You’ve got to love a man of 79 who still wears flashy Nudie suits. That’s worth a star on its own, but the truth is that Porter Wagoner could be stark naked and this CD would still be worth every one of its four stars. His voice may not be the same as it was in his prime but, like his late compadre Johnny Cash, he can still put a song across. The material sits well with his delivery and reflects his current situation – memories of childhood, lost love, the madness of his younger self, ageing and the hope of redemption all feature in the 14 songs collected here.
Wagoner is not afraid to sing unaccompanied, which is how he starts the Cash-penned Committed To Parkview, or to use spoken narrative (as on Brother Harold Dee), but he’s also surrounded by superb Nashville sessioneers who can play fast, slow, happy, sad and all points in between. Arrangements and production by former Cash sideman Marty Stuart are superb and the final track is a conversation between the two men, which clearly demonstrates their rapport and Wagoner’s way with a tune.
Are we sure Hank done it this way? No doubt at all.
