New DS Live Box Set, 3rd November 2023!

[superval99]

MK solo recordings are unedited, mixed on the fly, and distributed "as it is". They are full of mistakes. And I deeply enjoy them...

Yes, I still enjoy them very much from what I remember when I was in the audience.

[Robson]

MK solo recordings are unedited, mixed on the fly, and distributed "as it is". They are full of mistakes. And I deeply enjoy them...

Exactly. But can these concerts be called MK's discography? I have a problem with it

[dmg]

MK solo recordings are unedited, mixed on the fly, and distributed "as it is". They are full of mistakes. And I deeply enjoy them...

I think there must be a few exceptions because they "fixed" the major error in the MFN intro in 2019 in Ålesund, but 99% of the time you are correct.

[KnopfleRick]

MK solo recordings are unedited, mixed on the fly, and distributed "as it is". They are full of mistakes. And I deeply enjoy them...

I do enjoy these recordings, too. I'm glad Mark decided to do this making these concerts available for us fans. Not every artist is willing to do this.

[Chris W]

I don't have many live albums, perhaps because I know how they are made. I can think of four or five that I own. In most cases it is on the basis of a nostalgic memory, not because they are great albums.

[JF]

here is my article on franceinfo : https://www.francetvinfo.fr/culture/musique/rock/un-coffret-live-de-dire-straits-le-groupe-culte-des-annees-80-des-pepites-mais-aussi-des-imperfections_6183117.html

nothing new for you, but I'm glad I was able to express my thoughts on a public massmedia

[Matchstickman]

I also like the different eras and arrangements. But currently I prefer the early years to the middle period (Alchemy etc.).

Some of my issues with Alchemy:

- R&J outro on acoustic guitar
- Hal playing lead lines in Sultans
- Long, overdone and repetitive opener in Once Upon
- Odd structure, with first half mostly slow
- Sound of cymbals

[rmarques821]

I also like the different eras and arrangements. But currently I prefer the early years to the middle period (Alchemy etc.).

Some of my issues with Alchemy:

- R&J outro on acoustic guitar
- Hal playing lead lines in Sultans
- Long, overdone and repetitive opener in Once Upon
- Odd structure, with first half mostly slow
- Sound of cymbals

R&J outro on acoustic guitar is one of the best things that came out of MK's mind. I would buy the album even if it consisted of only those 30 seconds. That solo + synths is just pure magic.

[herlock]

I also like the different eras and arrangements. But currently I prefer the early years to the middle period (Alchemy etc.).

Some of my issues with Alchemy:

- R&J outro on acoustic guitar
- Hal playing lead lines in Sultans
- Long, overdone and repetitive opener in Once Upon
- Odd structure, with first half mostly slow
- Sound of cymbals

R&J outro on acoustic guitar is one of the best things that came out of MK's mind. I would buy the album even if it consisted of only those 30 seconds. That solo + synths is just pure magic.

Yes, we may be the minority here but I love this 1983 version of R&J. Of course latter versions with the sax solo and electric guitar are great too, but a bit cheesy to my taste. On Alchemy the synth intro (too bad a few seconds are missing in the video) is very touching, and so is the acoustic outro, I don't know why people dislike it so much.

[Robson]

To sum up: listening to Rainbow, aLCHEMY and On The Night, I fell in love with DS again

[Pookie]

I have always liked Alchemy, and from what I understood from John Illsley's book, these shows were top notch for that tour. At home we bought this album for my dad's birthday. I always felt the drum parts were slightly overpowering the other instruments and I believe the newest version balances things out better.

With my dad I went to Rotterdam 1992. The 4k video from Basel 1992 and Nimes 1992 TV shows brings back memories - my dad passed away last month. OTN may sound overproduced, I don't mind, it nicely complements the 1992 broadcasts in terms of different track listing.

The insights here from Chris on the 91-92 tour are fantastic read. Thanks for that. What i still do not comprhend is why the tour stopped in late 1992 whereas more shows originally were planned into 1993. I cannot be just financials? Metallica and Guns n Roses toured across the globe in 1991-1993 and that did not seemed to be a problem (perhaps it did in hindsight).

[Jules]

I have always liked Alchemy, and from what I understood from John Illsley's book, these shows were top notch for that tour. At home we bought this album for my dad's birthday. I always felt the drum parts were slightly overpowering the other instruments and I believe the newest version balances things out better.

With my dad I went to Rotterdam 1992. The 4k video from Basel 1992 and Nimes 1992 TV shows brings back memories - my dad passed away last month. OTN may sound overproduced, I don't mind, it nicely complements the 1992 broadcasts in terms of different track listing.

The insights here from Chris on the 91-92 tour are fantastic read. Thanks for that. What i still do not comprhend is why the tour stopped in late 1992 whereas more shows originally were planned into 1993. I cannot be just financials? Metallica and Guns n Roses toured across the globe in 1991-1993 and that did not seemed to be a problem (perhaps it did in hindsight).

The tour was originally planned to last more but economic situation in most of the world, as Es Bicknell said and also MK being tired and not in the mood to continue, made the tour end for good in Zaragoza.

[Chris W]

Maybe they felt they had made enough money.
It WAS extremely gruelling. If you have never travelled every day for a year and lived out of a suitcase, away from loved ones,  you don't know.
I saw a tv documentary about Roxy Music. They toured for just less than a year. After the last show they drove back to the hotel, no drinks in the bar. The next day they all left at different times to travel home and never even spoke to each other again for several years. It is tough.

[Jules]

Maybe they felt they had made enough money.
It WAS extremely gruelling. If you have never travelled every day for a year and lived out of a suitcase, away from loved ones,  you don't know.
I saw a tv documentary about Roxy Music. They toured for just less than a year. After the last show they drove back to the hotel, no drinks in the bar. The next day they all left at different times to travel home and never even spoke to each other again for several years. It is tough.

Yeah, I always thought that it's tough. When I traveled to attend let's say three or four concerts in different cities or countries, I felt quite tired and always thought how you guys can do that. Yes, you are traveling in a more comfortable way but changing from one hotel room to another, bus or car from the airport to the hotel, from the hotel to the venue, from the venue to the hotel, from the hotel to the airport, and back to start, wow.

But the tour was planned to last two years, that's what they always said, and was planned to visit NA twice, to visit Eastern Europe and South America, and all that plans were dropped because of the economical situation as can be readed in Ed's words. That's why I asked you that when you signed the contract, if there was any clause to extend automatically the contract if all those extra gigs would had been scheduled, or your contract was closed from the first day of rehearsals until Zaragoza, and that was it.

[Chris W]

In my mind I was never contracted for two years. I don't think I would have agreed to two years. I was already fearful and hesitant to agree to one year.
Most of the time, in my experience, the first six months or so are heavily penned in, with additional legs only pencilled in.
On the McCartney tour he agreed to play the first European section, followed by the first North America section. as we started the North America section he agreed to the next European shows and another North America leg (and that's where it ended, nine months on the road).
DS: In my mind, we knew we were playing UK and Europe, then Australia, then USA/Canada, then UK and Europe again. That took us to nearly 12 months. I'm not are I knew any more than that.
I AM sure Mark, John, Ed and the promoters might have discussed other legs and probably planned for them (like S America and Eastern Europe), but I can't remember being asked to tour beyond 1992.