What Becomes a Legend Most? A Stirring Tribute

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VARIOUS ARTISTS

“Timeless”

Lost Highway

The dozen rock, pop, blues, folk and country luminaries who pack this tribute to Hank Williams show just how far the influence of the man dubbed “the hillbilly Shakespeare” extends beyond the borders of country music.

As the title indicates, that influence has only grown in the 48 years since Williams died at 29 of a heart attack in the back of his Cadillac on New Year’s Day 1953.

The performances are uniformly stirring, from Bob Dylan’s jaunty Western swing rendition of “I Can’t Get You Off of My Mind” to Johnny Cash’s benedictory reading of the obscure “I Dreamed About Mama Last Night.”

In a stunning performance of “Cold, Cold Heart,” Lucinda Williams wrings every drop of pathos from this aching meditation on trying to penetrate a heart that’s been wounded beyond repair.

Beck comes up with an appropriately ethereal take on “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” Keith Richards is wonderfully ragged singing “You Win Again,” and Hank Williams III brings his granddaddy’s voice and spirit back to life in “I’m a Long Gone Daddy.” Emmylou Harris, Sheryl Crow, Keb’ Mo’, Tom Petty, Mark Knopfler and Ryan Adams similarly invest everything they’ve got into their contributions .

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.