Live into gold

Press, 29 March 1984, Page 10

Live into gold

DIRE STRAITS “Alchemy — Dire Straits Live” (Vertigo 818 243-1). Alchemy was medieval chemistry, particularly the attempt to change base metals into gold. The title is taken from the double album’s sleeve adapted from “Alchemy 1974,” but if it is a Knopfler joke, that is turning the base of Dire Straits’ previous recordings into gold, then he is wrong. Live albums are a difficult proposition. The justification is the “just-like-being-there” syndrome, but portable cassette recorders might now be getting around that. Other factors

to take into account are contractual obligations and that live albums can be remixed to be far removed from the original sound.

This Dire Straits recording was taken from a show last year (probably Hammersmith Odeon, in July) and has been left undoctored. Surprisingly, though, the band play a tight set with virtually no mistakes. What is disappointing is that there are no new songs. Some people may not have heard “Going Home,” from the soundtrack, “Local Hero,” and if that is the case, the advice is buy the soundtrack. What is in-

teresting is the variation in the Dire Straits’ songs, particularly with the bigger band. Early songs like “Once Upon A Time In The West” and “Sultans Of Swing” stand out for this reason. Both “Tunnel Of Love” and “Solid Rock” have new openings.

Songs like “Private Investigations” and “Telegraph Road” retain their original tautness, but I’m reluctant to recommend this double LP because, in all seriousness, it does not go anywhere. If you have all the previous singles and albums I would leave it at that. —NEVIN TOPP.