One of my Personal Favorites - Volume I: Mark Knopfler's "A Night in London"

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One of my Personal Favorites - Volume I: Mark Knopfler's "A Night in London"

Published: Thursday, January 6th, 2022 @ 9:37 am
By: Stan Deatherage ( More Entries )

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A List of the melodies from "One Night in London" are listed here below:

• Darling Pretty • Walk Of Life • Imelda • Father and Son • Golden Heart • Rudiger • Cannibals • Je Suis Désolé!s • Last Exit To Brooklyn • Romeo And Juliet • Done with Bonaparte • A Night in Summer Long Ago • Brothers In Arms • Going Home • Are We In Trouble Now • Gravy Train
In closing, I hope you take the time to understand the complexity of Mark Knopfler's vision of melody as it conforms to his pure expression of harmonic communication. In that pure artistic effort, he senses a world worth relating, and in that effort some may be revealed to be partially, or fully fulfilled.

I was ... my wife was. It was a good Friday night as we kept the 'home fires' ablaze ... "You and me babe ... How 'bout it." - "Romeo and Juliet" (1982).

Prologue: Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits ... The Alchemy Concert

    As promised, I have provided the Dire Straits Alchemy Concert, when Dire Straits was fully in their prime. Remember how you looked and felt at 34 years of age. Couple that with being an instant success once you put the band together, cut an outstanding demo of 5 fabulous songs, and you might sense where Mark Knopfler was at that point in his professional life.

    Besides being a great creator of melody, one of the greats of the last 50 years, I have always considered Mark Knopfler one of the 10 greatest guitar pickers that I have ever heard, and I've heard, and know, more than my share. In this concert, with mark in his prime, please pay close attention to his unique open hand picking style. It offers a slightly duller tone than the pick, and a range of control that is Mark Knopfler's hallmark.

    If you are not captivated by the first tune of the show, "Once Upon a Time in the West", and get swept into the Rock moment, and feel so inclined to venture forth to seek more, like an extended version of "Sultans of Swing" (5 songs in, just after "My Investigation"), which just kicks it up quite a few big notches, then you better check to see if you still got your Soul intact.

    Just a tease here: After the second tune, "Expresso love" (a second great rocker), mark performs "Romeo and Juliet" - one of the greatest love ballads of all time ... all time. Just for kicks, compare this 1983 version with the 1996 version that Mr. Knopfler performed in "One Night in London". A uniquely different version but still quite beautiful.

    Enough for now.

Dire Straits Alchemy Concert (1983) - the extended version of "Sultans of Swing" - below:

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Comments

Stan Deatherage said:

( December 22nd, 2016 @ 6:09 pm )

There is something very rare and perfect when the words and the melody blend to form such a memorable and visceral emotion in the poetry of sound and message.

Bobby Tony said:

( December 22nd, 2016 @ 5:45 pm )

The real discouraging thing about it all is it I would be happy just to have written the words or the arrangement, But for one man to do both just ain't fair to us wannabes.

Stan Deatherage said:

( December 22nd, 2016 @ 5:29 pm )

That is so cool Bobby Tony. I, too, have tried "Romeo and Juliet", and right now, I just felt embarrassed for myself.

However, if I really want to feel bad about my guitar picking, I reckon I should try "Brothers in Arms" again.

Bobby Tony said:

( December 22nd, 2016 @ 5:22 pm )

Its been a little over a year since your post on Romeo and Juliet. I have the guitar tabs, I have learned the open G chords, and I try to play that song about twice a month. You are so right about lack of covers. Hell, I can't even keep up when trying to accompany with Mark's YouTube version. He makes it look so simple, but it ain't. I have bookmarked the London concert for late viewing, after one more try at R&J. When am I going to realize it was just that the time was wrong? Here is the link to R&J post.

beaufortcountynow.com

Stan Deatherage said:

( December 22nd, 2016 @ 3:46 pm )

So true.

There is a reason that you do not see that many covers of Dire Straits songs. They are so wonderfully constructed and so difficult to replicate with andy real authenticity.

Bobby Tony said:

( December 22nd, 2016 @ 5:47 am )

Guitar heaven and not bad advertising either. Mark and Les, together again

beaufortcountynow.com

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One of my Personal Favorites - Volume II: Paul Simon's "Live in Central Park New York" (1981)