Hank Williams - "The Unforgettable Hank Williams" (1959) - MGM
Hello Friends,
When Hank Williams died in the back seat of a Cadillac on January 1st 1953, his body was laced with a deadly concoction of alcohol, morphine & chloral hydrate. In addition to William's body, the back seat also contained a bunch of empty beer cans and scribbled lyrics to a song still unwritten. Happy New Year, indeed!
America lost one of its most important musician-songwriters that cold January morning but I guess, as they say, its better to burn out than to fade away.
This 1959 LP by MGM-- with whom Williams signed on with in 1947-- features a dozen great Williams' tunes. These are NOT his "greatest hits" by the way, but they great songs nonetheless.
Backed by the Drifting Cowboys, the album consists of honky tonk songs about longing and loneliness like "I Can't Get You Off My Mind", "I Don't Care (If Tomorrow Never Comes)", "My Love For You (Has Turned to Hate)", "I'll Be A Bachelor 'Til I Die", "Let's Turn Back the Years", "I'd Still Want You"... etc.
The final two songs on the album, "Blue Love (In My Heart)" & "Leave Me Alone With The Blues" feature no back-up band. Its just Hank Sr. playing acoustic guitar and singing! Stripped-down and unplugged; heartfelt and bittersweet. Not bad for a drunken hillbilly!
RATING: 4.5 New Years Resolutions out of 5
When Hank Williams died in the back seat of a Cadillac on January 1st 1953, his body was laced with a deadly concoction of alcohol, morphine & chloral hydrate. In addition to William's body, the back seat also contained a bunch of empty beer cans and scribbled lyrics to a song still unwritten. Happy New Year, indeed!
America lost one of its most important musician-songwriters that cold January morning but I guess, as they say, its better to burn out than to fade away.
This 1959 LP by MGM-- with whom Williams signed on with in 1947-- features a dozen great Williams' tunes. These are NOT his "greatest hits" by the way, but they great songs nonetheless.
Backed by the Drifting Cowboys, the album consists of honky tonk songs about longing and loneliness like "I Can't Get You Off My Mind", "I Don't Care (If Tomorrow Never Comes)", "My Love For You (Has Turned to Hate)", "I'll Be A Bachelor 'Til I Die", "Let's Turn Back the Years", "I'd Still Want You"... etc.
The final two songs on the album, "Blue Love (In My Heart)" & "Leave Me Alone With The Blues" feature no back-up band. Its just Hank Sr. playing acoustic guitar and singing! Stripped-down and unplugged; heartfelt and bittersweet. Not bad for a drunken hillbilly!
RATING: 4.5 New Years Resolutions out of 5
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