Since
Hank Williams III and Curb Records parted ways in 2010 after a 15-year relationship that strained the boundaries of the word "hostile," the label has released a steady stream of albums that either repackaged
Williams' recordings for Curb (
Long Gone Daddy and
Ramblin' Man) or unearthed material that the label previously found unfit for release (
Hillbilly Joker). Having apparently run out of other ways to get milk from this particular cow, Curb has turned to the most tried-and-true way of generating cash from an artist's back catalog -- the "best-of" compilation. The title of 2017's
Hank Williams III's
Greatest Hits is a bit ironic, given that the artist has never scored a major country hit, with his no-frills, retro-styled music -- often resembling the sound of his grandfather
Hank Williams -- as much a concern to radio programmers as his rowdy tales of booze, drugs, guns, and bad behavior. That said, if you're looking for an album that sums up the country side of
Hank III's musical personality (as opposed to his equal fondness for metal and punk),
Greatest Hits isn't a bad way to go.
Williams has a practically perfect voice for old-school country music, and even when his lyrics verge on the sociopathic, very few people can generate a honky tonk mood in the 21st century as well as
Hank III. Most of these tracks find him in relatively user-friendly form, at least in terms of the music, but if you want your country music served 100 proof with plenty of fiddles and pedal steel guitar along with the hell-raising,
Hank III reliably serves it straight and strong, as these 15 tunes attest.
Greatest Hits skims representative cuts from
Hank III's country albums for Curb (with the exception of 2010's
Rebel Within), ignoring his raucous hardcore music with
Assjack, and if this collection isn't ideal, pretty much every cut here would sound great pouring out of a jukebox on a Saturday night, with a cold beer for accompaniment.
Greatest Hits is the least offensive and most enjoyable of Curb's efforts to generate more sales from
Hank Williams III's (country) catalog, and though loyal fans will notice it features nothing new, if you're looking for an intro to his non-rock material, this is a fine starting point. ~ Mark Deming