Various Artists - Three Hanks: Men with Broken Hearts

Three Hanks: Men with Broken Hearts

We find the product exactly what we wanted. Great CD, to have all three on one album. April 6, 2008

all in all its worth a listen

this is a pretty good album, ive had it since it came out, its really neat to hear all three together as if' hank sr was still with us... but i do agree i think its just ok... but then again some of these songs can give me chills at times. just thinking the what if's ya know what i mean... i like it fine. and hand me down is one of the best, on here and men with broken hearts is my favorite by any hank williams, and for sure by hirman hank williams sr. a fan of the williams family April 26, 2006

I am being gererous giving this one star!!

What you have here it the single most worst cd ever made.

How someone thought it was a good idea to take Hank Sr.'s low-fi mono recordings, peel off his voice and put it in modern, digital stereo surrounding is beyond me.

Imagine Hank Jr. singing a line, then a great guitar solo, then Hank III taking a vocal turn, then a guitar solo, then Hank Sr. coming in with vocals that seem to come off an lp that was found lying in the gravel somewhere at a flea market.

It is beyond bad. Not a good idea, and nothing like "There's a Tear in My Beer." September 21, 2003

Gimmicky, but good, better than one might have expected

Obviously one can tell right from the start that this is nothing more than a marketing ploy. Hank, Jr. fans will get exposure to III, Hank, Sr. fans will get exposure to not only Hank III, but they will also learn that Jr. has calmed down and became the quintessential country legend that George Jones has became down through the years. But, if nothing else, fans of each diverse artist will want this, so it's almost a guaranteed sale!

Many fans familiar with the Sr. LP's of the 60's may not know what to expect. MGM released two LP's in that decade heralding a "recording miracle" of father and son singing together. Well, what you wound up with was something similar to Liberty's "Visual Sound" stereo with Hank, Sr. in one channel and Hank, Jr. in the other. The Drifting Cowboys faded out with Hank and then Hank, Jr. came into the other channel with his "band" and then eventually, Sr. was brought back w/ the Drifting Cowboys for Jr. to harmonize-and harmonize he DID NOT!! It was awful-Jr. was so out of key!

Of course, by 1989, recording technologies had improved and the "collaboration" of Sr. and Jr. on "There's A Tear In My Beer" (what an awful title for a song!) was not distinguishable that it WAS NOT recorded totally in 1989. So, due to improved technologies, this was put forth as a new effort at updating the classic Hank, Sr. style.

Hank, Sr. shines through on anything done on here as does Jr. Hank III in many cases seems as if though he's trying to be a cross between Sr. and Tim McGraw and his stuff doesn't always work well. "Moanin' The Blues" comes off as a Western Swing type number, "Move It On Over" and "Honky Tonk Blues" come off as rockabilly numbers as they have lended themselves to so well ever since they were recorded. As a matter of fact, rumor has it that "Move It On Over" was the complete inspiration for "Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley and his Comets.

Hank, Jr's solo's work very well and leave no hint of the once wild Southern rocker inflected country/rock singer. Hank III's one solo, a re-working of Hank, Sr.'s demo "'Neath A Cold Grey Tomb of Stone", works very well, though III is a bit nasal in his performance.

The standout is the group gospel number complete with Audrey and (uncredited) "Health and Happiness Show" announcer Grant Turner. The song that does not work is "Men With Broken Hearts". It becomes painfully obvious that the recording technology of 1949 doesn't equal that of today's. It would sound as if Hank, Sr. phoned in his part over a bad connection (he must've been using my phone company-BPS communications!) and plus the fact that Hank III butchers this one to no end-you'll be glad when it's over.

The edited take of "Lost Highway" is somewhat non-sensical. I would have preferred to have had a whole overdubbed version of it myself, but so it goes.

If you like any of the three, this is a must have. It offers a perspective on Hank differently than any other compilation and is quite entertaining. You won't be disappointed. June 19, 2003

Uninspired

I picked this up back in '98 after seeing Hank III for the first time. Perhaps for the Hank Jr. fans it is worth your time but for me a Hank Sr. & Hank III fan it is disappointing. I'm aware of the family lineage but I don't need to hear this blend of voices to appreciate the songwriting talent of Hank Williams.
I did talk to Hank III about this recording and it sounded like his dad's idea not his. Out of the dozens of recordings of all three of the artists, this is my least favorite for all of them. February 27, 2003

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