It always surprises me who people know, and don’t know in
the way of music. The name Mark
Knopfler might not ring a bell to some people, but he certainly is talented, famous, and important. He is an
Officer of the British Empire, produced for acts like Tina Turner, Bob Dylan
and Randy Newman, plays guitar on Weird Al’s parody of his song, and has a
dinosaur named after him. [Editors
Note: Great article Mark, as always.
Maybe you should also mention that he co-founded the band Dire
Straights, scored eight films including “The Princess Bride, and is considered
one of the greatest fingerstyle guitarists alive. Did I mention how great the article is? Yes, I did. I’ll stop typing now.]
Douglas Adams the very talented and very British author (and on of my
all time favorites) wrote: "Mark Knopfler has an extraordinary ability to
make a Schecter Custom Stratocaster hoot and sing like angels on a Saturday
night, exhausted from being good all week and needing a stiff drink."
With
all that greatness, and probably much more that can’t be contained in the
confines of this article, clearly this guy has some crazy musical prowess. Right you are! And it’s displayed very prominently in
his 2002 album “The Ragpicker's Dream.”
This
album is very interesting. It
subtly tells the story of a poor drifter, mentioning family history, trials,
and triumphs. Knopfler has a way
with story telling, and a love of history that breaths real life into these
characters. The songs range from driving,
rock tunes, to soft swinging ditties, and soulful folk anthems. The man in this story may not have been
real, but that doesn’t stop you from enjoying the ride through the ups and
downs of his life’s journey.
His
music has also held a more personal meaning for me: family. My Dad often plays Knopfler albums, and
his familiar voice and melodies take me back home. His songs themselves will often concern family whether it be
immediate or ancestral. They are
defiantly stories that I hope to share with my kids some day, but until then
I’ll just turn the music up a little bit.
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