Mark Knopfler has hardly appeared in public in recent years. The guitar virtuoso was extremely busy in his London studio. Now his new album is released,
Mark Knopfler is usually rare in public. But when the former Dire Straits frontman performs somewhere, interest is always high. Like in February, when around 120 guitars he owned were auctioned off at the London auction house Christie’s. The instruments achieved more than 10 million euros. Fortunately, Knopfler didn’t separate from everyone. He still had enough guitars in his studio for his new album “One Deep River”. A few new ones were added.
More than five years have passed since his last album “Down The Road Wherever” and his last concert was four and a half years ago. Knopfler was itching to make music again. “Yes, of course,” says the 74-year-old in an interview with the German Press Agency in his British Grove studio in West London. However, he was in no hurry. “I’m in a privileged position. When you have your own studio, no one can kick you out. It’s pretty good when you have a place to work.”
He always has ideas for new songs. “I had way too many songs,” he says. “I can’t remember how many songs we recorded. Maybe 25 or 30. I don’t know. But there were definitely too many.” A dozen ended up on “One Deep River,” his tenth studio album. He wants to release more on an EP at a later date.
He leads people through his studio with shining eyes
Knopfler once again co-produced the LP with his long-time collaborator, former Dire Straits colleague and friend Guy Fletcher. “Having Guy is an advantage. Guy and I can sneak (into the studio) and work at any time, so I don’t need a band session every time. But when the band sessions start, they’re the highlight. They really are. For everyone .” Knopfler’s eyes, who otherwise speak calmly and calmly, light up as he says this. “It makes you feel really privileged. You have this space, a man in every corner, and it’s phenomenal.”
Suddenly the visually inconspicuous musician stands up. Before he talks about his new album, he shows his beloved studio and the partly historical equipment. “This is an EMI Redd mixing console like the Beatles had,” explains the 74-year-old. We continue with a desk that Paul McCartney and Wings once used to record their album “Band On The Run”. “It’s the original.” The tour lasts ten minutes and highlights Knopfler’s passion for music and recording technology.
The arch bridge over the Tyne
The Glasgow-born Knopfler grew up in the north-east of England in the town of Blyth near Newcastle, in a region from which musical greats such as Hank Marvin, Eric Burdon, Sting and AC/DC singer Brian Johnson also come. The album cover of “One Deep River” features the famous arched bridge over the Tyne, the deep river on which Newcastle lies. His childhood as a Geordie – that’s what people who come from the Tyne and Wear region are called – shaped him. However, staying there was out of the question for him.
“I think the feeling of crossing the Tyne has become something symbolic for me,” says the guitar virtuoso, who has long lived in London with his family. “Leaving rural England and living in London or New York, the idea was to get out. Last night I met some friends from Newcastle. They know every road, like rally drivers, they know every pothole and will never leave their homeland . And that’s not who I am.”
Song full of melancholy and wanderlust
After such a long time, Mark Knopfler’s new music sounds pleasantly familiar. This distinctive guitar sound and the warm, gentle baritone voice shaped global hits such as “Sultans Of Swing” and “Brothers In Arms”. The new songs are, as usual, carefree, almost cozy and full of melancholy, nostalgia and wanderlust. “That’s my train coming, I can hear the whistle blow,” sings the song poet in “Before My Train Comes” to gentle slide guitar.
Knopfler tells different little stories, not just from the north-east of England. He sings about trying to walk as a musician (“Two Pairs Of Hands”, “Ahead Of The Game”), working in a scrapyard (“Scavenger’s Yard”) and the train robbery in Oregon around 100 years ago (“Tunnel 13”). Stylistically, as usual, he mixes influences from blues, folk, country and rock’n’roll with a strong Americana influence. A highlight is “Sweeter Than The Rain”. The western ballad is reminiscent of the great Johnny Cash.
Mark Knopfler’s passion for the guitar, which was awakened in his childhood by Hank Marvin and his band The Shadows, remains unbroken. Brand new instruments can also be heard on “One Deep River”. “I found a little guitar that I play on four or five songs on the album,” he revealed on the sidelines of the Christie’s auction. Even though he has said goodbye to a considerable part of his huge collection, Knopfler assures us that he will continue to collect guitars. “This never ends.”