 About This:
In July, 2004 Rhythm Bomb Records' plans to release a HANK RAY CD with material from the "lesser known" / "so-called-unreleased" canon of Hank Williams, Sr. finally took shape.
Immediately answering the call, Hank Ray - the man behind THE RAYMEN / THE HOLY ROLLER TRASH INC....just to name but two of his many projects - selected 4 Hank Williams "poems", the man himself had never recorded and wrote "new" music / arrangements to these Hank lyrics to be released on his 3. Solo album called "BALLADS FROM THE BADLANDS OF HEARTS".
These "new" versions of "Forever's A Long, Long Time", "A Stranger In The Night", "Somebody's Lonesome" and "Your Turn To Cry" are the results of this "Collaboration From Beyond The Grave"...
The above-mentioned titles plus another 12 more HankOnHank recordings were done during two sessions at Berlin's Lightning Recording Services in Summer 2004.
Each song was done as a straight vocal / guitar performance ( many of them first takes ) with stand-up bass, tremolo guitar and organ added later for a "fuller" sound.
12 selections were finally chosen for this album release...
"BALLADS FROM THE BADLANDS OF HEARTS" ( Rhythm Bomb Records No.5621)
THE ALBUM YOU ARE HOLDING IN YOUR HANDS RIGHT NOW!
...Here's the tag team of Hank and Hank tugging at your heartstrings...
From the blues of "Six More Miles To The Graveyard" to the moody slo-mo- grooves of "Alone And Forsaken" (one of Hank Williams, Sr.'s few minor compositions), from the tear-jerkin' country weeper "Lost On The River" to the gospel of "The Pale Horse And His Rider" and "The Angel Of Death" the entire scenario is haunted by the vision of a one-eyed Lee Hazlewood leading Blind Lemon Jefferson down Death Country lane.
The Luke The Drifter lament "Men With Broken Hearts" is the one song Hank Williams, Sr., once having finished laying down the tune, kinda half-jokingly called "...the awfullest, morbidest song you ever heard in your life..."
Ray's somber reading makes for one of the highlights of the current album and thus a perfect choice for video release.
In the blue, blue hours...
We'll leave you alone now with
"BALLADS FROM THE BADLANDS OF HEARTS"
ENJOY!
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