Just listened for the first time myself. You are right on the money. It seems I've heard it before but can't place it. I haven't seen the movie "Local Hero" either. Thanks for putting me onto it, its now added to the iPod!
Anyway it's a nice tune and appreciated by many. Not as well known as other Mark Knopfler or Dire Straits tunes.
"Local Hero" -- my favorite movie!
I have the soundtrack and you should track it down. Gorgeous. I don't know if it's available on CD; I own an original pressing of the LP and can just about guarantee that's the better-sounding format.
Mark Knopfler has scored a number of movies, the soundtracks of which are all worth owning. His best were "Local Hero" and "Cal," but "Last Exit to Brooklyn," "The Princess Bride," "Metroland" and "A Shot At Glory" have their moments too.
There was a "best of" CD out a few years ago with selections from all of Mark Knopfler's soundtracks. I don't remember the title.
His solo stuff lately is pretty great. "All The Roadrunning" and "All The Roadrunning" live are great duets with Emmylou Harris.
Mark Knopfler beats out Clapton, Page, Hendrix, McLaughlan. Clapton is ice cold. Page is harshe, Hendrix is vain, and Mclaughlan is well he is.
No one beats out Hendrix. He's the best that ever lived. IMO.
'Question authority. Think for yourself. Filter out the spin. Engage elected officials critically. Make them defend what they're doing in your name. Derive the truth. Speak truth to power.'
Posts: 4544 | Location: Boston | Registered: April 16, 2005
Mark Knopfler beats out Clapton, Page, Hendrix, McLaughlan. Clapton is ice cold. Page is harshe, Hendrix is vain, and Mclaughlan is well he is.
No one beats out Hendrix. He's the best that ever lived. IMO.
Within his short career? Maybe then.
To be "the best" I think you have to show consistency and musical development over the course of decades and not one quick but admittedly considerable burst of creativity.
For all we know, Hendrix -- if he were alive today -- could have had a career arc like Sly Stone. Whereas guys like Clapton are a known quantity. We can speculate otherwise -- that Hendrix could have grown and matured and grown in stature -- but based on what's in my LP rack, speculation is all we can do.
Whereas I can pull out Mark Knopfler's latest album from 2007 or Clapton's and so on. I know what they've done over the course of a long career.
Nothing against Jimi Hendrix...he does a great Watchtower...one of many who recorded that Dylan tune.
I guess Purple Haze is okay when you're 17 and the acid, beer and pot mix are a new experience.
But I truly have to look at what survives on the airwaves today.
I'm not American so The Star Mangled Spanner Woodstock cacophonic catastrophe never left a mark on me.
Johnny Winter, Stevie Ray Vaughn, George Thorogood all had their moments as guitarists go. As did Hendrix. I could never understand the cult status that he has achieved. Marc Bolan and Jim Morrison both checked out early and get more airtime up here.
Mark Knopfler has a lot of dignity. He even cleaned up some homophobic lyrics in Money for Nothing as he got older.
QM Quality does not occur by chance. It is the result of intelligent activities.
Posts: 8749 | Location: Cigar land | Registered: March 10, 2003
Originally posted by QM: He even cleaned up some homophobic lyrics in Money for Nothing as he got older.
And really, it wasn't even him saying them, it was a character who was supposed to be a narrow-minded bigot who delivers appliances for a living and begrudges everyone else their success.
I am a guitar player myself and Mark Knopfler is my favorite. The riff to Sultans of Swing is incredible and of course Money for Nothing is one of the greatest of all time. There may be better guitar players than him, but he's still my favorite.
Posts: 29 | Location: Erie, MI | Registered: December 12, 2007
Nothing against Jimi Hendrix...he does a great Watchtower...one of many who recorded that Dylan tune.
I guess Purple Haze is okay when you're 17 and the acid, beer and pot mix are a new experience.
It's that short, brilliant flash of a career that adds to his mythic status as a guitar player, I think. If he'd lived, who knows ...? But in that brief space of time, no one on the planet played the guitar even close to him.
Forget 'Purple Haze'. Listen to early tracks of 'Little Wing', or 'Voodoo Child (Slight Return)', or 'If 6 Was 9'.
Ask the guys who were already guitar gods in what their reaction was when they first heard him play at places like the Cheetah Club. After seeing him for the first time, Jeff Beck said, "No matter how much I play or how hard I practice, I'll never be as good as he is right now."
By the way, nothing against Mark Knopfler ... I still play the duo album he cut with Chet Atkins.
'Question authority. Think for yourself. Filter out the spin. Engage elected officials critically. Make them defend what they're doing in your name. Derive the truth. Speak truth to power.'
Posts: 4544 | Location: Boston | Registered: April 16, 2005
Originally posted by Jack White: It's that short, brilliant flash of a career that adds to his mythic status as a guitar player, I think. If he'd lived, who knows ...? But in that brief space of time, no one on the planet played the guitar even close to him.
Don't get me wrong...I don't duspute anything you just said. My only quibble is the definition of what makes someone "the greatest" and to me, when it comes to music, it's a long and consistently great career. Making great music in your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and hell even 70s impresses me most. (Take Ian Hunter for example -- his best album in years came out last year, "Shrunken Heads," and it rocks. And Ian's I think around 72.)
If you have a turntable, you should check this out. I havea copy and love it. It expanded my knowledge of Hendrix's musical career and it could benefit those who, as you noted, don't see past "Purple Haze."
Eight LPs of rare and unreleased material for $99.99. Less than $10 per LP!!! It's also pressed on 180-gram vinyl. Regular LPs are around 100-120 grams. Very nice quality.
It is customary for successful peers to be complimentary when interviewed during retrospectives of their successful peers.
Yes, it is. It's my understanding, though, Beck's remark was made at the time, after the 1966 performance he heard. But then, I wasn't there.
You know, about the time Miles Davis was shifting into his 'Bitches Brew' period (John McLaughlin was his guitarist for that), he began talking to Hendrix about doing a project together, which sadly never happened. It was in this context of new jazz acquaintances thru Davis that Hendrix was jamming in a basement club with Larry Coryell, among others.
Robert Wyatt was there, and afterwards wrote, "..."Coryell played all over the place for about ten minutes racing up and down the fret-board and then Jimi steps up for his solo and went 'ba-WO-O-O-OWWWW' erasing everything Coryell did in the last ten minutes with one note ... it was silly for him to even try, like Coryell just walked into a blowtorch, the fool".
'Question authority. Think for yourself. Filter out the spin. Engage elected officials critically. Make them defend what they're doing in your name. Derive the truth. Speak truth to power.'
Posts: 4544 | Location: Boston | Registered: April 16, 2005
Have any of you ever listened to Phil Keaggy? Im sure some of you guitar and music enthusiast have but if you have not, i recommend you research him and listen... In my opinion he is one of the best!!! his various styles and sounds prove it. His album "TIME" is incredible, so are his others... it is even said that jimi hendrix was once asked what it felt like to be the best guitar player in the world and he said, "i dont know, you'll have to ask phil keaggy". Clapton has also eluded to him as being the best as well. But see for yourself, if you have heard of him i hope you can agree to his incredible talent, if you have not heard of him, than you have a new name to look and listen for!!!
Posts: 371 | Location: Athens, GA | Registered: November 01, 2007
