Please, please keep on playing along with Mark! You are such a great musician, don't stop because some people don't like it! We can always listen to Dire Straits and Mark on our own, it's the music of our life - but hearing and seeing reactions like yours (so respectful, so emotional) is just great! You are a great guitarist and you have all my respect as well. Music is all about emotions, and so are you. RESPECT! Linus from Switzerland
You do you buddy, plenty of places to listen to this song in it's entirety. Your ad libs and interpretations are what make this channel unique and enjoyable.
I so agree that your way of reacting is what I am watching in this video. I'm already very familiar with the actual performance. I just love that you can play this by ear. Lol. You just don't see that very often. Remember never let the whiners prevail or you're taking all they have. 😏
Agreed, if people want to watch the normal video they can. I like reactions as they help me appreciate new things about the music as I'm not a guitarist
Absolutely true! Well said. I saw them in '85 and in '92, Stockholm both times. The two very best concerts of my life. Springsteen x 3 times fantastic, McCartney x 2 magical, but Dire Straits cannot be compared to anything! Simply mindblowing to experience them, and Mark, LIVE! ❤ & 🙏 Always
The arrows on Mark's T-shirt are also included in a painting by Brett Whitely called "Alchemy 1972-1973". Brett was a well known, but now deceased Australian artist who liked to tour with his favourite bands, Dire Straits being one of them. The painting is featured on the Album cover. The painting was finished before the Alchemy Tour started, so I guess the T-shirt was inspired by the painting. All I know is that as a nerdy teenager in the 80's, I made a replica of that t-shirt and wore it to rags, with people asking me what it meant the whole time.
Some of us don't enjoy when you play over the videos??? Whaaaaat?!?!... That's the main reason I subscribed to your channel 😂 Love it when you do that 👌😁
I know that I love Mark Knopfler’s work, but listening to your wonderful explanations helps me to understand (dare I say) more academically- why I like it. Thank you VERY much for your videos. You earned yourself another subscriber. 👍👍👍🎶🎼🎵🎸🥁
This song was so mythical to me as a kid that the Spanish City he's singing about was basically Narnia. Last year I went for a drive to Whitley Bay near Newcastle where it was and it is lovely to see the lyrics from this are inlaid into the pavement of the promenade on the sea front. Fabulous.
The council have driven a road straight through the site Spanish City where the shows were….they’ve driven a stake through the heart and soul of the Spanish City and killed it dead…it’s an empty husk now.
As the others say you should play along and engage with the music. We enjoy it! And as you suggest he puts emotion and soul into his playing which transforms it from just playing chords into something almost spiritual.
This one is all about the " Spanish City" ( North East England) a place he would go to when he was a kid ( Fairground rides etc "tunnel of Love") and you guessed it what he witnessed !
@@swfcocs1All matter of preference ig, I love knopfler, but think Hendrix is meh at best .So personally I think Knopfler is the best, or one of the better ones.But both are well known and respected players in the guitar community. So yeah, there best at what they are doing all of them
@@swfcocs1Hendrix, SRV are both great, but they all have a really similar sound, and generally play the same or similar guitars. Mark Knopfler has an incredibly distinct style and tone, very tasteful, and uses a range of different guitars for each track. IMO MK is by far the best guitarist
@@MouseendNo kidding, not even a "rock music" qualifier? I think MK is great and all, but there are classical players who can make anything MK does sound basic by comparison.
Please keep playing along, its why I enjoy your reactions. i know what the song sounds like, I've been listing to it for 40 yrs, I've heard it live and I own it on every imaginable medium. what i tune in for is your take, including playing 😉 Actually, do whatever you want, that's just this guys opinion.
I learned to play as a teenager, but no matter how perfectly I played the chords it never sounded like music, it just sounded like somebody playing the correct chords at the correct time so I gave it up.. I've now bought a 'build a guitar' kit (I'm an electronic engineer by trade) I'm going to try again. thats from listening to you picking along with the song. Maybe it will sound better this time! (maybe not 😆)
Funny you mention at the end how he is in service to those in the audience, those inspired to learn guitar, or songwriting, or performance. After many decades of not practising any instrument, he and David Gilmour inspired me to learn guitar, something which I hadn't done before (I had learnt bass or piano/keyboards), but the thing I find the most is just losing myself in that brilliance. It's hard enough to try and copy what he does, but the sheer brilliance that comes from writing and performing that JUST for the love of music.... it's indescribable. BTW, the solo in this is just beautiful - the mood you described is exactly how it makes me feel. Every time I hear it (which is OFTEN - I often get out my guitar and just play this song), it takes a minute or two to come back to reality.
I still think the best version of this song is the one at Wembley 1985, especially because you missed 5 minutes of one of the best introductions in history, as well as being a bit more melodic than this one. The piano intro at the beginning of the song is the Hammerstein/Rodgers Carousel Waltz. Mark said he started using the bandana because the strong light caused him to sweat a lot. These arrows are part of the artistic work "Alchemy 1972-1973", by Brett Whiteley, who later created an adapted version for the album cover. Knopfler used them throughout the tour, printed on t-shirts, thus establishing the connection to the future live album and its graphic and commercial identity.
Yes the whole concert was shown at the time on a program called The Tube. I recorded the whole concert and spent the rest of my life trying to play the songs the same way. Failed miserably.
But you're not the only one, rest assured haha. One of the few I've seen play close to Mark is Sharon Levi, "the" MacMull guitar guy (ua-cam.com/video/OGKnxfDJO4c/v-deo.html). He is simply spectacular playing Mark.@@tubewayarmy2
I adore your reactions, the expression on your face, and your appreciation of the genius of MK, who I have loved for more than 40 years. I was lucky enough to be at that Alchemy concert. 😊
I've just got into Dire Straits and listening to the outro on this track, brought me to tears, it's that good. Album track or live, both different and both equally good.
You summed up Knopfler and his ethic perfectly. How on Earth someone with such God-tier talent (and I really believe he’s that good, easily top five players in rock music history), can have such little ego, I’ll never know. But thank goodness, because it’s the clearly the defining ethic of this absolutely phenomenal band. Great reaction. ❤
thank you for this new reaction :) you are on the right track, all you have to do is react to the whole Alchemy concert ;) (Once Upon A Time... , Romeo & Juliet, Private Investigations, ...) ❤
Wonderful reaction! I also recommend checking out 'Once Upon a Time in the West' (opening song from Alchemy) and 'Private Investigations'. Two different incredibly atmospheric performances.
Great reaction! Just to give some context on the lyrics, Spanish city is a leisure centre in Newcastle, Knopfler’s home town - in his youth it was kind of an amusement park with fun rides.
@@kittler53 Cullercoats and Whitley Bay. Spanish City was renovated recently and the words of this song are engraved into the steps. Knopfler didn't even know until Brian Johnson interviewed him there.
I’m from Mark’s hometown (where he grew up). The Spanish City was a fun fair in Whitley Bay, about 5 miles down the coast. This is so evocative to me as it’s my childhood too.
I really like your reactions and let nobody tell you how to do them. Yes, you kinda rely on the public for monetary support, but if you do reactions like WE want them to, who needs that? You are a musician who probably sleeps with his guitar;), so rock on, enjoy this wonderful band anyway you like it. For me it is enough seeing you enjoy it so much. Only one suggestion: It would surely help to get an even better understanding of the musical storytelling of DS if you researched the song you are reacting to first, i.e. lyrics and such. This one is basically about Mark's hometown Newcastle and growing up in the area where there also was a carnival in the nearby seaside town of Whitley Bay by the name of Spanish City (also part of the lyrics if you listen carefully). Another song which seems to capture the story of my own adolescence. Fabulous! And yes, next on the list needs to be Private Investigations where Mark plays an incredible solo on an acoustic or Spanish guitar. You will LOVE this.
Alchemy is one of the best live concerts ever and Mark knopfler is also one of the best for his music not only for the way he plays guitar,. It is a pity he can not keep doing concerts. Grande Marc!!
You've captured the essence of Dire Straits and Mark. They are all on the same page. I just discovered another Dire Straits wonder called Planet of New Orleans, it's from the 1991 album On every Street. I truly recommend it to you,
Rarely mentioned. Yes - also a masterclass - lighting, camerawork, editing. Look - hardly a cameraperson getting in the way! Perhaps some post-production work re the mix (I don't know this stuff), but the result is better than the sum of the parts.
We had friends round for dinner and we had quiet background music playing from my iPhone playlist including this track. Our friend mentioned she had tickets for this gig back in 1983 at the Hammersmith theatre in London but she could not make the concert. I mentioned the concert was filmed and was available on a DVD, Alchemy Live, and the DVD had the entire live concert from start to finish with no breaks so she borrowed the DVD. After watching the DVD she said she cried realising what she had missed.
I've discovered your channel via Sultans of Swing reaction and have since watched 3 of your Dire Straits reactions back to back :-) Thanks for providing real joy and giving us a look under the hood of Dire Straits' musical masterclasses.
Brett Whitely was an Australian Painter who created the Arrow device as part of His Alchemy Series of Paintings in the late 70's, I believe its meant to symbolise being "in the moment" or centring oneself. One set of arrows points outwards to the rest of the world and one set is pointing inwards to the viewer, thus the centre of the arrows is the metaphorical 'centre of the moment'. A bit like don't let your mind be too out there or too inwards focused - try to find a balance. Brett Whitely also made the album cover artwork by photocopying little extras onto his painitngs of the band - before photoshop!
@FaanaMusic your videos are great thank, you - you could watch Mark Knopfler all day but I could watch you all day! How can you have only 4K subscribers? It’s not fair.
Thank you so much! I hope it's going to continue to grow. The support of people like yourself is what keeps me going! I greatly appreciate your comment! 🙏
Hi, thank you listening differently, it’s why I join in listening with you. You pick out things I have not noticed. And it appears that your reaction to Mark Knopfler is the same as most of us. How unimaginably talented and hard working he is. I also enjoy watching the nonverbal communication he has with his fellow musicians. Your right, it’s not that he wants to lead, it’s mostly that he is followed. There is a difference I think
Mark Knopfler is great at inducing emotions through his music and this song is an excellent example of that. He has also written some movie scores that are worth checking out. From the Alchemy concert, "going home" is also a small gem. But I second all that insist on you checking out "Telegraph road"!
Pay attention to how Mark ends this song of his childhood memory in Whitley Bay. The last chords are those of an anthem or hymn even. That's a really expressive finale and statement of importance and reverence made by Mark. What a song this is, a true classic.
Spanish City at Whitley Bay got remodelled a few years ago, some of these lyrics are engraved in the kerbstones. 6:31 that was added in to break the song up a bit, kinda, and the guitar solo in Calling Elvis is there for the exact same reason
The arrows on the t-shirt to me represent "for every action there's a equal and opposite reaction" similar to the yin and yang sign. Great reaction vid thank you.
Another phenomenal reaction video. Absolutely loving your channel. And it’s great to see Mark and Dire Straits appreciated this way for a new generation. Every time I hear these incredible songs it reminds me of my dearly departed dad who loved this music to his core. He would play these tracks to us as children - my brother and I - and I always enjoyed them, as I grow older, I understand more and more why he held this music in such high regard And now - as a father myself to a beautiful 10 year old child, I hope to convery that same love of this timeless music to her as well. You articulate beautifully why I always hoped this music endures. And reaction videos like this ensures it always will. Keep it up, mate..!
In my opinion in the top 5 best live bands ever, I only got to see them once and they were brilliant. I love Marks guitar and the stories in his songs and this line up were just having the most fun.
It's like the feeling of being in safe hands. Mark and EVERY ONE of the band ARE those safe hands. I think it comes across how the band members themselves can deliver their art so skillfully and soulfully because they don't have to doubt that any of them won't give a maestros performance. Maestros every one. And the reactions in this post are just as moving. Honestly, it's an absolute pleasure to keep coming back here. Thank you ❤
About thee years ago there was a TV series where Brian Johnson (AC/DC) met his music heroes and chatted about old times. He met MK at Whitley Bay where they walked around Spanish City leisure park talking about MK's memories and inspirations for this song. The full episode used to be on YT in full but, now there's just small snippets. 😅
Great reaction and I do value your explanation of the methods Mark Knopfler uses to achieve such brilliance but to truly appreciate just how good this track is you should know this was only one of 11 songs performed in the final concert at the end of the eight-month, Love Over Gold Tour, of 93 live concerts in stadiums all over Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Each concert was one and a half hours of non-stop perfection. The DVD, ‘Alchemy: Dire Straits Live’ is still available to purchase and you can see and hear more of Mark Knopfler’s guitar skills and the Dire Straits band in Romeo and Juliet (8:17mins), Tunnel of Love (14:29mins, but this version cut down to 10mins with Mark teasing the audience for over 4mins with a long intro) and Telegraph Road (13:37mins), every track on the DVD is superb. Also, do read the bass guitarist, John Illsley’s, book ‘My Life in Dire Straits’ where John describes the bands journey starting in London and how they arrived at this level of excellence.
Funny you mentioned that he looks like a tennis player :D I saw a reaction video on "sultans of swing" from an american guy who said. "This guy looks like John Mcenroe, smashing on a guitar", and "That tennis player is the best guitarist i've ever seen" :D
I always love the "Tennis player" references as far as John McEnroe wants his outfit back.... It was easy, Marks hair had beginning to dissapear, which was a no-go for a pop star, so the hair band just covered that, wrist bands just fitted to the head band.
Yes, I heard him say in an interview that the lights in the performance venues back then were very hot, and he would sweat onto his guitar, and that would interfere with his playing, so he used sweat bands to keep sweat out of his eyes and off his instrument. Later lights were cooler, and he didn’t need the sweat bands anymore. They were never a fashion statement for him.
Hey just wanted to let you know I really enjoy your breakdowns of the Dire Straits songs you've reviewed thus far. What an amazing performance and I really enjoy how quickly you can pick up and play. Many of the Dire Straits songs take you on a journey and its just great to sit back and see where they take you. I wish a lot more music nowadays imitated this art. Thanks for the review.
The organ intro is The Carousel Waltz from Rogers and Hammerstein's 1945 musical Carousel. That aside, this recording is a masterclass in the art of leaving just the right number of gaps in the music. Then when he does play, he use the right number of notes and something inside yells "YESSSSS!"
Loved this reaction and the philosophical bent! The music is transformative as you say. I would be interested on your take of his instrumental ‘Going Home’.
Thx for your reaction on this masterpiece of music. Youre so right. Mark is a leader with the correct behaviour. He is a genius and wirh this great musicians by his side he was able to show all his skills. Saw Dire Straits and Mark live several times and i always was deeply impressed. Watch out for his just released version of the "Local Hero" theme. ITS FANTASTIC.
So nice to see another generation loving Dire Straits 😊 The piano intro is a quote from the Rogers & Hammerstein musical "Carousel", which is pretty dark as musicals go.
Please PLAY. You are not only a technical virtuoso, a master... but also definitelly a very sensitive and emotional musician. Your reactions are DEEP and your playing is accurate and personal.
great reaction! Be sure to check out “Tunnel of Love” live at Wembley 85, for me this absolutely amazing song is even more perfect, it takes you straight to heaven
I saw an interview where Mark says he wears the headband because he sweats so much from his forehead and it drips over his face and on to his guitar. It's not a fashion statement but is practical.
If you like guitarrists who master the fingerpicking technique you should really dive into Lindsey Buckingham (from Fleetwood Mac). I suggest (and would love to see) you listen to So Afraid Live 1997 from "The Dance" by Fleetwood Mac. One of the greatest live solos ever. Keep doing this Great work!
As for the T-Shirt, I recently had one printed for me. Love it. I found a comment from this guy on Reddit: "It's the symbol for "c more tone", a company that was/is connected to the band at the time of the alchemy tour. I remember asking at the time when I bought the t shirt in an '86 concert." Don't know if it is true, but hey, lets all agree it is a damn fine T-Shirt. And it invites mystery, so lets keep it a secret;)
I don’t know anything deeper about the arrows logo but it was used on the record, cd etc covers as kind of a logo for the Alchemy album. Maybe a kind of something from nothing idea , (alchemy being the idea of turning lesser things into gold )
![Dire Straits - Tunnel of Love (Live at Wembley, 1985) [REACTION VIDEO] | Rebeka Luize Budlevska](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/6ucnCuZju98/mqdefault.jpg)
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Please, please keep on playing along with Mark!
You are such a great musician, don't stop because some people don't like it!
We can always listen to Dire Straits and Mark on our own, it's the music of our life - but hearing and seeing reactions like yours (so respectful, so emotional) is just great!
You are a great guitarist and you have all my respect as well.
Music is all about emotions, and so are you.
RESPECT!
Linus from Switzerland
Absolutely. Some of us guitar players love you helping breaking some of the codes to songs. It’s really helpful
100%
It is so wonderful when you play along with MK. It shows how infectious the music is, and you help break down some of the ideas technically!
You do you buddy, plenty of places to listen to this song in it's entirety. Your ad libs and interpretations are what make this channel unique and enjoyable.
Thank you for the support! 🙏
I so agree that your way of reacting is what I am watching in this video. I'm already very familiar with the actual performance. I just love that you can play this by ear. Lol. You just don't see that very often. Remember never let the whiners prevail or you're taking all they have. 😏
Agreed, if people want to watch the normal video they can. I like reactions as they help me appreciate new things about the music as I'm not a guitarist
Mark is a magician, a phenomenon. I was lucky enough to see Dire Straits live twice.
Absolutely true! Well said. I saw them in '85 and in '92, Stockholm both times. The two very best concerts of my life. Springsteen x 3 times fantastic, McCartney x 2 magical, but Dire Straits cannot be compared to anything! Simply mindblowing to experience them, and Mark, LIVE! ❤ & 🙏 Always
The arrows on Mark's T-shirt are also included in a painting by Brett Whitely called "Alchemy 1972-1973". Brett was a well known, but now deceased Australian artist who liked to tour with his favourite bands, Dire Straits being one of them. The painting is featured on the Album cover. The painting was finished before the Alchemy Tour started, so I guess the T-shirt was inspired by the painting. All I know is that as a nerdy teenager in the 80's, I made a replica of that t-shirt and wore it to rags, with people asking me what it meant the whole time.
Some of us don't enjoy when you play over the videos??? Whaaaaat?!?!... That's the main reason I subscribed to your channel 😂
Love it when you do that 👌😁
Nailed it 👏👏👏👏
Me, too!
I know that I love Mark Knopfler’s work, but listening to your wonderful explanations helps me to understand (dare I say) more academically- why I like it. Thank you VERY much for your videos. You earned yourself another subscriber. 👍👍👍🎶🎼🎵🎸🥁
Thank you, I'm glad I could add to your deeper appreciation of Mark's music. 🙏
This song was so mythical to me as a kid that the Spanish City he's singing about was basically Narnia. Last year I went for a drive to Whitley Bay near Newcastle where it was and it is lovely to see the lyrics from this are inlaid into the pavement of the promenade on the sea front. Fabulous.
The council have driven a road straight through the site Spanish City where the shows were….they’ve driven a stake through the heart and soul of the Spanish City and killed it dead…it’s an empty husk now.
The outro of this song always has me in tears; so beautiful.
Oh that piano would break your heart!
The instrumental at the end of the studio recording is something I wish would never end.
@@jivebunny3765 it never does in my mind
I cannot play a note but I watch to listen to your explanation. Thanks don’t stop what you’re doing.
As the others say you should play along and engage with the music. We enjoy it! And as you suggest he puts emotion and soul into his playing which transforms it from just playing chords into something almost spiritual.
This one is all about the " Spanish City" ( North East England) a place he would go to when he was a kid ( Fairground rides etc "tunnel of Love") and you guessed it what he witnessed !
The carousel waltz at the beginning is included because they used to play it there every night.
Apparently, they now play Tunnel of Love every night.
without doubt the best guitar player of all time,
Damn that's a claim lol. I mean Knopfler is one of my favourites but I mean Hendrix? I think Knopfler would concede that point lol
@@swfcocs1All matter of preference ig, I love knopfler, but think Hendrix is meh at best .So personally I think Knopfler is the best, or one of the better ones.But both are well known and respected players in the guitar community. So yeah, there best at what they are doing all of them
@@swfcocs1Hendrix, SRV are both great, but they all have a really similar sound, and generally play the same or similar guitars. Mark Knopfler has an incredibly distinct style and tone, very tasteful, and uses a range of different guitars for each track. IMO MK is by far the best guitarist
@@MouseendNo kidding, not even a "rock music" qualifier? I think MK is great and all, but there are classical players who can make anything MK does sound basic by comparison.
@@trevorlambert4226 Maybe be but those classical players haven't written guitar solos and songs that have sold millions all over the world.
How lucky I am to have been young in the 60-ies, 70-ies and 80-ies. Wonderfull music was made back than!!!
Please keep playing along, its why I enjoy your reactions. i know what the song sounds like, I've been listing to it for 40 yrs, I've heard it live and I own it on every imaginable medium. what i tune in for is your take, including playing 😉
Actually, do whatever you want, that's just this guys opinion.
Thank you for the feedback, that's actually quite helpful! 🙏🔥🎸
I learned to play as a teenager, but no matter how perfectly I played the chords it never sounded like music, it just sounded like somebody playing the correct chords at the correct time so I gave it up.. I've now bought a 'build a guitar' kit (I'm an electronic engineer by trade) I'm going to try again. thats from listening to you picking along with the song. Maybe it will sound better this time! (maybe not 😆)
Funny you mention at the end how he is in service to those in the audience, those inspired to learn guitar, or songwriting, or performance. After many decades of not practising any instrument, he and David Gilmour inspired me to learn guitar, something which I hadn't done before (I had learnt bass or piano/keyboards), but the thing I find the most is just losing myself in that brilliance. It's hard enough to try and copy what he does, but the sheer brilliance that comes from writing and performing that JUST for the love of music.... it's indescribable.
BTW, the solo in this is just beautiful - the mood you described is exactly how it makes me feel. Every time I hear it (which is OFTEN - I often get out my guitar and just play this song), it takes a minute or two to come back to reality.
I still think the best version of this song is the one at Wembley 1985, especially because you missed 5 minutes of one of the best introductions in history, as well as being a bit more melodic than this one. The piano intro at the beginning of the song is the Hammerstein/Rodgers Carousel Waltz. Mark said he started using the bandana because the strong light caused him to sweat a lot. These arrows are part of the artistic work "Alchemy 1972-1973", by Brett Whiteley, who later created an adapted version for the album cover. Knopfler used them throughout the tour, printed on t-shirts, thus establishing the connection to the future live album and its graphic and commercial identity.
That’s a truly great version the ‘85 one
Wembley Arena 85 is the best for me 16 mins of magic you need to watch this its on another level......
Well, probably the best filmed one, but there are many better versions from later in the same tour such as Boston 06.10.85 e.g.
Yes the whole concert was shown at the time on a program called The Tube. I recorded the whole concert and spent the rest of my life trying to play the songs the same way. Failed miserably.
But you're not the only one, rest assured haha. One of the few I've seen play close to Mark is Sharon Levi, "the" MacMull guitar guy (ua-cam.com/video/OGKnxfDJO4c/v-deo.html). He is simply spectacular playing Mark.@@tubewayarmy2
The best music is more than notes. I know on no guitar solo that packs that much pure emotion in the playing.
Agree with others -- make your own vid and don't worry about comments. People can go elsewhere if they want to listen to the music alone.
I adore your reactions, the expression on your face, and your appreciation of the genius of MK, who I have loved for more than 40 years. I was lucky enough to be at that Alchemy concert. 😊
I've just got into Dire Straits and listening to the outro on this track, brought me to tears, it's that good. Album track or live, both different and both equally good.
The outro is beyond words, the way it gets more and more intense and enthralling.
You summed up Knopfler and his ethic perfectly. How on Earth someone with such God-tier talent (and I really believe he’s that good, easily top five players in rock music history), can have such little ego, I’ll never know. But thank goodness, because it’s the clearly the defining ethic of this absolutely phenomenal band.
Great reaction. ❤
Superbly said. I agree entirely.
thank you for this new reaction :) you are on the right track, all you have to do is react to the whole Alchemy concert ;) (Once Upon A Time... , Romeo & Juliet, Private Investigations, ...) ❤
True pleasure seeing reactions from a pro, it gives inside perspectives and a rare authenticity + a genuine interests to check out new/old phenomena.
Seeing your face listening to this song makes me feeling the way I felt 30 years ago…
You’ve discovered what poetry is
The intro is from the musical “Carousel” by Rodgers & Hammerstein. It’s sometimes called The Carousel Waltz.
I enjoyed your reaction to this masterpiece. My favorite guitar solo ever. Thank you. 😊
Wonderful reaction! I also recommend checking out 'Once Upon a Time in the West' (opening song from Alchemy) and 'Private Investigations'. Two different incredibly atmospheric performances.
The arrangements on the Dire Straits Alchemy Live tracks are utterly phenominal ..... just the best.
Great reaction!
Just to give some context on the lyrics, Spanish city is a leisure centre in Newcastle, Knopfler’s home town - in his youth it was kind of an amusement park with fun rides.
Also Culler Coates (sp?) and Whitby Bay…
@@kittler53 Cullercoats and Whitley Bay. Spanish City was renovated recently and the words of this song are engraved into the steps. Knopfler didn't even know until Brian Johnson interviewed him there.
The joy on your face! Remiunds me of my own reaction circa 1984. Please do the rest of the Alchemy concert - every song to the same standard!
I’m from Mark’s hometown (where he grew up). The Spanish City was a fun fair in Whitley Bay, about 5 miles down the coast. This is so evocative to me as it’s my childhood too.
I really like your reactions and let nobody tell you how to do them. Yes, you kinda rely on the public for monetary support, but if you do reactions like WE want them to, who needs that? You are a musician who probably sleeps with his guitar;), so rock on, enjoy this wonderful band anyway you like it. For me it is enough seeing you enjoy it so much. Only one suggestion: It would surely help to get an even better understanding of the musical storytelling of DS if you researched the song you are reacting to first, i.e. lyrics and such. This one is basically about Mark's hometown Newcastle and growing up in the area where there also was a carnival in the nearby seaside town of Whitley Bay by the name of Spanish City (also part of the lyrics if you listen carefully). Another song which seems to capture the story of my own adolescence. Fabulous!
And yes, next on the list needs to be Private Investigations where Mark plays an incredible solo on an acoustic or Spanish guitar. You will LOVE this.
Mark was a genius on guitar and a superb song writer.
Alchemy is one of the best live concerts ever and Mark knopfler is also one of the best for his music not only for the way he plays guitar,. It is a pity he can not keep doing concerts. Grande Marc!!
You've captured the essence of Dire Straits and Mark. They are all on the same page.
I just discovered another Dire Straits wonder called Planet of New Orleans, it's from the 1991 album On every Street. I truly recommend it to you,
Yes what a great and different outtro.
Once Upon a Time in the West - Alchemy Live is great
Shout out to the production crew. The filmography of this LIVE concert is incredible.🤩
Rarely mentioned.
Yes - also a masterclass - lighting, camerawork, editing.
Look - hardly a cameraperson getting in the way!
Perhaps some post-production work re the mix (I don't know this stuff), but the result is better than the sum of the parts.
We had friends round for dinner and we had quiet background music playing from my iPhone playlist including this track. Our friend mentioned she had tickets for this gig back in 1983 at the Hammersmith theatre in London but she could not make the concert. I mentioned the concert was filmed and was available on a DVD, Alchemy Live, and the DVD had the entire live concert from start to finish with no breaks so she borrowed the DVD. After watching the DVD she said she cried realising what she had missed.
I've discovered your channel via Sultans of Swing reaction and have since watched 3 of your Dire Straits reactions back to back :-) Thanks for providing real joy and giving us a look under the hood of Dire Straits' musical masterclasses.
Brett Whitely was an Australian Painter who created the Arrow device as part of His Alchemy Series of Paintings in the late 70's, I believe its meant to symbolise being "in the moment" or centring oneself. One set of arrows points outwards to the rest of the world and one set is pointing inwards to the viewer, thus the centre of the arrows is the metaphorical 'centre of the moment'. A bit like don't let your mind be too out there or too inwards focused - try to find a balance. Brett Whitely also made the album cover artwork by photocopying little extras onto his painitngs of the band - before photoshop!
@FaanaMusic your videos are great thank, you - you could watch Mark Knopfler all day but I could watch you all day! How can you have only 4K subscribers? It’s not fair.
Thank you so much! I hope it's going to continue to grow. The support of people like yourself is what keeps me going! I greatly appreciate your comment! 🙏
Let me insist: you have to react Once upon a time in the west from Alchemy :)
Hi, thank you listening differently, it’s why I join in listening with you. You pick out things I have not noticed.
And it appears that your reaction to Mark Knopfler is the same as most of us.
How unimaginably talented and hard working he is.
I also enjoy watching the nonverbal communication he has with his fellow musicians. Your right, it’s not that he wants to lead, it’s mostly that he is followed. There is a difference I think
Alchemy turns silver to gold
The intro to this performance is great as well (missed here)
Mark Knopfler is great at inducing emotions through his music and this song is an excellent example of that. He has also written some movie scores that are worth checking out. From the Alchemy concert, "going home" is also a small gem. But I second all that insist on you checking out "Telegraph road"!
Pay attention to how Mark ends this song of his childhood memory in Whitley Bay. The last chords are those of an anthem or hymn even. That's a really expressive finale and statement of importance and reverence made by Mark. What a song this is, a true classic.
Spanish City at Whitley Bay got remodelled a few years ago, some of these lyrics are engraved in the kerbstones.
6:31 that was added in to break the song up a bit, kinda, and the guitar solo in Calling Elvis is there for the exact same reason
The arrows on the t-shirt to me represent "for every action there's a equal and opposite reaction" similar to the yin and yang sign. Great reaction vid thank you.
Another phenomenal reaction video. Absolutely loving your channel. And it’s great to see Mark and Dire Straits appreciated this way for a new generation. Every time I hear these incredible songs it reminds me of my dearly departed dad who loved this music to his core. He would play these tracks to us as children - my brother and I - and I always enjoyed them, as I grow older, I understand more and more why he held this music in such high regard And now - as a father myself to a beautiful 10 year old child, I hope to convery that same love of this timeless music to her as well. You articulate beautifully why I always hoped this music endures. And reaction videos like this ensures it always will. Keep it up, mate..!
We appreciate you showing how things are being played...play on
In my opinion in the top 5 best live bands ever, I only got to see them once and they were brilliant. I love Marks guitar and the stories in his songs and this line up were just having the most fun.
It's like the feeling of being in safe hands. Mark and EVERY ONE of the band ARE those safe hands. I think it comes across how the band members themselves can deliver their art so skillfully and soulfully because they don't have to doubt that any of them won't give a maestros performance. Maestros every one. And the reactions in this post are just as moving. Honestly, it's an absolute pleasure to keep coming back here. Thank you ❤
Danke!
Not just matching music to lyric, but matching even the lighting design. The lighting (in person) is not showy-it is one of the musicians.
The whole point of watching is the part where to come in. Otherwise folks might as well go listen else where. Do your own thing please. 🙏
Blown away!! Absolutely brilliant!! ❤ MK is the best. Smiled the whole time. Amazing!
About thee years ago there was a TV series where Brian Johnson (AC/DC) met his music heroes and chatted about old times. He met MK at Whitley Bay where they walked around Spanish City leisure park talking about MK's memories and inspirations for this song.
The full episode used to be on YT in full but, now there's just small snippets. 😅
He's singing about a local amusement park called the spanish city when he was young.
Don’t stop playing along. It’s great to see your interpretation and thoughts through your guitar.
I really enjoyed your reaction to this beautiful music.❤️❤️❤️
Best reaction I've seen/heard you do! Because it WAS more heartfelt and less technical. Mark Knopfler writes and plays from the heart, I think.
Great reaction and I do value your explanation of the methods Mark Knopfler uses to achieve such brilliance but to truly appreciate just how good this track is you should know this was only one of 11 songs performed in the final concert at the end of the eight-month, Love Over Gold Tour, of 93 live concerts in stadiums all over Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Each concert was one and a half hours of non-stop perfection. The DVD, ‘Alchemy: Dire Straits Live’ is still available to purchase and you can see and hear more of Mark Knopfler’s guitar skills and the Dire Straits band in Romeo and Juliet (8:17mins), Tunnel of Love (14:29mins, but this version cut down to 10mins with Mark teasing the audience for over 4mins with a long intro) and Telegraph Road (13:37mins), every track on the DVD is superb. Also, do read the bass guitarist, John Illsley’s, book ‘My Life in Dire Straits’ where John describes the bands journey starting in London and how they arrived at this level of excellence.
Funny you mentioned that he looks like a tennis player :D I saw a reaction video on "sultans of swing" from an american guy who said. "This guy looks like John Mcenroe, smashing on a guitar", and "That tennis player is the best guitarist i've ever seen" :D
I always love the "Tennis player" references as far as John McEnroe wants his outfit back.... It was easy, Marks hair had beginning to dissapear, which was a no-go for a pop star, so the hair band just covered that, wrist bands just fitted to the head band.
MK said it was to hold back the sweat from the hot lights in those days
Sorry, but the tennis and hairline references are completely wrong. (??) Please check your facts first.
Yes, I heard him say in an interview that the lights in the performance venues back then were very hot, and he would sweat onto his guitar, and that would interfere with his playing, so he used sweat bands to keep sweat out of his eyes and off his instrument. Later lights were cooler, and he didn’t need the sweat bands anymore. They were never a fashion statement for him.
Take a look to Wembley '85 version of this song. :) The final solo blows away anything
It always takes me back to being a child and passing Spanish city with my dad. The lights were amazing
Thank for your thoughts keep doing it. I had the utter joy of seen Alchemy hot and sweaty and utterly joyous
Hey just wanted to let you know I really enjoy your breakdowns of the Dire Straits songs you've reviewed thus far. What an amazing performance and I really enjoy how quickly you can pick up and play. Many of the Dire Straits songs take you on a journey and its just great to sit back and see where they take you. I wish a lot more music nowadays imitated this art. Thanks for the review.
The organ intro is The Carousel Waltz from Rogers and Hammerstein's 1945 musical Carousel.
That aside, this recording is a masterclass in the art of leaving just the right number of gaps in the music. Then when he does play, he use the right number of notes and something inside yells "YESSSSS!"
I also loved the piano background in that piece in the ending solo it adds so much to the guitar solo.
Oh lord what a song. I felt young again after 40 years. :) I liked your reaction a lot and there is wisdom in your words in the end. Thank you
He's a true artist..
Loved this reaction and the philosophical bent! The music is transformative as you say. I would be interested on your take of his instrumental ‘Going Home’.
Thx for your reaction on this masterpiece of music.
Youre so right. Mark is a leader with the correct behaviour. He is a genius and wirh this great musicians by his side he was able to show all his skills.
Saw Dire Straits and Mark live several times and i always was deeply impressed.
Watch out for his just released version of the "Local Hero" theme. ITS FANTASTIC.
Great Song, great reaction, but you have missed quite a part of the intro!
I think you should play your guitar anytime you want to. It’s your channel. I enjoy your reactions.
Thank you!
My favorite DS song!
The song is about an amusement park from his youth. He has said that people like Bruce Springsteen wrote about their places, so he did the same.
He mentions Rockaway, too, out in New York state.
As an italian 58 yo i am crying Like a stupid Child . That s was my youth ..the best days of my Life
So nice to see another generation loving Dire Straits 😊 The piano intro is a quote from the Rogers & Hammerstein musical "Carousel", which is pretty dark as musicals go.
Спасибо!
Hi. I love your reactions to Dire Straits. I bought you a coffee And the song to check out is Telegraph Road
Master Mark, the GOAT.
Please PLAY. You are not only a technical virtuoso, a master... but also definitelly a very sensitive and emotional musician. Your reactions are DEEP and your playing is accurate and personal.
great reaction! Be sure to check out “Tunnel of Love” live at Wembley 85, for me this absolutely amazing song is even more perfect, it takes you straight to heaven
I like how you do your reactions including your play along on guitar. Keep it up.
Thank you ❤
The Spanish city is a funfair in Newcastle where he was brought up
I saw an interview where Mark says he wears the headband because he sweats so much from his forehead and it drips over his face and on to his guitar. It's not a fashion statement but is practical.
No body playes guitar like knopler he's amazing
If you like guitarrists who master the fingerpicking technique you should really dive into Lindsey Buckingham (from Fleetwood Mac). I suggest (and would love to see) you listen to So Afraid Live 1997 from "The Dance" by Fleetwood Mac. One of the greatest live solos ever. Keep doing this Great work!
As for the T-Shirt, I recently had one printed for me. Love it. I found a comment from this guy on Reddit:
"It's the symbol for "c more tone", a company that was/is connected to the band at the time of the alchemy tour. I remember asking at the time when I bought the t shirt in an '86 concert."
Don't know if it is true, but hey, lets all agree it is a damn fine T-Shirt. And it invites mystery, so lets keep it a secret;)
He is not a great singer, but he will make you cry. Brilliant composer and guitarist. Now go watch The Who, Live.
I don’t know anything deeper about the arrows logo but it was used on the record, cd etc covers as kind of a logo for the Alchemy album. Maybe a kind of something from nothing idea , (alchemy being the idea of turning lesser things into gold )
The one and only
You should really react to some of the songs by Dire Straits from the concert ‘On The Night’. Amazing songs!
Enjoyed your reaction.
You should try Single Handed Sailor , live at rockpalast 1979 , it s the most underrated song from DS