Celebrating Country Hall of Famer Snow

Of the living members of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Hank Snow may be the least known to today’s country and pop audiences, which makes this delightful collection of 20 of his most celebrated works all the more valuable.

Though Snow isn’t a captivating vocal stylist a la Merle Haggard or George Jones, his singing has a winning and distinctive edge, thanks chiefly to his immaculate enunciation. His upbeat hits are generally characterized by catchy, galloping rhythms.

Born Clarence Eugene Snow in Nova Scotia in 1914, he spent most of his early teen years as a cabin boy on a fishing boat. It was during that time that he first heard a recording by Jimmie Rodgers, the so-called father of country music, and he began daydreaming about his own singing career. Snow had some recording success in Canada in the late ‘30s and early ‘40s, but he didn’t get signed by a U.S. label until 1949.

Because the themes of his hero, Rodgers, frequently dealt with railroads and travel, it was only natural that Snow’s first big country hit revolved around the same subjects. Indeed, 1950’s “I’m Moving On” seemed as much an expression of Snow’s love of the railroad as a look at the breakup of a relationship.

The record--which spent 21 weeks at No. 1 on the country charts--not only remains Snow’s signature song, but also has been redone over the years by scores of country and rock artists, including Elvis Presley.

Presley also toured with Snow during the early days of the rocker’s career, and the pair briefly shared the same manager, Col. Tom Parker. Presley also recorded another of Snow’s biggest hits, “A Fool Such as I.”

Often conservative when singing ballads, Snow is at his best on upbeat songs, including “I’m Moving On” and “I’ve Been Everywhere,” where he often seems to be trying to see how fast he can sing and still be understood.

Listening to Snow’s emphasis on clarity and speed, you sometimes get the feeling that maybe this Grand Ole Opry veteran’s real ambition all these years has been to be the world’s greatest train announcer.

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** 1/2 Various artists, “The Last Party,” Island. After decades of albums inspired by films, here is one that owes its existence to a book: Anthony Haden-Guest’s “The Last Party,” which looks back at New York’s Studio 54 nightclub and the flamboyant culture of the ‘70s disco high-life scene.

Most of the 16 tracks will remind you why “Death to Disco” buttons were so popular back then. The robot-like beats and repetitive, slogan-like lyrics underscore the musical limitations of the period.

In the best tracks, however, there is a reminder of the sense of sexual and social liberation that accompanied the early days of the disco movement. These highlights--including Grace Jones’ “Pull Up to the Bumper,” Dr. Buzzard’s “I’ll Play the Fool” and Donna Summer’s “Last Dance”--underscore the fervor and spirit of the period.

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).