Back in the 60's a nice two record set of Hank's top hits came out and I had a friend that owned the set. I borrowed it and made a good recording on 7 in. reels with my then Akia-reel to reel recording deck. This CD set carries most of the songs that were on that double LP set. I think that this CD set is "Great" for the person who wants to get some of Hank's basic stuff, but after visiting a music store and seeing a set that I didn't know existed called "The Complete Hank Williams/10 CD box set" I made up my mind that for a true Old Time Collector of "REAL" Country music like myself this set is the only way to go! The 2CD set that this review is about is exceptional and has a lot of Hank's Favorites and if you are looking for some good basic stuff from Hank -buy it- But I have my sites set on the Big Box and as soon as I pick it up I'll be sure and give you all an honest review on that set also ! "ENJOY"

If you are looking to own a basic two disc set of Hank, order 40 Greatest Hits used. What you really need to do is to buy the three disc set Original Singles Collection. The 10 disc set, Complete Hank Williams is a bit too costly, although great for the die hard fan. Avoid this "Ultimate Collection" if you can get your hands on any of the three I mentioned. The last six songs are live, not the original studio versions, the demos on here, though good, replace many other big hits found on the other sets. This collection is more of a companion to the first two listed above.

More than fifty years after his untimely death, Hank Williams' influence is still felt across the landscape of popular music. He is one of the few recording artists to have been inducted into both the COuntry Music Hall of Fame (1961) and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (1987). Although regarded principally as a country artist, he was at heart a poet, putting into music and words the heartache, pain and loneliness that ultimately consumed him before his thirtieth birthday.

To not have any Hank Williams in your music collection is to leave a gaping hole. The problem is there are some three dozen anthologies to pick from. Is THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION the best? Maybe not, but it has much to offer. The sound quality is very good. The 28-page booklet has plenty of pictures, serviceable liner notes (written by Kira Florita, co-author of "Hank Williams: Snapshots from the Lost Highway"), and recording dates for all 42 tracks. All the biggest hits are here ("Honky Tonkin'," "Cold, Cold Heart," "Hey, Good Lookin'," "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)," et.al.). There are a couple of his songs recorded as Luke the Drifter, including the weeper, "I Dreamed About Mama Last Night." CD-1 is presented chronologically, but CD-2 skips around after the first four tracks. Also, (as noted in other reviews) the last six tracks are radio transcriptions. "Why Don't You Love Me" and "Moanin' the Blues" are from a 1950 Grand Ole Opry Show; the final four tracks are taken from a 1949 WSM "Health & Happiness" radio show. The sound on these final tracks are the equal of his studio recordings and if anything add a more intimate and relaxed feel to these performances in front of a live audience.

Overall, this is an excellent overview of Williams' career, and will more than adequately provide the neophyte fan with an understanding of the legend of Hank Williams. [Running Time: Disc 1-59:29, Disc 2-50:05] HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

my wife and sat an listened to all three disks on our home theater system,we were well pleased with the sound and happy to have these disks in our collection.

This is an interesting set for the casual fan, but probably not for the completist. Kira Florita and Colin Escott done a good job in putting together a wide array of material that will probably do a better introductory job than 40 Greatest Hits as this also present many non-session takes and a few live recordings. Obviously, if you're not new to Hank, this isn't the set, however if you're new to Hank, don't feel bad about checking this out.