Hank Williams - The Unreleased Recordings

I was getting through a rainy day last week listening to the new Hank Williams Unreleased Recordings boxed set. It’s all so excellent, excellent country music (as should be expected from Hank Williams) culled from radio shows in 1951 brimming with energy and in high fidelity. I haven’t had time to double-check what unreleased songs popped up on this set, and I haven’t honestly delved obsessively-deeply through the 10-CD The Complete Hank Williams to know off the top of my head. (I’ve listened to each CD in that set a few times, but it’s 10 CDs from the era where 4 minutes might be considered a long song). The original versions on here are spirited, at least (and maybe occasionally feel a little better than the single versions).

I'm also happy to report that it doesn't focus on the doom-and-gloom of some of his recordings, which is an angle that had grown somewhat fashionable since alt-country boom and Johnny Cash's American Recordings (I see Hank's The Ultimate Collection as an example of that). Sure, there's plenty of sad songs ("I Can't Tell My Heart That"), but this is also a treasure trove of some joyous country-gospel songs. I wouldn't say I'm an expert on the matter, but I have to say that this might be one of the best examples of that side of his work. His voice comes in clearly and the recordings mostly seem to have held up well, aside from some expected (but less-harsh-than-expected) tape his on a couple tracks. The music itself, though, is top-notch in showing Hank Williams as a vocalist and interpreter.

Plus, there are takes on standards such as "On Top of Old Smokey" and "When the Saints Go Marching In." How can you go wrong?

Listen to samples from Hank Williams' The Unreleased Recordings (Warning: Not for the country un-friendly!)