(8) Watch me gone

[2manyguitars]

I much prefer Greg Leisz than Paul Franklin. He seems to have his own sound and play with real feeling not a Nashville hack. What key is he playing in? It sounds different then the usual crying steel guitar sound.

Calling Paul Franklin a Nashville hack is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever read, anywhere.

Yep absolute genius. Took pedal steel to corners of the musical world it had no right to go. Up there with Bela Fleck and Tommy E as one of the best.

Dusty, have you ever played one? You really get an appreciation of how great someone like PF is by sitting behind one. It's complexity as an instrument is overlooked....

Yes, I own a basic 3 pedal one. I can get by well enough on some basics to play it live. They sound so cool that even a few basic bends will impress people!

But PF is on another planet.

Sounds great! I'm lucky to have one in the studio although it doesn't get the use it should really. With the full 8 pedals and knee levers I can't think of a more complex instrument to master....

[Banjo99uk]

In the first moments of the song I thought, here we go, a beautiful Knopfler song. Then it fizzled out and went nowhere. It is a nice song that could have been so much better in another producers hands maybe.

[Robson]

According to Rolling Stone Italy:

 "Mark Knopfler says goodbye to Newcastle in 'Watch Me Gone'.

A departing train, a city, someone to say goodbye to, a dream that only one in a million can achieve. Watch Me Gone is the story of when Knopfler left Newcastle upon Tyne in northern England to pursue his desire to be a musician."

Years 1956 -1967. But already in Newcastle he was fulfilling his dreams. Duet with Sue Hercombe:)

[Rolo]

And you honestly don't think this means anything?

Come on that's the harshest of criticism. Better to say it doesn't mean anything to you. Doesn't mean it lacks intrinsic artistic value....

What I said maybe was misunderstood because a language barrier.
What i said about "The songs need to mean something" it's not about don't having meaning to someone. Every person reacts different to, in our case, music.

What i wanted do say when the new MK material has a lack of meaning, in reality is about lack of purpose/passion/intensity/power.
Nowadays, is too much generic. Almost played on autopilot.

The song WMG is there, when i listen, i feel that something is missing and i am not talking about MK's guitar work. As i said before, a MK album is made by several people.

Pavel said a interesting stuff about MK change his BG/96ers habits.
I totally agree with him.

[Silvertown]

I think this a result from how Mark wants it to be nowadays. Deliver these "simple" songs. Surely, he or others could arrange these songs sound more like DS or even that Knopfler from Shangri-La or Get lucky period with typical drums and bass and more easy-to-catch structure. I am lucky, because I find at least something interesting on every song that he delivers.

[quizzaciously]

And you honestly don't think this means anything?

Come on that's the harshest of criticism. Better to say it doesn't mean anything to you. Doesn't mean it lacks intrinsic artistic value....

What I said maybe was misunderstood because a language barrier.
What i said about "The songs need to mean something" it's not about don't having meaning to someone. Every person reacts different to, in our case, music.

What i wanted do say when the new MK material has a lack of meaning, in reality is about lack of purpose/passion/intensity/power.
Nowadays, is too much generic. Almost played on autopilot.

The song WMG is there, when i listen, i feel that something is missing and i am not talking about MK's guitar work. As i said before, a MK album is made by several people.

Pavel said a interesting stuff about MK change his BG/96ers habits.
I totally agree with him.

The funniest thing is for us sceptics, at least I'm talking about myself, blind admiration and constant praise are as disturbing as constant scepticism for someone who's more economical with criticism. I've read things like it's the best song they ever heard, and people cried listening to it. Then I wonder, if "Watch Me Gone" makes you cry, what "Schindler's List" theme will do to you? Annihilate?

The truth, as always, is something in between. There is a kernel of overall laziness in this production, Mark being Mark, Guy being Guy, and the song is touching if you're looking for it. "Time for me to disappear" coming from MK is a bit of revelation and touching as hell. The question is, on this scale with emotions on one side, and rationality on the other, what wins? To me, it's, unfortunately, the latter.

[quizzaciously]

Like I just recently watched "Interstellar" for the first time, and it's one of the worst movies I ever seen. But it's quite emotional as well, once you try to look past all its flaws. So I'm in this constant battle of admiring the emotional side, the accuracy of [most] physics portrayed in the movie. But I can't always look past all the flaws, from the ridiculous, childish and saccharine plot, happy end, lazy tributes to other sci-fi movies, the supposed main human villain being named "Mann", as in "man", you see? Man is bad! Also, weak women characters, deus ex machina all over the place. But the music is so great, and the practical effects are so great, and the science is so good, stop tearing me apart! The main question is — would I describe it as the best movie ever made? Would I watch it again? And the answer is NO.

[Matchstickman]

What Mark should have done years ago, for variation, is to hire Daniel Lanois and give him free hands. Lanois is the man behind two of Dylan's best records, and the moody atmosphere on those is sublime.

[Knopflerfan]

Stunningly beautiful track reminiscent of 'follow the ribbon'

[Love Expresso]

What Mark should have done years ago, for variation, is to hire Daniel Lanois and give him free hands. Lanois is the man behind two of Dylan's best records, and the moody atmosphere on those is sublime.

Yes, Oh, Mercy and Time Out Of Mind. I agree that they are among Bob's best albums. I remember that Guy once has been asked about Lanois and his answer was no, he is way too left or something like that. Never understood exactly what he meant by that.

LE

[Matchstickman]

What Mark should have done years ago, for variation, is to hire Daniel Lanois and give him free hands. Lanois is the man behind two of Dylan's best records, and the moody atmosphere on those is sublime.

Yes, Oh, Mercy and Time Out Of Mind. I agree that they are among Bob's best albums. I remember that Guy once has been asked about Lanois and his answer was no, he is way too left or something like that. Never understood exactly what he meant by that.

LE

Interesting! Maybe out of left field...? 

[Love Expresso]

I mean  understand left as political direction of course but why should that be important in terms of producing music? So I guess it's another language-barrier-mystery to me 

LE

[quizzaciously]

What Mark should have done years ago, for variation, is to hire Daniel Lanois and give him free hands. Lanois is the man behind two of Dylan's best records, and the moody atmosphere on those is sublime.

Yes, Oh, Mercy and Time Out Of Mind. I agree that they are among Bob's best albums. I remember that Guy once has been asked about Lanois and his answer was no, he is way too left or something like that. Never understood exactly what he meant by that.

LE

Interesting! Maybe out of left field...? 

Interesting info indeed. So it further solidifies the point that this approach is intentional. I think "left" in this context is quite obvious. Right is the right (aka Mark's) way, and left is everything we mere plebs are discussing here. As in more variety in musicians and producers, acoustic versions of stuff, experiments with sound. Somehow Mark managed to put his main teacher and inspiration to shame with his consistency

[H97]

^ I think it simply stands for 'left of field', which is quite common musical jargon to say 'experimental' when you regard that term as a synonym for 'weird' and want to be nice. They obviously wouldn't want Lanois to go all Achtung Baby on them

[dustyvalentino]

I mean  understand left as political direction of course but why should that be important in terms of producing music? So I guess it's another language-barrier-mystery to me 

LE

MK is pretty left politically. At least as left as you can claims to be as a multimillionaire with various mansions and sports cars.

So I don’t think it’s political.