Starts to go downhill at this point
In my opinion, Hank Williams Jr. - when he did it right - was about as good as it gets in country music. You listen to his records like "Old Habits" and "Whiskey Bent & Hell Bound" and it is hard to get much better than that. But with this album Hank Jr started showing glimpses of what would become his future...and it's not good. He has a terrible version of "The Tennessee Stud" and everything just seems so overdone. He's best on songs like "I Don't Care If Tomorrow Never Comes", "Ramblin My Shoes" and "All My Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down" - everything else is just filler. And with future albums the filler would get worse until he eventually got to the point he would write things like "This Ain't Dallas" and "Fax Me a Beer". Too bad, terrible waste of talent.
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Brilliant album featuring George Jones and Boxcar Willie
The standard of this album is set by the opening track, the classic A country boy can survive. The coalition to ban coalitions is one those political songs that Hank is so good, but this is one that a lot of people can empathize with to some extent, whatever their own political beliefs. Of course, everybody feels like joining one of those coalitions at some time or other, when things or values they treasure are threatened. Tennessee stud is a cover of the classic horse song by Jimmy Driftwood. Rambling in my shoes is a duet with Boxcar Willie, a singer who achieved fame in the UK but, as I understand, remained virtually unknown in his homeland. Boxcar also contributed the train whistle effects. The title track is a smoldering bluesy song. All my rowdy friends have settled down, lamenting how his friends no longer spend as much time enjoying themselves drinking, was one of the biggest hits of Hank's hugely successful career. I don't care if tomorrow never comes, a great duet with George Jones, is about having a good time - so perhaps Hank found one rowdy friend he could still drink with. Weatherman is another great bluesy song, in which Hank begs for a change in the weather. Every time I hear that song is another lament, this time remembering someone he misses. The controversial Ballad of Hank Williams, in which Hank makes his views on his father clear to the tune of Battle of New Orleans, completes an outstanding album. This is, by Hank's standards, quite a mellow album, proving that he can be brilliant even when he's not being rowdy. Although I normally prefer him when he's rowdy, I enjoy both aspects of his music and the strength of the material here ensures that this is one of my favorite albums of his.
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Hank's Best
This is definitely my all-time favorite Hank album. When I was a kid my dad had this on vinyl and I remember listening to it the night before going fishing in Gettysburg, PA. The memories this album conjures up for me are amazing. My favorite song is probably 'Tennessee Stud' with its "Johnny Cash-like" vocal delivery. Of course the classic 'Country Boy Can Survive' is on this one which is very fun to perform at karaoke by the way. Other highlights include 'Ramblin' In My Shoes' featuring the late great Boxcar Willie, 'Mr Weatherman' which reminds one a bit of Eric Clapton's 'Wonderful Tonight', and the title track 'The Pressure Is On' where Hank's Greg Allman influence just shines. In my opinion this CD is a must-have for all country fans. It sounds just as good today as when it was first released and will sound good until we're all gone. It is timeless!!
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