Music Coach REACTS: Dire Straits - Once upon a time in the West (Alchemy Live) 

The more you listen to Alchemy Live from 40 years ago you realise that it’s probably the best performance ever recorded.

The eternal shine of Mark Knopfler ❤ He is the definition of being cool 😊 Just can't resist that charisma and talent.

The entire band deserves a knighthood for this concert alone.

Recognize it, he's the best

I am a bit jealous cause there are still quite a few songs that you will have the pleasure of hearing for the first time. Even if they really never get old. Blown away every single time.

That at the end about positioning yourself as an artist, Dire Straits were always described as "laid back world beaters"

The greatest concert ever period, alchemy live and everything else beneath it

The riff they are playing keeps repeating but I could listen to it for hours. That's how good it is.

Mr John Illsley on bass took a hold of the steering wheel on this track and oh my goodness what a journey! Great to see you with the guitar again 👍. This track doesn't get as much attention but it is so so good. Hypnotic and pure joy for the soul.

Mark's new album is out today (One Deep River) and it's wonderful. You should check it out.....

That is the definition of the bass driving the groove. Awesome!

The master himself. Never get tired of listening to Mark🔥🎸🔥Alchemy my favorite album😍

I’m not a guitar player but I do love how hard it is for you to not play while they are playing. I love how much you feel it, understand it, seemingly live it. Thank you for sharing your love of music.

There are bars of 2/4 mixed in the verse sequence which gives it that interesting feel

Your comments about how this was a great opening track for the concert were very insightful. You made me think about it, and I absolutely agree that this is the perfect way to 'settle the crowd in', and have everyone ready for the epic tracks that were to follow.

Greatest band ever and Mark Knopfler one of the best songwriters/guitarists of all time.

This being the first song, the only way now is to go through the whole album. Not a bad song on it

This song has a reggae-type vibe, and it makes a pun ‘Once Upon A Time In the [Western world]’. It’s a send up of pop-culture.

My fave from Alchemy, for 35 years also😊

The whole concert was awesome, Mark with his beautiful voice and unmistakable guitar playing, John Ilsey on the bass was always grooving, Alan Clark was fantastic on the keyboard as was Hal Lindes on the guitar, but for me Terry Williams on the drums was always outstanding, he took care of it for that “certain something” Be sure to watch "live Wembley 85", especially Tunnel of Love so fantastic. Thanks for your reactions

Great song and great reaction as always. I’ve been listening to this album (Alchemy) since buying it the first time in 1984, must have listened to it a few thousand times by now, and it never gets old. Still chills down my spine every time. Just fantastic. And just imagine the this Once Upon A Time In The West is the opening song of the concert. This is just to get going…

This is an absolute masterpiece. I think Terry Williams drumming is a good as that on SOS or maybe better

Great bass.

Fantastic song from the "pure guitar era" of the first two albums, whose sound was unique at the time and triggered the run for the debut album. Afterwards a keyboard player and later a saxophonist were brought in. Highlights from that time include Down On The Waterline, Six Blade Knife, SINGLE HAND SAILOR, Water Of Love, IN THE GALLERY, Wild West End, WHERE DO THINK YOU 'RE GOING (fanstastic version). DS played all of these songs live on German TV Rockpalast in 1979 (video rights?). There are certainly also BBC recordings from 1978+79.

Yor reactions are just so cute ❤

Your observations about this song’s position at the start of the concert is spot on, getting the audience hooked to the band’s leash as masters of their craft, and you know you’re in for a great ride :-). In Knopfler’s more recent (solo) concerts, he’s reworked One Upon A Time In The West, including adding a brass section; there’s a phrase the brass plays that at first really sticks out compared to the original, and after a while I realise that they’re playing a phrase that was so subtly rendered only by the bassist, John Illsley, in these early years! The Straits repeated this strategy on their next world tour for the Brothers In Arms album, starting the concert with ‘Ride Across The River’ which has similar traits, even though it’s quite a different song. You’ll find multiple yt videos of that final concert of the BiA tour, it was in Sydney Australia, April 1986. It’s my favourite concert of all time, for a bunch of reasons, but particularly because it arrived in my life at probably the ‘initial rush’ of my teenage musical awakening. But I have to concede that the Alchemy concert is extraordinarily good, too; but the BiA album exhibited a quality of song writing a notch above their previous four albums (on which the Alchemy tour was based), so for me that BiA tour has a certain something extra. And then they did it again, for the On Every Street tour, starting the concert with Calling Elvis, a song which again has certain characteristics which can make it a great concert opener.

You gotta check out the Money for nothing live performance with Eric Clapton

So enjoyable watching your journey through Dire Straits and Alchemy Live. Romeo and Juliet is a song off this recording I think you’ll love. Keep up the great content and thank you.

Friend, spectacular musical analysis, as always. A pleasure to listen to you. It's great to be able to learn new musical aspects about my favorite music band.

This is my favourite cut from Alchemy. The solo after the second verse is of his finest's, that one with the lovely looping dramatic chromatic lick

I absolutely love your reactions to this concert, this song included.

I am so glad you got to this song. I have been writing asking around for it.... Such underrated song. Such a funk. The guitar seems to add such irony to this narrative. What do you think?

There 4 complete ( or mostly complete ) concerts of Dire Straits from 1982 onward, Alchemy 1983, Wembley 1985, Sydney 1986, Nimes 1992 I would love to hear your thoughts on MK's changing style through the years. The these concerts are fantastic by the way.

Makes for perfect music to drive casually in a convertible with just a little bit of nippy weather under a morning sun.

As a big Dire Straits fan for 40 years now, i see lots of reactions to their musics. I found some really good, but you are the best, Faana. You really catch even the small precious details we, Mark Knopfler fans, love from their musics. Congrats! i really like to see you reactions, explanations, etc. Really looking forward to see you reacting to other wonderful songs like Romeo & Juliet or Skate Away.

Hola!! Mark Knopfler es simplemente inimitable...un zurdo que toca magistralmente con la mano derecha, sin púa. Dire Straits fué único. Gracias por tu reacción ❤

And thats just the start of the album !

What a track, Knopfler genius but bass is beautiful

Wow I had never heard that song before but what a groove. Is this entire concert on video somewhere? I've seen other clips..what a show!

I would strongly recommend checking out their performance on Rockpalast in 1979, when they were still just a young, hungry 4-piece pub rock band, having just released their second (my favourite ) album. You get a lot more raw Knopfler, less giant dinosaur of a band .

In his solo concerts Mark has played this with a full "Ennio Morricone" intro ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wB7LNZyEpMk.html

You should check out "Six Blade Knife" from the Rockpalast concert 1979.

there was a film made in 1969 called, 'once upon a time in the west' which starred charles bronson, henry fonda, claudia cardinale & jason robards but it is a different song/tune! however i would recommend that you listen to 12yo patricia janeckova's brilliant version of the original tune, although it was not her singing on the film version!! sadly, patricia died last year from breast cancer aged 25!!!

A class act...The group welcomed everyone to the party and what a party it was!

COMMUNIQUE....awesome..I call this, first LP, and Making Movies....Dire Straits Before MTV😊...however his brother helped the sound ( jazz/rhythm) prior to MTV. 😊..not the same 😢..listen to the original...all awesome ❤

great music and great reaction.

You need to seeLocal Hero by these guys

Try "Calling Elvis" and "The Bug" from _On the Night_ !

This is a great song. The album version is much slower.

Spill mann

find ur scene and u are so oki

I suport u

Did you considered to make a reaction to the full Alchemy album?

DS is just ridiculous.

name of the game

A fantastic performance from Dire Straits, and a great opening to a concert. Here are some more suggestions for you to check out: Mike Oldfield - Sentinel ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HMksPmJiMV4.htmlsi=HgFXEJxQU2vgy1ol This is the first track from Tubular Bells 2 from 1992 as this was a live premiere concert of the album from Edinburgh Castle in Scotland, if you like it, you should watch the whole performance. Also, check this beautiful instrumental from Dire Straits, such gorgeous playing from Mark Knopfler: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-nS6rizlh710.htmlsi=76Hn_XCbG6_ Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler played together lots of times., for example check out t😮his performance of just the two of them playing Layla: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-zm1BBG5LkxA.htmlsi=Gabw-fpD9wm0BXww

no, how

Vedi alla voce: la classe non è acqua.

legg in a kom Kankje jeg tror på deg

I really enjoy listening to your commentary, but I could barely hear you this time over the music. I think you should feel free to pause when you have something to say.

artist??????

U are talking about dire straights????

bedre enn deg

0,1 C bath

du er oss

we want to talk to u

u

russian

Don't listen to the idiots, who tell you not to play guitar at the same time😂I, follow your channel because, as a guitarist, i know what you feel, it's really interesting, when you explain things...Even if you, or me, we will never be able to play like him😂 (the guy has his own style, impossible to mimick)....The followers who order you not to stop, or explain, are losers who never played any instrument😡I like your channel, and i hope one day, we will meet to play, jam, improvise together....Peace from France✌️

hget a grip

don't be a looser

thats nothing

U can't anything

Lol, just listened that great song and whoppa, you've got a review of it. Its just a masterpiece, especially with good headphones or speakers. I often torture my coworkers with 4x 150watts speakers, listening to all those good things. Well at least they know all the best songs 😂