Four Essential Hank Williams Sr. Books and Recordings for the Devoted Fan

A new Hank Williams Sr. CD collection will be offered for sale in October 2010 and many eager fans are looking forward to adding newly released Hank Williams recordings to their musical libraries. Since Hank Williams Sr.'s death on July 1, 1953, dozens of compilations of his material have been released. Many have been the first issues of Williams' recordings that were either "lost" to the musical world for decades or tied up in litigation related to his untimely death. The release of this new Hank Williams Sr. collection is the perfect opportunity for dedicated fans to also fill out in gaps in their Hank Williams' library.

Hank Williams Snapshots from the Lost Highway

My dad has been a Hank Williams Sr. fan for practically his entire life. In 2002 when I was on a high school class trip I plunked down nearly 50% of my spending money for the picture book Snapshots from the Lost Highway because I realized at first glance exactly how special the book was. The first plus for fans, especially older fans, is the larger format of the book. The comfortable size and landscape orientation make the pictures look particularly nice and easy to appreciate. The matte paper printing brings out the best quality possible in the older photos, many of which were never published previously in Hank Williams Sr. biographies or documentaries. Hank Williams Snapshots from the Lost Highway is available online at Amazon.com as well as in many chain bookstores.

Hank Williams Honky Tonk Blues

The Hank Williams Honky Tonk Blues DVD was originally a BBC production documentary made for television, but it has exception value as a member of a personal Hank Williams Sr. collection. This documentary not only contains detailed commentary from the original band members of The Drifting Cowboys who were still alive at the time but also conversations with many Williams' historians and family members. The documentary also airs the entire video for Hank Williams Sr.'s duet with Anita Carter on "Cold, Cold Heart" and a video spot for "Hey Good Lookin'". Both videos are of Hank Williams performing the material for TV shows of the period and are not spliced together with additional footage as some of his performances have been throughout the years. Some Wal-Mart stores carry this DVD on the rack, but it is also available at numerous online retailers including Amazon.com.

The Complete Hank Williams

This collection literally contains every Hank Williams Sr. recording that was available at the time of its release on CD. While new recordings have been made available since this CD set hit stores in 1999, this collection remains a must for fans. The presentation is stellar with a sturdy illustrated box encasing all of the musical CDs, a biographical booklet featuring information about the life and musical career of Hank Williams Sr., and a set of collectible postcards.

Hank Williams - The Complete Mother's Best Recordings

The Complete Mother's Best Recordings Collection has a very nice product presentation with a case styled to resemble an antique radio. There are 15 full length CDs in the case along with a bonus DVD and an illustrated hardcover book. This set is new as of September 28, 2010 and is offered only by Time Life.

These four items are musts in any Hank Williams Sr. collection. They encompass the best musical compilations as well as rare photos and video footage.