New DS Live Box Set, 3rd November 2023!

[dustyvalentino]

Great, glad you have a set with no issues, enjoy!

[Banjo99uk]

Bringing Paul Franklin along for the tour, as good a player as he is, has always been somewhat puzzling. He did not seem a logical choice for DS. It seemed that Mark wanted to listen to his pedal steel, and perhaps jam a bit with him, but that country vibe felt a bit off.

This also created the issue of having (too?) many players on stage, all of whom needing something to do (a sax player playing tambourine, etc.). Listening to Telegraph Road, one is struck by the number of different instruments used for soloing, and it's hard not to think that "that used to be a distorted guitar".

I agree and disagree.
Paul was one of the best things about the show (for me). He wasn't 'country', he could solo in any genre as well as anyone on stage, he could play Be-Bop jazz on pedal steel. I think Mark had him there because he was an outstanding musician he respected, also because it would be hard to play some of the OES tracks without him (You and Your Friend). Paul's solo on Walk Of Life was always a highlight for me.
I don't think Phil brought anything other than solid rhythm guitar.
Much as I loved Danny - nice guy, amazing player - I don't think you needed percussion on every song, nor someone doubling up on cymbal crashes, tom fills etc.
I totally agree with you though, it would have been amazing to have the smallest unit playing on some songs, and only add players where they were needed. Instead, it WAS a wall of sound, with all nine people playing on every song (except the first half of Sultans).

I’ve always wondered why a rock band needs percussion, and so many musicians on stage. The Knebworth 90 concert has so many people on stage at the end I reckon my 11 year old son could have played on stage and got away with it. Seems to be more Ego than musicality.

[hunter v2.0]

I’ve always wondered why a rock band needs percussion, and so many musicians on stage.

To be able to reproduce complex music on the albums live?  It's not uncommon for bands to use additional musicians and singers hidden behind the stage, so I think it's cool that Mark and DS wanted to have them all on stage.

[Chris W]

I’ve always wondered why a rock band needs percussion, and so many musicians on stage. The Knebworth 90 concert has so many people on stage at the end I reckon my 11 year old son could have played on stage and got away with it. Seems to be more Ego than musicality.

Because studios now have limitless tracks available, so guitars are triple tracked, bands hire backing singers, percussion is added.
Knebworth was a charity event, with dozens of musicians donating their time for free. You end up with massed musicians on stage at the end because it's fun, camaraderie, not because they are needed.
I actually thought Chris (sax), Danny (perc) and Paul (pedal steel) were the best thing about the OES tour, but yeah, I think it would have been better if they weren't all playing all of the time. Light and shade.

[dustyvalentino]

Percussion is severely under appreciated. You wouldn’t believe how many classic records have the tambourine for example mixed way up, you don’t really think about but it makes things sound better.

[ds1984]

I actually thought Chris (sax), Danny (perc) and Paul (pedal steel) were the best thing about the OES tour, but yeah, I think it would have been better if they weren't all playing all of the time. Light and shade.

I could not agree more.

And Mark from 2010 onward has ended doing the same mistake with his own solo band.

[Matchstickman]

No, the best thing about the OES tour was the combination of bombastic arrangements and Mark's out-of-this-world guitar playing 

[NicoMK]

From memory we barely did a soundcheck once we transitioned to the open air stadiums (European spring and summer), with the exception of Paris, Nimes and Rotterdam where we sound checked extensively for the benefit of the live album and film sound crew.

Interesting, since I've always felt that official live recordings (not only DS or MK but any other artists) are always better played than an "average" concert. I don't want to go into the previously debated "overdubs" thing again, but do pro musicians pay a special attention to smaller details when the band is recorded for a live album? I mean, better focus, better solos, better energy, more smiles (if being filmed...) etc., which overall gives a "better show"? Thanks @ChrisW

[Chris W]

I think two things.
Official live releases are recorded over more than one show generally. So the best version of each song from any show is chosen.
Second, overdubs are done. Also, audio can be moved, retuned.
On a major tour you tend to lose yourself in the long shows, so I don't think you play any differently, maybe slightly fewer risks?

[Knut]

One thing I'm curious about is if the version of Wild theme that is included on On the night was an old idea rehearsed in 1991 or if it was an arrangement that was worked on before the European leg of 1992?

Not all shows were taped (or are known to have been taped, anyway) from the audience, and apart from a different version done during the first couple of shows in 1991 it does not seem to appear until May '92.

[Jimbo]

I think two things.
Official live releases are recorded over more than one show generally. So the best version of each song from any show is chosen.
Second, overdubs are done. Also, audio can be moved, retuned.
On a major tour you tend to lose yourself in the long shows, so I don't think you play any differently, maybe slightly fewer risks?

Great Chris Whitten.
Just yesterday I saw a live show in Nimes from 1992 where the drums played for many minutes.
Nice shots, it's the tour I had seen in three dates (Munich and 2 in Milan).
One of DS's fortunes was having 3 substantially different drummers (Pick's jazz-swing, Terry's r&r and Chris's groove).

[dustyvalentino]

Finally working my way through the box.

The vocals on the “new” tracks on OTN sound different to the “old” ones, adding credence to my long held suspicion that MK re-recorded his vocals for the original album.

[Love Expresso]

Possibly. But I am sceptical. I always thought he couldn't be arsed to work on that album and let Guy doing everything. But I agree: Mark's vocals were the biggest let-down when I listened to it for the first time, together with Sultans missing. If he really re-recorded the vocals, the result was a desaster.

LE

[the visitor]

I know what you mean but I think the vocals are just processed differently on the original OTN

[Matchstickman]

Surely the drums sound bigger on the original OTN, so lots of mixing, reverb, etc., work there probably.

For re-recorded singing, please suggest any instance where vocals and video do not match.