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Other Title: BEST LIVE ROCK PERFORMANCE. EVER. Dire Straits - 'Sultans Of Swing' (Alchemy Live, 1983) Guitarist/Vocalist Mark Knopfler and his band, Dire Straits performed Sultans of Swing live in London at the Hammersmith Odeon in London on 22–23 July 1983.
Inside the Song: Mark Knopfler's Fingerstyle Mastery on 'Sultans of Swing' Poster Comment: The above is just some background info on Knopfler and his style (and brand) of guitar (a Fender Stratocaster). I realize I have posted this particular vid before, but because it is so good, so positive, so special, I thought it worthy of sharing again. With over 117 million views at YouBoob, its obvious many also feel it is something special. Though the studio version of Sultans of Swing was very good at the time (1979) this specific 1983 live performance was absolutely stunning. Electric. It is... a musical masterpiece. Perfection. I chose this particular epic LIVE version of Sultans of Swing as THE best live performance ever. (The author alluded to the performance in 1994 with Eric Clapton, as "the most famous" version of the track, simply because it was accompanied by Eric Clapton. But it did not and could not remotely compare with the above 1983 live version.) REASONS that 1983 LIVE was Light-Years better than the 1994 LIVE version: MANDELA'S BIRTHDAY. That it was played for THAT stupid reason is enough to ding the Clapton collab just for THAT. CHEMISTRY. The 1983 lineup of Dire Straits was unique. Drummer (Terry Williams) turned in an other-worldly performance. LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE. Sometimes it happens. It happened at that particular show. TIME. 11 years later (by 1994 with Clapton), whomever the band members were, were not going to be able to play it with the same passion and joy. Especially NOT the Drummer. PRESSURE. Knopfler and Clapton, two Guitar Giants, were going to feel more pressure to meet audience (and each other) expectations far more than just letting it happen (and the joy that goes with that. Frankly neither appeared to enjoy that 1994 performance.) So... Why? Watch and listen to the epic 1983 performance yourself. My impression? It appears all the band members played at peak energy, peak synchronicity, and peak drive. The whirlwind-energy of drummer (Terry Williams) drives the entire song, his band-mates feeding off of it by osmosis. It created a special collective joy or...jubilation. You can see it and feel it. Every member of the band is having as much fun as possible and became conscious of it right from the outset. There's no faking that. As the track progressed, Knopfler and the rest of the band also appear to be inspiring each other even more, sharing and celebrating more unbridled joy as the song progressed. Knopfler was pretty expressive himself as he noted his band mates into it. You can even see the keyboardist a lull in his parts dancing and jumping around. I think they realized in real time how truly special a performance this was, that it was..."Lightning In A Bottle". It was palpable. The audience sensed all of it and seemed drawn or invited into the same jubilation. Sultans Of Swing LIVE, 1983: Something else to behold. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest #1. To: Liberator (#0) (Edited) Anytime someone posts a "Greatest Anything Ever" screed, they're just asking for arguments. Not from me - can't say it is THE best, but it sure makes the top 5. Great song and performance - I love the story it tells. You close your eyes while listening and picture it all in your mind. "The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot is like that as well. When the song first came out, I had never heard of it or the band. I was working midnight shift at a 24-hour gas station/convenience store while still in college. We had a radio, but could only pick up one station and it played nothing but "easy listening". I don't know how or it happened - maybe the DJ got sick of the grandpa music or something but "Sultans Of Swing" came on, and I was hooked. One of the bands I was in played this song, we had our own "guitar george, he knows-all the chords". Never got tired of playing it or hearing it. I'll have to add this version to my playlist. Thanks “Truth is treason in the empire of lies.” - Ron Paul![]() In a Cop Culture, the Bill of Rights Doesn’t Amount to MuchIf a wall is massive enough and well guarded enough to keep them out, it is also massive enough and well guarded enough to keep you in. #2. To: Liberator (#0) (Edited) Serendipity! Thanks for the reminder this exists - went to watch on YT and did a quick search..... bam! Snagged a mint Blu-ray of the concert for $9.99 delivered, just listed on eBay. Closest elsewhere is about $20 and up. It's a good Friday so far - thanks!
#3. To: Liberator (#0) That was truly excellent, thank you for that link. THIS IS A TAG LINE...Exercising rights is only radical to two people, Tyrants and Slaves. Which are YOU? Our ignorance has driven us into slavery and we do not recognize it. #4. To: Deckard (#1) Anytime someone posts a "Greatest Anything Ever" screed, they're just asking for arguments. Not from me - can't say it is THE best, but it sure makes the top 5. Yeah, I know. That "Greatest" moniker just begged to be challenged -- especially if LF were a large forum venue. But since this is a pretty closed off forum and we all pretty know each other, I think most of us know this was a subjective statement. (Still...I meant it; Still the greatest LIVE performance of a great song I've ever seen/heard.) At the same time I'm really...I'm glad you agree with me on its awesomeness. Knowing you're a music-guy, making your "Top 5" is acceptable ;-) Great song and performance - I love the story it tells. You close your eyes while listening and picture it all in your mind. "The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot is like that as well. It did tick off those boxes of "great" in the context of performance and song. For an artist like Gordon Lightfoot in "Wreck' or Arlo Guthrie in "City of New Orleans, or Al Stewart in "Year of the Cat", or yes, in the the case with Knopfler, to be able to imbue that type of tangible imagery in story-telling is a whole different animal that seems to be extinct. We were blessed to have had quite a few of those kinds of gifted artists, weren't we? Knopfler and his band here...in this concert for me checked off a box that we rarely see -- a collective passion and synchronicity and fun that got better as the track played on. You could see elevated it to another level yet. When the song first came out, I had never heard of it or the band. I was working midnight shift at a 24-hour gas station/convenience store while still in college. We had a radio, but could only pick up one station and it played nothing but "easy listening". I don't know how or it happened - maybe the DJ got sick of the grandpa music or something but "Sultans Of Swing" came on, and I was hooked. That's a cool thing. Like stepping into a time-machine. One of the bands I was in played this song, we had our own "guitar george, he knows-all the chords". Never got tired of playing it or hearing it. Your band actually played this track? It's a real challenge. Especially for guitars, drums and vocals. That guitar player must have been something. (What instrumentals did you play? (Or did you do vocals?) Glad you appreciated this...
#5. To: Hank Rearden (#2) Serendipity! Thanks for the reminder this exists - went to watch on YT and did a quick search..... bam! THAT is cray-cray! Watched. Listened. Inspired. Conquered! Think about what a great deal that is...one of the all-time tremendous performances...on Blue-Ray quality. On demand. Sweet. Another one on the BR barbie...Yeah, we do tend to forget. Glad you enjoyed...and were reminded (All set up now...watching the 'Alchemy' Blu-Ray while chowing down on your latest Napolitan creation ;-)
#6. To: jeremiad (#3) Happy to have shared, glad you appreciated this one. If you're into it, YT has within the last few month also posted a bunch of older Beatles stuff too. YouTube content is getting even more amazing. Most of this stuff we've never had access to (unless we were aware to begin with, or dug deep and purchased at the time); Especially LIVE performances.
#7. To: jeremiad, Hank Rearden, Deckard (#6) Two years later (1985), different guitar player (I believe it's Knopfler's brother) but an addition keyboard player at Wembley... Still great passion and...again, they're having fun.
#8. To: Deckard, Hank Rearden, jeremiad, All (#7) Ok, I'm done posting music vids... HOWEVER... I was recommended to check out this cover band as one of the best out there. I was blown away by what they've done. And here I go again: "Best I've see/heard" by cover bands. They do all the 70s-80s classics like The Eagles, Boston, Foreigner, Huey Lewis, Patty Smyth, etal. The band is just...having fun..Doing it for...fun! Not even commercially. Now THAT is a great hobby. Very cool. Apparently recruit female vocalists and other musicians to join in. (If someone is impressed and sees what they like, then who knows? Maybe somebody gets a break. Pretty big operation between the equipment and cameras. It was hard to just choose any two track because they are all very good, but because Ann Wilson and Heart is so hard to replicate, I thought it as good representation of their work. This vocalist is excellent (as is the one doing Steven Tyler in Aerosmith's 'Dream On')... Technically, these guys are talented and pretty tight, not for note. Drummer is spot on. According to the band member who posts these YTs, they basically do just 3 live takes, then edit it into what we see...like here. The sound quality is spectacular...THAT I can guarantee.
#9. To: Liberator (#4) (Edited) Your band actually played this track? It's a real challenge. Especially for guitars, drums and vocals. That guitar player must have been something. (What instrumentals did you play? (Or did you do vocals?) Actually, for me anyways - the bass part is surprisingly easy. Didn't do any vocals on that song. We did have an amazing lead guitarist and drummer. I posted a link sometime back to some of our original songs (from 1992). I sang the harmonies on some of them. We recorded and mixed the album ourselves at our rehearsal space in Minneapolis using a 1970's Teac 3340 4-Track Reel to Reel Tape Recorder and released it on cassette only. One of the other bands in our building was The Gear Daddies, a country rock band most famous probably for their "Zamboni" song. Oh - in case you're interested, I just uploaded a cover of "Don't Worry Baby" by Los Lobos from one of our rehearsals where I sing. The guitar solos are pretty cool. “Truth is treason in the empire of lies.” - Ron Paul![]() In a Cop Culture, the Bill of Rights Doesn’t Amount to MuchIf a wall is massive enough and well guarded enough to keep them out, it is also massive enough and well guarded enough to keep you in. #10. To: Deckard, sneakypete (#9) Thanks for sharing the listen. It was worth it. 'Don't Worry' was a rockin' track. That was a cover of Los Lobos? Reminded me a bit of Link Wray, Stray Cats and Elvis. Really nice job of driving bass through the tune. Avant Garage wasn't what I expected either, a pleasant surprise. Different style. Got a bit of everything. Including harmonies. The Guitarist(s) are very good. Your "genre" is indefinable. We recorded and mixed the album ourselves at our rehearsal space in Minneapolis using a 1970's Teac 3340 4-Track Reel to Reel Tape Recorder and released it on cassette only. Still sounds clean.
#11. To: Liberator (#0) Brothers in Arms has been an ear wig for me for the last couple of weeks. Yeah,Sultans of Swing was pretty damn impressive,but it just didn't have the depth of Brothers in Arms. In fact,that album has to rate as one of the best albums every recorded by anybody,including Pink Floyd and Traffic. If you know me,that's saying something. In the entire history of the world,the only nations that had to build walls to keep their own citizens from leaving were those with leftist governments. Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest |
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