Musician REACTS to DIRE STRAITS - Telegraph Road (ALCHEMY live)

[@Werrf1]

A quarter-hour song about urban development and decay in the American midwest. One of the best pieces of music I've ever heard.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

It's about England.

[@aoses31]

​@@RideAcrossTheRiverit's not, mark wrote it based off telegraph road and the history of Detroit Michigan

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

​@@aoses31 Yes, that's the source material, but he re-purposed it. The song is about England.

[@aoses31]

@@RideAcrossTheRiver doesn't make any sense since you guys don't have a telegraph road in England. He wrote the song while touring in the states and while actually riding a bus through Telegraph Road, Michigan.. That's how it always was.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

​@@aoses31 It's a metaphor for the crumbling socioeconomic landscape of 1980 England.

[@raycornford283]

One of the greatest live performances of all time

[@petervenkman69]

The guitar at the beginning was a 1937 National Style "O", the same one used in Romeo & Juliet and is featured on the cover of the "Brothers in Arms" album.

[@Cashcrop54]

Brothers in Arms is a great album, and the title song is my favorite DS song. Thanks for the info on the guitar.

[@winchy162]

For me this track is the one that shows best just how good each member of the band are.

[@richardhargrave6082]

This was the encore and we didn't think they could do it, but they all exceeded expectations and smashed it. Every band member was on top of their game. Alan Clark on the keys was brilliant, as was Terry Williams on the drums, Hal Lindes second guitar and John Illsley on the bass, tying it all together. The sound engineers also did a superb job, this is 39 years old and still sounds great, fresh As I said in the Sultans reaction, I was 18 and this concert is still up there, its just that you don't appreciate it at the time. We're so lucky that its been recorded so well and preserved so we can all enjoy this world class performance

[@breakdownlounge9541]

What an amazing experience to be there, this is one of those groups of musicians that you could follow from city to city and be consistently impressed. I'm blown away once again.

[@LuisMartinez-tq1iz]

Alchemy live álbum is a masterpiece you have to watch once a year at least to feel great music and lyrics. Brilliant DS/MK

[@frapoz4216]

Telegraph road is the best song in the history of music ..Mark the genius.

[@davidfeltz8697]

I agree

[@gregoryburne5251]

The band is tight as can be, but this piano contribution totally makes it.

[@jarmolehtonen9777]

Best living guitarist

[@alexanderpugh4598]

By a country mile ❤

[@reenstierna6111]

I've always loved this song from the day it came out. Never heard the piano in any other rock band that was so important, integral to the heart of the song. Every single musician in this band is vital for them to be the best but as I said I've nev3r heard a song that had the piano as such an important part. Just brilliant.

[@rullmourn1142]

Elton John, Benny, and the Jets.

[@reenstierna6111]

@@rullmourn1142 well yeah that's true, Elton's always been my number one solo artist , saw him live about 9 years ago.

[@HEDGE1011]

I agree with you; I know Mark and Alan worked a lot together on the keyboard arrangement. The interplay of piano and guitar on this song is next-level musical wizardry!

[@timdake]

Would have to say that the piano components of most Meatloaf songs (frequently played by Jim Steinman) are just as integral.

[@APthefirst]

The guitar in the beginning was a 1936 National style-0. It's featured on the album cover of Brothers in Arms

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

It's also been on every DS album!

[@timbrom]

For me this is my second favourite after Sultans of Swing. The lyrics, however, are the best. "Running every red light on memory lane" is one of the best lines ever written.

[@breakdownlounge9541]

A wordsmith indeed

[@grimreaper-qh2zn]

The Guitar in the intro is a National Dobro Resonator (not nylon strings by the way). Mark used it on Romeo and Juliet and it features on the cover of Dire Straits Brothers in Arms album.

[@ossivuohtoniemi5318]

Great that you brought up Alan Clarks piano work, for me his performance has always been THE thing. The whole piece is a phenomenal dialogue between guitar and piano.

[@Wolverines77]

Just amazing, flat out amazing, how a strip on road/highway between Toledo and Detroit and Mark just chilling in his tour bus as they cruised into yet another concert brought about this masterpiece. I have driven and ridden tens of thousands of miles back and forth across this nation. I have lived East Coast, West Coast, the entire Western mountains, the Deep South, and finally ending up back in my home state of Michigan 50 years after we left, when I was 3. I always picture the entire story of whereever I am calling home that night like Mark does. The issue is, my eloquence is that of a 5th grader compared to this Master Troubadour...

[@PjRjHj]

Wonderful reaction. Yes, Alan Clark killed it. The guitar at the beginning wasn't a nylon Classic guitar, but a Resonator Guitar. A different acoustic beast all together, and made out of brass or aluminium.

[@StevenQ74]

A "National" guitar from 1937, style-O te be precise kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYPaZ4eOZpqqfJI

[@breakdownlounge9541]

Thanks for the info, this was a monster track to cover!

[@benporter9363]

Great reaction. It's great hearing a musician's take.

[@derekdamms7380]

INCREDIBLE DRUMMING FROM (TERRY WILLIAMS) WELSH GUY

[@carinvanhummel8621]

Yeah, crazy isn't it🔥👌

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

His dad was in the audience that night!

[@stephendennis7871]

Terry Williams was born in Gods country in the Swansea area of Wales I believe. He is regarded as one of the best ever drummers and his performance with Dire Straights shows that.

[@samlawrence4670]

Taken from a piece about all marks guitars (there are a lot) for your information. The National Duolian is a single cone resonator guitar with a metal body. The body is steel and has two f-holes. The neck is made of mahogany or maple, while the fretboard is made of ebonized wood.

[@breakdownlounge9541]

Wow, thanks for sharing!

[@shelaghkeen7960]

I was delighted to see Dire Straits live a few times what was great to see was that they enjoyed playing as much as we enjoyed watching and listening!

[@alabhaois]

I don’t know if it has already been mentioned, but I read that Mark is left-handed but plays guitar right-handed. Pretty amazing!! 🎸🎸

[@HEDGE1011]

True statement. If you see photos of him signing autographs, he’s a leftie. I’ve heard Mark discuss this in a couple of interviews and he makes the point that playing right-handed enabled his stronger and more dexterous hand to be his fretting hand which he thought conferred an advantage. I’m very strongly right-handed and can’t imagine learning to play a left-handed guitar. Then again, I’m not a musical genius either!

[@gerrysmith5597]

They were ALL awesome, did you know Mark is self-taught and left-handed. I also love the way the 2nd guitarist looks like he's trying to THROW the notes he plays INTO the audience. Great stuff and one of my favourite bands. Watch more :)

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

Hal Lindes was the chainsaw in this! Those slashing rhythm lines!

[@HEDGE1011]

@@RideAcrossTheRiverThanks for mentioning Hal! This is my favorite iteration of Dire Straits; Terry Williams is an absolute monster on the drums and Hal Lindes is a great rhythm guitarist who’s only overlooked because he’s onstage next to Mark Knopfler. You don’t realize how much Hal contributes to the sound of this track (and especially “Tunnel of Love”), but you sure would if it were gone.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

@@HEDGE1011 Sonni was too loud and a show-off. Straits needed that laid-back thing.

[@terrencelinnell4702]

I wonder was the gig called ALCHEMY because it was performed by five MAGICIANS,?

[@imgoodatmoaning9561]

A good video to watch to see marks fingers in action is tunnel of love at Wembley 1985. You get some good close ups.

[@grimreaper-qh2zn]

US Highway 24 is a United States Numbered Highway that runs from Minturn, Colorado, through Detroit, to Independence Township, Michigan. In Michigan, it is also known as Telegraph Road

[@barriesansom2070]

Really enjoyed this..love mark knopfler but direstraits as a band were so individually brilliant..great commentary, thankyou 🎸

[@christopherfairs9095]

The overriding impression, apart from the fact that these are all talented musicians, is that the words fit the music.

[@stevew3196]

For Context Telegraph Road describes changes brought about by the installation of the telegraph in the USA. Crossing the wilderness bringing prosperity hope and change. Following on from that the depression and economic decline. It's a social commentary set to music. Band Members Vocals/Lead Guitar: Mark Knopfler Bass Guitar: John Ilsley they are among the founder members of the band together with Mark's brother David and Drumner Pick Withers. Keyboards: Alan Clark. Support Guitarist: American Hal Lindes Drummer: Terry Williams Mark hires musicians in to perform in the studio and on tours. In 1985/6 the Brothers in Arms tour American Guitarist Jack Sonni joined them together with a second keyboard player Guy Fletcher and Saxophone/Flute player Chris White.

[@breakdownlounge9541]

Thank you for this info! You know your stuff!

[@surfwriter8461]

Thanks for providing details for those who want to know more about the band members. Guy Fletcher has continued to play keyboards with Mark on a series of solo albums since Mark disbanded Dire Straits. I don't know as much about Alan Clark, but his performance on this number is particular is a dynamic one that is key to the song's varied pacing and moods. I think I've read that there were issues at times in trying to secure the drummer Mark wanted most, due to some personal problems with at least one of the drummers, but anyway Terry Williams is fantastic here.

[@malcolmspence2869]

One of the three epics. This, Sultans of Swing and Tunnel of Love. Epic.

[@imgoodatmoaning9561]

Good song from a great album. No overdubs on the album as per mark himself which I think is impressive.

[@timdake]

16:20 - Mark's smile... No pressure. Just jamming out to one of the best songs ever written, with some of the best musicians of the day.

[@pettesch]

Great reaction! Congrats! from Brazil!

[@breakdownlounge9541]

Next upload will be Jorge Ben Jor, my first artist from Brazil and easily my most played song this year, hope you'll check it out!

[@DrukMax]

The Guitar is a National Reso-Phonic Style O 14 Fret, if I'm not mistaken..

[@MarkT-v7f]

His acoustic is a National 'O' with a metal resonance plate and steel strings

[@Orbitalmercury]

Hi, just wanted to let you know they've released a digitally remastered version of this at 4K quality and have aligned the audio and video tracks to be more in sync. Its so nice at 4K and they have removed the original older version of the clip. At the Dire Straits page.

[@Orbitalmercury]

The studio version is a couple of minutes longer but the main difference is the drummer on the studio version was pick Withers who I grew up loving from day one as I've loved this song from day it was first aired, so love the studio version BUT after being a studio version snob fir decades I have only started listening to this Alchemy live concert version this year 2022 and the new drummer Terry Williams far exceeds the original drummer in skill and enthusiasm. Now this live version is my number 1 favourite whilst studio version is number 2 . I just can't get over the stamina these 6 players have, such a long concert all done with such power etc and this being the longest song and the last of the night and they still powered thru it. Simply amazing.

[@breakdownlounge9541]

Thanks for the feedback, it is def a killer performance!

[@Orbitalmercury]

@Breakdown Lounge try this version , he's much older but he uses the metal guitar nearly 5 minutes kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZqWgKysd9uKpLM

[@Orbitalmercury]

@Breakdown Lounge try watching this link. It's a guy playing Telegraph road on piano only. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJmzk3eqaK-Iidk

[@breakdownlounge9541]

@@Orbitalmercury He nailed it! It's amazing to see the piano isolated and realize just how complex the arrangement is for just this one instrument! Amazing.

[@Orbitalmercury]

@Breakdown Lounge you're so right. I would've loved to hear Alan Clark the piano player for Dire Straits do it himself. He's brilliant but yeah this guy was excellent. Can definitely follow the song just using the piano alone.

[@phillipwalker6517]

Mark has a degree in English. He studied journalism for a while in Harlow Essex and taught English for a few years in my hometown of Loughton Essex.

[@breakdownlounge9541]

Cool to know about his background, it shines through for sure.

[@niamcd6604]

YEAH!!! JUST LIKE ANYONE WHO'S A 'CRITIC' HE HAS NO ACTUAL EXPERIENCE OF WHAT HE) SHE'S TALKING ABOUT!!!! AND I HATE MUSICIAN'S JUDGING OTHER'S MOVIES OR MUSIC TOO BECAUSE... JUST DO YOUR FREAKING THING IF YOU LOVE IT INSTEAD GIVING OPINIONS NOBODY FREAKING EVER ASKS!!!!

[@skrajina8037]

My favorite band and favorite song. Regards from Serbia

[@breakdownlounge9541]

Greetings and thanks for joining us!

[@MinistryOfDarkness11]

Hi loving your reactions. Being my fav. band and MK my fav. artist I recommend Private Investigations Dire Straits Live- On The Night 1993 and Brothers In Arms from the same concert. Cheers All the best from Australia 🤘🎸🎸🎸

[@breakdownlounge9541]

Good to know for future videos. Thanks for the feedback!

[@twpsy634]

Dynamics!

[@lizgray5750]

Mark was reading a book (on a tourbus ??? - that became the Telegraph Rd a commentary on industry in the USA

[@JohnDavidGeary]

The book was Growth of the Soil written by Knut Hamson from Norway which was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1920. Probably due to Mark's degree in English literature. Colonising the remote part of the wilderness and taming the land. This combined with the historical development of Telegraph road interwoven with people and technology over time.

[@jonnno243]

I agree. Alan Clark, especially here, is such a valuable member of Dire Straits. Same goes, imo, for Clem Burke , the drummer with Blondie.

[@firstfreonwarrior]

The very best of British music.

[@remcoasselbergs3298]

Briljant album. And thank you for showing the greatness of piano player?.

[@remcoasselbergs3298]

No questrion mark, btw.

[@earlellison7533]

Sultans of Swing & Telegraph Road are classics of the classics. Mark with Dire Straits and on his own with other greats make music to improve the cosmos! Check out other concerts and the many tunes to match any mood. But they are mostly uplifting and feel good! Check the lyrics for the stories in them for your next level!

[@samuelsmith6804]

Masterpiece.

[@IFRfun]

Well described and articulated; thanks

[@Dragonblaster1]

The guitar was a Dobro or resonator guitar. It had metal strings.

[@MB-wl2bm]

a masterpiece

[@martinezq1]

Great to hear musician comment. You can check Rockpalast 79 concert or some solo stuff. I think i love you too much with Clapton or Railroad worksong from Marks Notting Hillbilies

[@jeffwatts4264]

its not often that you can say that the live performance is better than the studio version , but this is ,by a mile

[@surfwriter8461]

If you want to see more closeups of Mark Knopfler playing the lengthy and powerful guitar solo that finishes this classic, there's another concert video that has excellent closeups of just that. I believe it's the Basel 1992 performance of the same song in a large outdoor venue, and there's both a short and long version of it. You get to see MK's fingers dancing and pushing strings around on the neck of his Pensa signature model in that other live performance, and his solo is significantly different from the more popular live performance featured in this channel's reaction video. It's in some ways an even more impressive solo, if that's possible. Maybe less dramatic for the entire band performance, with some different band mates at the time, but the guitar playing in that other concert is awesome.

[@davidlittle7182]

Tunnel Of Love maybe?

[@Diecastclassicist]

The guitar in the beginning was a National steel guitar, favored by old blues artists for both durability and tone.

[@rgadave]

A masterpiece...............................

[@peterwinter3515]

Masterpiece

[@thorinho1]

Love over Gold must be one of the most underrated albums of rock history. Four of the most chills inducing songs ever written + Industrial Disease, which is a bop in and of itself.

[@mnomadvfx]

It is great - but unquestionably the Alchemy live tour version does a victory dance on the grave of the studio album version.

[@viviennerose6858]

Telegraph Road and this story actually exist, I think in Chicago. If you read the story, Mark's lyrics are even more incredible

[@bricemartin3]

In his book, J.Illsey said it was "THE SONG" they were all waitin' to play every night... (btw There's never been any "Jam" on any of their songs, they just rehearsed, and played a lot... ;-) °

[@peter9910]

San Diego to Texas, classic

[@kathymitchell7896]

There’s a 16 minute version that does it all!

[@terryarkle7477]

You. almost broke into a smile.

[@WorldSpectator705]

Actually, it wasn't a guitar, it was a dobro. A guitar basically but with a steel body, which gives it a different tone. Hat's off to the keyboard player on this one, Alan Clark, a masterful performance. But the whole band - amazing. They put on a musicianship masterclass IMO here. Timing changes, emotional tone changes, etc., etc., and the whole band is perfect and completely in -synch the whole way thru, to the last note. God bless em...

[@garyjohnson627]

He played a national duolian resonator at the start,

[@GuitarPlayersFun]

Its a steel string resonator guitar. National Style O

[@marcovtjev]

Alchemy is like 80's version of Wacken 2013(Nightwish) or Pinkpop '92 (Pearl Jam). Legendary concerts/tours. It is also famous to tease Radio DJs in getting them to play this 14 minute version 🙂

[@MartianTom]

Only trouble with this version is that Pick Withers had left the band by now. He was the best drummer.

[@kevc-69-]

Great reaction, now try Count of Tuscany by Dream Theatre.

[@stevew3196]

Accoustic nylon guitar? No it's a steel string resonator blues instrument he plays it on Romeo & Juliette.

[@73henny]

Exquisite Alchemy is the best. The end.

[@mojobag01]

Some British lads have a go at their own Born To Run. A masterpiece.

[@richposports7030]

It's a nice line and compliment 😊

[@dannythedoodle]

Haha, great shit-talking. Let's get on with it from Manchester, UK Lowkey - Fire in the Booth (parts 1 and 2)

[@RakelaK67]

that's like moving from Hell to Heaven

[@Richardtv1968]

Rewind please rewind …… missing so many great transitions ….. what a shame!

[@Wolverines77]

When you get back around to Mr. Knopfler, check out either "Romeo and Juliet" or "Brothers in Arms" from his BBC Live televised studio concert from April of '96. Both songs came from his time with Dire Straits, but these live performances are on another whole level as compared to the studio songs with Dire Straits. You should really think about Jackson Browne and Bob Seger just to throw two Masters name into the lineup...

[@niamcd6604]

Who needs these freaking 'analyses' if tracks that have already made rock history!?? Jeez! There are already enough useless 'critics' in this world... Jeez ,why!???

[@equigs]

This reminds me of the night (Ireland time) when America invaded Iraq. I was in the middle of a marathon "the god father," viewing. It took hours. Once the movies ended, I went to bed. Next day, I heard, a war started, live on tv. 😮 I missed it. Cheers Francis Ford Coppola 👍😜🤣

[@lincolnstovall9471]

Private Investigation

[@arnodobler1096]

love it

[@kimbirch1202]

I wish folk could stop whistling and screaming, and just listen to the music

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

It's emotion and excitement and rock and roll. If you want silent, morose crowds, attend Rachmaninoff

[@kimbirch1202]

@@RideAcrossTheRiver it's young kids behaving like zombies, copying everyone else, because they think it's cool.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

@@kimbirch1202 Right, so emotion and excitement are mindless zombie behaviour .. okayyyy

[@kimbirch1202]

@RideAcrossTheRiver Or mass hysteria, just like all the little girls used to scream whenever the Beatles appeared anywhere.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

@@kimbirch1202 If you want dead, unemotional silence, sit in an empty room with a radio.

[@denroy3]

I think I'm in the minority, but I don't like the Alchemy stuff, not indicative of Dire Straits because of the loudness, and noise. And all too often the drummer is too high in the mix...not to mention the excessive pace of Sultans of Swing...which may be ok for large venue "Show", but puts the music itself in the secondary position. KNOPLER famously tired of this type of show.

[@leighplant3593]

Have to say of the hundreds of times I've seen Alchamy you sir are the only one..the power and ability to not miss one note beggered belief..It will go down in the annuls of history,minus your incredible views

[@leighplant3593]

You have a habit unfortunately of stopping too often and at inappropriate times..

[@julienmarquet8612]

If i can give you an advice bro, it's unbearable to cut off a song like that 4 or 5 times! Seriously, if you're a musician, you should feel, it's the kind of song, you must listen in 1 time, to feel the progression, the building, it's ridiculous to cut off all the time, you can't feel the waves they created, calm fast, calm fast, etc.... So you just can't feel and enjoy if you cut so much! And, if you want to get a lot of followers, they all hate that! Especially, if you cut the guitar solo! But, it's your channel! Personnaly, i didn't enjoyed, because you cuted too much! I couldn't feel the song's soul, energy! The channels working the best on youtube, are the channels where the guys listen to the song entierely, completely, and talk about it after! Just, advices! Peace from France..... ✌️🎸🇫🇷

[@ib9rt]

If you want to listen to it all the way through, listen to the original! This is a reaction video, it is supposed to be interrupted in the middle for commentary to be made. Also, videos that are not interrupted will get copyright claimed and blocked.

[@kardy12]

Dude, this is a reaction video not the original performance, the point of it is the reaction to the song and each reactor is perfectly entitled to choose how they structure their reactions. Moreover, some record labels are quite aggressive in pursuing reactors, so people often HAVE to pause several times to avoid getting their videos being taken down.