Three great debuts, all accused at the time of their releases of being "Dylanesque." Coincidence?
John Prine (S/T): The country arrangements are hokey and somewhat uninspired; the songwriting is not. This is one of the best written records by anybody. I dare you to find songs more potent than Hello In There, Far From Me, Donald & Lydia, and Illegal Smile.
Bruce Springsteen: Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ: Springsteen would go on to make records with better songs and more assured playing, but he never came close to recapturing the excitement of his first album. Ok, Mary Queen Of Arkansas and The Angel are crap (why did he include them instead of, say, Janey Needs A Shooter?), but the other seven cuts are glorious pieces of pop/rock. Secret highlight: Lost In The Flood. Listen to that one if nothing else.
Dire Straits (S/T): How good is this album? Welll, Sultans Of Swing isn't even the best song. Mark Knopfler's guitar gets all the press, but everyone forgets what a tight band the original Dire Straits were. Listen to John Ilsley's bass on Six Blade Knife or Pick Withers' drumming on Sultans.