Hey guys, so I am 99 percent sure that back in the mid-80s my brother put for me on a cassette mix a very great live recording of "Love Over Gold" title track; he wasn't a very boot-y guy so I always presumed it was legitimately released on some domestic or not hard to find import release; can anyone confirm for me such existed and if so where it could be found on vinyl? (This was still vinyl days.)
I always thought the Twisting EP was MK's way of lightening things up. LOG was wonderful, but very dark and moody. I remember reading reviews at the time suggesting that DS was becoming a prog-type band, with the long songs and intricate arrangements. The Twisting EP went against all that. It's a minor footnote in the band's history, but I like it. It's fun.
Thanks man...so it was NOT on the ALchemy vinyl, the only version of that I had, but later added to CD, huh? Intersting. That wiki link says the "love over gold" track had originally been released seperately---do you know if it was just as a standalone 7 inch single, bonus on some 12 inch, or what? Because it would have been in that form my bro first had it, Alchemy CD I'm pretty sure didn't exist at least in his life yet....
I got completely immersed in this album when I discovered it via guitar friend at 15. I was living in a rural area, nothing happening, the sound in my headphones at night ecstatic, listening to Water of Love intensified my love of music and it's poetic capacity to express love, the first track shows early symphonic element of the band, there are spiritual and mystical elements e.g. on Six Blade Knife (the whispering and bending and circling guitar fills), the guitar solo on Sultans is master virtuosity in very musical form and a holy Grail for guitarists, I very much appreciate the connections with jazz and country music
I had years when I listened to all the band's records but the first is the only one I still listen to regularly and from beginning to end. A true desert island disc for me
The sound on the first two albums is a little minimalist, especially compared to the heavy use of reverb on later albums. The first albums has the informal sound, a little DIY, of a really good rehearsal space or home studio PS mark's singing has a lot of whispering and some singing-talking on this album. A great storyteller
Found this: Dire Straits - Live - Love Over Gold / Solid Rock ..but I guess that belongs to the next entry.
ALCHEMY (straight from Wikepedia this time....sorry, in a rush) 'Alchemy: Dire Straits Live' is a double album and the first live album by the British rock band Dire Straits, released on 16 March 1984 by Vertigo Records internationally, and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. Recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon in London on 22–23 July 1983, the album features the band's best-known and fan-favourite songs from their first four albums, the 'ExtendedancEPlay EP' and Knopfler's 'Local Hero' soundtrack. Many of the songs have reworked arrangements and extended improvisational segments. The album cover is taken from a painting by Brett Whiteley. 'Alchemy: Dire Straits Live' was remastered and re-released on 8 May 2001. Personnel Mark Knopfler – guitar, vocals Alan Clark – keyboards John Illsley – bass guitar, backing vocals Hal Lindes – guitar, backing vocals Terry Williams – drums Additional musicians Mel Collins – saxophone Tommy Mandel – keyboards Joop de Korte – percussion Production Mark Knopfler – producer Mick McKenna – recording engineer Nigel Walker – engineer Jeremy Allom – assistant engineer Brett Whiteley – artwork (adapted from Alchemy 1974) C More Tone Studios – design Recording Alchemy: Dire Straits Live was recorded live at the Hammersmith Odeon in London on 22–23 July 1983, the final two concerts of Dire Straits' eight-month Love Over Gold Tour promoting their album Love Over Gold. The concerts were recorded by Mike McKenna using the Rolling Stones Mobile unit. Nigel Walker was the recording engineer. The recording was mixed at AIR Studios in London in November 1983. "Tunnel of Love" is preceded by a roughly four-minute jam sequence that incorporates elements of the song, followed by the brief "Carousel Waltz" intro and standard version of the song (with improvisation sections). Cover artwork The album cover artwork was adapted from a section of a painting by Brett Whiteley titled Alchemy 1974.[1] Alchemy is a hypothetical process once believed to turn ordinary elements into gold. The image of a guitar with lips held by a hand was added for the album design. The original painting, done between 1972 and 1973, was composed of many different elements and on 18 wood panels 203 cm x 1615 cm x 9 cm. In terms of media it used everything from feathers and part of a bird's nest to a glass eye, shell, plugs and brain in a work that becomes a transmutation of sexual organic landscapes and mindscapes. It has been regarded as a self-portrait, a giant outpouring of energy and ideas brought forth over a long period of time. Critical reception Reviewing for AllMusic, critic William Ruhlmann wrote of the album "There is an interesting contrast .... between the music, much of which is slow and moody, with Mark Knopfler's muttered vocals and large helpings of his fingerpicking on what sounds like an amplified Spanish guitar, and the audience response. The arena-size crowd cheers wildly, and claps and sings along when given half a chance, as though each song were an up-tempo rocker." Ruhlmann concludes, "The CD version of the album contains one extra track, "Love Over Gold", which adds a needed change of pace to the otherwise slow-moving first disc." Track listing All songs were written by Mark Knopfler, except where indicated. LP Release Side one 1. "Once upon a Time in the West" 13:01 2. "Romeo and Juliet" 8:22 Side two 1. "Expresso Love" 5:41 2. "Private Investigations" 7:40 3. "Sultans of Swing" 10:48 Side three 1. "Two Young Lovers" 4:51 2. "Tunnel of Love" (Extract from "The Carousel Waltz" by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II) 14:38 Side four 1. "Telegraph Road" 13:19 2. "Solid Rock" 5:32 3. "Going Home – Theme from 'Local Hero'" 4:58 CD Release "Love over Gold", which had been released as a separate single in 1984, was added into the track list for the CD release, and the fade outs between sides 1 and 2 and sides 3 and 4 have been removed. A number of tracks had their length increased for the CD releases, and the track order is slightly different: "Romeo and Juliet" and "Expresso Love" are in reversed order. Three more songs were recorded live but not included on the official album releases: "Industrial Disease", "Twisting by the Pool", and "Portobello Belle" (an edited version of which was included on the CD version of the compilation Money for Nothing, released in 1988). The CD also contains a remixed version of "Telegraph Road" that appears on Alchemy. Money for Nothing was re-mastered in 1996 as part of the "Dire Straits Re-Mastered" series. This album was then deleted to make way for the Sultans of Swing - The Best of Dire Straits CD released shortly after.
This, to me, is a fantastic document of the band at their peak. This is an actual real live album, and the bonus for me was that it came out with a VHS copy also. I absolutely love this album. For me it is the jewel in the crown of the band. It was recorded when they were big enough to have a following that was large, but before superstardom carried them away, as it does everyone. The vinyl, cd and the VHS had slightly different track listings. the cd 1-1 Once Upon A Time In The West 1-2 Expresso Love 1-3 Romeo And Juliet 1-4 Love Over Gold 1-5 Private Investigations 1-6 Sultans Of Swing 2-1 Two Young Lovers 2-2 Intro (The Carousel Waltz)Written-By – Richard Rodgers 2-3 Tunnel Of Love 2-4 Telegraph Road 2-5 Solid Rock 2-6 Going Home - Theme From 'Local Hero' the vhs 1 –The Drifters Intro - Saturday Night At The MoviesSongwriter – The Drifters 2 –Dire Straits Once Upon A Time In The West 3 –Dire Straits Expresso Love 4 –Dire Straits Romeo And Juliet 5 –Dire Straits Private Investigations 6 –Dire Straits Sultans Of Swing 7 –Dire Straits Two Young Lovers 8 –Dire Straits Tunnel Of Love (The Carousel Waltz) 9 –Dire Straits Telegraph Road 10 –Dire Straits Solid Rock 11 –Dire Straits Going Home - Theme From 'Local Hero' The more recent Bluray 1 –The Drifters Intro - Saturday Night At The Movies 2 –Dire Straits Once Upon A Time In The West 3 –Dire Straits Expresso Love 4 –Dire Straits Romeo And Juliet 5 –Dire Straits Private Investigations 6 –Dire Straits Sultans Of Swing 7 –Dire Straits Two Young Lovers 8 –Dire Straits Tunnel Of Love 9 –Dire Straits Telegraph Road 10 –Dire Straits Solid Rock 11 –Dire Straits Going Home - Theme From 'Local Hero' Live TV Performances 12 –Dire Straits Tunnel Of Love 13 –Dire Straits Sultans Of Swing Documentary 14 –Dire Straits BBC Arena: Dire Straits I'm going to go via the Bluray setlist, because it's my go to, I just love to watch it ... probably my most watched video concert, and I love a good video concert The show starts with Once upon a time in the West, which is a wonderful sprawling jam (my wife wasn't really a fan and she saw me watching the Bluray and said "wow, I never knew they were a jam band", because like most folks, I guess they just knew the MTV band.) Once upon a time in the west is a fantastic idea to start a concert, it is certainly musical, but the mixer has time to get the mix very good before the show moves on too far, and the band has time to get in sync and in the feel of the show, shake off any nerves and find their groove. Expresso Love gives the show a little kick in the pants and like virtually all the tracks sounds and feels a lot better in this environment. The piano comes in beautifully and the song takes off to a new level that the album version didn't quite reach. Romeo and Juliet is a classic augmented by a beautiful piece of intro music with a very cool sax running through it. Of course in the video and at the concert, there is a spotlight on Knopfler's beautiful National guitar and he pans it from side to side creating a light show of its own. Private Investigations .... well it is hard to say it tops the studio version because the studio version is one of the best pieces of music ever recorded, but it certainly does not fall short of the studio version. The dynamic of this performance was stunning back in 1984, I had never heard anyone put it over as well as this. I hear a lot of people talk about a lot of bands as being the best live band and all of that redundant stuff, but these guys are on par with anyone. They don't have to jump up and down or do cartwheels they just play the s**t out of some fantastic music and they never, to the best of my knowledge just played radio edits of their hits. Sultans of Swing again moves up to another level. Again the band isn't dancing in tutu's or running all over the arena, but what they are doing is jamming and putting on a show with the music. The music really did do the talking at a Dire Straits show (btw, I am not knocking bands that do all that stuff, I love them too, but this is just something else) Sultans becomes an epic with more twists and turns than a mountain road, yet both the studio and live versions have their own space, and own reason for existing. Two young lovers kicks in and it is just a bit of fun really. The band essentially playing and old style rock and roll song and taking a breath from the intensity of the first five songs. Tunnel of love is another sensation. i mean I have run out of superlatives to describe how great this is .... if you have never heard it, you must try this album. If you like to watch concerts as I do, you must get the bluray, it is essential. Telegraph road, as you know it is probably my favourite thing they ever did and the live version does not disappoint at all Solid Rock is another song from Making Movies that gets pushed into the stratosphere. The song just lights up in the live setting and you never close a show with a dud, this thing rocks and rolls and brings it all home. Going home was the traditional show closer, to the best of my knowledge from this tour on and it is another song that just does not disappoint. If someone were to say to me "I want one Dire Straits album, what do I get", I would say "Do you like live music?" If the answer was yes, I would say "Well Alchemy is one of the best live albums and video's ever released. I dare you to buy it and then not buy all their albums." Great, great stuff
only five years after the debut album and already stars, from pub rock to Wembley The cinematography of this concert video is supporting the music well. It uses cinematic storytelling to create a wonderful synergy with the cinematic elements in the music (long passages that create atmosphere with synthesizers and reverb, going beyond the conventional mode of a pop song with its progression of structure of verse and chorus)
the arena stage is itself contributing to the monumentality. With Live Aid, it became even bigger but also somewhat pompous (Alchemy is perhaps already somewhat pompous, far from the modest expression of the first two albums)
My Alchemy collection. I like the songs obviously, it is a good sampling of their first 4 albums, although some of the live versions on Alchemy are bloated imo. My main complaint is that nothing I have sounds good to me, even the Bluray. I mean we arent talking about a live recording from the early 70s, this was recorded in 1983. Does anyone have a version where they like the sound quality (maybe the UK Vertigo album)? Or am I just unrealistically expecting something as good as the studio albums and it won’t happen with a live show? Bluray Warner Brothers 2 disc in cardboard box Target cds WB album CRC club edition
Circling back, not that anyone should care other than me, but did finally land a Vertigo CD of Communique. It is the made in WG “red fan” design. I will still be on the lookout for a target and/or blue swirly but at least I have the same early mastering now, sounds great! Edit: only $13 shipped from the classifieds here, thank you @Cardanken, so for those looking for similar you dont have to break the bank
Maybe it is just because it is so mellow? The best sounding song is Sultans by far which is the most upbeat. I find Knopflers lyrics to be extra mumbly and recessed (or boomy) on several of the songs, like Romeo and Juliet and OUATITW. Oh well I’ll just enjoy it for what it is. Gotta like the headband, it was like a throwback to 70s NBA in the 80s.
Looks like it's the same as my copy - you did good on it, it's an amazing disc and I couldn't imagine any better-sounding version out there congrats on your shot
Re: Alchemy, I love, love, love the famous version of Sultans on this one, but I still need to listen to the entire thing at once. I'm more of a studio albums guy tbh and prepare myself for a long, long thread post as soon as we get to Brothers In Arms... you've been warned
Listened to Alchemy all the way through today on CD to have a fresh perspective. It’s a bit of a mixed bag which is my usual take. The highlights - Sultans, Tunnel of Love, Telegraph Road and Romeo and Juliet are great live tunes. Obviously takes a lot of time with each, intros and outros. The OK: OUATITW, Love over Gold, Expresso Love, and Private Investigations (could have been more as a song). Tend to skip: Two Young Lovers, Solid Rock, and Local Hero theme
