Mark Knopfler albums

HAL9000

I already own 'Sailing to Philadelphia' and 'Roadrunning'. What else would you good folk in FB land recommend? Thanks.

bingefeller

@richardhomer is a big fan and could probably recommend you something.  

richardhomer

bingefeller said:

@richardhomer is a big fan and could probably recommend you something.  

Tracker which came out last year is really good. Quite folky/bluesy like much of his solo stuff but some classic MK 'character' songs. The guitar playing is - if anything - even more underplayed that on his recent work.

Basil and River Town are stand out tracks for me. Probably the most consistent album of his solo career.

SRich

Missing Presumed Having a Good Time - Notting Hillbillies

Shangri La - for more Dire Straits stuff

Privateering - as a double album it gives a wider breadth of more recent MK.

ICBM

Shangri-La is good too.

I also have Screenplaying, which is a compilation of some of his film-score work - worth getting if you don't have the individual albums.

Brize

richardhomer said:

bingefeller said:

@richardhomer is a big fan and could probably recommend you something.  

Tracker which came out last year is really good. Quite folky/bluesy like much of his solo stuff but some classic MK 'character' songs. The guitar playing is - if anything - even more underplayed that on his recent work.

Basil and River Town are stand out tracks for me. Probably the most consistent album of his solo career.

I agree with Richard on this. I'm a big Mark Knopfler fan and have all of his albums but they do tend to be a bit patchy, with only a couple of great songs on each. Tracker, though, is strong all the way through.

The Shangri-La album is also very good, although my favourite Knopfler song is Hill Farmer's Blues from The Ragpicker's Dream. 

HAL9000

Tracker ordered (... and Privateering on my Amazon wish list). Thanks all.

english_bob

Does "Neck and Neck" with Chet Atkins count? Lots of tasty guitar playing on that one. Production is a little dated and sounds rather tame, but you can't knock the playing.

HAL9000

english_bob said:

Does "Neck and Neck" with Chet Atkins count? Lots of tasty guitar playing on that one. Production is a little dated and sounds rather tame, but you can't knock the playing.

I think it counts. Just wary of anything my mum's got a copy of. Not being sarcastic - she really does have a copy.

Rocker

Cal. MK did the music arrangement on the film IIRC, he played some tracks too. And he played guitar on the song The Kings Call with Phil Lynott. Also he played guitar and produced the album Miracle by Willy DeVille.

richardhomer

Rocker said:

Cal. MK did the music arrangement on the film IIRC, he played some tracks too. And he played guitar on the song The Kings Call with Phil Lynott. Also he played guitar and produced the album Miracle by Willy DeVille.

Not forgetting he played pretty much all the guitars on Dylan's 'Slow Train Coming'.

His playing on that album is sublime. Highly recommended.

Rocker

Not a fan of Dylan but if I come across 'Slow Train Coming' in a (charity) shop, I will definitely buy it.

richardhomer

Rocker said:

Not a fan of Dylan but if I come across 'Slow Train Coming' in a (charity) shop, I will definitely buy it.

You don't have to be really - it's a very accessible album - it's about £6 on Amazon. Worth it just to hear how Knopfler fits in with someone else's songs - masterful guitar playing.

close2u

richardhomer said:

Not forgetting he played pretty much all the guitars on Dylan's 'Slow Train Coming'.

His playing on that album is sublime. Highly recommended.

And Infidels - which is a superb Bob Dylan album.
Very accessible.
He produced it too.
It had Sly & Robbie on there also.
Highly recommended.

dilbert

I'm surprised nobody has volunteered "On every street" which is outstanding and I also agree with the nominations for "Shangri-la". Biggest disappointment goes to "Golden Heart", I really don't get that album at all. 

ICBM

dilbert said:

I'm surprised nobody has volunteered "On every street" which is outstanding 

Technically it's a Dire Straits album… although you can be forgiven for not realising, since it does sound more like a MK solo album .