For me, 1996 was and IS the best tour of all. MK played much more guitar during the GH tour, concentrated, long virtously played solos, great power chords, great fat Gibson sound, the complete set list was built for a full-of-relish guitar sound, I loved it! He made me gawp at his fingers during Calling Elvis or The Bug, and when he played Going Home in that great style, I thought this cannot be played better.
The 1992 sound was a little bit too "synthetic" in my opinion. However I always loved the Nimes 1992 video more than the Basel show, just because Mark seemed a little bit fresher there. Both were great to have and have of course, they must have been watched on a daily base by me at least for one year after the tour ended (...well, at least parts of it...) And how easy it was in those days to get a complete show, from the first note to the last fire works blast, without any editing or cutting or whatsoever...
Since then, Marks guitar playing declined more and more. Maybe a hard statement (on his birthday) but it is true. Noyadays it is just good music, with somebody also playing guitar on stage. Sometimes. Sultans from 2010 is not more than a shadow from the old days, it hurts me to listen to it these days, he really should not play it anymore. And the most memorable stuff from the 2010 tour is Marbletown or Piper To The End, which of couse sounds so great because of the breat sounding band - not because of a guitar virtuoso! But I think that is exactly the ways he wants it to be! We all have the choice to follow him or not.
LE