Sultans of Swing (Live in Germany 1979)
by Dire Straits
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DVD details
Actor: Dire StraitsDirector: Dire Straits
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Color, Full Screen, Import, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 90 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2009-01-06
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Immortal
DVD Reviews of Sultans of Swing (Live in Germany 1979)
DVD Review: Dire Straits Storms Rockpalast
Summary: 4 Stars
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.
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