Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound (album)
Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound is the thirtieth studio album by American musician Hank Williams Jr. and his fourth on the Elektra/Curb labels. The full-length album was Williams' second of 1979, with Family Tradition released in April.
| Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 1979 | |||
| Recorded | 1979 | |||
| Studio | Wishbone Recording Studio, Muscle Shoals, Alabama; Glaser Sound Studios, Nashville | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 30:27 | |||
| Label | Elektra/Curb (Reissue) | |||
| Producer | Jimmy Bowen | |||
| Hank Williams Jr. chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B+[2] |
Critical reception
Released in November 1979, Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, his second consecutive Top 5 for the label and only his second Top 5 album since 1969's Live at Cobo Hall. It was certified Platinum by the RIAA, marking it as his third Gold album certification and his first Platinum album. The album generated two major hit singles, the title track and "Women I've Never Had", that peaked at number 2 and number 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and would become two of Williams' most well known and popular songs.
Reviewing in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau wrote: "At times his son-of-an-outlaw obsession is worse than shtick, but here he does justice to the formula. Two candid songs about women tell you more about his sexism than he knows himself, two others explain why he's in that mood, the covers from Gregg Allman and George Jones define his parameters, and 'The Conversation'—with Waylon Guess Who, about Guess Who, Sr.—doesn't make you gag once."[2] In 2006, CMT ranked it #16 on its list of the top 40 albums in country music history.[3]
Track listing
All songs written by Hank Williams Jr., except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound" | 3:09 | |
| 2. | "Tired of Being Johnny B. Good" | 2:35 | |
| 3. | "Outlaw Women" | 3:02 | |
| 4. | "(I Don't Have) Anymore Love Songs" | 2:24 | |
| 5. | "White Lightnin'" | J.P. Richardson | 2:21 |
| 6. | "Women I've Never Had" | 2:52 | |
| 7. | "O.D.'d in Denver" | 2:40 | |
| 8. | "Come and Go Blues" | Gregg Allman | 4:05 |
| 9. | "Old Nashville Cowboy" | Rock Killough, Billy Earl McClelland | 3:04 |
| 10. | "The Conversation" | Richie Albright, Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams Jr. | 3:51 |
Singles
| Year | Single | US Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | "Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound" | 2 |
| 1980 | "Women I've Never Had" | 5 |
Personnel
- Hank Williams, Jr. - vocals, acoustic guitar
- James Burton, Rock Killough - acoustic guitar
- James Burton, Reggie Young - electric guitar
- David Briggs, Larry Knechtel - keyboards
- Joe Osborn - bass
- Larrie Londin - drums, percussion
- Kieran Kane - mandolin
- Rock Killough - harmonica
- Buddy Spicher - viola
- John Gore, Jim Horn, Irving Kane, Terry Mead, Muscle Shoals Horns - horns
- Waylon Jennings - vocals on "The Conversation"
Sonny Garrish-Steel Guitar
Production
- Produced By Jimmy Bowen
- Engineered By Jimmy Bowen & Ron Treat
- Ethan Russell - photography
References
- Jurek, Thom. "Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
- Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: W". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 22, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- "CMT 40 Greatest Albums: Episode". CMT.com. Archived from the original on February 28, 2007. Retrieved February 28, 2007.