Alchemy Live

I couldn't be happier that "Alchemy" is on DVD at last! Over the years I have worn out two VHS copies, and the CD is among the most played in my library, so I'm thrilled to finally have a shiny new DVD in my hands. Some have criticized the DVD for having imperfect picture quality, and it's true that there are imperfections, the notorious "hair" on one of the cameras' images towards the end of the show is the most objectionable artifact, and I too wish the picture had been cleaned up a bit, but it is certainly not as onerous as some make it sound. Remember that this DVD is from a single show that occurred at the Hammersmith Odeon in London on July 23, 1983, and was shot on 16 mm film: given the vintage of the footage, I think the image is more than acceptable (though I'm not sure it's worth the extra for the Blu-ray disc) and any imperfections are more than made up for in the quality of the audio track, which is superb.I have always been a huge fan of Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler, primarily because of their musicianship. It's pretty amazing that the musical craft was so highly prized that there was a point made to put a note on the cover reading "This is a recording of excerpts of one Dire Straits performance, it contains no re-recordings or overdubs of any kind." It is not uncommon for live albums to be tweaked in the studio, and given the complexity of the material here, it's astonishing that the concert is musically flawless.This concert was done at the heights of pre-"Brothers in Arms" fame, and contains much of their best material. With the much improved sound quality of the DVD (versus VHS) the crispness of the recording is readily appreciated, and people who have watched it on both will notice differences between the two readily (I noticed the biggest difference in Mel Collins' saxophone part on "Two Young Lovers.") There is nothing to critique on the performances, and I still think of these versions of "Telegraph Road" and "Going Home" as the finest ever recorded.The DVD also comes with a couple of extras including the captivating BBC documentary on the exhausted band after "Communiqué" was released. At the time the band was still a foursome and interviews of the original four members are extensive, as is footage in the studio revealing the song development process. I found it especially fascinating to watch how "Making Movies" progressed from the embryonic form shown here to the final recorded version. Any fan will love to have this feature, and it justifies the cost of the DVD by itself in my estimation.I highly recommend this DVD. Despite some visual imperfections, the music is sublime and more than makes up for any shortcomings in the image, but that's what you should expect from Knopfler and company: the bottom line is always about the music, and overdubs are never required.

Dire straights are always great! But now I can also enjoy the visual experiance

I don't know why, but this (As Well As Many Good Movies, Still Not Released) had to take so long to be released on DVD; One of the greatest live rock performances in history; Mark Knopfler, Guitar Genius, calmly and effortlessly weaves his legendary magic for all to enjoy; Songs for all appetites to appreciate; I remember when this came out on LP (2 LP), how this was a monster album; When I went back and listened to some of the studio versions of some of the songs.......Forget About It........All songs are exponentially better when performed live by Dire Straits. Some people think they can play guitar......try playing it backwards (Or Upside Down) fretting with your picking hand, and picking with your fretting hand. Left handers were at a disadvantage, even then. If you get a chance to watch Woodstock, notice Jimi Hendrix playing his guitar upside down, because he was also left handed. He put the strings in reverse order, and played it up side down; So many of us complain about how hard life is.....and some just grab what they get, and do incredible things.

Great DVD! An excellent Dire Straits concert from late 1983, live in London. The filmwork is dated by today's standards but considering 1983 was so long ago now the cameramen did a pretty good job all in all.The band covered a great set of music and I think it was definately worth the $10 I paid. I watched the whole concert the day the DVD arrived and I will watch it again.I really liked the bands enthusiasm and Mark Knopfler's guitar sounded so sweet and the band was tight. The crowd was loving every minute too.The DVD has a good review of the band in the liner notes and the show and where the group was at in their career at that point int time. They had been touring for about 4-5 years at least at that point and they were hitting their stride, about to go Mega after the release of Brothers in Arms in 85.

I have never experienced a DVD where the bonus material completely changes my perspective about th! That is, until I experienced Alchemy. But I am getting ahead of myself ..The 10+ songs on the list here are a mixed bag, some excellent, some deserving to be on the 'B-side'. Knopfler shines through via his wizardry with the strings, however, his vocals are nothing to write home about. The other two guitarists seem to be on a mission to burn 1000 calories in some weird stepping sequence. Argh! The material was not Dire Straits like at all. The remastered sound was sub-par and the video quality, as others have reported, was from VHS era.Then on a lark, I checked the bonus material. Two studio songs - 'Tunnel of love' and 'Sultans of swing' were rendered in true DS fashion, and the mood begins to lift. Following these is the BBC documentary, Arena, which torques it up higher. 'Where you think you're going', 'Down to the waterline' and 'Making movies' are re-discovered here, the last one as a work in progress, and provides an insight into DS in a creative phase. Viewers are treated to Pick Withers on the drums, and realization dawns that the drummer in the main segment is not PW, but an ersatz one.For DS fans, the bonus material obliterates the folly of the main segment, which was rather disappointing.

I have owned Alchemy on double 12" vinyl and double CD. I borrowed an old VHS of the concert many years ago from a friend, but I've not seen it since. Apart from the cheesy intro/outro (which aren't on the albums) I love it. The video quality is not great, but it's only ever going to be as good as the source material. Besides, it gives it the look of its era. All in all, it's exactly what I wanted and brought back memories of when I had one or other of the vinyl records on my deck almost permanently.

Good dvd

tutto bene

Musique

O DVD DIRE STRAITS LIVE ALCHEMY - A IMAGEM É BOA, PORÉM NAO TEM AUDIO 5.1 DTS COMO MENCIONADO NA CAPA, CAPA QUE VEIO COM A IMPRESSAO DEFEITUOSA, SE PARECE MUITO COM O DVD ORIGINAL SE NAO FOSSE ESSE ITENS FALTANTES NO DISCO, NAO VEIO ENCARTE INTERNO, TENHO O MESMO DVD E O BLU RAY ORIGINAIS E NAO TENHO QUE RECLAMAR MAS ESSE SEM CHANCE.

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