MK - the next step

[Robson]

The album is not boring. Our expectations are changing.

That is a matter of opinion.

He must also consider his age and if he take another five years or so then 80 is an age when he may not want to be doing much promo or travelling in his condition.

I also wonder just how his playing is these days. Even on the last album there's a mistake on it and it wasn't exactly a one take recording!

Without concerts, I hope Mark will jump into a cycle of releasing albums every two years, maybe three.

What mistake? Tunnel 13 ?

[Robson]

Personally, I don't think we will see any more full scale projects, but I hope I am wrong. I think at this point if it were full scale, it would be already completed but unreleased works, or feature so little of what we all "expect" from an MK record in terms of him playing...

Let's not forget that the last album was released 6 months ago

Mark has often said in interviews lately that he intends to record several albums. Without side projects (Going Home, LC Musical) it could be really soon.

[Pottel]

imho his last album is his best.
there, now you know.
p.s. not trolling.

[Love Expresso]

The album is not boring. Our expectations are changing.

That is a matter of opinion.

He must also consider his age and if he take another five years or so then 80 is an age when he may not want to be doing much promo or travelling in his condition.

I also wonder just how his playing is these days. Even on the last album there's a mistake on it and it wasn't exactly a one take recording!

While thinking about it a while, and reading the lyrics once more, I really think he should do a book about all the themes he is thinking about instead of music. There is no musical development in ODR, most interesting about this whole ODR campaign were his retrospective, very personal lyrics, and, funny enough, all those podcasts he did where he could talk about all kind of things and about his past and history. He even said it himself that the music part is less important to him. His songwriting was also much better years ago from my point of view. So he HAS something to say still but should choose another channel, like a book or the radio programmes or TV shows with Brian Johnson he did. Honest opinion. No trolling also.

LE

[Love Expresso]

The album is not boring. Our expectations are changing.

Well, it's boring to ME and I expected almost nothing.

It's a fine production, his voice still sounds great, the band and especially Greg play great, but the songs are all too similar, hardly worth of remembering, most of the lyrics apart from ODR and WMG have no impact or even meaning for me and the running order could have been much better instead if messing around with all this bonus here and there. Most important: no energy. All slow, dreamy, sleepy. It's nice to a certain extent but not all over the place. I didn't manage to listen to it as a whole evrn once!

LE

[quizzaciously]

The album is not boring. Our expectations are changing.

That is a matter of opinion.

He must also consider his age and if he take another five years or so then 80 is an age when he may not want to be doing much promo or travelling in his condition.

I also wonder just how his playing is these days. Even on the last album there's a mistake on it and it wasn't exactly a one take recording!

While thinking about it a while, and reading the lyrics once more, I really think he should do a book about all the themes he is thinking about instead of music. There is no musical development in ODR, most interesting about this whole ODR campaign were his retrospective, very personal lyrics, and, funny enough, all those podcasts he did where he could talk about all kind of things and about his past and history. He even said it himself that the music part is less important to him. His songwriting was also much better years ago from my point of view. So he HAS something to say still but should choose another channel, like a book or the radio programmes or TV shows with Brian Johnson he did. Honest opinion. No trolling also.

LE

I f-ing LOVE this Johnson/Knopfler collab. Easily the best thing Mark has produced lately, It's a pity it's always "too official" and barely accessible from third-world countries. I only managed to watch two episodes: Carlos Santana and Emmylou Harris. It's funny to watch Mark practically going back to his journalist roots. But those programs are great, interesting, funny, and rewatchable. I demand the second season!

Sure, everybody's doing interviews nowadays, and it becomes a little boring on its own, but damn, when it's done right, it's done right. Songs are not a new invention either

[peterromer]

The album is not boring. Our expectations are changing.

Well, it's boring to ME and I expected almost nothing.

It's a fine production, his voice still sounds great, the band and especially Greg play great, but the songs are all too similar, hardly worth of remembering, most of the lyrics apart from ODR and WMG have no impact or even meaning for me and the running order could have been much better instead if messing around with all this bonus here and there. Most important: no energy. All slow, dreamy, sleepy. It's nice to a certain extent but not all over the place. I didn't manage to listen to it as a whole evrn once!

LE

I could not agree more. ODR is a very boring album. I have the same four tracks (out of the total 21) that I listen to. Those four are brilliant. I would prefer albums like this anyway, because if he released an EP every now and then, those EP´s could be filled with the "boring" tracks. With a release of lets say 12-20 tracks for that matter, chances are better that you can find a few you really, really like.   
 

[Jules]

I'm a little pessimistic because, although his last record and ep were released earlier this year, they were finished betwen autumm-winter 2023, he is no touring anymore so he would had spent all these months since then at home writing, as far as he said thats the reason why he stopped touring (well, he also did promotion during two months more or less, but most of it in London, and some in Manchester) but when Guy was asked if there were plans to go to the studio to record with MK, he said not by now, which seems rare for me with such a prolific songwriter who stopped touring to have more time to write at home...

We all know there are other reasons why he stopped touring and although I think there is a chance we read they are recording earlier next year, or maybe even later this one, the idea that ODR and TB could be easily the last thing we have from him.

Yes, I know it's been a while since last time I posted but, there is nothing to post about really so I don't even know why I'm posting now... maybe I needed to express this odd feeling.

[Robson]

I'm a little pessimistic because, although his last record and ep were released earlier this year, they were finished betwen autumm-winter 2023, he is no touring anymore so he would had spent all these months since then at home writing, as far as he said thats the reason why he stopped touring (well, he also did promotion during two months more or less, but most of it in London, and some in Manchester) but when Guy was asked if there were plans to go to the studio to record with MK, he said not by now, which seems rare for me with such a prolific songwriter who stopped touring to have more time to write at home...

We all know there are other reasons why he stopped touring and although I think there is a chance we read they are recording earlier next year, or maybe even later this one, the idea that ODR and TB could be easily the last thing we have from him.

Yes, I know it's been a while since last time I posted but, there is nothing to post about really so I don't even know why I'm posting now... maybe I needed to express this odd feeling.

I'm glad you expressed this odd feeling. 

[TheTimeWasWrong]

Even if he makes one album per year for the next ten years and sells none, he still wouldn't have to worry about having enough money for generations to come. It's not about the money.

But I do think we have reached the end station of his career. His playing is troublesome, to say the least. Musically, he hasn't been innovating for at least 15 years, and now he is also getting lazy with his lyrics. I still enjoy ODR enormously; it's much better than DTRW, which I consider to be his worst. Maybe I like it even more than Tracker.

Working with Guy as a producer/mixer hasn't made things more challenging. This is just a guess, but I would even say that working with Guy is influenced by his declining guitar skills, the enormous patience that Guy has, and the trust they have in each other. He can record a guitar part a hundred times with Guy until they get a take that doesn't suck. There were always mistakes (less prominent during the Dorfsman/Ainlay era), but based on the 2019 tour and later appearances, there are likely to be more takes with mistakes than without. You wouldn't work with Chuck like that; Chuck doesn't have time to record in that manner. I think ODR is a product of lots of compiling and overdubs.

[dmg]

The album is not boring. Our expectations are changing.

That is a matter of opinion.

He must also consider his age and if he take another five years or so then 80 is an age when he may not want to be doing much promo or travelling in his condition.

I also wonder just how his playing is these days. Even on the last album there's a mistake on it and it wasn't exactly a one take recording!

Mistake?

Tunnel 13.  Annoys the hell out of me!  Maybe the best track ruined.

[quizzaciously]

The album is not boring. Our expectations are changing.

That is a matter of opinion.

He must also consider his age and if he take another five years or so then 80 is an age when he may not want to be doing much promo or travelling in his condition.

I also wonder just how his playing is these days. Even on the last album there's a mistake on it and it wasn't exactly a one take recording!

Mistake?

Tunnel 13.  Annoys the hell out of me!  Maybe the best track ruined.

Coincidentally, I'm working on this song rn... Do you mean a slightly (microscopically) awkward rake at 2:34? I thought it was not THAT bad. Can't really find other examples of something that I would even remotely call a mistake. A great song! I think this imperfect lick even gives a little live vibe to it.

[dmg]

The album is not boring. Our expectations are changing.

That is a matter of opinion.

He must also consider his age and if he take another five years or so then 80 is an age when he may not want to be doing much promo or travelling in his condition.

I also wonder just how his playing is these days. Even on the last album there's a mistake on it and it wasn't exactly a one take recording!

Mistake?

Tunnel 13.  Annoys the hell out of me!  Maybe the best track ruined.

Coincidentally, I'm working on this song rn... Do you mean a slightly (microscopically) awkward rake at 2:34? I thought it was not THAT bad. Can't really find other examples of something that I would even remotely call a mistake. A great song! I think this imperfect lick even gives a little live vibe to it.

Personally I noticed it first time I heard it and think it's very noticeable.  Sounds awful.  I honestly can't believe it managed to get released without anyone noticing.   

[Rolo]

In my opinion, I think that most people here 'learned' to like pos 2008 MK's work.

We are always put MK's age, songwritting, studio, management, sales, personal life, production... in front of what matters. Wich is that MK's music lost his power.

The man is a genius and he can deliver good songs. Wich make fervorous fans able to feel glimpses from the past. So, we learn to like his recent stuff, in my opinion, only because of that.

This discussion always remeber the movie Midnight In Paris.
The Paris past was always better, but is Paris after all.

[Rolo]

Coincidentally, I'm working on this song rn... Do you mean a slightly (microscopically) awkward rake at 2:34? I thought it was not THAT bad. Can't really find other examples of something that I would even remotely call a mistake. A great song! I think this imperfect lick even gives a little live vibe to it.

Mistakes are part to be a musician.
And it is good, indeed. Brings naturalitty.

If you look closer, ODR has many Mark's "mistakes".
I meant "mistakes" because Mark was, unfortunately, really struggling to play.
Even Mark's solo on Janine doesn't feel relaxed.
There is a lick on All Corners that has a clear "execution mistake" However, it was what Mark could play that day. And that's OK.

And I not spoke about Mark's hiccup on WMG.