When Shel told me that she had a new Hank Williams CD to review I thought.. oh great another "Greatest Hits" package. I have been listening to this CD almost nonstop for two weeks. It is most definitely "AWESOME"

This CD is as the title says, "Hank Alone With His Guitar" The recordings of these songs are not session recordings, they are demo-type home recordings.

"Tennessee Border" is one of my favorite songs on the c.d. I love to listen to Hank sing certain words and phrases such as "Her Eyes Were Blue, Her Hair Was Aubun." (Auburn)

It's interesting to note that the second song on the CD, "First Year Blues" was written and recorded first by Ernest Tubb. I cannot imagine anyone but Hank singing this song about a newly married man's woes.

"Blue Love In My Heart" was written by Hank's writing partner, Fred Rose. Fred also wrote one of my most favorite songs, "Blue Eyes Cryin In The Rain."

"Please Don't Let Me Love You" was the flip side to George Morgan's "Candy Kisses." It is said that Hank's "Love Sick Blues" knocked George's song off the charts and permanently changed the course of George Morgan's career.

There is one song on this CD that I absolutely cannot listen to without a major case of goosebumps. That song is "Alone And Forsaken." To me it is the ULTIMATE country pain song.

I love the song "Rockin Chair Money." It has a faster tempo then most of the songs on the album. It's one of those great songs along the line of Hank's "Honky Tonkin"

Hanks very simple version of the country standard "Cool Water" is the best version of this song I have ever heard.

"My Buckets Got A Hole In It" is another one of those honky tonkin-style songs. I think it displays the sense of humor that everyone who knew Hank has said that he had. I like to think that I can see him sitting with his guitar playing and singing this song with a grin on his face.

I don't think that I have heard a version of "Thy Burdens Are Greater Then Mine" that has more feeling then Hank's.

It's sad that one of the last songs Hank recorded was the pain-filled version of "I Cant Escape From You" written it was said, for Ms. Audrey.

As I've said these songs are demos and the most interesting demo on the CD is the version of "Kawliga." It sounds like they were having a hard time staying in key or maybe keeping the proper time to the song. There are several starts and stops to the song.

Song List:

1. Tennessee Border
2. First Year Blues
3. Blue Love In My Heart
4. Please Don't Let Me Love You
5. Alone And Forsaken
6. You Caused It All By Telling Lies
7. With Tears In My Eyes
8. Rockin Chair Money
9. Cool Water
10. We Live In Two Different Worlds
11. My Buckets Got A Hole In It
12. A Teardrop On A Rose
13. Honky Tonk Blues
14. Thy Burdens Are Greater Then Mine
15. Weary Blues From Waitin
16. I Can't Escape From You
17. I Could Never Be Ashamed Of You
18. Kawliga

Audio clips courtesy of Barnes & Noble.