Shawn, Trey...You know how I feel about one of these guys. 😉 Sailing to Philadelphia is a magical duet. If I'm pressed to say it though this song is all Knopfler. He is so brilliant. Also may I say? Pulling off a solo career after being in an iconic band can't be easy and I really have enjoyed Mark solo career...as much as I ever enjoyed Sting and Robert Plant apart from their bands. When you listen to the solo material of a band member....well that's also when you see their stamp on the band. In this case honestly they are one of my fav bands but what's left of dire straits without him? But then Mark's solo work isn't just dire straits songs for one. He explores a different approach to the guitar and he veers into more country influence. He had done some stuff with chet atkins too. I loved back to tupelo, I had never heard that... Lovely guitars there. I really really love Mark Knopfler.
Yes I have done some Knopfler stuff and he is just great, consistent always and always in control. No wild 5 minute jamouts, the guy is a great great technical musician and he stays restrained in it. Makes me like him even more! Thanks for the always thoughtful and insightful comment Lethia!
“Song for Sonny Liston” is one of his best and most powerful solo tracks. One of his live versions has over a million views. Even Sonny Liston’s family have responded to it (favorably, of course). Mark paints a deep portrait of a tragic man.
@@ReactionsToTheClassics There’s a “biographical song battle” for you … “Song for Sonny Liston” vs “Imelda” (about Imelda Marcos, former Philippine First Lady with exorbitant tastes for clothes/shoes), from Mark’s “Golden Heart” LP.
I love both these songs so much! I think i prefer Knopfler's solo work to his Dire Straits career. He is so diverse in what he sings about, and he tells such excellent stories! Great battle!
Great reaction as always Trey & Shawn, I really enjoy both of these songs! I think that Mark Knopfler is highly underrated too, he’s such an incredible singer, songwriter and guitarist! For me my favourite song out of these would have to be Sailing to Philadelphia because it mentioned the county I’m in which is Northumberland and it included the great James Taylor!!!
Got to give the win to Sailing to Philadelphia, not just for JTs presence, though it certainly doesn't hurt. Shangri-La is actually the only solo Knopfler album I own, and tho it's good it's a bit of a slog at 14 tracks, 67 minutes, you know how it goes. Mark also the very first (of now many) acts I saw at the Royal Albert Hall (way back in 2010, doesn't time fly!), now that was quite a show, even if he had to stay seated throughout due to a back injury!
I may be wrong, but I think the appeal of the song to Mark was that Dixon was a Geordie (From near Newcastle in the North East of England) which is where his mother was from, and where he spent his teenage years.
@@ReactionsToTheClassics Other interesting fact that you may or may not be aware of (although subtlety hinted at in the song). Mason and Dixon were working on the line while the war of independence was going on. The line was about resolving some poorly drafted laws about where Colonies started and ended, and so the Royal Society sent them to the Colonies to settle the issues, but didn't actually complete the work until after the War of Independence was won. I feel a bit of a personal link to the song in the respect that I was Born near where Mason was, and I live in the Westcountry where Dixon was from... and spent many years in North America... in the land of the Iroquois as it happens.
Mark wrote lots of songs based on real people and history in his solo career,he can write songs about anything, must be his background as a journalist, he even wrote a song about a cartoon and that song is named "Coyote" wich is a very nice song as well ua-cam.com/video/Huf-7dZ8Rts/v-deo.html
The song is based on historical facts. Thomas Pynchon's book was a psychedelic fantasy based on the Mason-Dixon expedition as told by the Reverend Cherrycoke and included a homicidal automaton duck who was murdering chefs in revenge for them including pressed duck on their menus. Actually a quite entertaining book but definitely not Knopfler's inspiration.
Shawn and Trey, Sounds like an interesting song battle. The first song has a very pleasant sound and melody. The music is relaxed with a blend of guitar and piano. The guitar solo is quite nice.I agree, it is low key. The lyrics have a nice story. The second song is interesting, a song about Elvis' career. It is interesting the lyric mentions Clambake, the movie Elvis said was the one he hayed the most out of all his movies he made. I agree, it is akso low key, and the guitar work is really nice and relaxed. I enjoyed the comments by you guys on Elvis' career. Shawn, you chose the first song, Trey, you chose the second song. I like the soothing melody of the first song, so I choose the first song as the winner. Very nice song battle Shaun.
Knopfler is a wordsmith. He tells it like it is.
That he does!
Shawn, Trey...You know how I feel about one of these guys. 😉 Sailing to Philadelphia is a magical duet. If I'm pressed to say it though this song is all Knopfler. He is so brilliant. Also may I say? Pulling off a solo career after being in an iconic band can't be easy and I really have enjoyed Mark solo career...as much as I ever enjoyed Sting and Robert Plant apart from their bands. When you listen to the solo material of a band member....well that's also when you see their stamp on the band. In this case honestly they are one of my fav bands but what's left of dire straits without him? But then Mark's solo work isn't just dire straits songs for one. He explores a different approach to the guitar and he veers into more country influence. He had done some stuff with chet atkins too. I loved back to tupelo, I had never heard that... Lovely guitars there. I really really love Mark Knopfler.
Yes I have done some Knopfler stuff and he is just great, consistent always and always in control. No wild 5 minute jamouts, the guy is a great great technical musician and he stays restrained in it. Makes me like him even more! Thanks for the always thoughtful and insightful comment Lethia!
“Song for Sonny Liston” is one of his best and most powerful solo tracks. One of his live versions has over a million views. Even Sonny Liston’s family have responded to it (favorably, of course). Mark paints a deep portrait of a tragic man.
Ok I gotta check that one out. Thanks!
@@ReactionsToTheClassics There’s a “biographical song battle” for you … “Song for Sonny Liston” vs “Imelda” (about Imelda Marcos, former Philippine First Lady with exorbitant tastes for clothes/shoes), from Mark’s “Golden Heart” LP.
Two of the smoothest voices in music! Mark's Golden Heart album from 1996 is also really great.
You know it Jon!
I love both these songs so much! I think i prefer Knopfler's solo work to his Dire Straits career. He is so diverse in what he sings about, and he tells such excellent stories! Great battle!
Thanks and yes Mark is a hidden treasure to most!
Great reaction as always Trey & Shawn, I really enjoy both of these songs! I think that Mark Knopfler is highly underrated too, he’s such an incredible singer, songwriter and guitarist! For me my favourite song out of these would have to be Sailing to Philadelphia because it mentioned the county I’m in which is Northumberland and it included the great James Taylor!!!
Thanks as always hope you are doing well!
Got to give the win to Sailing to Philadelphia, not just for JTs presence, though it certainly doesn't hurt. Shangri-La is actually the only solo Knopfler album I own, and tho it's good it's a bit of a slog at 14 tracks, 67 minutes, you know how it goes. Mark also the very first (of now many) acts I saw at the Royal Albert Hall (way back in 2010, doesn't time fly!), now that was quite a show, even if he had to stay seated throughout due to a back injury!
You know I am jealous of all Royal Albert Hall attendance!
I may be wrong, but I think the appeal of the song to Mark was that Dixon was a Geordie (From near Newcastle in the North East of England) which is where his mother was from, and where he spent his teenage years.
Thanks for the insight!
@@ReactionsToTheClassics Other interesting fact that you may or may not be aware of (although subtlety hinted at in the song). Mason and Dixon were working on the line while the war of independence was going on. The line was about resolving some poorly drafted laws about where Colonies started and ended, and so the Royal Society sent them to the Colonies to settle the issues, but didn't actually complete the work until after the War of Independence was won.
I feel a bit of a personal link to the song in the respect that I was Born near where Mason was, and I live in the Westcountry where Dixon was from... and spent many years in North America... in the land of the Iroquois as it happens.
That is great stuff really appreciate you sharing that
A great combination, Mark and James!
Thanks Steve!
Mark wrote lots of songs based on real people and history in his solo career,he can write songs about anything, must be his background as a journalist, he even wrote a song about a cartoon and that song is named "Coyote" wich is a very nice song as well ua-cam.com/video/Huf-7dZ8Rts/v-deo.html
Great stuff thanks for sharing!
no words can describe, how good MK is.
He is great no doubt!
Amazing
He is SO underrated as time goes on!
The song is based on historical facts. Thomas Pynchon's book was a psychedelic fantasy based on the Mason-Dixon expedition as told by the Reverend Cherrycoke and included a homicidal automaton duck who was murdering chefs in revenge for them including pressed duck on their menus. Actually a quite entertaining book but definitely not Knopfler's inspiration.
Thanks for the insight!
Shawn and Trey, Sounds like an interesting song battle. The first song has a very pleasant sound and melody. The music is relaxed with a blend of guitar and piano. The guitar solo is quite nice.I agree, it is low key. The lyrics have a nice story. The second song is interesting, a song about Elvis' career. It is interesting the lyric mentions Clambake, the movie Elvis said was the one he hayed the most out of all his movies he made. I agree, it is akso low key, and the guitar work is really nice and relaxed. I enjoyed the comments by you guys on Elvis' career. Shawn, you chose the first song, Trey, you chose the second song. I like the soothing melody of the first song, so I choose the first song as the winner. Very nice song battle Shaun.
Thanks Poet!!!
@@ReactionsToTheClassics Yes Sirs
Yea MK
Thanks for Watching!