Stumbled on this bit of guitar magic by Mark Knopfler and thought others would enjoy hearing it (again) as well: Sultans of Swing (sans vocals)
I’ve always liked his effortless style of playing; no weird faces or superfluous motion. Thanks for posting that.
Dude can play.
Although I wish you’d posted a link to the whole song (I’m sure I’ve seen that performance on youtube before); it’s not like the rest of Sultans of Swing should just be trimmed away and discarded.
Ask and ye shall receive: Sultans of Swing (full live version).
I like this long version from the Alchemy Live album. His singing sucks, but there is some inspired guitar work going on.
That version is one of my favorite rock songs of all time.
I think Mark Knopfler is a genius.
Here’s two amazing pieces of his guitar playing:
I haven’t listened to the “Alchemy” album in maybe 25 years or longer, but without clicking the link I can still play almost the whole guitar solo in my head, note for note. Wore out the grooves back then, I loved the whole album. Maybe it’s time to listen to it again after all this time, I may even dust off my old vinyl copy ;).
If your vinyl copy is in good shape and you want to sell it, my son would likely take it off your hands.
I chanced upon a live concert of Eric Clapton playing with Derek Trucks. Then JJ Cake joined them for a bit. And then I remembered how much of Knopfler’s playing sounds like Cale’s. I dimly recall reading something about the influence he had on Knopfler.
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Pry. Dead. Cold hands.
The interesting thing is that MK is 68 now but he really is just getting better.
He sometimes plays sitting down because his back plays up, but he has clearly had singing lessons because now he sings far more than mumbles.
And his playing has just got more subtle as he’s gone on. Poke about on youtube and you will find him playing versions of Telegraph Road (for example) in the last few years that are IMHO better than during the Alchemy tour. The Love Over Gold tracks were always (in a sense) over-long and too subtle for a rock concert. Now I think he’s at a stage in his life where he (and his audience) are more than happy to hear him playing them in a more considered way, as they were always meant to be played.
Cale is a vastly under-rated songwriter IMHO. He tends to write these 2 minute songs that are so-understated it’s not till someone else comes along and develops them that you realise just how good they are.
Sorry about the triple post but I just popped back in to say that this is also true for me, and now I’m going to have it playing in my head all day.
Thanks a bunch, Quicksilver!
I’m sorry, I just snatched it out of the old stack, and the cover alone looks like a 33 year old album, and given the many times I played it back then on cheap record players I suspect that the vinyl isn’t exactly in a mint condition either, it may even skip two or three times. But anyway, like Princhester said: those hands would be dead and cold ;).
Just a drive by post to say that I agree with everyone. His playing is so good - amazing how how he doesn’t use a pick yet plays basically as though he does (although when he chooses to play multiple lines, he kicks ass at that too.)
In the OP clip, he’s playing a Pensa Suhr, a make Knopfler was known for using before he went vintage. Rudy Pensa is Rudy’s Guitars and Rudy’s Soho in NYC. A top shelf shop owner. He built some of his own design, using John Suhr, who is a builder who started the Fender Custom shop and now has his own make. He built the guitar and wound the pickups that Jeff Beck uses (mic drop).
That’s the song that made me buy a guitar a few years ago and start learning to play.
Ah yes, how is Mary Ann the Stratocaster doing?
We’re still quite happy together. Thanks for asking.
Since I participated in her christening*, I like to check in 
*Rock Guitar: The Major Food Groups - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board
When I hear the word “expressive” applied to a guitarist he’s the first player I think of. Unlike Guitar George, he makes it cry and sing.