Hank Williams, Sr. - Alone & Forsaken (CD)

All Music Guide

Even the most casual music fan should be able to scrape together the cash for the still-unbeatable 40 Greatest Hits, if not the three-disc Original Singles Collection...Plus More or the monumental ten-CD The Complete Hank Williams. The unrepentant cheapskate, however, could do worse than this strange 17-track compilation. The songs were chosen by The The frontman Matt Johnson (he contributes written comments to the liner notes and a spoken introduction to the album). Johnson's morose sensibilities clearly influenced the choice of songs; upbeat classics like "Hey Good Lookin'" are nowhere to be found. There are enough genuine essentials ("Lost Highway," "I Saw the Light," "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"), though, to satisfy those whose curiosity is limited, and the four non-session demos that round out the set may help collectors with light pockets forget about all the rare treasures included in more expensive packages. The idiosyncratic track selection makes this both less and more than a traditional greatest-hits album. A cynic might question whether it will reach the college rock hipsters whom Johnson intends to lure, but only a fanatic could argue that it is a less-than-satisfying listen.

- Daniel Browne, All Music Guide