You’ll struggle to find a better performance of this record than this. Knopfler is a genius on the strings and certainly the sultan of swing! Had everyone hooked in awe of his ability!
I love that story. I will never forget the first time I heard this song. My Dad was picking me up from a swim meet and had just bought the Sultans of Swing album, and pretty much said the same thing. We literally put Sultans on repeat for the entire hour-long car ride home. That was 15 years ago and Sultans of Swing remains, to this day, my favorite song. It is not an overreaction to say this song changed my life.
Of all the live sultans versions, including alchemy, Sydney, Wembley, Basel and so forth, this is the one I admire the most. More balanced, more elegant, more emotional, just magical
Knopfler's ability on the guitar is as amazing as ever but what really blows me away about this particular live version is the dude on the drums, especially when he very slowly starts to ramp it up at the 7:37 spot. You almost don't notice it at first because you're mesmerized by Mark's guitar playing and you don't really get your first inkling of it until 8:05 but then when the drums really get going at 8:16 it puts this performance into the stratosphere before he just starts kicking ass at 8:29
I know this is all about Mark, but the bassists here will surely appreciate the subtle but very intricate stuff being played by Glenn Worf. Fantastic bass player.
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I think this is the best performance of Sultans of Swing. Something really magical happened on the stage there, you can just feel it. It wasn't perfect, but it was simply beautiful. They don't make songs like these anymore...
Watch Basel 1992 sultans performance live- imo that’s the best performance. The chemistry between the pianist, sax and mark toward the end is epically outstanding
Agreed, I think has to do with the Pensa and the drummer. They were really getting into the swing here. Also the more mellow approach which fits the longer solo.
That drop into the quiet bit and gradual build-up gets me every time. I find myself sliding forwards to the edge of my seat when it begins. Pure class.
This concert take is simply epic, there's no other way of saying it. The coordination of the entire band is unreal, especially where Mark starts improvising. No computers, no studio reworking, just pure music. All playing like one.
Knopfler is a guitar genius. It's no wonder Chet Atkins ( another noted guitar genius well before Knopflers time in the Sun ) always gave Knopfler a nod of approval. As a side note ... I love Knopfler's guitar playing skills to no end, but he appeared and sounded ( vocally ) like he was drunker than hell when this was taped. lawl.
High class! No gimmick. A master in his art! Best guitar player ever!!! Last night at the Beacon in NYC, we had a thrill with Mark and his band!!! Long live Mark!!!
Knopfler would be ashamed seeing his "fans" speak so arrogantly about another person. I don't like Bieber either. If you are truly interested in old rock music, this usually goes hand in hand with a certain detachment of modern society, all those "stars" etc. If I see in the top comment somebody saying how much Justin Bieber sucks, it makes me rather sad. And most people here are old enough to see through this. Bieber is an good looking fellow with an average voice who was exploided by the music industry. Don't hate on the kid, it's rather a reflection of today's society. He is now doing all this embarassing stuff everybody of us has done with 14 because he never had his teenage years for himself.
