2021 reissue – Mark Knopfler’s spare, tasteful guitar lines and distinctive vocals mark Dire Straits’ 1978 self-titled debut album of bluesy tunes that even on first listen, sound as if you’ve just wandered into a local pub to hear a great rock band over a beer. Thanks to the Top Ten hit “Sultans Of Swing”, Dire Straits was a major success in both Britain and America, with the single and album climbing into the Top Ten on both sides of the Atlantic.