Chris Knight / Trailer II (2009)

If the solo demo "field recordings" Chris Knight taped in a trailer had been released as a double disc set it would have topped the Americana best of lists for 1996 and would be recognized as one of the great debut discs. Ever. Instead the tracks sat unreleased while the rumors and bootlegs spread and fans hoped and waited for their official release. The eleven tracks on “Trailer Tapes” released in 2007 proved the hype was warranted. The twelve “Trailer II” tracks empty the vault without any drop in quality. Although only three of the tracks were previously unreleased, if you don’t own his self-titled debut disc there are a total of eight new tracks to discover. James McMurtry, Steve Earle and Drive By-Truckers chronicle the lives of characters from the same (wrong) side of the tracks and you probably won’t ever hear Knight’s acoustic gritty realistic, sometimes unflattering character sketches, used to sell trucks on TV. These “unplugged” recordings work as a great introduction to Chris and long time Knight fans will love the stripped down versions of some of their favorite songs. If you already own the “Trailer Tapes” you’ll want a copy of “Trailer II” and if you’re picking up “Trailer II” and don’t already own “Trailer Tapes” you should probably just go ahead and pick up both discs when you’re at the store.