Post by StevePulaski on Oct 13, 2010 17:26:14 GMT -5
Hank Williams III
Straight to Hell
★★★½
Hank III newcomers should be warned he does NOT take after his grandfather at all and barely follows his father either. Hank III is his own man and his own soul. He doesn't do classic country or straight up country like the previous ones who own his name. No, he does his Southern Rock and Hellbilly music and keeps away from the pop country everyone is exposed to now. Hank III is the grandson of famous country singer, Hank Williams who died in 1953 at the age of 29 from an overdose or alcohol and pills and the son of Hank Williams Jr. whom is still making music today. All three men are brilliant musicians and are the definition of true country music. Straight to Hell is definitely Hank III's best release so far.
This album also is the first country album to bare a Parental Advisory sticker on it and to release a clean version of the album as well completely erasing one track, Dick in Dixie. It's probably a good thing that track was omitted because considering all the vulgarity used in Dick in Dixie and if there was one, I'd really hate to hear it. It most likely would be butchered beyond belief to the point the tune wouldn't make any sense.
Music wise, this album is near perfection. The album does bare one or two songs I'm not too fond of, like Thrown Out of the Bar and the introduction track Satan is Real, but excluding those two tracks the rest of the album is a work of Southern art. Crazed Country Rebel is the best on the album, in my opinion. It's fast moving flow and very catchy chorus puts the song at number one for best on the album. Dick in Dixie is another track I enjoy. It's vulgarity adds to the feel of III's deep emotional factor towards new country music. He hates it and he makes it damn clear too. Pop country sucks we are told three times in the album. Just listen to it; "I'm here to put the dick in Dixie, and the c*** back in country! Cause the kind of country I'm hearin' nowadays it's a bunch of f***** s*** to me!" He's pissed and goes all out making a rant track. It's one of the greatest rants and most knowledgeable I've heard in a while.
Not Everybody Likes Us is a track I can't get over. He insults his father's best friend blatantly and insults people who believe they were related, which speculation still exists today. I find that extremely funny for some reason. Of course we are talking about Kid Rock, whom not only was a friend of Jr's but recorded songs with him. Country Heroes is the most passionate on the album. III describes he wants nothing but the old musicians existing and being played. Most maybe dead, but that doesn't stop him from doing what we all should do in film, music, video games, etc and that's keeping the classics alive. Old school is still cool he reminds us with the lyric; "I wanna hear them old songs, nothin' of the new." He even sings in the dark tone most classic country singers did which I found neat as well.
Pills I Took is a short little anthem describing on how pills effect's can go wrong. Our narrator has been awake for eight days straight and, well, it must of been the pills he took. It's a catchy little tune with a nice guitar beat that polishes of the track. Smoke and Wine is another fast paced anthem that speeds along talking about "drinkin', druggin', and havin' lots of fun." I enjoy the tracks that are fast paced the most because Hank can keep up with the beat very well, but sometimes his slow songs can put you in his shoes. Only a selected few can put you in their shoes if you never been there with Hank III being one of them.
Hank III has had his share of trouble with his record label Curb Records seeing they won't release his EP "This Ain't Country" for whatever reason and many songs he was forbidden to release. Though in 2010, Hank released his last album on Curb titles Rebel Within' which was definitely one of the weaker hits III has done. I'm not complaining because I believe the best is yet to come with Hank. He's been prevented to release various songs, but I think he's leaving some tracks behind that he is waiting to release on future albums. So don't hold III accountable if Rebel Within wasn't his top notch work. The best is yet to come, I believe.
Straight to Hell is a mouthful and it serves as the best Hank III album to date. His music, flow, songs, and almost everything is A+ work. Crazed Country Rebel, Not Everybody Likes Us, Smoke and Wine, Dick in Dixie, and Country Heroes are the highlights of this release and prove that Hank III can mix punk with country and rock. He's a multi-talented individual and though is nothing like his previous relatives, he's a unique man with a bright future and a plethora of more albums that will show off his maximum talent.