The Complete Hank Williams \ [Box set, Original recording remastered]

Hank Williams Sr. | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 22, 1998)
• Original Release Date: September 22, 1998
• Number of Discs: 10
• Format: Box set, Original recording remastered
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Mercury Nashville
• ASIN: B00000AFE0
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #57,679 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com's Best of 1998

Hank Williams rose to prominence at the exact middle of the 20th century, and this fact helps to explain why he remains such a unique figure in country music. Put simply, he is the thread that connects (however loosely) Jimmie Rodgers and Garth Brooks. This 10-CD mother lode brilliantly captures the essence of the man and his spellbinding music. The official studio takes provide the foundation, while the demos, outtakes, and live recordings are the putty in the gaps. --Marc Greilsamer

Amazon.com essential recording

After so many years of so many haphazard, oft-overdubbed, slapdash Hank Williams reissues, this lavish package seems truly an embarrassment of riches. Imagine being able to dip in and listen to the unadorned music from the whole of this pioneer's musical career, along with preserved historical spoken words. His career truly represents the major turning point in country music's history, and this box set--music and densely packed attendant memorabilia--is as much a social history of America at mid-20th century as it is a music document. Williams's recording career lasted only six years and he died tragically at age 29, but he left a musical and emotional legacy that grows year by year. To sketch the basics of The Complete Hank Williams: There are 10 CDs encompassing 225 cuts from all parts of his career--the demos, the radio shows, the Opry debut triumph. Musical revelations abound.... --Chet Flippo

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Few Box Sets That's Worth a Hundred Bucks, December 8, 2003

By 

Bud (Seminole, Texas, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Hank Williams \ (Audio CD)

As the story goes, when Hank Williams died at the age of twenty-nine in 1953, a piece of paper was found on which was written;
"We met, me lived, and dear we loved,
then comes that fatal day,
the left that felt so dear fades away.
Tonight love hath one alone and lonesome,
all that I could sing,
I love you still and always will,
but that's the poison we have to pay."
This box set (the most solid overview of Williams' career released so far) contains over two hundred tracks that echo the joys and the heartaches that were reflected in that poem. A sprawling ten disc collection, "The Complete Hank Williams" is ideal for anyone who wants to obtain the largest collection of work that made him such a pionner (at one time that is). But there's also an intellectual value to the music within; these songs can be seen in many respects as Williams' autobiography. The man wrote a vast majority of his own music (something few country singers do these days), making it possible for country music to be used as a form of personal expression, as well as entertainment. It's a shame that today's country performers have shown very little of the excellence that came from this frail-looking man from Alabama.
In conclusion, it should be noted that there's a reason this is not titled "The Complete Alternates, Outtakes, and Rare Demos of Hank Williams." The more obsessive fans will find themselves upset that this box is not solely comprised of a slew of unnecessary "rare" selections. This is rather an overview of history; some of the greatest musical breakthroughs of the 20th Century have never been collected in a better place than this.

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An absolute must to understand country music and Hank, December 22, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Complete Hank Williams \ (Audio CD)

With all the different re-issues of Hank Williams Sr's material over the years - sometimes lovingly done and other times dreadfully overdubbed, I am one of many thousands who waited patiently for years for a truly definitive collection of Williams' material (including live recordings, demos, alternate takes, etc known to exist but not issued for a variety of reasons, including legal complications).

The Polydor series went a long way, but this 10-CD answers those prayers, and moreso. Included here among the 225 tunes are recordings his most devoted fans didn't know existed. "Happy Roving Cowboy," Williams' theme song over his career is heard here on a pretend radio show sometime in 1939/40. His rendition of "Freight Train Blues," from 1940, imitates the version of his hero, Roy Acuff. "I'm Not Coming Home Anymore," from 1942 and thought until this release to be the earliest known recording by Williams, is especially noteworthy because it is stylistically like the Hank we recognize and clearly shows how early his "style" was formed.

And then there are the demo recordings. "Your Cheatin' Heart, with just Hank and his guitar, defines the man, his music and his effect on people. It grabs me in the pit of my stomach and gives me goose bumps. The power and emotion in his voice is such that having The Drifting Cowboys backup on the commercial release - however complimentary it is - detracts from focusing on Williams' voice, in my opinion. And there is so much more in this box set, more than any review could adequately discuss.

Complimenting this incredible package are a 2,500 word essay by Daniel Cooper and 17,500 word book of notes by Colin Escott, author of the definitive biography of Hank Williams. Special thanks must go to Kira Florita whose tireless efforts for the record label made this release possible.

Two "complaints" and one "get ready for:" The box set isn't the complete re-issue of Williams' previously released commercial recordings. But the number is tiny and only a quibble. There should have been a cover page listing everything on the ten CDs and how to locate specific recordings. This is a problem. The good news is that there may be another release of other Hank Williams material in 1999, including more "Mother Knows Best" shows - if the legal problems can be worked out - and other recordings which have surfaced since this fabulous box set was put together.

60 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars a disappointment, July 26, 2001

By 

reedman "wjg" (holt, michigan USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Hank Williams \ (Audio CD)

I love Hank Williams Sr's music which makes this so called "complete" set such a disappointment. The first four cds are essentially the "original singles collection". Ok, I expect some overlap. But the "Health and Happiness" radio show is NOT complete on this box set and yet is available on 2 cds from the same company that puts this box set out. The booklet fell apart the first day and the cds are stored in another booklet which is a great way to ruin your cds. So, now you need to purchase 10 jewel cases and I would have prefer that is how Mercury would have been pakaged them so you can follow the playlist as you listen-the way this company has it, you have to look at the book for the next song. Therefore even though the artist is my favorite, the title is deceptive and I wrote the company about the book falling apart but they never responded. If your just starting with Hank Sr. I would recommend the Original Singles Collection, then Health and Happiness , or Rare Demos. A less expensive start would be the "40 Greatest hits" and the gospel "I Saw the Light"cd. Eventually,"Luke the Drifter" would also have to be in there someplace. When you buy a box set from Bear Family and get great packaging, 32 page booklets, and completeness (such as Ernest Tubb's 6 cd "Waltz across Texas'or Vernon Oxfords "Keeper of the Flame") you realize what a great potential this box set had but failed , not because of Hanks great music, but the manipulation from Mercury.