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Rock on with the Rhythm

RELEASE
June 25, 2007
LABEL
RPM
GENRES
Pop/Rock, Rock & Roll, Country-Rock, Contemporary Pop/Rock

Album Review

As Billy Swan compilations go, this has points working both for and against it. It has more material than some other Swan best-ofs, with 24 tracks in all, and comprehensive liner notes featuring comments on many of the songs from Swan himself. On the other hand, the non-chronological sequencing of the songs seems random, and it's somehow missing some of his minor '70s chart singles. Still, this does include "I Can Help," of course, as well as some of his most renowned recordings from his mid-'70s prime, like "Everything's the Same (Ain't Nothing Changed)" (the follow-up to "I Can Help"); a drastically slowed-down cover of "Don't Be Cruel"; Kris Kristofferson's "Stranger"; a remake of "Lover Please" (here presented in its long version); and the eccentrically titled "(You Just) Woman Handled My Mind." While some might feel there to be an inordinate number of recordings taken from '90s releases (including several covers of Sun Records classics), actually they fit in better with their surroundings than you'd anticipate. As a whole, the music makes a good case for Swan as the very best post-1970 artist who updated the rockabilly and early rock & roll sound without sounding at all forced or distressingly stuck in the past. It's still not as coherent as other Swan best-ofs like The Best of Billy Swan and Greatest Hits. But if it happens to be the Swan comp you pick up, it still gives you a fine representation of his strengths as a top-line American roots rock musician who was adept at drawing from rockabilly, R&B, and country with a very likable and engaging persona.
Richie Unterberger, Rovi

Track Listing

  1. Your Turn Love
  2. Everything's the Same (Ain't Nothing Changed)
  3. Mystery Train
  4. Undying Love
  5. Smoky Places
  6. Don't Kill Our Love
  7. Number One
  8. Shake Rattle and Roll
  9. Pardon Me
  10. I Just Want to Taste Your Wine
  11. Vanessa
  12. Don't Be Cruel
  13. (You Just) Woman Handled My Mind
  14. I Can Help
  15. Sun Medley: Baby Let's Play House/I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone/Yo
  16. Rock on with the Rhythm
  17. Wild Young and Reckless
  18. Bop to Be
  19. Overnite Thing (Usually)
  20. Stranger
  21. Lover Please [Long Version]
  22. Memphis Rocks
  23. Ubangi Stomp
  24. Matchbox