Why did Mark Knopfler ruin these songs on the last tour?

[Pierre]

I'm not feeling I'm negative with my statement, I did enjoy the show I attended very much.

But when I'm asked the question why all the horns and different guitar choice, I think MK wanted help in the lead section, and I agree it was to make the show more enjoyable for the audience.
I loved Postcard, the best orchestration so far, a Santanesque feeling that I loved.
And we got to have multiple interplays between all the players involved.

That's two ways of saying the same thing basically but it's just that I don't beat about the bush, there's a reason MK doesn't want to play live any longer

[2manyguitars]

I never thought about it that way. I just enjoy the music.

Exactly.

Even if this were true it would still be in pursuit of the best possible musical experience that Mark and co could produce given what was available.

A question or choice to those putting this point of view forward. What do you want, poor substandard guitar playing or a passionate performance by and artist trying to make the concert experience as good as possible?

Nobody said anything about that. You are the one seeing it from that perspective. Mark used the additional instruments to disguise his guitar playing, yes. That isn't something inherently negative. Did it always work well, like in Postcards from Paraguay? No, but it was a smart and natural decision in order to play the best show possible.

That's exactly what I meant. Somebody earlier said it was purely to camouflage his inability to play.

[12345]

I never thought about it that way. I just enjoy the music.

Exactly.

Even if this were true it would still be in pursuit of the best possible musical experience that Mark and co could produce given what was available.

A question or choice to those putting this point of view forward. What do you want, poor substandard guitar playing or a passionate performance by and artist trying to make the concert experience as good as possible?

I mean, by "poor substandard guitar playing" you should mean the performances of the DS songs over the last tour. The brass really didn't help disguise any of Mark's guitar playing (especially shown in Money For Nothing) imo, and they also made the songs sound a lot worse. Mark's playing has just gotten sloppier over the years in general.

[2manyguitars]

I never thought about it that way. I just enjoy the music.

Exactly.

Even if this were true it would still be in pursuit of the best possible musical experience that Mark and co could produce given what was available.

A question or choice to those putting this point of view forward. What do you want, poor substandard guitar playing or a passionate performance by and artist trying to make the concert experience as good as possible?

I mean, by "poor substandard guitar playing" you should mean the performances of the DS songs over the last tour, and the brass really didn't help disguise any of Mark's guitar playing, and they also made the songs sound a lot worse. Mark's playing has just gotten sloppier over the years in general.

That's your opinion and your entitled to it. I was responding to someone who saw it as a deliberate decision based on subterfuge, not a purely musical one...

[rmarques821]

I never thought about it that way. I just enjoy the music.

Exactly.

Even if this were true it would still be in pursuit of the best possible musical experience that Mark and co could produce given what was available.

A question or choice to those putting this point of view forward. What do you want, poor substandard guitar playing or a passionate performance by and artist trying to make the concert experience as good as possible?

I mean, by "poor substandard guitar playing" you should mean the performances of the DS songs over the last tour, and the brass really didn't help disguise any of Mark's guitar playing, and they also made the songs sound a lot worse. Mark's playing has just gotten sloppier over the years in general.

That's your opinion and your entitled to it. I was responding to someone who saw it as a deliberate decision based on subterfuge, not a purely musical one...

But it wasn't a purely musical decision. It was a deliberate, practical decision to camouflage his decaying guitar skills. Then, we can debate whether that decision benefitted the music or not and that's subjective. But you would have to be crazy to believe that Mark added trumpet and saxophone to so many songs just because he fancied it. He did it because it allowed him to take a break during the songs, to play shorter, easier passages instead of longer solos, etc.
I'm not sure what's difficult to understand about this.

[2manyguitars]

I never thought about it that way. I just enjoy the music.

Exactly.

Even if this were true it would still be in pursuit of the best possible musical experience that Mark and co could produce given what was available.

A question or choice to those putting this point of view forward. What do you want, poor substandard guitar playing or a passionate performance by and artist trying to make the concert experience as good as possible?

I mean, by "poor substandard guitar playing" you should mean the performances of the DS songs over the last tour, and the brass really didn't help disguise any of Mark's guitar playing, and they also made the songs sound a lot worse. Mark's playing has just gotten sloppier over the years in general.

That's your opinion and your entitled to it. I was responding to someone who saw it as a deliberate decision based on subterfuge, not a purely musical one...

But it wasn't a purely musical decision. It was a deliberate, practical decision to camouflage his decaying guitar skills. Then, we can debate whether that decision benefitted the music or not and that's subjective. But you would have to be crazy to believe that Mark added trumpet and saxophone to so many songs just because he fancied it. He did it because it allowed him to take a break during the songs, to play shorter, easier passages instead of longer solos, etc.
I'm not sure what's difficult to understand about this.

All based on assumptions.

MK long ago ditched the focus on his guitar playing.

[Pierre]

When I saw that there was going to be a sax and a trumpet in the tour line up I thought that he meant to add songs like Heavy up, When you leave and other horn songs like Radio City Serenade to the set list, but as we know now that was not the plan he juts wanted them to to embelish the usual songs. It's easy to think he wanted some space to relax and play second fiddle for a change but then again I may be totally wrong.

[dustyvalentino]

There weren’t that many sections where a guitar solo was replaced with trumpet was there? (There was already sax on the previous tour)

[Mossguitar]

I liked the arrangements on the last tour. I don’t think he ruined anything. Brass sounded great, even on Money For Nothing. Gave some punch to the music. Nice. And I was actually there. And he played as many solos as ever. Loved them. I don’t care if he’s not as good as he was in 83 or 92 or 08. Still unique tone. Sounded great in the hall. Cut clearly through the mix, so even if he did try to cover anything up with other instruments, he didn’t make it.

[dona74]

... ehm..... but why the hell do you think Mark decide to stop playing live?  Probably cause he's very satisfied with his current playing.  For sure....

[Robson]

I liked the arrangements on the last tour. I don’t think he ruined anything. Brass sounded great, even on Money For Nothing. Gave some punch to the music. Nice. And I was actually there. And he played as many solos as ever. Loved them. I don’t care if he’s not as good as he was in 83 or 92 or 08. Still unique tone. Sounded great in the hall. Cut clearly through the mix, so even if he did try to cover anything up with other instruments, he didn’t make it.

I agree. Once Upon A Time In The West sounded great to me too.

[MagicElliott]

There weren’t that many sections where a guitar solo was replaced with trumpet was there? (There was already sax on the previous tour)

The sax on the 2015 tour was only used on certain songs. (STP, Wherever I Go, I Used to could etc.)
Not arranged into every song

[herlock]

You can all complain as much as you want... My feel is that (not all nights, but some nights, like Bordeaux) 2019 versions of the rockers (WAM, MFN, SAN) were the best ever and that the brass section did not replace the guitar (which was still good) , it complemented it.
I also loved BIA, even if I have to admit that the end solo was too simple.
OUATITW could have been better, but hey, that was much better than nothing, first time played since 1983!
And we got Silvertown, at least for some nights...
And we got My Bacon Roll and Matchstick man, which were great live...
All in all a wonderful farewell tour, I don't know why people dislike it that much!

[Robson]

You can all complain as much as you want... My feel is that (not all nights, but some nights, like Bordeaux) 2019 versions of the rockers (WAM, MFN, SAN) were the best ever and that the brass section did not replace the guitar (which was still good) , it complemented it.
I also loved BIA, even if I have to admit that the end solo was too simple.
OUATITW could have been better, but hey, that was much better than nothing, first time played since 1983!
And we got Silvertown, at least for some nights...
And we got My Bacon Roll and Matchstick man, which were great live...
All in all a wonderful farewell tour, I don't know why people dislike it that much!

Exactly! And also the beautiful Heart Full Of Holes.

[superval99]

From the three concerts I attended I felt that MK ended on a high, especially Verona which was the last concert in Europe.   Excellent farewell tour!