Hank Williams

In 1998, BGO released Del Shannon Sings Hank Williams/One Thousand Six-Hundred Sixty-One Seconds of Del Shannon, combining his last two albums for the Amy label on one CD. The two are rather different records conceptually; one devoted to the work of a single composer, while the other shows Shannon covering many of the hits of the day in its own style, as well as presenting his version of an original - "I Go to Pieces," which was a hit in the hands of Peter & Gordon - is linked to Shannon's version by some of the backing musicians he uses, as well as the chronology, and the CD also constitutes a pretty strong display of Shannon's range as a performer and recording artist, encompassing everyone from Hank Williams to the Four Seasons with astonishing consistency.

Hank Williams, Jr. - The Complete Hank Williams, Jr. (1999) {3CD Set, Curb Records D2-77944}
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© 1999 Curb Records / D2-77944
Country / Honky-Tonk / Outlaw Country / Country-Rock

To be fair, the title of The Complete Hank Williams, Jr. is disingenuous, since three discs are hardly enough space to cover his complete recordings or even his complete recordings for Curb Records. So, forget the title and concentrate on the music, which is a distillation of his decade-long stint at Curb. Granted, these ten years found Williams coasting to a certain extent, relying more on his superstar status than pushing his music forward, but that doesn't mean that the music itself is weak. There are a few cuts that don't quite measure up with the best of his work, but there's little arguing that the compilers have done an excellent job of rounding up the highlights from these uneven years, resulting in an exhaustive survey of Williams' latter-day work that will be useful for fans that want to dig deep yet don't want to invest in his entire catalog.

Hank Williams - The Unreleased Recordings (2008) {3CD Set Time Life-Warner 80031-D rec 1951}
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© 1951, 2008 Time Life / Time Warner | 80031-D
Country / Honky Tonk / Traditional Country

Considering the seismic impact Hank Williams had on country music, it's remarkable to think that his recording career lasted a mere six years – he signed with MGM Records in early 1947, and was found dead in the back of his Cadillac en route to a gig on the first day of 1953. Williams was a prolific recording artist during that period, cutting an impressive 68 singles in addition to appearing as a regular guest on WSM's weekly Grand Ole Opry broadcast from Nashville and maintaining a punishing schedule of personal appearances.

Charlie Hunter & Scott Amendola - The Cars, Hank Williams, Duke Ellington, Cole Porter (2014) {Charlie Hunter Music}
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© 2014 Charlie Hunter Music | [none]
Jazz / Modern Post Bebop / Groove / 7-string Guitar / Drums

A collection of four 5-track EPs from Hunter and Amendola, each focusing on the music of a particular artist or act. The project opens with ingenious distillations of Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn gems such as “Rockin’ In Rhythm,” “Daydream” and “Mood Indigo.” From Cole Porter’s songbook, they interpret standards, including “Too Darn Hot,” “Every Time We Say Goodbye” and “Anything Goes.” Country music and jazz are often cast as antithetical styles, but the truth is far more complicated.

Hank Williams - Revealed: The Unreleased Recordings (2009) {3CD Set Time Life-Warner 24922-D rec 1951}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 552 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 362 Mb
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© 1951, 2009 Time Life / Time Warner | 24922-D
Country / Honky Tonk / Traditional Country

1951 was a breakthrough year for Hank Williams. He had a string of moderate country hits already under his belt, but the release that year of his version of an old jazz age novelty tune called "Lovesick Blues," originally recorded in 1922 by Elsie Clark and given a country arrangement in 1939 by Rex Griffin (the template for Williams' version), suddenly made him a big star. It also meant his touring schedule increased, but he still found time that year to slip into Nashville and prerecord shows for the Mother's Best Flour Company.

Set the time machine for early morning on KSIB, Creston, Iowa. February, 1950. Hot on the heels of the collectable 10' vinyl Record Store Day EP Omnivore Recordings is proud to present The Garden Spot Programs, 1950, featuring 24 performances, unheard for 64 years, from the one and only Hank Williams! Rescued from obscurity, these shows originally aired over 6 decades ago, and The Garden Spot Programs, 1950 collects material from the four of them now known to exist. From hits to standards to songs rarely (if ever) performed, this is pure Hank Williams, including playful, between song banter. Fully restored to incredible quality, The Garden Spot Programs, 1950 is more like being in the studio when they were recorded than actually listening to them on the radio!

There is no shortage of good (and even great) Hank Williams collections out there on CD, not only from Polygram and Universal (the successors to MGM Records, to which Williams was signed), but also from their licensees. Such is the case with this 1994 CD collection, a joint production of Time-Life and the Country Music Hall of Fame, containing 25 songs in a very handsome and well-put-together package.