BEAUTIFUL OR bloated?

The comment j-bp seems still a little hard, although this ALCHEMY LIVE does not live the greatest of all time! There is one thing that struck me, about this album. I was in Ireland in 1983, I was 17, and I bought this disc (6 Pounds 99!). I'm amazed so few title by face ... because ALCHEMY reconnected with long titles, solos stretched, intros that never end. In full wave post-punk, new wave, suddenly, a guy took his time to set a mood, broadcast, nay, of quietly infused rhythms, melodies ... We can not remain insensitive to "Private Investigation" and its crystalline acoustic guitar line, or the fast-paced "Sultans of Swing" and its final overthrowing or to aeuvre unsurpassable masterpiece that is "Tunnel of love". The technique and feeling Knopfler is unique.

The reverse of the coin is that by lengthening the pieces, it is limited to a small number of songs on an album. The great regret of ALCHEMY is the lack of short titles like "Lady Writer" or "twisting by the pool," "Six Blade Knife". And the second problem is that the more a stock is, the more the track has to be extended for takeoff and landing! The intro and the end of "Once upon a time" almost half of the song itself! You should know a piece conclude quickly. By cutting everything above, we gain 10 minutes and then, two more pieces! Rest this strange case, "Telegraph Road" is shorter on stage and in studio (12 against 14 minutes). Amazing, right? It is regrettable, over time, this emphasis a bit boring.

ALCHEMY is a superb album that marked his time, that spelled the end of the group too, whose music was probably not intended to be played in stadiums. This forced Mark Knopfler to adapt his songs for his large rock masses. But the wealth of the compositions, the emotion aroused, and Knopfler's guitar playing scan these few flaws in their path!