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2009

180 Gram Audiophile Virgin Vinyl LP

In 1951, at the peak of his storied career, Hank Williams had a daily fifteen-minute show sponsored by Mother's Best flour and farm feeds. WSM Radio brought him into the studio to prerecord shows that would air when he was out of town. Hank sang with his regular studio band and performed his hits as well as songs he never recorded commercially anywhere else, like old hymns and family favorites.

He recorded onto sixteen-inch acetate discs meant to be played only once or twice. Improbably, some of those discs have survived. These recordings give us a deeper insight into Hank's life and music, showing a personality that had never been revealed previously. They showcase his humor as he jokes with his band and the emcee, his love of music as he talks unguardedly about his favorite songs, and captures him in his prime. They are three-dimensional portraits of one of the giants of American music.

Following their critically-acclaimed 3-CD box set release of Hank Williams: The Unreleased Recordings in October 2008, Time Life is now proud to release this collectible vinyl edition featuring the best of some of these shows. One listen and you're in another place and time, hearing the history of country music up until 1951 filtered through the music's all-time greatest artist.

A historic album drawn from the very best of the Mother's Best recordings, it includes two complete shows unavailable elsewhere at retail. It's a time capsule, taking listeners back to early morning country radio in 1951.

It's a rare, informal glimpse into the heart and soul of country music's greatest star who died in 1953, at age 29.

Follows on the heals of Time Life's critically-acclaimed 2008 release of the 3-CD Hank Williams box set that got dozens of national reviews and huge press support.

This Hank Williams series is fully endorsed by the Williams Estate: children Hank Williams Jr. and Jett Williams.

Superb audio quality is better than Hank's studio recordings! The restoration and mastering efforts were led by Grammy Award-winning studio engineers Alan Stoker at the Country Music Hall of Fame and renowned expert and Grammy-winner Joe Palmaccio.