Customer Reviews

Sultans of Swing (Live in Germany 1979)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Unfortunately, this great performance suffers from mediocre quality because the distributor apparently recorded the concert off the air rather than remastering the actual archived performance.

My suspicion is that this performance hasn't been properly licensed for release by 101 DISTRIBUTION. The clue is an obnoxiously large white label logo in the upper right-hand corner of the screen that never goes away. It just happens to be in the same location that the German TV network places it's on-air logo. Interesting coincidence, huh?

The sound isn't awful for reprocessed surround, but the video isn't any better than a daisy-chained bootleg. In fact, I compared this to the same performance I've had for awhile on it's unofficial (bootleg) form. I thought this "official" release would be an upgrade, but to utter my shock and dismay the booted DVD is better sound-wise (in mono) and visually!

Alas, this supposedly legit release can't even be scaled up to 1080 on my Oppo player without uncorrectable image stretching (even the unofficial boot can be scaled without loss of the original 4:3 aspect ratio).

The bottom line is that this seems to be a complete rip-off, but the real tragedy is that it's a truly classic concert deserving of a first rate release. This is a unique, time-capsule performance of the original Dire Straits performing early in the group's career and riding the crest of their hit single Sultans of Swing (both Knopfler brothers are in Dire Straits at this time, which is a very tight four piece ensemble playing material off of their first two albums).

I haven't contacted Rockpalast or Mark Knopfler's representatives, but I suspect they're unaware of this release and most certainly would not endorse it in this form. If this performance isn't in Public Domain, then there is probably a rights loophole to which 101 DISTRIBUTION has taken shameless advantage. A word of caution to wary fans: while this great performance is most definitely worth having in one's collection, this isn't the one to purchase.

RCC

I started to "write this one off" like most people, however I realized "hey this may not be perfect, but it dang sure is entertaining". I respect the other reviewer's opinion, but I truly believe this concert dvd has been far underrated. This is definitely well worth the price, if only for Mark's guitar playing alone.

This is an "upbeat" concert showcasing a young Mark Knopfler playing his heart out on his electric guitar. Mark's vocals are great also. Most of the songs are similiar in style and pace as "Sultans of Swing". Mark does some excellent guitar solos in this concert also. This contains some serious, excellent guitar play. The camera gets up close and showcases Mark "finger & thumb" picking his electric guitar stings. Plus, you get another guitar player, playing along in perfect harmony. The bass player and drummer are very good also.

The approximate running time is 84 minutes.

IF YOU DON'T BUY THIS ONE, YOU'RE GOING TO BE MISSING OUT ON ONE OF THE GREATEST GUITAR CONCERTS EVER!!!

The songs are as follows:

1.Down on the water line
2.Six Blade Knife
3.Once upon a Time in the West
4.Lady Writer
5.Single Handed Sailor
6.Water of Love
7.In the gallery
8.Follow me home
9.News
10.What's the matter baby
11.Lions
12.Sultans of Swing
13.Wild West End
14.Where do You thing you're going
15.Eastbound Train
16.Sultans of Swing (Redux)

Overall, this is a very good guitar & band rock concert dvd, featuring excellent guitar play by Mark Knopfler, and the other guitar player. It is a very good early version of a young Mark Knopfler & Dire Straits, before they added keyboards, and more musicians. I know I'm mighty glad to have this one in my music collection. Thanks!!!

The German public television station Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) is quite a bit hipper than US PBS, and has produced some cutting edge broadcasting, most notably in the pop culture arena. Rockpalast ("Rock Palace") is a show that has featured many huge acts since 1974, many of them before they became famous. This concert, filmed in the tiny Rockpalast venue in Cologne on February 16, 1979, is a prime example of that. Dire Straits was just starting to be successful and "Sultans of Swing" was their big new hit when this performance occurred.

This DVD is not perfect, and the print is a bit grainy, which, in combination with the original middling camera work make this appear amateurish at some points, most commonly with out of focus shots that are fairly inexcusable. I find it difficult to believe that this is taken from the best existing print of the show, although I have seen other Rockpalast shows that suffer similarly. The sound quality is generally better than the video quality, but temper your expectations by remembering that this was recorded over 30 years ago.

The show itself features a classic early Dire Straits set, with 16 songs, well really 15, but "Sultans of Swing" gets done twice, once for the encore. Mark explains "Well we messed up 'Sultans' so we're going to have to do it again." I have watched both versions several times, and the first one seemed fine to me, realizing that live Knopfler always strays from the studio versions a bit. I was particularly pleased with the performances of "Once Upon a Time in the West," "In The Gallery," and "Water of Love," though "Sultans of Swing" towers over them all.

The performance, from the original Dire Straits era, features Mark and David Knopfler on guitars, John Illsley on bass, and the great Pick Withers on drums. This is interesting to contrast to the much larger production (with keyboards, guest saxophonist, etc.) of "Alchemy" made just a few years later. Random observations from watching this: the German crowd is fairly stoic, and are very polite and sparing with their applause and cheers (similar to several other Rockpalast performances I have seen;) Mark is not really comfortable with celebrity yet, and strikes a few "rock star" poses during the show that are fundamentally opposed to his very laid back nature; finally, I enjoyed the advertising poster visible in the crow reaction shots for "Mallard," the obscure band formed by Zoot Horn Rollo, Rockette Morton, and Ed Marimba after their stint backing Captain Beefheart. As an aside for those interested, "Skin it Back," the Rockpalast performance by Little Feat (available on DVD,) featuring the great Lowell George is a true gem, and I recommend it highly.

This DVD is not without its problems, but there are virtually no early Dire Straits performances available for viewing, making this a treasure trove for fans.

Any DVDs that are on the IMMORTAL label from Holland are ALWAYS bootleg quality! They are usually mastered from VHS, Laser Disc, or in the case of this Dire Straits DVD, from a taped copy of a regular TV broadcast! I was burned on their James Brown and Blood, Sweat & Tears releases. Unless your a fan who's willing to put up with any quality due to rarity (and there's nothing wrong with that), go for it, otherwise avoid like the plague! As one reviewer already noted, there are actual bootlegs that have better quality...you've been warned!!!

Pretty good snapshot of the band after the second album came out. Audio/video quality is obviously 70's TV-grade videotape master, but quite acceptable. Knopfler seems a little nervous with his between-song banter and it's funny to see the "rock" poses he strikes at the time. The playing's quite good, but surprising how closely his solos follow the recorded versions. Contrast that with the (now unavailable) "Alchemy" concert a few years later where every tune is stretched out to almost ten minutes.

Recommended.

I almost didn't get this because another reviewer thinks it is a bootleg and poor quality, but am I really glad I bought it! The copy I just got from ImportCDs through Amazon for only $11.98 (brand new!) is released by Immortal, and I'm pretty sure it IS officially liscenced. I would rate the audio 9 and video 8 on a scale of 10, considering it was recorded 30 years ago. Of course the original Rockpalast TV show from February 1979 was in 4:3 aspect ratio. Immortal has apparently converted it into widescreen. It does seem to have a very slight stretch effect occasionally, but it is not bad. Some of the shots do seem a bit out-of-focus, but it can't be because it's a generationed-out bootleg, because most of the shots are very clear. It may have something to do with the lighting. There is a somewhat annoying "BWF" logo in the upper right corner of the picture throughout, which covers up the original "WDR" logo. They should have made the "BWF" logo smaller, because the "WDR" under it was not as large.

The performance is great and Mark Knopfler is really amazing. If you are a guitarist, there are lots of great close-ups of him playing, especially on solos. He pretty much re-creates the solos from the albums (I wish he would have improvised more). I don't know why they re-played "Sultans" a 2nd time, because the first version seemed fine to me.

If you like the original Dire Straits, I think you will like this DVD, even if the visuals are not absolutely perfect.

Okay, while it's been transferred from video to DVD it's not super HD. But what it does show is an early Dire Straits in their pre-arena phase. Good songs, good dynamics - but don't expect the Brothers In Arms era type concert. Nice to hear the early stuff in the period. A must have for straits fans

This is a tremendous historical document, showing Dire Straits still in the throes of their initial success. It's just the four original bandmembers, playing tight well-rehearsed arrangements in an intimate little club-like setting. Contrasting with the giant stage shows that were filmed later in their career, this is all Knopfler, no filler (i.e. sax, pedal steel). The solos are very close to what wound up on the record, or would do, in the case of the as-yet-unreleased material from what became Communique - revealing how much the seemingly off-the-cuff solos were in fact worked out well in advance. John Illsley's rock-star garb is hilarious, it's great to see the drum parts up close in a live setting, and fun to see the obvious affection between Mark and his brother David, who later left the band. Totally thrilling to watch, for this diehard Knopfler fan.

Given this show has been recorded in 1979, the less than perfect quality (both audio and video) was expected. Having said that, the first two albums (dire straits and communique) are excellently covered here. Probably this performance shows the group "on the rise" and rightfully so. BTW, the full show is on youtube (at the time of this writing), but the dvd has a notch better AV quality.

1. Down To The Waterline
2. Six Blade Knife
*3. Once Upon A Time In The West
4. Lady Writer
*5. Single Handed Sailor
6. Water Of Love
*7. In The Gallery
*8. Follow Me Home
9. News
10. Whats The Matter Baby?
11. Lions
12. Sultans Of Swing
*13. Wild West End
**14. Where Do You Think You're Going?
15. Eastbound Train
16. Sultans Of Swing (redux)

(*) my all time favorites