SPOILERS: John Illsley will publish a book about Dire Straits

[dmg]

As far as I'm concerned Ed was the one who cared about us the fans and the albums released under him contained plenty of what I would call Mark's trademarks.  Labelled "The voice and guitar of Dire Straits" they appealed to his army of loyal fans for obvious reasons.

When Ed departed and "yes man" PC came in we were met with a new brand of music that Mark wanted but with no regard to his loyal fans and perhaps even some great guitar-driven songs left out.

When it comes to touring just about every artist pleases their fans by playing favourite songs because they've been milestones in their lives.  Not our Mark!  He plays obscure ones from recent works leaving out his signature songs.

Now before Robson has a fit and Stanko finds a quote [only joking guys] ask yourself would any other artist do this and really get away with it unless they surrounded themselves with yes men?  That's why Ed bit the dust and sadly, for us he was one of the best things that ever happened to Mark.

[Mudrian]

When it comes to touring just about every artist pleases their fans by playing favourite songs because they've been milestones in their lives.  Not our Mark!  He plays obscure ones from recent works leaving out his signature songs.

I don't agree with you , Mark has always said that he was aware that some songs are , as you say, milestones , and he new that he had to play them for what they mean to fans , but in another hand , after so many years of touring , you can understand that he wants to skip some and try to promote new ones , he has been working on.

[dmg]

When it comes to touring just about every artist pleases their fans by playing favourite songs because they've been milestones in their lives.  Not our Mark!  He plays obscure ones from recent works leaving out his signature songs.

I don't agree with you , Mark has always said that he was aware that some songs are , as you say, milestones , and he new that he had to play them for what they mean to fans , but in another hand , after so many years of touring , you can understand that he wants to skip some and try to promote new ones , he has been working on.

He's said that often, which is why I used his own words, but never really lived up to it as far as I'm concerned.  Playing BIA at a handful of shows in an entire tour just does not cut it for example.

[Mudrian]

I fully understand what you mean , but playing again , and again SOS,TR,RJ,WOL,MFN from his perspective can be a bit "boring"...working hard on new songs , enjoying recording them and not being able to play most of them live because some songs are mandatory to please fans , can be frustrating.

[jbaent]

According to Pick Withers facebook account, run by his wife, Pick is also writing a book of his musical memoirs!

[quizzaciously]

According to Pick Withers facebook account, run by his wife, Pick is also writing a book of his musical memoirs!

Lol! Only Mark is looking forward only, unlike all those losers!

[jbaent]

According to Pick Withers facebook account, run by his wife, Pick is also writing a book of his musical memoirs!

Lol! Only Mark is looking forward only, unlike all those losers!

David was asked in his patreon account and he said he rather tell whatever story on his podcasts in its own patreon, by now, LOL

If David would write one, that would made 4 of 5 early Straits (including Ed...)

[superval99]

When it comes to touring just about every artist pleases their fans by playing favourite songs because they've been milestones in their lives.  Not our Mark!  He plays obscure ones from recent works leaving out his signature songs.

He has been playing the milestones for years - R&J, SOS, BIA, So Far Away, Local Hero, MFN, TR, etc and it was only recently that he stopped playing some of them, either because they were too difficult these days, or because he wanted other less played songs eg OUATITW, Your Latest Trick, Silvertown, OES in the setlist and some new ones too!   Mark can't win!    If he plays the milestones, people say he should drop them and do other songs and when he drops them and plays new stuff, it's still not right!    He does his best, I'm sure, to make a balance, but he can never please everyone!    I'm sure most of us wouldn't want to hear him play the milestones, if he couldn't manage to play them to the best of his ability, would we?

When I listen to older concerts it makes me realise that he covers a great range of songs from his repertoire from tour to tour.  It was only on the last tour that he stopped playing the majority of the milestones.   As for me, I would be happy to hear the more obscure songs from his back catalogue and also some more new ones.   

[jbaent]

I think that what DMG means is that Mk had been saying that BIA was a milestone that he always would play it because it means a lot to fans, and specially BIA had been one of the songs that had been rarely played during his last three or four tours...

[superval99]

I think that what DMG means is that Mk had been saying that BIA was a milestone that he always would play it because it means a lot to fans, and specially BIA had been one of the songs that had been rarely played during his last three or four tours...

I think it's a struggle for him to play it well these days and also some of the other milestones and that is why he has stopped playing them.  He is much better playing songs that he is comfortable playing these days, like the section we heard in the middle of the last tour for example.

[quizzaciously]

Milestones are great, though given Mark's show length is about average, to say the least, not 3 hours or something, song's real estate in the setlist is literally golden, so every song counts. As much as I love Telegraph Road, 15 minutes it occupies in not the biggest set in the world is quite tragic, same with 15 minutes Sultans, 10 minutes Marbletown.

To me, not all milestones are worth playing, probably the single song that's ought to be played and is consistently played every night — is Romeo And Juliet, probably the most anticipated song in the set and the most refined one in terms of the arrangement, the perfect song. Every other 'milestones' Mark successfully threw out in random shows over the years.

[superval99]

Milestones are great, though given Mark's show length is about average, to say the least, not 3 hours or something, song's real estate in the setlist is literally golden, so every song counts. As much as I love Telegraph Road, 15 minutes it occupies in not the biggest set in the world is quite tragic, same with 15 minutes Sultans, 10 minutes Marbletown.

To me, not all milestones are worth playing, probably the single song that's ought to be played and is consistently played every night — is Romeo And Juliet, probably the most anticipated song in the set and the most refined one in terms of the arrangement, the perfect song. Every other 'milestones' Mark successfully threw out in random shows over the years.

I agree, milestones are great, but only if MK is comfortable playing them as he would like them played.   R&J is an exception.  I think he really loves the song and so does the audience generally.  It is the one song that he has played more than any other.

[quizzaciously]

Milestones are great, though given Mark's show length is about average, to say the least, not 3 hours or something, song's real estate in the setlist is literally golden, so every song counts. As much as I love Telegraph Road, 15 minutes it occupies in not the biggest set in the world is quite tragic, same with 15 minutes Sultans, 10 minutes Marbletown.

To me, not all milestones are worth playing, probably the single song that's ought to be played and is consistently played every night — is Romeo And Juliet, probably the most anticipated song in the set and the most refined one in terms of the arrangement, the perfect song. Every other 'milestones' Mark successfully threw out in random shows over the years.

I agree, milestones are great, but only if MK is comfortable playing them as he would like them played.   R&J is an exception.  I think he really loves the song and so does the audience generally.  It is the one song that he has played more than any other.

The funny thing with Romeo And Juliet is that the song is so perfect they couldn't even find a way to play it as a duo with Emmylou Harris, the song is literally perfect the way it is. "Tunnel Of Love" would have a similar kind of vibe to it, even a more refined song than R&J, but we all know the tragedy of Tunnel Of Love never performed again.

That brings a question... What is a milestone? Is 'What It Is' a milestone? It certainly is, but I don't think that somebody cried when it wasn't in the set, because the live version never was as good as the studio version anyway. Is 'Bonaparte' or 'Paraguay' or 'Marbletown' or 'Philadelphia' milestones? Probably... But overplayed already. So, my point is, by 'milestones' Mark means Dire Straits songs, as simple as that. An euphemism for 'songs I'm famous for'.

[qjamesfloyd]

I think some perspective is need here. Firstly, and I have said this before, no-one here knows Mark Knopfler, some may have shaken his hand or spoken briefly to him, but no-one knows him, so it really is hard to form a definitive opinion about Mark's choices, it is often said that Mark has been the bad guy in his choices of band members leaving for example, but why? we don't really know what his relationship was with Pick Withers for example, it is interesting that Mark is the only one not talking about these kind of things, surely he should be given credit for that, instead of him constantly running down his previous band members, just look at David Gilmour & Roger Waters!!

 Can Mark's personality be that bad? Take Emmylou Harris for example, she only had praise for Mark, she and Mark were even photographed with each of their mothers, wouldn't you only introduce nice people to your mother? Emmylou has no reason to be false about Mark, she could and does play with many other artists. Look at the admiration on the face of Bonnie Raitt last year when they played together, what about Chet Atkins, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Nail, I don't recall any of them saying bad thing about Mark, I am not saying Mark is perfect, but I am saying, the people who really know him, don't seem to have a problem with him, of course there are bound to be people who he has played with that have an issue, but not as bad as has been made out. I would much prefer to be a fan of Mark than certain others who are more vocal, I respect Mark for that. I truly believe his choices have always been artistic ones, in the Arena documentary he stated it was never his aim to make a million dollars, I take his word for it, why wouldn't I? again I don't know Mark.

 I recently re-watched the Golden Heart EPK, just listen to excited the band members are to play and tour with Mark, again these are guy who play many, many sessions all the time, so they know the good people from the bad.

 I don't see the point talking about Mark's current guitar abilities one way or the other, he has nothing to prove anymore, and he hasn't for a long time, he is simply one of the greatest players ever to play the instrument, he always will be.

 As long as he keeps recording and playing live whenever he wants to, I am happy, but more to the point, he is happy, he doesn't have to do it, but he wants to do it, I applaud him for that. They are all his songs, and he should, and does have the final say in what he wants to play. He is fully aware of what his audience likes or doesn't like, but if you look from tour to tour, he does play new songs every tour, mixed in with older songs, so I don't see the issue.

 Oh, and I am looking forward to reading John's book.

 

[quizzaciously]

I think some perspective is need here. Firstly, and I have said this before, no-one here knows Mark Knopfler, some may have shaken his hand or spoken briefly to him, but no-one knows him, so it really is hard to form a definitive opinion about Mark's choices, it is often said that Mark has been the bad guy in his choices of band members leaving for example, but why? we don't really know what his relationship was with Pick Withers for example, it is interesting that Mark is the only one not talking about these kind of things, surely he should be given credit for that, instead of him constantly running down his previous band members, just look at David Gilmour & Roger Waters!!

 Can Mark's personality be that bad? Take Emmylou Harris for example, she only had praise for Mark, she and Mark were even photographed with each of their mothers, wouldn't you only introduce nice people to your mother? Emmylou has no reason to be false about Mark, she could and does play with many other artists. Look at the admiration on the face of Bonnie Raitt last year when they played together, what about Chet Atkins, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Nail, I don't recall any of them saying bad thing about Mark, I am not saying Mark is perfect, but I am saying, the people who really know him, don't seem to have a problem with him, of course there are bound to be people who he has played with that have an issue, but not as bad as has been made out. I would much prefer to be a fan of Mark than certain others who are more vocal, I respect Mark for that. I truly believe his choices have always been artistic ones, in the Arena documentary he stated it was never his aim to make a million dollars, I take his word for it, why wouldn't I? again I don't know Mark.

 I recently re-watched the Golden Heart EPK, just listen to excited the band members are to play and tour with Mark, again these are guy who play many, many sessions all the time, so they know the good people from the bad.

 I don't see the point talking about Mark's current guitar abilities one way or the other, he has nothing to prove anymore, and he hasn't for a long time, he is simply one of the greatest players ever to play the instrument, he always will be.

 As long as he keeps recording and playing live whenever he wants to, I am happy, but more to the point, he is happy, he doesn't have to do it, but he wants to do it, I applaud him for that. They are all his songs, and he should, and does have the final say in what he wants to play. He is fully aware of what his audience likes or doesn't like, but if you look from tour to tour, he does play new songs every tour, mixed in with older songs, so I don't see the issue.

 Oh, and I am looking forward to reading John's book.

 

Wise words! It reminds me of the tagline for "Social Network" movie: "You don't get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies." Totally applicable to Mark actually! I'm not a fan of discussing personalities that's for sure. In the long career Mark met and worked with so many people, and made so many fans, that even statistically speaking he's bound to make some people angry for whatever reason, can't be the other way. That's just math!

Mark is the leader and more than that, he's "the guy who wrote the song", so, in the end, song is king. You don't even need to be the leader as long as you write good songs. The music is all that really matters, and in the ideal world it is all that really matters, so again, in the ideal world there should be no books or biographies, because the songs speaks for itself. And that, I think, is that makes Mark not happy about John's book, because he'd be like "Isn't my songs is not enough? What you like to cheapen it a little bit by telling a story of how it was made?'. Mark could be too romantic about it, but in the end he would be right and would have the last laugh. He's the Poirot of songwriters!