New DS Live Box Set, 3rd November 2023!

[herlock]

In 1984 the CD medium was not well established yet.
The thing had to be released on a double LP, that is to say, it had to last less than 90 minutes. Impossible to release everything from a 2-hour concert. I think that their choice of songs to be removed was rather sound. ID and TBTP were the weakest of the set. PB was outstanding but very long jamming, they couldn't afford the luxury to put 14 minutes of that jamming on a LP, so they dropped it all together, but corrected this partially on the MFN compilation...

For OTN they packed the CD, fitting it to the last drop. Putting more would have required a double CD, and they couldn't do it for obscure contractual reasons, so they had to make a choice. Hence the removal of the major songs that had already been released on Alchemy (and arguably, Alchemy versions were better). They could have gone one step further and replace RAJ and PI with songs from OES, such as Fade to Black or When it comes to you, but I guess that for Mark, not putting RAJ was unthinkable 😂

So I'm not that mad with what they did in the past, but I'm mad at what they do today. They don't have any such constraints today, so the amateurish description and the butcher's job on Portobello Belle (and we will certainly discover more irritating stuff as time goes by) have no excuse whatsoever!

[rmarques821]

Guy confirmed it on his forum. No extended Portobello Belle, only the intro. 

[herlock]

"it was purely my decision based on performances"!!!

I thought Guy was more humble than that. He allowed himself to throw the outro of PB in the dustbin based on... his own taste? About an era in which he was not even yet part of the band? Sounds quite arrogant to me...

And I'm scared about his answer about Paris. He says that none of the newly mixed stuff is from Paris, ok, but that some of the older stuff might be (he is not even sure). What does this mean? That some of the old OTN tracks from Nîmes and Rotterdam were maybe replaced by Paris versions? Or that he doesn't even remember than OTN was recorded only in Nîmes and Rotterdam??

All this is very blur...

[jf9081]

Guy confirmed it on his forum. No extended Portobello Belle, only the intro. 

yes I asked.. and it's really a disappointment... you say for the performance.. maybe there were marked errors in the execution? so why not choose the evening of the 23rd? from the bootgle we know it is perfect.
MYSTERY!

[Marnix]

"it was purely my decision based on performances"!!!

I thought Guy was more humble than that. He allowed himself to throw the outro of PB in the dustbin based on... his own taste? About an era in which he was not even yet part of the band? Sounds quite arrogant to me...

And I'm scared about his answer about Paris. He says that none of the newly mixed stuff is from Paris, ok, but that some of the older stuff might be (he is not even sure). What does this mean? That some of the old OTN tracks from Nîmes and Rotterdam were maybe replaced by Paris versions? Or that he doesn't even remember than OTN was recorded only in Nîmes and Rotterdam??

All this is very blur...

Or maybe the multitracks are not corrected labeled by date and location. Maybe that’s why Guy can’t confirm what he used from which night?

[dmg]

"it was purely my decision based on performances"!!!

I thought Guy was more humble than that. He allowed himself to throw the outro of PB in the dustbin based on... his own taste? About an era in which he was not even yet part of the band? Sounds quite arrogant to me...

And I'm scared about his answer about Paris. He says that none of the newly mixed stuff is from Paris, ok, but that some of the older stuff might be (he is not even sure). What does this mean? That some of the old OTN tracks from Nîmes and Rotterdam were maybe replaced by Paris versions? Or that he doesn't even remember than OTN was recorded only in Nîmes and Rotterdam??

All this is very blur...

It's not a track I go to very often I must say.  Is it at all possible someone in the band makes a mistake(s) and this is why it isn't included?  Also, that the other night isn't well enough performed either.

That answer is peculiar to say the least!  The description says there are tracks from Paris and Guy has talked about the Paris tapes.  Then again there are a number of mistakes in that description!  Amateur hour once again at Knopfler HQ.

[the visitor]

Well Guy's forum appears to be down now. Perhaps he got fed up with people *moaning*

You guys need to chill on Portobello I
would suggest.  It's not actually that interesting in the scheme of things, just a bit of noodling between MK and Mel Collins. I barely listen to it.  And if I want to, I'll go to a bootleg like Tokyo in near perfect sound.

[rmarques821]

Well Guy's forum appears to be down now. Perhaps he got fed up with people *moaning*

You guys need to chill on Portobello I
would suggest.  It's not actually that interesting in the scheme of things, just a bit of noodling between MK and Mel Collins. I barely listen to it.  And if I want to, I'll go to a bootleg like Tokyo in near perfect sound.

It's not about Portobello Belle, it could be any other song. It's about the modus operandi of having the possibility of giving us something and choosing not to.

[peterromer]

Remastered stuff can be very interesting, but I would just wish they made a release purely of un-released material, instead doing all this colorful packaging to make people pay and buy more than they maybe need.
Marketing Marketing Marketing. 

[Jules]

Guy confirmed it on his forum. No extended Portobello Belle, only the intro. 

yes I asked.. and it's really a disappointment... you say for the performance.. maybe there were marked errors in the execution? so why not choose the evening of the 23rd? from the bootgle we know it is perfect.
MYSTERY!

No mistery.

It's just additional work.

They had the Portobello of the 22nd previously mixed, easiest thing was mix the intro, which is easy as there is very little happening in that intro, and paste it to the previously mixed cut version.

It just save time and work.

I have no doubt.

[Jules]

Well Guy's forum appears to be down now. Perhaps he got fed up with people *moaning*

You guys need to chill on Portobello I
would suggest.  It's not actually that interesting in the scheme of things, just a bit of noodling between MK and Mel Collins. I barely listen to it.  And if I want to, I'll go to a bootleg like Tokyo in near perfect sound.

It's not about Portobello Belle, it could be any other song. It's about the modus operandi of having the possibility of giving us something and choosing not to.

Exactly.

If you are realising a special edition of Alchemy with all the tracks, do it with all tracks in full and fresh remixed.

This way is just save time and get the money.

[JF]

another great disapointment     

I should listen to this instead... Paris 20 june which was on the 1988 MFN edition, mixed with the bootleg sound



I know this is not the 22/23 july Alchemy cocnert, but this version is just... oh my god !

oh Guy, you just had to take the orignal multitrack from 88 and adding the full outro...

I was already not found with Guy's job in Mark's career, but now, reading his judgement about what should be relaesed what shoulkd be not... I definitley will hate him !

[kaleo74]

Well Guy's forum appears to be down now. Perhaps he got fed up with people *moaning*

You guys need to chill on Portobello I
would suggest.  It's not actually that interesting in the scheme of things, just a bit of noodling between MK and Mel Collins. I barely listen to it.  And if I want to, I'll go to a bootleg like Tokyo in near perfect sound.

I agree, personally, I think there's "a bit too much" in this song, it's like filler for not much. I love the song, but prolonging it like this doesn't really serve it.

[El Macho]

Well Guy's forum appears to be down now. Perhaps he got fed up with people *moaning*

You guys need to chill on Portobello I
would suggest.  It's not actually that interesting in the scheme of things, just a bit of noodling between MK and Mel Collins. I barely listen to it.  And if I want to, I'll go to a bootleg like Tokyo in near perfect sound.

I agree, personally, I think there's "a bit too much" in this song, it's like filler for not much. I love the song, but prolonging it like this doesn't really serve it.

I think the same . The duel between Mark and Mel Collins isn’t that much worth.

[JF]

Well Guy's forum appears to be down now. Perhaps he got fed up with people *moaning*

You guys need to chill on Portobello I
would suggest.  It's not actually that interesting in the scheme of things, just a bit of noodling between MK and Mel Collins. I barely listen to it.  And if I want to, I'll go to a bootleg like Tokyo in near perfect sound.

I agree, personally, I think there's "a bit too much" in this song, it's like filler for not much. I love the song, but prolonging it like this doesn't really serve it.

I think the same . The duel between Mark and Mel Collins isn’t that much worth.

on the contrary I find it pure gold imho, and I can listen to it over and over
perfect build up, and a highlight of the concerts on this tour (imho again)

juste a matter of taste of course