Thompson keeps honky tonk alive

by Jim Trageser
This review first appeared in the October 15, 2000 edition of the American Reporter.

Real, honest to God honkytonk music is getting to be as rare as a country singer without mousse in their hair. But for a half-century, Hank Thompson has stayed true to the faith, ignoring whatever trends the pencil pushers and number crunchers have foisted on the country music industry.

On his latest release, "Seven Decades," Thompson remains in fine voice and spirits. His singing is strong and confident, his band is whip-tight, and his new songs have an engagingly humorous sense of fun.

If country music was still worth anything (hard to believe with all the yuppies in cowboy boots dominating the charts these days), "Sting in this Old Bee" would be all over the radio. And his cover of "Dinner for One, Please James" – well, any singer who can take a song with a butler in it and make it into a country song is about as country as you can get.