Hank Wilson Volume III

04/07/1998 3:00 AM, Yahoo! Music
Bill Holdship

Hank Wilson is the name Leon Russell adopts for the country albums he's been recording since 1973, but at least one British reference book claims that it's also the legendary Oklahoman's real name. The book's wrong, of course (the moniker seems to be a play on Hank Williams), but the confusion is understandable only in the ol' Hank does this type of music so darn well.

Not that Leon adds anything to any of the classic tunes he covers. How do you add anything to Tennessee Ernie Ford's "16 Tons," George Jones's "He Stopped Loving Her Today," and tunes made famous by Patsy Cline, Buck Owens, Johnny Cash, etc.? You don't. But unlike so many modern covers by those dreadful acts like Mariah and Bolton, he doesn't subtract anything, either, making each version his own. Willie Nelson, Marty Stuart and the Oak Ridge Boys all make guest appearances, and Carl Perkins's "Daddy Sang Bass" was obviously custom-made for Leon Russell's trademark style. This is Leon's best Hank Wilson album yet, and one of the year's more enjoyable musical moments.