Best of
The prototypical journeyman, Billy Swan had a fleeting moment in the spotlight: "I Can Help," a good-natured throwaway Swan put together in a half-hour, became an out-of-the-blue country/pop crossover hit in 1974. While the jaunty rockabilly gem opens this 16-song survey of Swan's Columbia work, a low-key charm spans the album. Other standouts here include "Lover Please" (Swan composed the rock & roll staple in 1962 while still in high school;Clyde McPhattertook it to the charts) and "Don't Be Cruel" (slowed down and given an earnest reading). Following his short-lived moment in the sun, Swan returned to being a sideman for the likes ofKris KristoffersonandT-Bone Burnett, making him that rarest of performers: an artist keenly aware of his limitations. This collection proves, however, that he deserves to be more than a name that turns up in '70s trivia contests.--Steven Stolder