Customer Reviews

40 Greatest Hits

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Hank was a fine singer who ensured his place in popular music history by the exceptional quality of his songwriting. His songs were often recorded by pop singers of the time and this practice has continued ever since. He rarely recorded covers - so rarely that the ones he did record are often thought of as his own songs anyway.

This compilation was originally released on vinyl and later re-issued on CD. As far as song selection goes, this is the ultimate double CD of his music. The sound quality is plenty good enough for me, though it might be interesting to hear it digitally re-mastered with the latest technology.

Virtually every famous song associated with Hank can be found here, including all his own hits on the American country and pop charts. You can also find all the songs that have become popular via cover versions, some of which were only B-sides for Hank. The most significant omission (and it took me a while to notice that it was missing) is Honky tonkin', a great song but not absolutely essential.

Tribute albums and other cover versions continue to be recorded, not just in country and pop music, but also Cajun, jazz, rock and other genres, so each new generation gets reminded of Hank's legacy.

There have been many compilations of Hank's music but this is the only one that contains all the essentials and no more. As such, it is the ideal compilation for most people. I thought that the more recent British 4 CD budget box (Hillbilly hero) might include all the songs from this set but it does not cover his whole career and therefore omits several obvious songs including Jambalaya, You win again, Kaw-liga, Your cheating heart and Take these chains from my heart although it does include Honky tonkin'.

So if you only want one collection of Hank's music, make it this one.

Believe it or not I purchased my copy of "Hank Williams: 40 Greatest Hits" when it was first released as a 2 LP set way back in 1978. I was not a big fan of country music in those days but I had heard and read enough about the man to know that he had played an important role in the history of American popular music. Even then I was sure that this was a collection worth owning.
Hank Williams meteoric rise to stardom began in Montgomery, Alabama as a high school student in the late 1930's. Known as "The Singing Kid" Hank hosted his very own radio show on radio station WSFA. Before long he would put together a backup band known as the Drifting Cowboys and the group began showing up in roadhouses, auditoriums and juke joints all over the region. From a very early age it was quite apparent that this young man had an awful lot of talent. However, Hank Williams' personal life was a mess. His father Lon virtually abandoned the family when Hank was very young. Hank's mom was extremely overbearing and by the age of 11 or 12 Hank had developed a taste for liquor. The scourge of alcoholism would plague him for the rest of his days. He would marry Audrey in 1944 and in many ways the marriage would become yet another source of unhappiness in young Hank's life. But in spite of it all this extremely gifted singer-songwriter was bound and determined to make his mark in country music.
The man who would come to be known as "the father of country music" signed on with the fledgling M-G-M label in 1947. After a couple of near misses "Lovesick Blues" was the surprise hit of 1949. Despite objections from all of his handlers Hank insisted on releasing it as a single. He obviously knew what he was doing because the song spent an amazing 16 weeks at the top of the country charts. The monumental success of "Lovesick Blues" would earn Hank a spot on the brand new radio program "Louisiana Hayride". Could the Grand Ole Opry be far behind? Later on in 1949 Hank would have two more huge hits with "Wedding Bells" and "Mind Your Own Business". Now there was just no question about it. Hank Williams was invited to join the Grand Old Opry. Hank Williams was now more popular than ever. He seemed to strike a chord with the record buying public. And the hits just kept on coming. In spite of the overwhelming personal problems that would eventually cost him his health, his marriage and his spot on the Opry, Hank would remain a fixture on the country charts with fabulous tunes like "Cold Cold Heart", "Long Gone Lonesome Blues" and of course "Your Cheatin' Heart". You could hear all of that pain in his voice. During his relatively brief recording career Hank Williams would record just 66 sides. He wrote 50 of them. Unfortunately the life of Hank Williams was all too brief. He passed away in the back seat of a car on New Years Day 1953 at the age of 29.
"Hank Williams: 40 Greatest Hits" is a celebration of the music of this true American original. His lyrics will move you and his vocals will haunt you. Listen carefully to these tunes and you will come to appreciate what a truly remarkable talent this man was. These are all the original M-G-M studio recordings. Beware of some collections that include some inferior "live" recordings. For my money, "40 Greatest Hits" remains to this day the finest Hank Williams collection ever issued. Highly recommended!!!

I never was a big fan of country music until I heard Hank Williams in the background of "The Last Picture Show". This prompted me to buy this double CD and once I listened I was hooked. I never heard such honesty, happiness, sorrow, and real life drama layed out so beautifully in any music genre. Hank sang from experience and the heart. He was a true cowboy and I can listen to his wonderful music all day. No matter who you are, there is a Hank Williams song that you can relate to and will touch your heart. I can't recommend this highly enough, Hank deserves every star in the universe for these masterpieces.

Hank Williams is a true master of words. As one reviewer previously mentioned, no lyricist or poet ever used such simple English to express such complicated feelings. On top of Hank's lyrical brilliance, he was a vocal genius. In the same way that Muddy Waters almost "created" the intonations in the vocals of all modern blues singers, Hank "created" the intonations and pauses in the vocals of all modern country singers. Both men were masters of vocal subtlety.
As for these two cd's, they are flawless. Sure, maybe your favorite Hank Williams song is missing, and there is one you're not crazy about in this collection. However, this is as perfect as a Hank cd can be. Hank Williams is probably one of the 10 greatest artists in the history of music; buy this cd now!

Hank Williams was one of music's greatest talents ever,period! I can't think of any other artist who got to the core of the human condition in his lyrics as effectively as Hank.How this poor boy from the American deep south created one of the greatest bodies of work in music in such a short space of time (1947 - 1953) is beyond me,it was almost like he was a conduit for all the emotions people suffer and was then able to express them in a simple yet devastating way.His life was full of problems (he had woman troubles,alcohol abuse was rife, and he was also addicted to drugs (some say this was to alleviate a painful back condition that he also suffered from).This lifestyle eventually took it's toll and by 1953 he was dead of a drug overdose (his life was almost a blueprint for the decadent rock lifestyle that was to follow).After his death Hank's magnificent body of work was treated apallingly by the record companies who added strings and overdubbs to his songs to make a quick buck (avoid these compilations at all costs).Now however his back catalogue is being treated with the respect it deserves.This is a compilation that has no added strings but just the hits as they were intended to be heard.Every one of the forty tracks here is an undisputed,timeless classic!There is not one weak track.You're cheating heart,You win again,I'm so lonesome I could cry,Hey good lookin',I'll never get out of this world alive, etc. (one classic follows another).Stop reading and go out and buy this compilation (if you've got a soul you won't be disappointed).However,for an artist of this magnitude only one compilation will truly doe him justice and that is the magnificent 10 cd boxset (the complete Hank Williams)which contains nearly everything he ever recorded plus an excellent book and photographs.A body of work that Shakespeare would have been proud of.HAUNTING!

Would you expect to find a single c.d. of Elvis' greatest hits? Sinatra's greatest? The Beatles' greatest? Not unless you like eating half a sandwich. Hank rated up there with these guys as one of the top ten recording acts of all time. This c.d. set begins to do him justice. Buy it and avoid Mercury's "20 Greatest."

This set contains a rare track found nowhere else and which requires your purchase of this set at least long enough to burn a copy of the track. The track? "Weary Blues from Waitin,'" just as it was released as a single in 1953, which went straight to the top of the country charts. Even the COMPLETE HANK WILLIAMS doesn't have it.

I'm a fan of all kinds of music but I truly despise slick, manipulative country music. Everything Hank Williams recorded in his brief life was completely the antithesis of that. He ranks with Picasso, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and precious few others whose work towers over the cultural landscape and always will. All the songs here are classics but "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" is among the greatest works of art created this century.

I first heard this collection on vinyl in the late 70's when it was originally released, and I didn't understand what the fuss was about. Almost 25 years later I finally get it. Hank Williams was a young genius who was able to compress a much older sensibility into two minute pieces of perfect songwriting. It's no wonder he's had such an influence on folk, country, and alt. country for all these years. Lyrical wit and wisdom, and mostly impeccable musical decisions keep this collection as current as anything being written today. The few selections that sound an awfully lot alike don't mar the impact because even they are a lesson in how a songwriter makes choices. Listen to this cd, and then enjoy a fresh listen to whoever your contemporary favorites may be, and you'll hear where they're coming from. I dare say anyone who picks and grins owes a huge debt to the senior Mr. Williams.

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Hank Williams, THE Hank Williams, was the greatest C&W Star who ever lived, bar none. And this is the album to grab, no matter what kind of music you think you like, if you want to hear a masterful songwriter and singer. There's also another version "20 Of Hank Williams' Greatest Hits," available on Mercury CD, but go for the 40 hits version. Hank Williams never released a bad record, as far as I know, so the bigger the better.

He wrote and played in the idiom he knew, but Hank Williams was more than C&W. The band plays bluesy (country bluesy, at least), and he sings jazzy. To me, Hank Williams wrote and sang American standards, absolute classics that will be sung 100 years from now.

My personal favorites are "Lovesick Blues" and "Jambalaya," one imortalized in The Shawshank Redemption, the other a certifiable American classic.

Next time you're sitting in front of a blank TV screen, waiting to turn it on until 9:10 so you'll be sure to miss that sequined beer belly screeching "Are You Ready For Some Football?!?", put on this record and enjoy some real music.

He was thE master.

If you're not familiar with Hank Sr. and want a true understanding of American music of the 20th century or hell, of American culture in general for that matter, buy this.This is the man who has influenced country, rockabilly, folk and rock for over 50 years now. Still today it's not hard to find a band somewhere covering these songs.And still there is some young person out there discovering Hank for the first time and being blown away by it. I was. I discovered Hank when I was a teenager in the early 90's, the age of Kurt Cobain, Smashing Pumpkins, etc, and to me he tapped into something that they never could. Hank is THE classic country singer, but his music transcends time, regions, and all labels and genres. It's simply American music. And very very human.