But I love his inaccessibility, shyness. The niche he created for himself. He's not on the headlines. He protects himself and his family and I love that.

[Pierre]

I remember when I bought my firt electric guitar at my favourite music store in Montpellier, I used to play sax then.
The shop assistant was all about a french jazz guitarist he had seen in concert the day before (Sylvain Luc), he was in awe of his playing and when I mentionned I loved MK's music to him (because I was trying a strat replica which "had to be red") he compared MK's playing to cat piss,"c'est du pipi de chat" was his exact sentence.
that was in 1997, I was only 16 or so but I immediatly got the intuition he wouldn't have been as contemptuous had I mentionned Jimmy Page or Gilmour who are arguably in the same league. Knopfler has this kind of detractors who make him pass for a fraud just because it is easy to undermine him.