Alchemy: Dire Straits Live (22-23 July 1983)

I recall my dad having the 2xLP vinyl edition of this. Going for 'Private Investigations'.

I know all these tunes (my parents were big fans), but I can't really remember what the Alchemy versions of some of these songs are like. 13 minutes of Once Upon A Time In The West? 14 minutes of Tunnel of Love? Jeepers!

Two Young Lovers is the Yakety Sax one right? Always hated that.

They are great, is what they're like. Except Two Young Lovers, it's awful.

I find it a bit weird that coming off four worldwide smash hit albums, they should close their world tour with two nights at Hammersmith Apollo, but maybe that's how it was in those days.

I can't stop listening to this. Tunnel of Love.

Seriously, I think this is the best live album I've ever heard. These long cuts are paced expertly, all the extra instrumental sections never flag. I'm thinking how Zeppelin could be hit-or-miss when jamming out - not so here. The rhythm section's obviously not as good, though the drummer is very fine, but Knopfler kicks the arse off Page imo. I'm not normally into the boring old strat, but his tone is so clean it's a joy - even when he's screwing up the intro to Sultans, it sounds like it's intentional.

I actually saw them on this particular tour, assuming this was just after Love Over Gold came out. The parents took us, first concert I ever went to. Was at the Olympic velodrome in Munich, I watched the whole thing through my binoculars because (1) my eyesight was so bad and (2) I was a very, very dorky child. The bits that I can still remember: Mel Collins joining them on saxophone to play the execrable Two Young Lovers, didn't know who he was then, still not sure who he is now; the v. cheesy and hated Twisting By The Pool, another horrible lightweight rockabilly excursion that thankfuly didn't make this album, even though it was a top ten hit for them shortly before iirc, think I must have cringed so hard it made a permanent mark in my memory; really enjoyed Private Investigations, not generally a band you'd look to for tension and menace, but to me listening to that song was like watching Jaws, knowing full well what was coming but still feeling that sense of panic when it hit, DANGA-NANGA-NANG-NANG; also all the house lights going on as they started the last song which was Going Home aka Theme From Local Hero, and for me there being this amazing sense of celebration in the hall, all at once seeing all of these people, who maybe had been secretly boogying around in a very dad sort of way all quite privately by themselves in the dark, suddenly they were revealed to me, even those on the other side of the arena cos I saw you all at it in 8x30 magnification, outlined in an eight shape like a panel in a Commando comic, all these folk were outed, all stood there in front of their seats cheering, joggling around from one foot to the other quite unabashed, liberated from themselves for a few moments by a few twangy guitar notes, maybe even finally living with that rare freedom they'd only previously caught a whiff of in Saab adverts, but better cos this was a shared experience; and that same sax that had so blighted the evening earlier on, no longer was it an incontinent duck inviting us to dance along its trail of shit, no! cos now it was soaring above us all proud and sentimental like a pissed-up eagle. Oddly enough I don't remember too much endless soloing by Knopfler but I'm sure there must have been looking at those track times. Maybe I just zoned out like I used to in the car every time Sultans of Swing came on.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

excluding Queen, the tightest band at Live Aid (UK version) by *some distance*.

I voted "Private Investigations", one of mm three Dire Strats tracks I can stand.

(hey, I like that typo, leaving it. Wonder if it's been used before? anyway, close bracket and carry on)

.. that, "So Far Away", and "Romeo and Kuliet" is OK.

The idea of a 10 minute Sultans of Swing sounds like pure hell.

It's really not though. They bulk out the tracks mostly through relatively short instrumental sections, it's not interminable soloing (and when it is, it's really good interminable soloing).

It's no surprise they blew up like they did, delivering this kind of quality on tap.

I used to have and love this, but I haven't heard it for years. Voted "Telegraph Road." I saw them on the Brothers in Arms tour and can confirm that they were a great live band.

I just had a look at the Live Aid performance and I concur. They looked terrible that day, but what a band.

holy shit NickB, that might be the post of the year!

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

holy shit NickB, that might be the post of the year!

and dang, i'm sorry i missed this. loved this album at the time, though i haven't heard it in ages. would have gone for "telegraph road".

Great band - I loved them so much, yeah I voted Telegraph Road.

seconded/ thirded on NickBs post of the year nomination.

finally living with that rare freedom they'd only previously caught a whiff of in Saab adverts = some Don Draper style shit.

outing myself as another vote for telegraph road. don't think i've listened to the original track more than once or twice but the take here is Exhibit A in Defend the Indefensible: Knopfler.