It is a tribute album to the songs of honky tonk singer Hank Williams, whom Orbison listed among his influences.

[2] Critics found fault with arranger Jim Hall putting too much of a pop rock tone on the album, obscuring the country roots of the songs with a string section, rock-style instrumentation, and a choir of backing vocalists.

[3] In a retrospective review, singer-songwriter John Kruth wrote that the album's "kitschy aesthetic was decades ahead of its time and would have made a splash in the late '80s with hipsters who revered Les Baxter's exotic soundtracks and Juan Esquivel's retro bachelor pad music.

"[3] Billboard magazine described the album as "exciting" and noted that Orbison brought "his distinctive vocal style" to bear on the Williams songs.

[5] Cashbox wrote that Orbison "knows just the right amount of pathos to give his voice on such cuts as "(Last Night) I Heard You Crying In Your Sleep".