Hank Snow - The Essential Hank Snow

Tender ballads, urgent travel songs, infectious boogies--Canadian Hank Snow not only handled them all, but he handled them quite well and rode them all to the top of the country charts. His music was a logical extension of his idol Jimmie Rodgers's style, and Snow's letter-perfect, prudently effective vocal delivery and crisp, tasteful acoustic-guitar runs graced countless (actually, 36) top 10 country hits. This 20-song collection provides a nice introduction to his various styles and captures all of his best-known songs. His own compositions "I'm Movin' On" and "Rhumba Boogie" plus covers like "I've Been Everywhere" and "I Don't Hurt Anymore" were not only hugely dominant hits (Shania wasn't the first Canadian country phenom), but they remain cornerstones of country. --Marc Greilsamer Amazon.com

All Hank

An outstanding cd full of the great Hank Snow treatment of this great music,exceptionally good cd, easily worth the quite reasonable price.Many of these songs were done by Hank originally, what else could you ask for! November 11, 2007

Very Very Good - But There IS A Better Collection Out There

I can't agree with the claim of fellow reviewer Paul Tognetti that this is the best Hank Snow collection available. Perhaps the best single-disc compilation - I'd have no argument there - but outside of a hugely expensive multi-disc box set, the 2-cd release from RCA/BMG titled "I've Been Everywhere - The Hank Snow Story" is better in terms of content (44 songs, both A- and B-sides) and liner notes.

Having said that, this is still very much a 5-star compilation which presents 20 of the 85 Country hits he registered from late 1949 to 1980 - all with the same label, RCA Victor/RCA. That includes all seven of his # 1 hits: I'm Moving On (# 1 for TWENTY-ONE weeks and 44 weeks in total on the charts from July 1950 to December); The Golden Rocket (which took over the top spot for two weeks in late 1950/early 1951); The Rhumba Boogie (which became his third straight # 1 after it made its debut on the charts in March 1951 and eventually spent EIGHT weeks at the top); I Don't Hurt Anymore (TWENTY weeks at # 1 and 41 weeks on the charts from late May 1954); Let Me Go Lover (two weeks at # 1 in early 1955); I've Been Everywhere (Two weeks at # 1 in fall 1962)' and Hello Love (one week at # 1 in spring 1974). Small wonder he was inducted in the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 1979!

The others included here were also solid hits, all detailed in the eight pages of liner notes written by the well-known Country Music journalist Edward Morris. The sound quality is excellent. September 30, 2007

Hank Snow Has Voice and Rhythm

Hank Snow is great on this CD. He and his band found rhythm that will make you want to get up and dance with this CD. This is a "Happy" CD. February 17, 2007

I dont hurt anymore

Hank Snow was one of the best country singers and this CD is great. With real country music harder and harder to find having this CD is a boost to anyone's honky tonk collection. And for the money its really great. Good sound quality as well. Well this is DP movin on now take care all. September 16, 2006

Hankering for a Hank Snow immersion?

It's been a long, long time since I've listened to much Hank Snow -- since back in the 1950's, before rock & roll routed C&W for me. But this CD put me right back there with this really large selection of his great ones, plus some I had never heard. You can't beat Hank for the fast-talking, driving rhythm of such cuts as I've Been Everywhere, and Music Makin' Mama. Way before we got so aware of international influences in our music, there he was talking about the Cuban and South American rhythms in The Rhumba Boogie. Its the slower pieces, though, that are my favorites - Now And Then ... and I Don't Hurt Anymore. The whole CD is surely a trip down nostalgia lane, to a time when the world, and gender relations, and lyrics were different from what they have become, but I really enjoyed the trip. September 3, 2006

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