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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dire Straits' last great live outing., 7 Sep 2006
There are voices, both human and instrumental, that you will always be able to pick out of a crowd of thousands. Mark Knopfler and his guitar are an example of that, and "On The Night" is one of the best albums ever released by Knopfler and friends. Recorded during their 1992 tour at two concerts in Nimes and Amsterdam, the album shows that Dire Straits were a class act right to the end. While the band underwent multiple transformations in membership over the course of its existence, Mark Knopfler has always had the gift to surround himself with first rate musicians -- this is true for the people who have joined him on his more recent solo releases and tours, and it was likewise true with regard to Dire Straits, in whatever configuration they existed at any given time. And yet, the excellence of the people who join him on stage and in the studio only serves to enhance the brilliance of the guy whose middle name might, for all intents and purposes, be "Fender Strat," and whose laid back, understated, gruff vocals are as crucial and distinctive to the typical Dire Straits/Mark Knopfler sound as is his guitar play. Like all great musicians, he thrives on the live atmosphere, and not bound by the restraints of studio recording, he and the band delve into the songs, particularly their instrumental sections, with an energy and deep feeling for each piece that lesser musicians are far from achieving even at the height of their careers.
The record opens, as did the band's shows, with a powerful "Calling Elvis," and it is something like a live "best of Dire Straits" album (personally, I'd have wished they would also have included "Sultans of Swings" and "Telegraph Road;" which would of course have made it a "top 12" instead of the "top 10" song collection, though). Highlights include an incredibly soulful "Romeo and Juliet," one of the greatest love songs ever written in rock history, a very dark "Private Investigations," which goes from a slow, moody start to almost 5 minutes' worth of instrumental featuring a number of hard, edgy riffs, only to end on pensive notes again, and of course, "Brothers in Arms," to this day probably Dire Straits' greatest trade mark piece besides "Sultans of Swings," with a guitar solo which gives me goose bumps every time I listen to it.
"We need Dire Straits back," none other than Don Henley proclaimed during the last show of his own 2001 "Inside Job" tour, "to counter all the crap that's playing on the radio now." "On the Night" more than proves his point. But as long as that's not going to happen, I'll at least take Knopfler solo, with whoever he chooses to play, and I hope he doesn't decide to stop touring any time soon.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
On The Night of a thousand solos, 17 May 2000
By A Customer
On The Night is one of the best live albums that you will find on the planet. We all thought that we had heard the best live performance from the Straits when Alchemy was released in '84, some 16 years ago. The band undoubtably sound more polished 12 years on, but the quality of the songs get enhanced with every note that comes from the band as a whole.The most atmospheric track on the CD is You and Your Friend. A favourite track of mine from "On Every Street", but the inclusion of this track on the live album makes it very special.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
On top form on the night, 9 Jan 2000
The final release by the hugely successfull group is the best. Recorded live in France and Holland the nine piece band reach new standards in quality on a tour. In the early years, gigs were just an example of how great Mark Knopfler is on the guitar. On the night features the best pedal steel player in the world, Paul Franklin, Guitarist Phil Palmer of Eric Clapton and Tina Turner fame and Saxophonist Chris White. These 3 musicans are all the best in their field and fit in with ease. Probably the greatest coup of this album is Mark tempting drummer Chris Whitten away from Paul McCartney's band. Whitten's part in the album is easily overlooked but the quality of his drumming is simply sensational.The opening track seems average until the group stops and Mark breaks into one of the best solos ever played on the guitar. Walk of Life is a great song but Paul Franklin's solo at the end turns it into a classic. The heartbreaker Romeo and Juliet is simply the best song ever composed. The whole group produces so many emotional highs and lows in this ballad that every man or woman who has been in a failed relationship knows that Romeo and Juliet sums it up completely. Money for Nothing is miles better than the original and the album ends with the brilliant Brothers in Arms. The Last minute of the album has two of the most emotional solos from Paul and Mark. The closing melody of the flute brings to an end the greatest live album from the greatest live band. Take it from someone who was there.
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