Hank Williams, Jr.'s Greatest Hits, Vol.1

Hank Williams Jr., Hank Williams Sr.

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 5, 1993)
• Original Release Date: September 21, 1993
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Curb Records
• ASIN: B000000D7C
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #15,255 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
This is Hank Jr. in his late-'70s/early-'80s version, that brief moment after he'd discovered a sound and persona that wasn't just inherited but before he devolved into a good-old-boy caricature. Not that Bocephus isn't engaging in some posturing here already--the preposterous "Texas Women," for example, could stand unaltered as a Saturday Night Live parody of redneck lechery. More often, though, the 10 hit singles on this disc combine a low-key brand of Southern rock boogie with plenty of twang to fashion a wholly distinctive take on country tradition. Williams's work here is always indelible, and though he likes to drop his daddy's name a bit too often, it's hard to argue with introspective numbers like "All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down)" and "Family Tradition," which each offer a unique and timeless take on the honky-tonk blues. --David Cantwell

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Hank, Whyyyy Do You Drink...Whyyyy Do You Roll Smoke?", April 17, 2004

By	Randy E. Aveille "raveille" (Davie, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Hank Williams Jr. opened my mind and taught me to appreciate Country music. He mixes the perfect blend of Southern Rock and Country into his songs, creating music that even folks who dislike country music can learn to love; but make no mistake, it's without question classic Country music, and dang good music at that. This CD is a list of hits from 1979-1981, and if you're new to Hank's music, it's a good place to start getting acquainted with him.

What I love about Hank is that he shamelessly let's you know that he's a country boy and that he's proud of it. He's a real maverick and blazes his own trail instead of following country music trends. Hank does his thing and makes no apologies for it. If for no other reason, I personally would listen to his music for that reason alone.

Some of my favorites on this CD are the incomparable good-time bad-boy songs, "Family Tradition," "Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound," and "Women I've Never Had." If you've never had a good time drinkin' with Hank in the speakers, you're missin' out and need to toss back a few with the music blaring! Then there's one of the proud anthems for country folks all around America, "A Country Boy Can Survive," which is a favorite around my hillbilly-in-laws' house. Then there's the sober, "All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down)," which is still a fun song to listen to even though all his rowdy friends have settled and "rowdy'd on down."

How can anyone not like Bocephus? He's plain spoken and sings his songs like he's just there to have a good time. Hey, anyone who sings a song that proclaims, "He likes happy and don't like sad," is worth listening to in my book; and any guy who sings songs about a ramblin' man, while askin' for a cold one in his hand is my kind of guy.

Don't stop to think it over, just put yourself in his position. Buy this CD, and make it a family tradition! It's a classic and worth every penny. Yee-Haw!!!!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is possible the greatest album ever., December 5, 1998

By A Customer

There is nothing quite like stretching out in the bed of your pickup truck, grabbing a bottle of Jack Daniels, and playing this Hank Willimas Jr. Album. It seems as though you only have to hear it once to know it by heart. When it comes to country music, Hank Willimas Jr. doesn't screw around, and this is his finest work.Jared McKinney, Cairo Missouri

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Now This Is Real Rebel Country, February 18, 2005

By	K. Fontenot "Prairie Cajun" (The Bayou State) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Even though trendy folks like Gretchen Wilson and Big And Rich are abusively gripping to his coattails, you have to remember that Hank, Jr. wasn't always the popular kid on the Nashville schoolbus. It took them years to recognize him as a true performer who stood on his own. Perhaps it was having to deal with the shadow of his father, or just that Nashville didn't want him to be a popular act, Bocephus never received his due until he was well into his career.

Hank, Jr. remedied the problem of being the outcast in Nashville by doing what so many artists can't do: be himself. Sure, he's loud, a little too honest, and just a flat-out hellraiser, but that's what folks like to hear. That's what has staying power.

This disc, which features Bocephus' biggest hits from the late 70's/early 80's, is loaded with enough attitude to shake up even the biggest poser in Nashville. Things open up with "Family Tradition," the song that is a legend unto itself in bars and honky-tonks across the USA. Next we have "Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound," "Women I've Never Had," and seven more instantly recognizable hits. My personal favorites include "Texas Women"(maybe 'cause I married one), and "Dixie On My Mind."

The biggest song on this disc has to be "A Country Boy Can Survive." It's the song that has spawned countless arguments over what would happen if the world fell apart tomorrow. It has empowered the good, bad, and ugly of the rural world. It makes city boys quiver in their metrosexual underpants. In short, it is one of the most popular songs ever put out there. It's influence is still felt today in acts like Montgomery Gentry and even Kid Rock.

In closing, buy this disc if you want real rebel country. Folks who like music by artists like Waylon Jennings will probably like this. Also, youngsters who enjoy Kid Rock need to check this out since without Hank, Kid Rock might have turned out to be another Vanilla Ice.

Give Bocephus his due, he's an integral part of the Country/Southern rock genre.