In 1980, an ex-Marine and musician named Kenny Knight recorded an album, “Crossroads,” but it didn’t go anywhere. He sold a few copies to friends, but most of the records ended up in boxes in Knight’s garage. Eventually, he tossed those in a Dumpster, and never recorded anything again.
Then recently, Longmont record collector Michael Klausman came across a used copy of “Crossroads” in a Denver record store. He put it on a turntable and loved what he heard.
“There are so many records like this that were privately released, and occasionally they’re really great, but I’d say that nine times out of 10, they’re sort of terrible, or amateurish,” Klausman says. “But when I first put [“Crossroads”] on, the songs were just instantly so finely, well-crafted….. What’s remarkable about the record is how out of time it is, which therefore makes it timeless.”
Now, 35 years after it was recorded, “Crossroads” has been reissued by a North Carolina record label, and it’s been getting strong reviews. One critic called it “an understated Colorado country rock gem.”
Knight and Klausman spoke with Colorado Matters host Ryan Warner.
Listen to "America" and "One Down."
