Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound

Hank Jr. spent his early years outrunning his father’s intimidating shadow. But at age 30 he came fully into his own with this mostly self-penned album. His swaggering, boozy brand of outlaw country crashes through the saloon doors with rough-and-rowdy tunes about living hard (“O.D.’D In Denver,” the title track) and working man’s outrage (“Tired of Being Johnny B. Good”). And when the Dixieland brass comes in on “Women I’ve Never Had,” it’s clear Williams is adding his own spin to the outlaw agenda.