Privateering on MK.COM

[Selexin]

96kbps is not very nice at all... Still, I think we are being a little greedy here.

We can all bask in the glory of vinyl quality soon (for the deluxe fans here)

[TJ]

Hey, where is it ?? Am I blind  At work I could at least watch the link (it was under the link to Redbud Tree, right?) And now I

[Mona Dee]

Ah yes, thank you !!!

[Rail King]

I can't hear any clapping though...

AAAAH, now, yes... took me some time, quite background... (WHAT ARE YOU SAYING???  )

When the first instrumental part starts (the band part I mean), it sounds quite comped... And I wonder what the synths sound at the very end has to do with it all... Couldn't it have been the last "breath" of Mike's Uilleann Pipes to end the song?

And I had hoped for some more powerful drumming at the end like the Hannover live version for example.. But you can't have it all... 

But all in all great tune, Mark covered the singing pretty perfect on stage, nearly no difference in phrasing and pronouncing which is quite unusual with Mark.

LE

Totally agree, LE. The band break-in sounds comped (well, it is comped), and the synth at the end is utterly useless. Any pipe, accordion or even the harmonium would have done the job better. Sometimes I wonder if Guy Fletcher just had his way, or if Mark really wants him to add synths. After Shangri-La and Kill to Get Crimson, I was hoping that Mark would finally abandon synth sounds – they just don't fit his songs, I think – but with Get Lucky, they came back, and now here they are again, damaging this wonderful song. They don't ruin it, of course - the song is way too strong for that - but still. Why in world ... when it comes to production, Mark, Guy and Chuck could learn a bit or two from the Dylan crew ...

[El Macho]

What guitar does MK use in Privateering?
Is it the Martin or the National?
I would say Martin as it sounds more like Marbletown.
And it's true, there's a similarity with The man's too strong. I'd love to hear it live !

[dmg]

What guitar does MK use in Privateering?
Is it the Martin or the National?
I would say Martin as it sounds more like Marbletown.
And it's true, there's a similarity with The man's too strong. I'd love to hear it live !

As in Haul Away, he seems to abandon the National for perhaps the Martin or some other acoustic.  I prefer these in sound for the songs because we could hardly hear Mark's National in the live shows, but I doubt we'll hear them like that live because they rely on higher accuracy playing and more energy!

[another brother]

Though the compression - quality is low at MK.com of this song, i think this is one of the greatest sound designs Knopfler ever has created.
It

[Love Expresso]

I must admit that since I heard it complete this songs has nearly become a skipper for me - instead the live on stage version would have been the best. I don't know what these "industrial" hammering sounds have to do it, and the background singing is funny the first two times but annoys me in the meantime - too silly and not rhythmic enough (to make an audience sing along...). Also the synth ending disturbs me. The singing is great, the guitar part is great, but some of the live versions are better done. Would have been nice to have them in an official downloadable version. Probably too much Fletcher influence.

LE

[another brother]

i think exactly different on this song 

the "industrial" hammer are the sabres of the pirates, the chains of the ships, ... many levels to discover

this will be great on my big loudspeakers and vinyl player

[jbaent]

The synth sound is not a synth, is the pipes played by McGodrick. When you push the bag, the pipe make a sound, then you play notes and that sound becomes music, when not playing notes, or stopping playing, the pipes do that sound.

[superval99]

I love both the album version and also the live ones and when Mark does the little humming bits, I can't resist joining in!   I believe the pipes sound is called the drone btw! 

[Rail King]

i think exactly different on this song 

the "industrial" hammer are the sabres of the pirates, the chains of the ships, ... many levels to discover

this will be great on my big loudspeakers and vinyl player

Interesting take on the song! I find the design intriguing, too, I just don't think it works too well with those fade-outs and the synth in the end. It's amazing that Mark would record a song like that with both guitar and voice tracked live, simultaneously. He'd better stick with that "natural" approach and not let Guy Fletcher interfere too much. Or maybe he really asks for the synths and all? I don't know. All I know is that they don't fit his music in my opinion.

[Rail King]

The synth sound is not a synth, is the pipes played by McGodrick. When you push the bag, the pipe make a sound, then you play notes and that sound becomes music, when not playing notes, or stopping playing, the pipes do that sound.

JBaent, are you sure about this? That sound that accompanies the guitar to the very end, coming from the pipes? I'd LOVE to believe this, but I find it hard. Are you 100% sure? Oh, you know what, I'll just ask Guy Fletcher himself.

[Rail King]

... I can hear "the drone", and you might be right about that, but that's not the very last sound in the song we talk about, I believe. The pipes (or whatever it is) are there for quite some time, while the "synth" sound can only be heard at the very end.

[superval99]

... I can hear "the drone", and you might be right about that, but that's not the very last sound in the song we talk about, I believe. The pipes (or whatever it is) are there for quite some time, while the "synth" sound can only be heard at the very end.

I have just listened again and I think it is a synth sound at the very end, not a drone.