THE STORY OF THE GUITAR
 
Artist Various artists (featuring Mark Knopfler)
Venue Studio
Date 10th, 17th and 24th October 2008
Source Soundboard
Format 1DVD+R
Tracks
  1. Part 1 - In the beginning
  2. Part 2 - Out of the frying pan
  3. Part 3 - This time it's personal
  4. Mark Knopfler - Acoustic
  5. Mark Knopfler - Electric
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Additional comments DVD-Video containing the full three part series The story of the guitar, broadcasted on BBC four on 10th, 17th and 24th October 2008. Alan Yentob embarks on a three-part personal journey to discover how the guitar became the world's favourite musical instrument. Beginning with the rise of the acoustic guitar, the series takes him from an ancient Middle Eastern ancestor of the lute, to the iconic guitars draped round the necks of Bill Hailey and Elvis Presley and beyond. As the guitar turns electric, music is changed for ever. The world's first electric guitar had nothing to do with jazz or blues, but Hawaiian-style music and was known as the 'frying pan'. Yentob continues his investigation from the blues of the Mississippi to the guitar wars of the 1950s, when the Fender Stratocaster and the Gibson Les Paul were battling for supremacy. In the final programme of the series the guitarists talk about how they find their own sound, and how the guitar has changed their lives. Since its invention, the electric guitar has unleashed a seemingly inexhaustible sonic invention among guitarists.

Mark Knopfler is featured briefly in parts 1 and 3, and a bit more in episode 2. It looks like the parts with Mark are recorded in his own Britsh Grove Studios. Of particular interest is part 3; although Mark is featured for only a couple of seconds, in this clip he is playing with his son. In a very relaxed and conversational interview Mark takes us through the stages of his evolving acoustic style, from strumming to finger picking. The electric guitar swept Mark Knopfler's generation off its feet. He pays tribute to The Shadows and the Fender Stratocaster as played by Hank Marvin that fuelled the dreams of thousands of teenage boys. It's a 16:9 recording recorded in a 4:3 format, so if you're watching this on a 16:9 screen, you're going to have some black bars on the screen. The DVD also features the exclusive bonus footage from the BBC website with links to the parts where Mark Knopfler is featured. The picture and sound quality is not perfect, but absolutely good enough to enjoy.