Customer Reviews

Rare Demos: First to Last

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I'm not the only one to share the opinion that there would be no rock and roll without Hank Williams. He was the poor man's Cole Porter, the hillbilly Shakespeare. Filter what he set down through the hips and howl of early Elvis, then pass it off to Dylan to re-invent it through poetic introspection and you have the foundations to build a Hall Of Fame on. And Williams held both in each hand. He was a breakthrough artist in countless ways, including the premature, tragic death as a golden career move. Like Hendrix, Joplin and Morrison, he made more money dead than alive.

All of which brings us to this collection which is crimminally long in coming. Not only does it have versions not on the so-called COMPLETE HANK WILLIAMS, it is an essential document for aspiring songwriters everywhere.

This is Williams in the raw. Here JAMBALAYA comes off less as a novelty, but a desperate plea for good times gone by too fast. HOUSE OF GOLD is damn frightening in it's bitterness. Familiar songs are re-invented through alternative lyrics and unadorned, gut wrenching intimacy. The lesser known tunes such as 'NEATH A COLD GREY STONE and SINGING WATERFALL put the heart in "heartbreak".

I'd say this is undoubtedly one of the best collections under Williams' gilded name. The place to go next after getting that Greatest Hits collection

What are you getting when you buy this set? You're getting Hank at his rawest level, but yet his most sincere. These are songs that cut and chill to the bone. Listen to the alternate take of "A House of Gold". While two versions that have been issued by Polygram/Mercury are indeed excellent, this one is a much more morbid, dark version. This proves that the man was a genius in his own right. Take also the take "Help Me Understand" and you can see exactly why Hank kept returning to Miss Audrey over & over. Even if you own, as many other have said it, the so-called "Complete Hank Williams", you still have to have this set for the many songs on here not presented on there.

Originally released in 1990, this CD was intended to complement PolyGram's 8-CD "1946-52" chronological set released between 1989 and 1992. For those of you who own Mercury's 1998 COMPLETE HANK WILLIAMS set, however, most of these 24 songs are redundant. However, there are 6 alternate demos not available on the COMPLETE set, plus the CD's noise reduction and sound quality seems better than that found on the COMPLETE set.

Comments concerning the 6 alternate demos:
1. "Calling You" has a falsetto-type (possibly Audrey's)accompaniment to Hank. It's unusual, but not as good as Hank's solo version on COMPLETE.
2. "You Broke Your Own Heart" is a mellow, high quality, studio-like sound recording FAR superior to the COMPLETE version. This is one of Hank's finest demos.
3. "Singing Waterfall" is a alternate inferior in lyrics and sound quality to the COMPLETE version.
4. "I'm Going Home" is similar to the COMPLETE version.
5. "A House of Gold" is a much ballyhooed alternate to the COMPLETE version but lacks its emotional intensity and sound of desperation. Admittedly, this version is superior in length and sound quality (studio quality), and it has more interesting lyrics.
6. "Help Me Understand" is an excellent demo superior to the original. Dad is played up more, and it contains an extra verse.

In conclusion, this CD is worth owning if you can find a modestly-priced one. Good luck at doing so. It's price has been bid up, for whatever reason. I gave up, had my library order one, and burned a copy. Still, I would have preferred my own.

Even if you own "The Complete Hank", this is a must have set as it includes versions of songs not found on that box set (you'd think complete would be complete, huh?). It includes an alternate take of "A House of Gold" (with differing lyrics from the version on "Complete"), a demo of the Luke the Drifter peice "Help Me Understand", demo's of "You Broke Your Own Heart" & "I'm Goin' Home" that do not appear on "Complete". If you do not own "Complete", this is an essential purchase as it includes demo versions of "Jambalaya", "Your Cheatin' Heart" & "Honky Tonk Blues" . While the session takes are masterpeices in their own right, this is just the man & his guitar-country music at it's best.

This is a collection of demos by Hank Williams. Just Hank's voice and guitar, with occasional vocal assistance by another person or two. A few of Hank's big hits are here, but most of the demos are of lesser known songs, many of which he never commercially recorded. This collection is a real treasure for fans of Hank Williams.

The material on this CD confirms my belief that Hank Williams was one of the greatest American poets of the Twentieth Century.Just look at what he composed, produced and performed in such a short life. There have been imitators, but no one has come close.

Imagine God's doodling pad as he made notes for what the world would look like? Well, that's what this album is, in its way. Hearing these songs in their primitive forms, they're sometimes more compelling than the slicker versions thtat finally made their way onto records and CD's. Especially "Calling You," sounds a lot sweeter on this album than on another recording of it I've got. "House of Gold," and "Old Log Train," and "Pan-American," are all compelling to say the least. This is a fascinating look back into the far gone past. sometimes, things are re-mastered so much it's almost frightening. Hearing these, as they sounded on whatever recording equipment existed back then, lends authenticity.

yes we love his music for the greatest 1000 per cent

I`ve always loved Hank. I`ve played music all over. And I`ve played on the road with Jim Ed Brown among others. I sing and play just like Hank. Just want you to know I`m his best FAN.