4th
When That Evening Train Goes By
Here’s one of the oldest things in my collection — the only known live recording of Hank Williams on tour. Capturing a half-hour of the country legend and his band in Sunset Park, PA in the long-ago summer of 1952, it’s as close as we’ll get to a regular night out on the road for Hiram King Williams. YOU ARE THERE. Almost! It’s an audience tape, but despite being close to 60 years old, the sound quality is pretty good. There are a few incomplete songs, but hey, beggars can’t be choosers. Hank sounds pretty together here — there are tales of total trainwreck shows during this period and the dude only had about six months to live. But he’s a total entertainer on this tape, telling jokes, bantering with his band, and sounding exactly like Hank fucking Williams. Not sure if any of his many imitators quite nailed that strange, otherworldly voice of his, hitting notes that cut through the years and tape hiss with an immediacy that will probably last for all eternity. Hear that lonesome whistle blow!
