In the early summer of 1985, Hank Wangford wrote a beginners' guide to country music for the NME. I think it was spread over two weeks. It was through his recommendations that I bought my first Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash records later that year. But he made one point very strongly: I paraphrase from memory, "Always acknowledge Hank Williams as the greatest country artist ever, because that's what he was — and he wrote some of the saddest songs ever."
It's the truly sad songs that I always liked the best. I Can't Help It (if I'm Still in Love with You), Half as Much, You Win Again, May You Never Be Alone, Take These Chains from My Heart and my favourite, Wedding Bells, with its fantastic opening lines,
I have the invitation that you sent me
You wanted me to see you change your name
I couldn't stand to see you wed another
But, dear, I hope you're happy just the same
Stephin Merritt is one of the few who can nail the same mawkish hopelessness, as in songs like How to Say Goodbye, which could be a Hank song.
Like Woody Guthrie albums, Hank Williams was specialist minority taste in the mid-'80s, and finding his records was not easy. The price label on this (£2.20, a bargain) gives no clue as to where I came across it. And even now I can find no trace of this particular compilation online, or the Volume 1 which presumably preceded it.
Like my Velvet Underground compilation, it's on the MGM label, and like the Gregorian Chants, it has been electronically reprocessed for stereo.
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