Various Artists-The Hank
Williams Songbook
(Varčse
Vintage)
The fact that Hank Williams
is still the prototypical country music legend fifty years after his untimely
passing is not just about his legendary hard life and young death in the back of
a Cadillac. Lots of artists have died before their time, and were sadly
forgotten soon after. Williams was not just an arresting performer and
guitarist, he was quite possibly the greatest songwriter on the very human
emotion of despair.
While Williams' songs are
still recorded and relevant to this day (Norah Jones had an AAA hit with her
sultry take on Hank's "Cold Cold Heart" last year), these recordings are mostly
versions done in the late 50s-early 60s country and rockabilly stars... at the
time that ole Hank was becoming legendary, in large part by versions of his
songs like the ones included here.
These recordings were mainly
pulled from the legendary Sun and Hickory labels. There are three songs by
fellow country icon Johnny Cash, who sounds sturdy as an oak even on these early
songs. His reading of "(I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle" is creepily
solitary, that commanding baritone portraying a lifetime of hurt, but Cash can
also have some fun with one of Williams' lighter tunes, "Hey Good Lookin'."
Jerry Lee Lewis is also a
shining star here, adding his signature rockabilly barrelhouse piano to
the gumbo of "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)," but he also captures the emotional
resignation of "Cold Cold Heart." B.J. Thomas' 1966 pop hit version of
"I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" still sounds wonderfully desolate, while pop
singer Del Shannon gives a sixties sheen and a surprising country lilt to "Ramblin'
Man." Don Gibson contributes a snaky blues-rock feel to "Move It On Over."
Sue Thompson did a lovely teen queen take on the unrequited lament "I Can't Help
It (If I'm Still In Love With You)."
For all these older
recordings, surprisingly few have aged poorly. Even if the instrumentation
is a bit dated -- like Rusty & Doug Kershaw's skiffle beat take on "Why Don't You
Love Me?" -- the strong songcraft carries the load. Many of these songs
have deservedly become standards. This collection is worth the money alone
for the three Johnny Cash songs and the four from Jerry Lee Lewis.
The fact that the rest work so well is just further proof that if you start off
with a good map, you aren't likely to get lost.
(8/03)
