Washington Square News the newspaper of New York University has nothing but posiitve things to say about Hank Williams and the new box set based on the Mother’s Best Flour radio shows from 1951.
The reviewer, Mike Miller, unfortunately spends his first two paragraphs trashing Hank Jr. which is his right but it just didn’t fit into this review. However Miller is well within the bounds of fair comment when he compares the power of these Hank Williams’ performances to modern country which he says: “strips away all sincerity, packaging it in an embarrassing ensemble consisting of cowboy boots and a 10-gallon hat. Listening to Hank Williams today is bittersweet.”
He goes on to say, “His voice has never sounded clearer, his guitar never more cutting and he has never come across so tragically human.”
Finally, before taking a few more shots at modern country, he says, “Williams and his band the Drifting Cowboys made undeniably beautiful music: His voice sounds the way a broken heart feels; listening to Don Helms’ steel guitar is like watching your father cry.”
This a fairly short review with a few reader comments on the end about the writer’s strong opinions of Hank Jr. and modern country. It’s here.
You might enjoy this entry about Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah:”
http://stupidd.blogspot.com/2008/12/leonard-cohens-sublime-hallelujah-more.html