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Mark Knopfler — El Macho
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paradiser
Posted: May 26, 2013 - 11:56
 
  May 2013, the same transition. Wonder if Calexico was the next sing back in '09 too.


alux wrote:
BB King to Knopfler:  smooth to even smoother.  

 


fredriley
(Nottingham, UK)
Posted: Apr 25, 2013 - 03:20
 
 Tippster wrote:
Flugelhorn - always sounds more mellow than a trumpet.





 
That takes me back. I played flugel horn for my high school band, and being the only player I got more solo parts than when I was in the trumpet section. It does have a lovely smooth yet robust sound, halfway between the strident rasp of the trumpet and the super-smoothness of a cornet. Easy to play for a trumpet player, too, as it's got the same fingering.

Tippster
(Washington, DC)
Posted: Aug 16, 2012 - 19:47
 
Flugelhorn - always sounds more mellow than a trumpet.





LizK
(Houston, Texas)
Posted: Aug 16, 2012 - 19:15
 
Cooool.

ziggytrix
(Dallas, TX)
Posted: Jul 16, 2012 - 08:50
 
 Otomi wrote:

I'm listening to the CD right now. I remembered this discussion and clicked in to clear things up. The liner notes say that it's Mike Haynes on flugel horn. I guess they decided to go for a more subtle sound than a trumpet would have delivered. (Wayne Jackson plays trumpet on The Last Laugh, the preceding song on this album.) Prairie Wedding, with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings singing backup and Paul Franklin on pedal steel, just came up. It all sounds really good to me.
 
That's a real horn?  Is Haynes some sort of robot?  I guess it does sound a bit organic near the end, but the rest of the time he sounds like a Casio! {#Eek}

Rockit
(Ottawa ON)
Posted: Jul 16, 2012 - 08:47
 
 boober wrote:
They spent a lot of money on that album cover.
 

They sure did...Boeing's are very expensive.

boober
(KC,Mo)
Posted: Apr 12, 2012 - 05:53
 
They spent a lot of money on that album cover.

Umberdog
Posted: Mar 11, 2012 - 14:48
 
Almost everything Mark has done gets at least a seven (7).

MJMJ
Posted: Sep 03, 2011 - 15:34
 
They say you're a star
That's what the boys all say you are
I don't see much TV
So you don't mean shit to me
But you look like a fine thing Jerry
Yeh you look like a fine thing Jerry

js


Elliot
Posted: Aug 03, 2011 - 05:38
 
 davin wrote:
sounds like a pretty cheap synth played by an expensive musician. reminds me a lot of leonard cohen, reminds me of david lynch movies even more.
 
I knew someone must have made the comparison already. Leonard Cohen - just what I was thinking.

gatorade
(Peninsuland)
Posted: Jul 02, 2011 - 20:14
 
This entire LP is a 10+ imo. Love MK.

Businessgypsy
(Deepest, Darkest Florida)
Posted: Jun 01, 2011 - 05:05
 
 Otomi wrote:
...The liner notes say that it's Mike Haynes on flugel horn. I guess they decided to go for a more subtle sound than a trumpet would have delivered...
It takes a lot of restraint (and maybe some studio post processing) to produce such a dynamically flat legato. Pretty masterful. If the result sounds like a synth, but you're not quite sure, I think these folks have done their job quite well. The atmospheric created gives this piece just the right comic seriousness.


Otomi
(La orilla de la civilización)
Posted: Feb 26, 2011 - 16:55
 
 WonderLizard wrote:
It's Wayne Jackson on trumpet.
 
I'm listening to the CD right now. I remembered this discussion and clicked in to clear things up. The liner notes say that it's Mike Haynes on flugel horn. I guess they decided to go for a more subtle sound than a trumpet would have delivered. (Wayne Jackson plays trumpet on The Last Laugh, the preceding song on this album.) Prairie Wedding, with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings singing backup and Paul Franklin on pedal steel, just came up. It all sounds really good to me.

WonderLizard
(2,755.46 mi. due east of Paradise)
Posted: Nov 24, 2010 - 05:08
 
 jwb wrote:

I'm pretty sure that's just a synth.

 
It's Wayne Jackson on trumpet.


Rolphee
Posted: Nov 24, 2010 - 05:07
 
In my opinion most of the Dire Straits records had the same synth flavor here and there (exept the first two ones). On the other hand I think this is a great song and fine mixed, so the trumpet does not bother me this much.

ghoffman
(Plano, TX)
Posted: Sep 21, 2010 - 20:09
 
 zair99 wrote:

Yes, but a trumpety synth!
 
Yes, but it would be even better if it were a real trumpet or a cornet.

jagdriver
(Just a tad south of Paradise)
Posted: Dec 10, 2009 - 11:07
 
{#Clap}

zair99
(In Cognito)
Posted: Nov 09, 2009 - 01:33
 
 jwb wrote:

I'm pretty sure that's just a synth.
 
Yes, but a trumpety synth!

calypsus_1
Posted: Aug 15, 2009 - 17:10
 


Mark Knopfler - "Father And Son" Live A Night In London (1996)



alux
(atop the pyramid)
Posted: Aug 06, 2009 - 11:57
 
BB King to Knopfler:  smooth to even smoother.  

helgigermany
(Germany)
Posted: Aug 06, 2009 - 11:56
 
I still like Mark Knopflers Music!

jwb
Posted: Jul 05, 2009 - 19:47
 
 stkman wrote:
Knopfler just doesn't do anythng halfass, I love this with trumpet great song
 
I'm pretty sure that's just a synth.


cochlear
(Kauai, Hawaii)
Posted: Jul 05, 2009 - 19:43
 
{#Rolleyes}   Oh!  I get it!  Macho.  This song is anything but macho.  Little joke there, eh, Mark?  Heheh.  


tom-kenna
(pompano beach)
Posted: Jul 05, 2009 - 19:43
 
 fredriley wrote:
 .......smoother than mercury on glass........
  Could not be stated more perfectly!



annersjen
(in the rolling hills of New York)
Posted: May 03, 2009 - 07:35
 
Surefire cure for stress: Listen to Mark Knopfler sing anything

stkman
(Texas)
Posted: Dec 28, 2008 - 01:35
 
Knopfler just doesn't do anythng halfass, I love this with trumpet great song

fredriley
(Nottingham, UK)
Posted: Nov 26, 2008 - 11:03
 
Same old Knopfler - smoother than mercury on glass, and that's smooth. 7 from the Nottingham jury.

dereksailor
Posted: Jan 16, 2008 - 03:08
 

Pyro
Posted: Nov 14, 2007 - 07:53
 
ziggytrix wrote:


Just my opinion, but if he'd used a real trumpet here, even one played by a second year high school band, it would have been a perfectly enjoyable song. As it is, the horrid brass synth (the rest of the synths sound fine IMO) drags down the whole thing for me.


I have an issue with that, too. He could afford the best session trumpeter money can buy.

Sadly, Joni Mitchell's newest album is guilty of the same thing. Synth bassoon, horns and strings (the latter is least offensive)...but a REAL sax player. I just don't get it.
ziggytrix
(Dallas, TX)
Posted: Sep 12, 2007 - 13:40
 
Bosonator wrote:
Lots of flak about the fake horns, but what if that's the way it's supposed to sound?


Just my opinion, but if he'd used a real trumpet here, even one played by a second year high school band, it would have been a perfectly enjoyable song. As it is, the horrid brass synth (the rest of the synths sound fine IMO) drags down the whole thing for me.
Dave_Mack
(Vertical, more or less)
Posted: Sep 12, 2007 - 13:38
 
mbrailer wrote:
Whenever I hear "El Macho" I can't help but wonder what happens to the guy El Macho is singing to -- the hapless TV star who's apparently trapped in this bar by El Macho and his thugs. Does he get away safely? Does he end up naked in a Dumpster somewhere? Or is it (shudder) something even worse?

It's a rare pop song that lets me use my own imagination, so that's why I particularly admire this song.

Good post. I'd never really listened to the words before, but I looked after reading your post. I wonder too about the untold story.

And the fake horns are cheesy, but I'm sure that's intentional. It's the cheesy Casio organ sound you might hear in a cheesy bar where El Macho hangs out. That said, they still grate on me. Fortunately, Bill always has the anti-cheese horns of Calexico ready to remedy the situation.
davin
(Victoria, British Columbia)
Posted: Sep 12, 2007 - 13:33
 
sounds like a pretty cheap synth played by an expensive musician. reminds me a lot of leonard cohen, reminds me of david lynch movies even more.
krg123
(out there)
Posted: Sep 12, 2007 - 13:31
 
too much mark knopfler and dire straits.
mindless
(Auckland City, New Zealand)
Posted: Jul 11, 2007 - 14:58
 
Bosonator wrote:
Lots of flak about the fake horns, but what if that's the way it's supposed to sound?


At least he laid off the boring guitar solo. To me, better than his usual but then, I don't like his usual.
gofishbish
Posted: Jul 11, 2007 - 14:57
 
commercial radio just friggin' sucks.

why on earth have I never heard of this song before?

FM radio is dead. and now it looks like the same fate is bearing down on internet radio.

@#$%*()^%$ record companies.... may the reap all that they deserve


Bosonator
(Nova Scotia)
Posted: Jun 10, 2007 - 06:21
 
Lots of flak about the fake horns, but what if that's the way it's supposed to sound? Don't get me wrong... synthesized instruments *are* generally overly and badly used, but sometimes it's just the effect that the song needs (and I'd say that's the case here).
eman
(PDX)
Posted: May 09, 2007 - 20:50
 
Yeah, fake horns...but, great grooooove...
tnt_thomas
(No C&W - This ain't RodeoParadise!!)
Posted: Feb 20, 2007 - 09:59
 
physicsgenius wrote:
I am always happy to be provided with an opportunity to rate a Mark Knopfler song to 1.


PhizzleGen, you rock, man! You're wrong and I'd walk a mile to defend your right to be That wrong.

Rock on PG!
MissIncendium
(Dubai)
Posted: Feb 05, 2007 - 02:21
 
An outstanding song for the bedroom!
xkolibuul
(Pacific Rim, watching the storms roll in)
Posted: Jan 06, 2007 - 21:04
 
Don't worry, PG's not really hateful, just a tad misguided and prone to sloppy hyperbole.

And now, every time Bill plays Kopfler, the image of PG having to listen to him yet again makes it all the more fun

rgrace wrote:


I hate to think of somone being locked into such a hateful, small world as this guy....

vandal
(arriving somewhere, but not here. . .)
Posted: Jan 06, 2007 - 20:54
 

el yawno. . .

Dotman
Posted: Dec 08, 2006 - 19:33
 
nice fake horns. offers steve a altoid. for the breath.

dot.
MojoJojo
(Indianapolis, IN USA)
Posted: Aug 28, 2006 - 09:33
 
El Yesso!!!!
Old_Pool_Skunk
(Get Out)
Posted: Aug 13, 2006 - 19:14
 
Anything goes well with the ending of the Hits thing. But Knopfler is a touch of class.
Geecheeboy
(under a crescent moon and palmetto tree)
Posted: Jul 15, 2006 - 11:25
 
Wow, I never realized how well this song goes with "Hits of Sunshine" until Bill played them together.
Hettapuddleduck
(Way out west)
Posted: Jun 01, 2006 - 14:35
 
I bought this CD after hearing it here - most excellent
swelements
Posted: May 03, 2006 - 10:38
 
just what i needed after work today - chilled served somethings
nick_valensi
(Charlotte, NC)
Posted: Mar 20, 2006 - 12:42
 
now, that's a cheap keyboard.
Bizzarefall
(SoCal)
Posted: Mar 20, 2006 - 12:41
 
Dotman wrote:
weeee. fake horns. nice touch.

dot.


weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
easy073
(Nebraska)
Posted: Feb 04, 2006 - 09:46
 
Distinctive voice and guitar playing, obviously, though this is one of the lesser cuts on this CD, in my opinion. Have *Ragpicker Dream* CD in the Focus right now, and *Shangri-La* is solid CD, too. *Golden Heart* CD has some good moments, though it's rather subdued. Any Dire Straits, or MK CD is great to fire up after not hearing the sound for a couple of months. For some reason, *Fade to Black* on the *On Every Street* Straits CD is one of my favorites.