Dire Straits – Alchemy - Dire Straits Live

Good ol’ Alchemy Live! This was a big one back in the mid 80s! I had it taped on a TDK SA90! It’s coming as an expanded pressing in a live Dire Straits box set in early November, along with On The Night, also expanded, At The BBC and Rainbow 1979.
CD box too! I’m looking forward to that!

Outstanding record, really ads when listening to the vinyl compared to any other versions. This version btw is really mind blowing

Extraordinary sound quality on this UK original release. Very nice pressing!
I made a needledrop of one of the tracks from this vinyl record - You can find it on the right side in the videos, under the name:
Dire Straits - Expresso Love (Alchemy - Dire Straits Live) (1984 UK Vinyl)

Haven’t played my copy since the 80s. Spin cleaned and it’s playing ‘mint’. Don’t think I abused it too much when I was a kid, just recorded to cassette and played it in the car. Really good pressing.

Can't find my label version can anybody help? Vertigo Orange/Yellowish. Very 11, 818-244/245
Has: Very 11 A record 1, side 1 Very 11 B record 1, side 2. Very 11 C record 2, side 1, Very 11 D record 2, side 2
etched in run out grooves on each side. The gatefold cover is the same as all the other UK ones

Amazing album, to me still one of the best. I got mine in 1984 as a present from my parents.

Both B sides have the same label pasted on them, with Side 2, Espresso Love, Private Investigations and Sultans of Swing. So pretty amazing edition they got me.

Unfortunately the records are in poor condition as I was very young and didn’t know how to handle them properly.

So I’m looking for a original mint condition here on Discogs.

My copy of this has this sleeve (NO barcode) but the Matrix has VERY11 crossed out on Side 1 and 2 - and 818244-A-3U-1-1- (side 1), 818244-B-2U-1-1 (side 2). NO VERY11 on Side 3 or 4 ad 818245 A//1 420 2 4 (side 3) and 818245-B-1U-1-1-1 (side 4). Side 1 and 4 also mention DB TAPEONE. ALL other details are the same as mentioned,
Can anyone tell what it is that I have? NONE of the variants on here are identical to MY copy - I have checked them all! Please help.

Sounds a 100x better on record than on CD..! 😀

La versión del "Tunnel of Love" lo tiene todo, es PERFECTA!

A serious fan, has no trouble following Dire straits career. The first couple of albums with the "American" sound, then the change in direction with "Making movies" and after that the almost "progressive" attempt with "Love over gold" and the rock 'n' roll intermission with "Dance E.P.". But all these changes, surely baffled many people, trying to categorize them. The "Alchemy-live" double album was a revelation for both fans and casual listeners. Many live albums work as "best of" compilations, and this one does the same, but only as far as the choice of tracks. The reworking of most of their songs, with exquisite keyboards and lengthy guitar solos, blends them together in such a way, that anybody can see the lines ing the dots and the whole picture.
Only one track from each of the first two albums, but transformed in completely new songs, over 12 minutes each. "Once upon a time in the west" set the tone, and in an almost cinematic way, starts the album. "Sultans of swing" is the centerpiece, not just because it is placed in the middle of the concert, but mostly because it proves better than any other track in the album, that a track can be new every time it is played live, even if you have heard it a million times. Four songs come from the "Making movies" album. "Tunnel of love" with it's lengthy intro and powerful climax and "Romeo and Juliet", which becomes even more powerful than the studio recording, on odd thing if one considers the nature of the song. "Expresso love" and "Solid rock" are strong rock 'n' roll tracks placed fittingly, second and last but one, respectively, in order to raise spirits, in this celebration of music. Same goes with "Two young lovers" from "Dance E.P.". And then there are three more songs from "Love over gold" album, their recent hit, at the time. It is the magnum opus "Telegraph road", the almost theatrical and yet mystifying "Private investigations", and for the owners of the CD version of the album (not included in the vinyl version), the lovely "Love over gold". For the concert's end, the band plays magnificently, the theme from the film "Local hero", a Mark Knopfler penned soundtrack, with the appropriate title: "Going home".
An exquisite live recording, that works perfectly for both keen fans and new listeners and set the bar high for any live recording since. (The note on the back sleeve "...contains no re-recordings or overdubs..." says it all!) The video of the show is of the highest quality as well, and perhaps it gives a more accurate picture of the band and tracks, since it didn't have the limitations of vinyl or CD, time wise.