MK - the next step

[dustyvalentino]

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

Why do you pick 2008? I think his solo career has been pretty consistent. Some stuff I like more than others but it's all been much of a muchness.

[Rolo]

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

Why do you pick 2008? I think his solo career has been pretty consistent. Some stuff I like more than others but it's all been much of a muchness.

KTGC, in my opinion, brought a "new" MK. Much more slow paced and much less flashy as a player.
The concerts started to be boring with stripped down songs.
Mark's guitar tone was very thin since then.

I remember people complaing about MK's concerts since 2005. However, to an audience perpective, MK's shows had a 'rock section' until 2006.
After that, every thought about Mark's concerts was: - Last tour was better.

I like Mark solo stuff just because that glimpse from the past.
It's consistent because Mark can deliver good songs. However, as i said months ago, in my opinion, Mark's music lost the WOW factor.

[rmarques821]

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.

Not me. Post- 2008 period is probably my favourite of all his career, Dire Straits included. I love the inclusion of all the folk/celtic instruments.
With the obvious exception of DTRW, which is an album I very rarely go back to, I listen to Get Lucky and Tracker almost every day. The 2010 tour was probably his best, in my view. In 2013, I agree that his live playing lost some power, but I've always felt that that was also due to the change in the drumming department. I always thought Danny fitted MK's sound much better that Ianto.

[wayaman]

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 have that same odd feeling.

I always suspected ODR would be his swan song, hope it's not.

[Marnix]

At one point I still hope the musical soundtrack of "Local Hero" will see the light of day.
Hopefully Mark will make another album and if not it's also fine for me. Or Guy and Mark  will clean up the vaults and relaese some unheard tracks from previous studdio sessions and leftovers from film soundtracks

[Dutchessy]

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

You were SO enthousiastic after release and now it's boring? Mkay 

[Love Expresso]

Yes indeed.

I wished it would be normal to not like stuff from MK and not be pointed at as if it was somehow wrong and one being on the wrong path of life only because he isn't orgasm about any little fart released from MK. We are always enthusiastic about new releases but time goes by and you maybe change your impression after the first wave of excitement has gone.

LE

[quizzaciously]

Yes indeed.

I wished it would be normal to not like stuff from MK and not be pointed at as if it was somehow wrong and one being on the wrong path of life only because he isn't orgasm about any little fart released from MK. We are always enthusiastic about new releases but time goes by and you maybe change your impression after the first wave of excitement has gone.

LE

Then actually it makes sense to release as many songs as possible, as if it was, say, a 12-song album that would be easy to dismiss altogether. I'll never buy the idea that from 24 (!!!) news tracks, a current/former MK&DS fan can't find a single song he'd love. So I totally understand this release strategy.

[quizzaciously]

Lost money ? Why?

‘Cause he spends a fortune recording and nobody buys records anymore.

By the way, the entire album is up on YouTube for free. I have no idea how non-touring musicians are making money nowadays when their music is basically free. I think artists should've employed a strategy Radiohead tested back in 2007 with the "In Rainbows" album and pay-what-you-want thing. A lot of people would donate 10 bucks to download an album, especially in good quality. Or even without downloading at all. Anyway, the music business is fucked up beyond all repair for a long time.

[Dutchessy]

Yes indeed.

I wished it would be normal to not like stuff from MK and not be pointed at as if it was somehow wrong and one being on the wrong path of life only because he isn't orgasm about any little fart released from MK. We are always enthusiastic about new releases but time goes by and you maybe change your impression after the first wave of excitement has gone.

LE

You're not wrong LE, i was just wondering what happened 

[dustyvalentino]

Lost money ? Why?

‘Cause he spends a fortune recording and nobody buys records anymore.

By the way, the entire album is up on YouTube for free. I have no idea how non-touring musicians are making money nowadays when their music is basically free. I think artists should've employed a strategy Radiohead tested back in 2007 with the "In Rainbows" album and pay-what-you-want thing. A lot of people would donate 10 bucks to download an album, especially in good quality. Or even without downloading at all. Anyway, the music business is fucked up beyond all repair for a long time.

I heard that Radiohead were actually very disappointed by how few fans chose to contribute a reasonable amount for that album.

[quizzaciously]

Lost money ? Why?

‘Cause he spends a fortune recording and nobody buys records anymore.

By the way, the entire album is up on YouTube for free. I have no idea how non-touring musicians are making money nowadays when their music is basically free. I think artists should've employed a strategy Radiohead tested back in 2007 with the "In Rainbows" album and pay-what-you-want thing. A lot of people would donate 10 bucks to download an album, especially in good quality. Or even without downloading at all. Anyway, the music business is fucked up beyond all repair for a long time.

I heard that Radiohead were actually very disappointed by how few fans chose to contribute a reasonable amount for that album.

Yes, I heard that too. They were way ahead of their time, I think, attempting something like this when CDs were still a thing and downloading music legally was a novelty. Today, everybody's accustomed to paying a fee for everything; even BMW makes people pay fees to get heated seats or something. It seems as though musicians will suffer from low streaming income and diminishing sales till the end of time, as the music business will never change.

[Stiglar]

Lost money ? Why?

‘Cause he spends a fortune recording and nobody buys records anymore.

By the way, the entire album is up on YouTube for free. I have no idea how non-touring musicians are making money nowadays when their music is basically free. I think artists should've employed a strategy Radiohead tested back in 2007 with the "In Rainbows" album and pay-what-you-want thing. A lot of people would donate 10 bucks to download an album, especially in good quality. Or even without downloading at all. Anyway, the music business is fucked up beyond all repair for a long time.

I could be wrong but he may have struck a deal with the record company regarding the DS/MK box sets that came out in the lead up as well as all the press from the guitar sale, Like you say , the music business is stuffed, they would've known they'd make no money , I thought the strategy leading up to ODR was all quite clever really , no tour from MK but a bunch of stuff for the fans that want to buy it and likely to spend the money of 10 fans.

On another note, I'd be very surprised if he makes another full album, but you never know! I was impressed how they got his guitar playing to sound as it does on this album, and I can't imagine he's in any shape to still be playing.

I honestly feel as though he should release some individual tracks or smaller EP's , but I know he likes the process of a full album.

[Robson]

...On another note, I'd be very surprised if he makes another full album, but you never know!

Really? Am I the only one who believes in another album?

[Tol´83]

I simply believe that Mark does what he feels like doing because he can afford it and because he likes to experiment with the superb sound quality of his studio. He doesn't care what anyone else thinks as long as he has something to say with his songs. He simply lives life.