I loooove me some Dire Straits. I've had a crash course in their live music and demos over the past 6 months or so. Knopfler is a genius.

 

What are your favorite tracks? My Top 10:

 

Sultans Of Swing

Single-Handed Sailor (Rockpalast 1979)

What's The Matter With You, Baby? (Rockpalast 1979)

Where Do You Think You're Going? (Rockpalast 1979)

Down To The Waterline (1976 or 1977 Demo)

On Every Street (Demo)

So Far Away

Brothers In Arms

Why Worry (Wembley 1985)

Going Home (Instrumental)

 

Honorable mention:

In The Gallery (Rockpalast 1979)

Wild West End (Rockpalast 1979)

Sultans Of Swing (1976 or 1977 Demo)

Imagine (Instrumental)

Money For Nothing

I like their music well enough, but the thing I will never forget about them is their videos... They were soooooooooo far ahead of their time.

I should also mention that on the 1976-1977 Demos, Mark Knopfler sounds precisely like a sped-up version of Bob Dylan. I'm not talking small similarities here. I'm talking Bob Dylan meets The Chipmunks.

 

But the demos are just phenomenal. I think that the regular version of "Down To The Waterline" is nowhere near as good as the early version because the background singers kind of suck. I mean, they don't get in the way on "Wild West End", for instance, but at times, I just don't like what I'm hearing. I wish that he could have had Sting as a background singer for every song, kind of like on "Money For Nothing".

Dire Straits absolutely rock. I have a couple of there CD's and they are good from start to finish. Knoppler is the man.

 

The rank very high up on my list of best bands.

Dire Straits absolutely rock.  I have a couple of there CD's and they are good from start to finish.  Knoppler is the man.

 

The rank very high up on my list of best bands.

 

Sultans of Swing

Romeo and Juliet

Industrial Disease

 

If you don't have it, find yourself a copy of Neck and Neck, the album Knopfler did with Chet Atkins a few years back. Some astounding stuff on that one.

I really like Walk of Life.

If you don't have it, find yourself a copy of Neck and Neck, the album Knopfler did with Chet Atkins a few years back.  Some astounding stuff on that one.

 

I'll have to check that out. I've been gettting into some of his solo stuff little by little. I traded for some Knopfler/Clapton Tour stuff from the late 80s recently & I'm expecting those discs to arrive any day now. It should be an interesting lead guitar exchange, perhaps damn near Allman/Betts.

 

Actually, it's kind of hard for anyone to even begin to approach the Allman/Betts Duo, isn't it?

Actually, it's kind of hard for anyone to even begin to approach the Allman/Betts Duo, isn't it?

 

Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew from the mark 2 King Crimson days comes close in my opinion, but yeah I'd agree with your assessment.

I'll have to check that out.  I've been gettting into some of his solo stuff little by little.  I traded for some Knopfler/Clapton Tour stuff from the late 80s recently & I'm expecting those discs to arrive any day now.  It should be an interesting lead guitar exchange, perhaps damn near Allman/Betts. 

 

Actually, it's kind of hard for anyone to even begin to approach the Allman/Betts Duo, isn't it?

Fast fact, Betts spent some time in Wabash, IN. My dad played in a band with some guys that played with him.

I should also mention that on the 1976-1977 Demos, Mark Knopfler sounds precisely like a sped-up version of Bob Dylan.  I'm not talking small similarities here.  I'm talking Bob Dylan meets The Chipmunks.

 

But the demos are just phenomenal.  I think that the regular version of "Down To The Waterline" is nowhere near as good as the early version because the background singers kind of suck.  I mean, they don't get in the way on "Wild West End", for instance, but at times, I just don't like what I'm hearing.  I wish that he could have had Sting as a background singer for every song, kind of like on "Money For Nothing". 

 

 

Knopfler played guitar on Dylan's "Infidels" album.

Dire Straits overall is not one of my favs, but you always know Knopfler's guitar playing the second you hear it.

Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew from the mark 2 King Crimson days comes close in my opinion, but yeah I'd agree with your assessment.

King Crimson = never old and busted. One More Red Nightmare is one of the darkest hardest album ive ever heard.

King Crimson = never old and busted. One More Red Nightmare is one of the darkest hardest album ive ever heard.

I love 'em.

 

Being a huge Belew fan, I like the Beat/Three of a Perfect Pair/Discipline trio the best. Starless and Bible Black is my favorite disc from the earlier incarnation.

I love 'em.

 

Being a huge Belew fan, I like the Beat/Three of a Perfect Pair/Discipline trio the best.  Starless and Bible Black is my favorite disc from the earlier incarnation.

Mark 1: Court of the Crimson King

Mark 2: One more Red Nightmare

Mark 3: Discipline

Mark 4: Vroom/Thrak

money for nothin chicks for free