DIRE STRAITS - DIRE STRAITS

1 Down to the Waterline
2 Water of Love
3 Setting Me Up
4 Six Blade Knife
5 Southbound Again
6 Sultans of Swing
7 In the Gallery
8 Wild West End
9 Lions

Dire Straits' arresting self-titled debut arrived in the midst of punk's reign but couldn't have been further removed from the era's slash-and-burn style. Recorded in West London in February 1978, the band's tasteful, jazz-inflected set embraces folk, blues, and pub rock while also tracing a direct line back to the beat-oriented sound of early rock n' roll. Country and roots accents further distinguish the British quartet's stripped-down music from any 1970s peers, as does the transparent production, which has remained revered among audiophiles the world over - and which has never been better than on this meticulous analog pressing.