Time To Stop?

[TDOG3506]

Hi everyone!! So, I have been a reader for a long time and a fan for the last 40 years. I’ve seen MK and DS roughly 40 times since 1991 and, like everyone else here, MK plays a pretty important part in my life: He’s the reason I picked up a guitar.

Which brings me to my point, and this is just my opinion. I think it’s time he retired before it gets embarrassing. He has nothing to prove. His declining health (which was noticeable back on the STP tour when the wrist support first appeared) has now reached a point where even walking appears troublesome, let alone playing guitar.

I emailed Guy after the charity shows in 2002 when I noticed MK’S left hand trembling and he had to shake it off during the gig. Guy answered that it wasn’t anything serious, but it was clearly the start of something more progressive.

He may have said he wants to make more records and, in Twiggy’s podcast, said he may put some “rockers” on the next album, but I fear this was nothing but playful banter. MK without the guitar parts is just not MK.

Discuss.

[Love Expresso]

Well I guess it's his own decision. 

The reviews for the new album sound good and as long as he is able to produce good albums, it's not up to us to decide.

LE

[Junkie Doll]

I think Mark is gracefully slowing things down and purposely doing projects that he is able to pull of quite well. To me it isn't embarrassing at all, I'm enjoying his latest albums as well as his earlier work. Guitar master Mark Knopfler from 30 or 40 years ago has long been replaced by storytelling Mark Knopfler.

As a fan, I hope he will continue to surprise us with new music.

[quizzaciously]

But Mark already kind of stopped. Playing live, that is, that was the first casualty. Next would be recording, then writing, then Mark himself.

The 2019 tour was on the verge of being what you've described, but Mark succeeded and also made it the most successful tour in his solo career.

So far so good

[superval99]

Just as Mark knew when it was time to stop touring and playing live, he will know when it is time to stop making music altogether but that time is not yet as we can hear from his latest songs from the new album which sound great.   

Meanwhile continue to enjoy his music.   

[rmarques821]

Hi everyone!! So, I have been a reader for a long time and a fan for the last 40 years. I’ve seen MK and DS roughly 40 times since 1991 and, like everyone else here, MK plays a pretty important part in my life: He’s the reason I picked up a guitar.

Which brings me to my point, and this is just my opinion. I think it’s time he retired before it gets embarrassing. He has nothing to prove. His declining health (which was noticeable back on the STP tour when the wrist support first appeared) has now reached a point where even walking appears troublesome, let alone playing guitar.

I emailed Guy after the charity shows in 2002 when I noticed MK’S left hand trembling and he had to shake it off during the gig. Guy answered that it wasn’t anything serious, but it was clearly the start of something more progressive.

He may have said he wants to make more records and, in Twiggy’s podcast, said he may put some “rockers” on the next album, but I fear this was nothing but playful banter. MK without the guitar parts is just not MK.

Discuss.

It's the same old song again. If you expect Mark's albums nowadays to feature a lot of guitar content or solos, you'll be disappointed and you'll think it's time for him to stop.
I think he can write great songs without having to play a lot of guitar. All he has to do is strum a few chords and write some beautiful lyrics. As long as he can do that, he'll keep going.

[JF]

Hi everyone!! So, I have been a reader for a long time and a fan for the last 40 years. I’ve seen MK and DS roughly 40 times since 1991 and, like everyone else here, MK plays a pretty important part in my life: He’s the reason I picked up a guitar.

Which brings me to my point, and this is just my opinion. I think it’s time he retired before it gets embarrassing. He has nothing to prove. His declining health (which was noticeable back on the STP tour when the wrist support first appeared) has now reached a point where even walking appears troublesome, let alone playing guitar.

I emailed Guy after the charity shows in 2002 when I noticed MK’S left hand trembling and he had to shake it off during the gig. Guy answered that it wasn’t anything serious, but it was clearly the start of something more progressive.

He may have said he wants to make more records and, in Twiggy’s podcast, said he may put some “rockers” on the next album, but I fear this was nothing but playful banter. MK without the guitar parts is just not MK.

Discuss.

It's the same old song again. If you expect Mark's albums nowadays to feature a lot of guitar content or solos, you'll be disappointed and you'll think it's time for him to stop.
I think he can write great songs without having to play a lot of guitar. All he has to do is strum a few chords and write some beautiful lyrics. As long as he can do that, he'll keep going.

he even recorded a song without playing a single note on guitar : When you leave

[Love Expresso]

JF, you mentioned some "solos" at your First impressions Thread. Are you able to say something about it? Are they shortened and simple because of Mark's restrictions or can we expect tasty, great solos as in, let's say, the last decade?

LE

[knopfler1]

Hi everyone!! So, I have been a reader for a long time and a fan for the last 40 years. I’ve seen MK and DS roughly 40 times since 1991 and, like everyone else here, MK plays a pretty important part in my life: He’s the reason I picked up a guitar.

Which brings me to my point, and this is just my opinion. I think it’s time he retired before it gets embarrassing. He has nothing to prove. His declining health (which was noticeable back on the STP tour when the wrist support first appeared) has now reached a point where even walking appears troublesome, let alone playing guitar.

I emailed Guy after the charity shows in 2002 when I noticed MK’S left hand trembling and he had to shake it off during the gig. Guy answered that it wasn’t anything serious, but it was clearly the start of something more progressive.

He may have said he wants to make more records and, in Twiggy’s podcast, said he may put some “rockers” on the next album, but I fear this was nothing but playful banter. MK without the guitar parts is just not MK.

Discuss.

Everyone will come to meet their maker, that’s certain… and we’ll all probably slow down at some point before that.

MK is probably as busy now as I can ever remember him being. I only came on board with the MK/DS stuff when he was getting ready to release Get Lucky but it seems every other day at the moment we are getting new song snippets, TV news, the charity stuff, podcasts, interviews and so on…

Not quite sure what I’m trying to say, other than it’s over a decade since then, he’s obviously feeling older hence the retirement from touring, yet, he’s just about to release his 10th solo record which so far is sounding pretty good to me. Yes, there may not be those major solos that were used to, but who cares? we have all of that already.

I’m 31 years old, play guitar too thanks to MK, and I can only dream of ever being able to produce what he has with the latest 3 tracks, never mind the back catalogue over the years!

[JF]

JF, you mentioned some "solos" at your First impressions Thread. Are you able to say something about it? Are they shortened and simple because of Mark's restrictions or can we expect tasty, great solos as in, let's say, the last decade?

LE

nothing spectacular, it's more "ambient" and slow solos

the most rock/"modern" lead guitar is on Scavengers Yard : screaming distorted guitar, but not really solos in this song, just some licks here and there

the other solos are slow ones. tasty yes, but with usual licks we already know

[hunter v2.0]

the other solos are slow ones. tasty yes, but with usual licks we already know

The way he has disregarded or neglected his guitar playing the last 15 years I almost cannot forgive him. "The usual licks we already know". It's like with Clapton. Soloing as if painting by numbers. Sure Mark has health issues and pain, and no-one expects him to play ripping solos like Alchemy-style Sultans or Telegraph Road, but back in the day even his slow solos had inventiveness and fire. It's just so damn lazy. I mean, listen to this, from almost 50 years ago:



I want to lie down on the floor and cry when I compare that to how he's been playing on the last few albums.

[JF]

the other solos are slow ones. tasty yes, but with usual licks we already know

The way he has disregarded or neglected his guitar playing the last 15 years I almost cannot forgive him. "The usual licks we already know". It's like with Clapton. Soloing as if painting by numbers. Sure Mark has health issues and pain, and no-one expects him to play ripping solos like Alchemy-style Sultans or Telegraph Road, but back in the day even his slow solos had inventiveness and fire. It's just so damn lazy. I mean, listen to this, from almost 50 years ago:



I want to lie down on the floor and cry when I compare that to how he's been playing on the last few albums.

fully agree

[Peter1981]

Agree, his playing on those first 2 DS albums is so tasty, feeling laidback but with attitude.
Magic. My personal guitar-bible! ;-)

edit : So my 'agree' is on the predictability of some to the latter years playing compared to the first years. Not on wether to stop or not; glad he's still pushing forward!

[dustyvalentino]

No.

Next question?

[knopfler1]

I think Mark is gracefully slowing things down and purposely doing projects that he is able to pull of quite well. To me it isn't embarrassing at all, I'm enjoying his latest albums as well as his earlier work. Guitar master Mark Knopfler from 30 or 40 years ago has long been replaced by storytelling Mark Knopfler.

As a fan, I hope he will continue to surprise us with new music.

Fully agree. I’m thankful we have best of both MK’s.