THE VAULTS / CD REISSUES : ‘Alternative’ Package of Hank Williams : HANK WILLIAMS: “Alone and Forsaken,” <i> Mercury</i> *** 1/2

This album is almost as noteworthy for its marketing concept as for its music. On one hand, it’s a sad commentary on the lack of musical sophistication of much of today’s young alternative-rock audience to think that it takes a special “alternative” package (complete with the endorsement of The The’s Matt Johnson) to interest that crowd in the music of a country legend whose impact on rock (from Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen) has been so great that he has been voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

If it awakens that audience, however, then more power to Mercury Records. No rock fan’s education is complete without a thorough knowledge of Williams’ late-’40s and early-’50s work, which is represented here by some of the heartbreak hits (including “You Win Again” and “Cold, Cold Heart”) as well as the restless alienation of a few more remote and even darker tunes.

If you are serious about exploring the late singer-songwriter’s music, skip this and get the two-disc, “40 Greatest Hits” set on Polydor. If you just want a sample, however, this works well.