Various Artists – Hank Williams: Timeless
This terrific collection of songs by the long lanky drifter, rendered fresh by voices young, old and in-between, leads off with its obvious highlight: Bob Dylan ambling through “I Can’t Get You Off Of My Mind” with the wizened jauntiness so much on display in his recent recordings. It makes you realize how much and how directly Dylan was prefigured by Hank, in his offhand delivery and dark comedy as much as his chameleon absorption and rearrangement of cross-cultural influences.
There are plenty of other pleasures: Lucinda Williams aching but not breaking all the way through “Cold, Cold Heart”; Emmylou Harris reading “Alone And Forsaken” as the Gothic hymn it is; Tom Petty lending his customary sneer to the perfectly snarky “You’re Gonna Change (Or I’m Gonna Leave)”. Representing the young bloods, Beck and Ryan Adams acquit themselves with as little irony or self-absorption as they’re able (i.e. some, but not a distracting amount). And Hank III, bearing the family standard, does his grandfather proud with an eerie vocal that falls somewhere between imitation and flattery.
On the other hand, Sheryl Crow and Keb’ Mo’ struggle to wrest new sweat or tears from “Long Gone Lonesome Blues” and “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”, respectively. And while Keith Richards certainly belongs here by spiritual birthright, he can’t help overreaching his limited voice.
If we’re now at the end of an era, it’s one that started with these songs on the soundtrack. And their yearning weariness resonates at least as much now as it did then. In a way, the rest of us might just be catching up to what Hank always knew.