Billy Swan: Billy Swan (Monument PZ-34183)
Nick Tosches, Rolling Stone, 17 June 1976
BILLY SWAN'S music is a baptism of rhythm. Two years ago, when America heaved morbidly beneath the weight of Watergate and encroaching poverty, Swan's 'I Can Help' was the only state-of-the-union message worth listening to. There was nothing openly political, nothing topical in 'I Can Help', but that was most of its magic. "If your child needs a daddy, I can help," sang Swan, pumping meter in on a tide of savior rhythm, and instantly you realized that this guy knew what Elvis knew and what Jerry Lee knew and what the rest of the country didn't know.
Total word count of piece: 408