Hank Locklin
's only album release of 1963,
Ways of Life
is comprised primarily of ballads, interspersed with some jauntier numbers, all devoted -- as its title implies -- to life's mostly sad and ironic quirks. He's in fine voice and his backing band, featuring
Floyd Cramer
on piano and a coterie of guitarists, including
Velma Williams Smith
,
Fred Carter
, and
Joseph W. Tanner
, is worth hearing by itself on numbers such as
"Kentucky Waltz"
and
"Candy Kisses."
There might be a little energy lacking in the overall release, but the crisp, precise playing and
Locklin
's excellent singing (with fine and restrained vocal chorus accompaniment) just about make up for it. And the bouncy, ebullient
"Rosalita"
provides a rippling and memorable fulcrum midway through the album. ~ Bruce Eder