If you pinned me down and made me name my all-time favorite Hank song, I'd probably come up with this one. I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You) is one of Hank's most elegant and heartfelt compositions.
Here are two well-done covers for you to enjoy. First check out Linda Ronstadt's version from her country-pop years (with Emmylou singing backup).
Linda Ronstadt – I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You) (buy album).
Next listen to Willie Nelson's superb reading of the song. He really gets everything out of this one, without showboating. He just lets the song do the work for him, nice and easy:
Willie Nelson – I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You) (buy album).
Both albums featured today are good all the way through.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Hank Cover Friday - I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)
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9 comments:
Thanks for this superb cover of a classic Hank Williams song. Johnny Cash also does a great rendition of this song but Willie Nelson is in a league of his own when it comes to re-interpreting other artists classic songs. His masterly crafted version of 'Help Me Make it Through The Night' a particular favourite from a truly magnificent talent. Great stuff.
Wow, until ths post, I never knew that there was an extended version of the Red Headed Stranger album or that this song was on it. Thanks!
This is a great song, and Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez also do a very nice cover of it on Red Dog Tracks.
you just felled me in love w/ linda rondstadt. i can't stop looking at that picture
Thanks for the comments.
Dave D - All three bonus songs are great.
Brendan - I hear you. Myself, I've always been partial to Emmylou, but that is a nice picture.
What´s your fave outlaw country album Paul? I can never choose between Red Headed Stranger and Honky Tonk Heroes.
Btw: I´m listening to the Flatlanders´ More A Legend Than A Band as I write this and that´s one hell of an album too...
I say:
1. Honky Tonk Heroes (favorite outlaw album)
2. More A Legend ...
3. Red Headed Stranger
All three are great!
Waylon Live ... especially the 2-disc expanded edition ... has to be top 3. It's the greatest live document by an outlaw country artist and second place ain't even in the same zip code. If you haven't heard it, by all means, check it out. Waylon and his band, The Waylors, could've been the best country band *and* the best rock band for a brief period in the mid-70s.
Also, if the outlaw country genre is expanded to include actual outlaws, like Merle Haggard, and symbolic outlaws, like Johnny Cash, then this list gets pretty complicated ... in a good way, of course.
Responding to myself ... a cursory look through the vinyl a little while ago revealed that I totally overlooked Willie And Family Live from 1978. An amazing set and one that definitely gives Waylon Live a run for its money. Not only in the same zip code, I think these two albums are next-door neighbors.
I picked up that Ronstadt double disc before I left Austin because I had no cd's for a 14 hour drive.
I pretty much listened to it the whole way home.
awesome.
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