40 Greatest Hits

Those seeking a definitive introduction to hank williams sr's music need look no further than '40 greatest hits', a beautifully produced set that includes all but three of hank's top 20 hits. all the essential tracks are here, revealing williams' mastery of both heartbreak songs (for which he, the composer of 'i'm so lonesome i could cry,' 'cold, cold heart' and numerous other classics, is justly famous) and joyful, upbeat numbers (such as 'jambalaya,' 'hey, good lookin',' and 'howling at the moon'). unlike many williams retrospectives, '40 greatest hits' abstains from efforts to 'improve' hank's music with such abominations as 'enhanced stereo' (a cheesy reprocessing trick that transforms monophonic recordings into poor, echo-laden approximations of stereo) and posthumously added string sections. instead, the set presents williams' music in its original monophonic setting. '40 greatest hits' is arranged chronologically, allowing listeners to better appreciate the rapid rise and development of country's greatest singer and songwriter. mastered from the original mono tapes and 78-rpm discs.