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Excerpts from 1953 radio broadcasts. CD

The shadow of Hank Williams still looms large in country music well into the 21st Century – but it had an especially strong force in the years after his too-early death – as you'll hear here in a great selection of covers, tributes, and other songs that continue the short-but-strong legacy of revolution that Hank brought to country music! Some of the cuts here are pop numbers, and show the way that Williams' original tunes found many different audiences in the 50s – yet most are pure country, and are way more than straight remakes of originals by the legend. As always with Bear Family, the package is great – filled with images and detailed notes on all the tracks and artists – served up on 33 tracks that include "Kaw-Liga" by Rusty & Doug Kershaw, "Calling You" by Hank Williams Jr, "I'm A Long Gone Daddy" by Bobby Helms, "Move It On Over" by Richard Hayes, "I Saw The Light" by Rose Maddox, "Honky Tonkin" by Audrey Williams, "I Just Don't Like This Kind Of Livin" by Johnny Horton, "Mind Your Own Business" by Ted Daigle, "Lost Highway" by Skeets McDonald, "Cold Cold Heart" by Louis Armstrong, "Lovesick Blues" by Rex Griffin, "Baby We're Really In Love" by Don Gibson, and "Half As Much" by Tennessee Ernie Ford. CD

A collection of classic country that's got way more to offer than the "depressing" in the title might make you think – not tracks that are purposely over the top and full of bad feeling – but instead the kind of well-crafted work that makes postwar country some of the most carefully emotive music of the time! The set's overflowing with themes of love and loss, but handled with a mature, honest, very human approach – never wallowing too much in depression, and instead often coming across with a slightly redemptive spirit in the realization of the loss. The set features 30 tracks in all – and titles include "Letter Edged In Black" by Hank Snow, "Teardrops & Empty Arms" by Texas Ruby, "A Church A Courtroom & Then Goodbye" by Patsy Cline, "Lonely Street" by Don Gibson, "Call Of The Wedding" by Goldie Hill, "There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight by George Jones, "Tramp On The Street" by Carlisle Brothers, "The Old Crossroad Is Waitin" by Rose Maddox, "Lonely Side Of Town" by Kitty Wells, "Are You Afraid To Die" by Stanley Brothers, and "I'm Reading Yaur Letter Again" by Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper. CD