Greatest Hits, Volume 2 (BMG, 2004)

This new Brooks & Dunn greatest hits collection picks up in 1998, which is right about the time when Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn were experiencing a brief commercial lull, and ends with the award winning pair right back on top again. Within its span, this compilation includes B&D's latest, greatest hits, as well as three new ones.

And since making hits is what Brooks & Dunn do best, this is one of the premiere ways to experience their music. As a bonus, this overview also reveals the act's sometimes-underrated musical range. It shows how they've waxed gently introspective with "Husbands And Wives," gone autobiographical on "Red Dirt Road" and even expressed patriotism through "Only In America."

But since "best of" packages gather up both the good with the bad, there are also a few gauche moments, too. For instance, "You Can't Take The Honky Tonk Out of the Girl" plays up Southern stereotypes a little too heavily, and the new "Independent Trucker" (speaking of lazy stereotypes) panders to the 18-wheeler-associated members of their audience.

Expect another greatest hits collection in, say, another five years or so, because this Brooks & Dunn hit machine shows no signs whatsoever of slowing down.