Swamp Woman

Released in the summer of 1968 – a year after the summer of love, but still in the thick of the Age of Aquarius - Creedence Clearwater Revival's self-titled debut album was gloriously out-of-step with the times, teeming with John Fogerty's Americana fascinations. While many of Fogerty's obsessions and CCR's signatures are in place – weird blues ("I Put a Spell on You"), Stax R&B (Wilson Pickett's "Ninety-Nine and a Half"), rockabilly ("Susie Q"), winding instrumental interplay, the swamp sound, and songs for "The Working Man" – the band was still finding their way. Out of all their records (discounting Mardi Gras), this is the one that sounds the most like its era, thanks to the wordless vocal harmonies toward the end of "Susie Q," the backward guitars on "Gloomy," and the directionless, awkward jamming that concludes "Walking on the Water."

Released in the summer of 1968 – a year after the summer of love, but still in the thick of the Age of Aquarius - Creedence Clearwater Revival's self-titled debut album was gloriously out-of-step with the times, teeming with John Fogerty's Americana fascinations. While many of Fogerty's obsessions and CCR's signatures are in place – weird blues ("I Put a Spell on You"), Stax R&B (Wilson Pickett's "Ninety-Nine and a Half"), rockabilly ("Susie Q"), winding instrumental interplay, the swamp sound, and songs for "The Working Man" – the band was still finding their way. Out of all their records (discounting Mardi Gras), this is the one that sounds the most like its era, thanks to the wordless vocal harmonies toward the end of "Susie Q," the backward guitars on "Gloomy," and the directionless, awkward jamming that concludes "Walking on the Water."

Although his songwriting slips a little here ("PMS" was an idea that should have never been executed), Standing Room Only confirms Larry Garner's position as a tough blues guitarist and dynamic performer. Despite a few weak cuts, there's still a number of very strong songs, and Garner's flair for gritty, swampy performances makes the album quite enjoyable – it just falls a little short of the high quality of his previous masterworks.

With albums such as El Rauncho Grundgé, King Size Troublemakers, and Rock 'em Dead already in their catalog, it would seem that Spokane's most revered blues-roots rockers would have more sin than redemption on their minds. But this disc's title accurately describes its contents, which find guitarist/vocalist Tim "Too Slim" Langford dipping into both concepts with equal ferocity. His sly, whiskey-tinged vocals and lyrical yet blunt guitar can't help but be compared to early, pre-MTV fame ZZ Top, especially when he's getting lecherous on "Oven Burning Woman"…

The term Swamp Rock was invented for albums like this. A head on collision between Country Soul, Funk, classic late 60s Rock and a steamy Southern night…