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Article 10
Rock On
Money for Nothing : Mark Knopfler Born: Aug 12th 1949
(Published
in Times of India
I n the late seventies, the world of music was engulfed in the jungle of punk and disco. A reaction to the melodious bluesy songs of the Rock artistes of the earlier days, Punk was the music of the rebellious youth who asserted their individuality with raucous clutter. On the other hand, there was the safe terrain of Disco enjoyed by the more straight-laced folk, people who would prefer not to rock the boat! In the middle of this amazing contradiction, an album was released that was to herald the arrival of the most important British guitarist to enter the world of music after Clapton. This album's well-crafted songwriting and skilled playing unexpectedly appealed to over seven million record buyers and lo behold, Mark Knopfler and the Dire Straits had arrived and were here to stay!
Trained to become an English teacher, Mark
and his brother David formed the band "Dire Straits" in August 1977.
Appropriately named after their financial status, the band slowly began to
develop a following after their numerous club gigs in
For guitar enthusiasts in Pune, and there seem to be quite a few of them considering the emails I get, here are some interesting insights. Born left handed, Mark plays his guitar with his right hand and this is one of the secrets of his unmistakable sound. The strong hand on the neck results in his ability to pull or bend three strings all at the same time quite easily and he can get a great vibrato. Also, unlike most guitarists, he does not play with a pick and uses his thumb and first two fingers, giving him great phrasing possibilities. His style is instantly recognizable, even to non-players and he is definitely one the finest electric guitar players around whose playing is as wide ranging as it gets. From the crystal clean twang of 'Sultans Of Swing' to the swampy fuzz of 'Money For Nothing' and beyond!
Following the laid-back style of his gurus J .J. Cale and Buddy Holly, Mark and the band were soon on their way to collaborate with almost all their heroes. Bob Dylan asked Mark to play with him and so did Chet Atkins and Eric Clapton. By the middle of the eighties, Dire Straits had reached stadium gig status but it was the release of "Brothers in Arms" in '85 with the amazing 'Money for Nothing' and its startling video images and homegrown Rock and Roll philosophy that truly pushed the band to its greatest height.
Unfortunately, "what goes up, must come
down" and the expected downfall followed as the pressures of stardom saw
Mark withdrawing from the band leading to rumors of a split with the band. The
personality of Mark Knopfler has overwhelmed the band where his solo albums has
the same sound and feel of his band efforts. Yet the band continued in fits and
starts with Mark, interspersing "Dire Straits" with his production
and soundtrack jobs. Still the difference between the two had blurred to
non-recognition. At most, the softer side of Mark would dominate his solo efforts.
Recently Mark has released his latest solo album called "Sailing to
Rock on!
Nandu Bhende
http://nandu_bhende.tripod.com
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