As Soon As You Hear It You Say "That's Hank Snow"
09/06/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Easily one of the most distinctive Country voices ever recorded, whenever one of his songs was played on the radio you knew instantly that it was Hank Snow. And this transplanted Canadian from Nova Scotia, with 85 charted Country singles hits between 1949 and 1980, was almost NEVER off the charts, or the radio, or Country joint juke boxes at any one time in that period.
The problem is, unless you're wealthy and can afford the high-priced box sets being offered, trying to collect all his hits can turn out to be a very expensive proposition. And some of his hits - e.g, Rockin' Rollin' Ocean - can ONLY be found on one of those sets.
The next best thing is this two-disc set from BMG/RCA which offers up the originals of 22 of his hits plus ALL their B-sides in a sound quality that is excellent. The liner notes, written in March 2000 by Colin Escott, are extensive, and there are several nice colour shots of Hank, including one with Anita Carter, with whom he did several duets, including Down The Trail Of Achin Hearts [# 2 in 1951] and its B-side, Bluebird Island [# 4]
There is, unfortunately, no discography, but if you look at the contents on this page, each side of a single release follows in order, i.e., I'm Movin' On [# 1 - for TWENTY-ONE WEEKS in 1950] at track 1 followed by its flipside, With This Ring I Thee Wed at track 2, The Golden Rocket [# 1 for two weeks in early 1951] at track 3, followed by its B-side, Paving The Highway With Tears at track 4, etc.
All seven of his # 1s are here, the above two plus The Rhumba Boogie [eight weeks at that position in 1951], I Don't Hurt Anymore [TWENTY weeks at the top in 1954], Let Me Go, Lover! [two weeks in 1955], the tongue-twisting I've Been Everywhere [two weeks in 1962], and Hello Love [one week in 1974].
Another volume would be appreciated, picking up some of the early hits omitted such as his first, Marriage Vow/Star Spangled Waltz from 1949, Unwanted Sign Upon Your Heart/Your Locket Is My Broken Heart from 1951, Honeymoon On A Rocket Ship/There Wasn't An Organ At Our Wedding from 1953, For Now And Always/A Message From The Tradewinds from 1953, When Mexican Joe Met Jole Blon/No Longer A Prisoner from 1954, That Crazy Mambo Thing/The Next Voice You Hear - a double-side hit in 1955, and Silver Bell/The Old Spinning Wheel from 1955 with Chet Atkins.
Until then, this is probably the best you're going to find short of taking out a loan."
Track Listings (44) - Disc #1