Warren Zevon and Joe Ely albums are favourites of mine. Love John Prine. I was lucky enough to see him twice. I've never heard "Bruised Orange" right through but know a lot of the songs on it via live albums, covers, etc. Keep up the good work.
I never got to see Prine live :( In 2022, I was in Nashville and wore a Prine t-shirt. The goodwill that town seemed to have toward me because of it was amazing. He's a saint down there! Warren and Ely should, to my mind, be household names. They were both incredible talents and Joe still is :)
Kudos for the the Zevon; Willie & Family Live, a fantastic live album; Joe Ely; and the Otis Rush. Doubt if I'd have more than one in my top 10 for '78, but still some good stuff.
What a better way to enjoy a scorcher with an iced coffee than with a Brett's Music Review. I agree with all of the choices you've made that I am familiar with. Warren's "Excitable Boy"? How am I not shocked? I would call the Grand Haven Police Department if you left it off and have you thrown in the slammer. Fantastic album. As you know, "Live and Burning" was one of the first Blues albums I ever heard and is a monster. "So Many Roads"...it doesn't get any better. Otis is my all time favourite Blues guitarist and this is his apex. I don't actually have the Live Willie, but for me, "Stardust" is in the top tier of Willie albums for me and was released in '78. "Bruised Orange" is a masterpiece and as you are well aware, I'm a big fan of "Endless Wire" (I prefer this version of Circle). In addition to the artists you mention, I have a few that really stand out for me. 1978 contributed 3 absolutely legendary, killer debut albums and three of my all time favourites: The Police's "Outlandos d' Amour", Dire Straits' self titled record and The Cars' self titled debut. I would give a nod to Waylon's "I've Always Been Crazy". Bob Seger & the SBB's "Stranger In Town" and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers' "You're Gonna Get It" both of which drip with Rock n' Roll attitude. Superb set and a pleasure as always.
Thank you for the kind words, my friend! Seger is a God here in Michigan. His 70s output was exceptional! That Dire Straits debut is a burner, too. Knopfler really set a new standard. There are so many great artists I wish I could have seen live. Son and Otis rank right up there, those recordings are incendiary.
