Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound is a studio album by American musician Hank Williams Jr., and his fourth on the Elektra/Curb labels. It was Williams' second album of 1979, with Family Tradition released in April.
| Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 1979 | |||
| Recorded | 1979 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Country, Outlaw country | |||
| Length | 30:27 | |||
| Label | Elektra/Curb (Reissue) | |||
| Producer | Jimmy Bowen | |||
| Hank Williams Jr. chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound | ||||
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Released in November 1979, Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, his second consecutive Top 5 for the label and only his second Top 5 album since 1969's Live at Cobo Hall. It was certified Platinum by the RIAA, marking it as his third Gold album certification and his first Platinum album. The album generated two major hit singles, the title track and "Women I've Never Had", that peaked at number 2 and number 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and would become two of Williams' most well known and popular songs.
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B+[2] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [3] |
Reviewing in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau wrote: "At times his son-of-an-outlaw obsession is worse than shtick, but here he does justice to the formula. Two candid songs about women tell you more about his sexism than he knows himself, two others explain why he's in that mood, the covers from Gregg Allman and George Jones define his parameters, and 'The Conversation'—with Waylon Guess Who, about Guess Who, Sr.—doesn't make you gag once."[2] In 2006, CMT ranked it #16 on its list of the top 40 albums in country music history.[4]
Track listing
editAll songs written by Hank Williams Jr., except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound" | 3:09 | |
| 2. | "Tired of Being Johnny B. Good" | 2:35 | |
| 3. | "Outlaw Women" | 3:02 | |
| 4. | "(I Don't Have) Anymore Love Songs" | 2:24 | |
| 5. | "White Lightnin'" | J.P. Richardson | 2:21 |
| 6. | "Women I've Never Had" | 2:52 | |
| 7. | "O.D.'d in Denver" | 2:40 | |
| 8. | "Come and Go Blues" | Gregg Allman | 4:05 |
| 9. | "Old Nashville Cowboy" | Rock Killough, Billy Earl McClelland | 3:04 |
| 10. | "The Conversation" | Richie Albright, Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams Jr. | 3:51 |
Singles
edit| Year | Single | US Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | "Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound" | 2 |
| 1980 | "Women I've Never Had" | 5 |
Personnel
edit- Guitar: James Burton, Rock Killough, Hank Williams Jr., Reggie Young. Mandolin: Kieran Kane
- Bass: Joe Osborn
- Keyboards: David Briggs, Larry Knechtel
- Drums: Larrie Londin
- Harmonica: Rock Killough
- Horns: John Gore, Jim Horn, Irving Kane, Terry Mead
- Viola: Buddy Spicher
- Additional Vocals: Waylon Jennings[5]
Production
edit- Produced By Jimmy Bowen
- Engineered By Jimmy Bowen & Ron Treat
- Ethan Russell - photography
Charts
edit| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[6] | 5 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[7] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ↑ Jurek, Thom. "Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
- 1 2 Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: W". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 22, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ↑ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 768, 769.
- ↑ "CMT 40 Greatest Albums: Episode". CMT.com. Archived from the original on February 28, 2007. Retrieved February 28, 2007.
- ↑ "Whiskey Bent And Hell Bound". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
- ↑ "Hank Williams Jr 2 Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
- ↑ "American album certifications – Hank Williams, Jr. – Whiskey Bent & Hell Bound". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 2, 2026.