A Mark In Time

Mark Knopfler Discussion => Almost Straits => Topic started by: Reuben Reynolds on March 24, 2018, 11:36:53 PM

Title: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: Reuben Reynolds on March 24, 2018, 11:36:53 PM
Check out this recording of Dylan covering Sultans of Swing, love the sound that he has been able to create.

What do you guys think?

https://youtu.be/btEY7fOfGFs
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: quizzaciously on March 24, 2018, 11:48:55 PM
Never heard that tune before... From which album it comes from?
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: Love Expresso on March 25, 2018, 01:05:37 PM
When I saw the clip last night you have been my first thought, foma.  :lol

LE
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: jbaent on March 25, 2018, 03:42:50 PM
A nice version of that John Foggerty song...
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: quizzaciously on March 25, 2018, 03:54:02 PM
When I saw the clip last night you have been my first thought, foma.  :lol

LE


Made my day :lol :lol :lol
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: Eddie Fox on March 26, 2018, 12:38:30 AM
I fail to understand people who record versions of original songs trying to replicate every bit of them. What’s the point? At least try something different...
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: quizzaciously on March 26, 2018, 10:24:52 AM
I fail to understand people who record versions of original songs trying to replicate every bit of them. What’s the point? At least try something different...

I guess they'd say it's because the original version is so superb you should learn it first, because to break the rules you need to know the rules in the first place. But I must admit that blind copy/paste of Mark's lines, solos and stuff is tasteless as it can be, especially on a Strat. When Mark sometimes sounds like a parody on himself, people who replicate his sound is even worse.

When I pick up a Strat I almost feel ashamed to use the second bridge+middle position because it instantly creates this MK sound. In fact, I deliberately avoid this position when I play Strat so not to sound like MK, yes it's that complicated.
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: Eddie Fox on March 26, 2018, 02:14:22 PM
I fail to understand people who record versions of original songs trying to replicate every bit of them. What’s the point? At least try something different...

I guess they'd say it's because the original version is so superb you should learn it first, because to break the rules you need to know the rules in the first place. But I must admit that blind copy/paste of Mark's lines, solos and stuff is tasteless as it can be, especially on a Strat. When Mark sometimes sounds like a parody on himself, people who replicate his sound is even worse.

When I pick up a Strat I almost feel ashamed to use the second bridge+middle position because it instantly creates this MK sound. In fact, I deliberately avoid this position when I play Strat so not to sound like MK, yes it's that complicated.

Your work is completely different from this guy's. I see what you do as tutorials and it's amazingly well done. This dude simply recorded Sultans trying to emulate every single piece of it. I mean, it's a nice to have, but artistically speaking it's just meh.
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: PensaGhost on March 26, 2018, 03:46:20 PM
If you want to improvise on Mozart you should at least be Beethoven
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: Eddie Fox on March 26, 2018, 05:50:55 PM
If you want to improvise on Mozart you should at least be Beethoven

No need to impro. We are talking about different things.
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: PensaGhost on March 26, 2018, 06:18:26 PM
If you want to improvise on Mozart you should at least be Beethoven

No need to impro. We are talking about different things.

that is ?
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: Eddie Fox on March 26, 2018, 07:18:11 PM
If you want to improvise on Mozart you should at least be Beethoven

No need to impro. We are talking about different things.

that is ?

Well, you're talking about improvisation which means, for example, coming up with different licks to Sultans of Swing as you play it. That's what Mark does every show. I'm talking about what The Killers did with R&J, giving their own interpretation to the song, same as Clapton did with I Shot the Sheriff and After Midnight.

What this guy did isn't any of those. Here's an explanation I googled up.

- A cover usually refers to a reinterpretation. This might take the form of creating an acoustic version, a different arrangement, or even just taking the lyrics and coming up with an entirely new melody. E.g.: Eric Clapton - I Shot the Sheriff

- A remake is an attempt at reproduction, playing the song the same way it was originally played. The remakers might put their own twist on it or they might get very technical and try to be exacting, but ultimately it's the same style as the original. E.g.: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing






Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: PensaGhost on March 26, 2018, 07:48:53 PM
If you want to improvise on Mozart you should at least be Beethoven

No need to impro. We are talking about different things.

that is ?

Well, you're talking about improvisation which means, for example, coming up with different licks to Sultans of Swing as you play it. That's what Mark does every show. I'm talking about what The Killers did with R&J, giving their own interpretation to the song, same as Clapton did with I Shot the Sheriff and After Midnight.

What this guy did isn't any of those. Here's an explanation I googled up.

- A cover usually refers to a reinterpretation. This might take the form of creating an acoustic version, a different arrangement, or even just taking the lyrics and coming up with an entirely new melody. E.g.: Eric Clapton - I Shot the Sheriff

- A remake is an attempt at reproduction, playing the song the same way it was originally played. The remakers might put their own twist on it or they might get very technical and try to be exacting, but ultimately it's the same style as the original. E.g.: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing

fair enough

by 'improvise' I meant what you call 'reinterpretation'

but you need to be at least at the same level of the original artist to try that and you also need to be very brave because
even if you are at the same level a reinterpretation will sound crap 99% of the times
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: Eddie Fox on March 26, 2018, 08:24:13 PM
That depends. Joan Baez recorded a beautiful version of Brothers in Arms without guitar solos. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Of course if you are a lame musician it will never work but you might be a very skilled musician and still ruin a song by overplaying, for example.

This is exactly when Mark's song is king motto comes in handy.
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: primi on March 26, 2018, 08:26:41 PM
I fail to understand people who record versions of original songs trying to replicate every bit of them. What’s the point? At least try something different...

I guess they'd say it's because the original version is so superb you should learn it first, because to break the rules you need to know the rules in the first place. But I must admit that blind copy/paste of Mark's lines, solos and stuff is tasteless as it can be, especially on a Strat. When Mark sometimes sounds like a parody on himself, people who replicate his sound is even worse.

It's whatever cooks your noodle isn't it. If it inspires you to play the guitar than that's great. Who knows what that can lead to.

Perhaps you should look at it as something similar to a famous pianist playing piano concerto numero whatever written by a famous writer Somebody. I'm not into music and performances like that so don't take it for granted but I believe the notes are there, they can't really change anything can they? So they have to play the right notes but they can play them in a certain unique way. At least I think that's how it works. If that comparison makes sense?
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: Eddie Fox on March 26, 2018, 08:28:46 PM
This is a very 'good' example of a skilled guitar player ruining Sultans of Swing by overplaying:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLJHX5yaumA
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: Eddie Fox on March 26, 2018, 08:36:31 PM
Now this is an amazing cover. Pedro changed the song and it still sounds great:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKN9c1llqhc
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: primi on March 26, 2018, 08:56:55 PM
I like this version better

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFDFpS9_ZWY

but it's the same guy  :clap

Good job on your filing system! You have bad versions bookmarked as well.  ;D
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: Eddie Fox on March 26, 2018, 09:03:55 PM
I like this version better

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFDFpS9_ZWY

but it's the same guy  :clap

Good job on your filing system! You have bad versions bookmarked as well.  ;D

Sultans of Swing is an endless source of good and bad covers lol

This one with Tommy is superb!
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: PensaGhost on March 26, 2018, 09:04:39 PM
That depends. Joan Baez recorded a beautiful version of Brothers in Arms without guitar solos. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Of course if you are a lame musician it will never work but you might be a very skilled musician and still ruin a song by overplaying, for example.

This is exactly when Mark's song is king motto comes in handy.

Joan Baez's Brothers in Arms is maybe the only great cover of a DS song, but infact it's not a 'reinterpretation', it's basically the original song with a different beautiful voice
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: PensaGhost on March 26, 2018, 09:10:16 PM
This is a very 'good' example of a skilled guitar player ruining Sultans of Swing by overplaying:

If you asked Gilmour to be a MK in Sultans of Swing it would sound crap
If you asked Knopfler to be a DG in Comfortably Numb it would sound crap
If you asked Clapton to be a MK in Telegraph Road it would sound crap
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: Eddie Fox on March 26, 2018, 09:34:47 PM
This is a very 'good' example of a skilled guitar player ruining Sultans of Swing by overplaying:

If you asked Gilmour to be a MK in Sultans of Swing it would sound crap
If you asked Knopfler to be a DG in Comfortably Numb it would sound crap
If you asked Clapton to be a MK in Telegraph Road it would sound crap

Perhaps Gilmour would give us a great Brothers in Arms version, Mark would deliver a nice Us and Them and Clapton would do an awesome Fade to Black cover.
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: Eddie Fox on March 26, 2018, 09:36:05 PM
And just for the record, back in 1991-1992 Mark would nail Comfortably Numb!
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: primi on March 26, 2018, 10:08:49 PM
He used to could....
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: quizzaciously on March 26, 2018, 10:27:01 PM
It's whatever cooks your noodle isn't it. If it inspires you to play the guitar than that's great. Who knows what that can lead to.

Perhaps you should look at it as something similar to a famous pianist playing piano concerto numero whatever written by a famous writer Somebody. I'm not into music and performances like that so don't take it for granted but I believe the notes are there, they can't really change anything can they? So they have to play the right notes but they can play them in a certain unique way. At least I think that's how it works. If that comparison makes sense?

Interesting. Classical music have something that no other type of music have — the composer here always goes before the performer. It can't be "Mark Knopfler performing Chopin" (imagine that!), it always will be like "CHOPIN, Waltz Op. 64 No. 2 performed by Mark Knopfler".

In the other hand, I can't say Sultans Of Swing is something around the greatness of classical music composers. It's a good song with a great hook, lyrics and sound, but I never wanted to recreate it in any shape or form. People here know that I basically hate Sultans. I wish Mark would drop it, which he almost did. But, "twiddly bits". Oh my God...
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: Eddie Fox on March 26, 2018, 11:43:26 PM
I still love Sultans but only versions from the good old days.
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: dmg on March 27, 2018, 12:18:44 PM
This is a very 'good' example of a skilled guitar player ruining Sultans of Swing by overplaying:

If you asked Gilmour to be a MK in Sultans of Swing it would sound crap
If you asked Knopfler to be a DG in Comfortably Numb it would sound crap
If you asked Clapton to be a MK in Telegraph Road it would sound crap

Perhaps Gilmour would give us a great Brothers in Arms version, Mark would deliver a nice Us and Them and Clapton would do an awesome Fade to Black cover.

Didn't he used to do Setting Me Up live?
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: Eddie Fox on March 27, 2018, 02:23:54 PM
He did but Albert Lee would sing it.
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: PensaGhost on March 27, 2018, 03:18:57 PM
People here know that I basically hate Sultans.

Red Card
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: jbaent on March 27, 2018, 03:53:25 PM
I don't like it either...

The twiddle bits at the end are nice but is just an scale exercise, the rest of the song is good but very far to be a favourite to me.
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: JF on March 27, 2018, 06:47:50 PM
He did but Albert Lee would sing it.

in fact Albert Lee covered the song on his solo album "Hiding" (79), and he played it live while being guitarist on EC tour in 79-80
and of course this tour has been relaesed on EC's "just one night" live album, but EC did not really cover the song on his own

http://www.mk-guitar.com/2009/07/15/cover-version-of-setting-me-up-by-albert-lee/ (http://www.mk-guitar.com/2009/07/15/cover-version-of-setting-me-up-by-albert-lee/)
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: Eddie Fox on March 27, 2018, 08:11:53 PM
He did but Albert Lee would sing it.

in fact Albert Lee covered the song on his solo album "Hiding" (79), and he played it live while being guitarist on EC tour in 79-80
and of course this tour has been relaesed on EC's "just one night" live album, but EC did not really cover the song on his own

http://www.mk-guitar.com/2009/07/15/cover-version-of-setting-me-up-by-albert-lee/ (http://www.mk-guitar.com/2009/07/15/cover-version-of-setting-me-up-by-albert-lee/)

Exactly, I have that double album. And Albert often jokes about it saying Mark never thanked him!
Title: Re: Dylan Smith - Sultans of Swing
Post by: Eddie Fox on March 27, 2018, 08:37:54 PM
Wow, just came across this gem!

https://youtu.be/Huf7TQXYnew