New Dixie Chicks

Just a quick message to recommend picking up the new Dixie Chicks album. After a couple listens, I can say it rightfully earns all the four star ratings and buzz it's received. Natalie Maines is totally coming into her own as a singer, and the playing throughout is first rate; it is definitely the closest they've come to straight bluegrass. Also their lowest kitsch quotient (i.e. pretty much none) and most heartfelt performances by far. The HDCD sound is crystal clear and natural. And a cool cover of Stevie Nicks "Landslide" to boot.

 

The new single is really great. Catchy tune.

 

I hate country music. I can't deny I like the Chicks a lot. The songwriting and style is phenominal. I'd like them if they looked poor to a camera eye. Spunky stuff. Something honestly special is in that chemistry.

 

I'm not a big country fan either. Their stuff is different. It's not hokey like most country.

 

Here is an interesting article that appeared in the 'Dallas Morning New' this morning about the Chicks

http://www.dallasnews.com/dmn/news/stories/082702dnliv1Adixiechicks.5980d.html

 

I work with Blake Chancey, their former producer, and was called to record the Chicks until all this came about. Blake is also the VP of Sony Nashville and saw it as a conflict of interests so he backed down as their producer for a while until everything was worked out which was when they recorded this new record.

 

It's funny about this new CD from The Chicks.

I played my wife (Note: She HATES country music but she LOVES Stevie Nicks plus I was a country Radio Announcer for about 10 years, which ment I listened to a LOT of country music!) a few tracks last night not telling her that it was The Dixie Chicks. Making sure that I avoided the Fleetwood Mac cover, she turned to me and said that the woman singing sounds just like Stevie Nicks! I have to be honest and tell you that it's quite an impressive album and Natalie really is beginning to sound like Stevie. While in country radio I met all three of the Chicks when they were just getting started nationally on Monument Records and watching their careers take off like it did is quite fascinating and was fun to be a part of...I miss the good old days of radio before everyone got GREEDY!

 

Chris C, I also used to work as an announcer in country radio, right during the time(late '80's-early '90's)when it became more about style than honesty. I am not a big country fan, but the Dixie Chicks are cool. They have an "Honest" style, and are all good players and singers.

I saw them on the "Today" show last week and it was excellent.

MMMM, Dixie Chicks!

 

This new CD is head-over-heals better than 99% of 'today's' country. In a USA Today article on Tuesday, it was acknowledged that even though 'Oh Brother, Where Are Thou?' sold/continues to sell in huge quantities, it still did not have a big impact on country radio (these programmers are so close-minded). But people gave and are continuing to give the finger to radio and buy this great soundtrack. But Sony is saying the Chicks WILL get heavy rotation on radio and might shake up country radio a bit. That is what they need.
But this album is wonderful, and you do not have to like country in the least bit, and with HDCD, it is very clear and clean.

 

It's mastered by Doug Sax and sounds really good. I'm not a big country fan but this disc is cool. Love that "White Trash Wedding"!!

 

The vinyl buyer at my work will get my order for the new Dixie Chicks album on vinyl and it will be cheaper than buying it on CD for me.

 

Their second album was so hot in the mastering that my family does not want to hear it. They love the first album. Is this no longer an issue witht he third?

Richard.

 

It's amazing what one movie can do for a genre of music. Most bluegrass players couldn't get past the front door. "O Brother" sure helped.

 

I've become more of a country music fan over the past five years and this is a great album. Much different than their previous efforts. More of the bluegrass elements that Oh Brother has sparked. This one was co-produced by Natalie Maines' father Lloyd Maines, who's been a major figure in the Texas country music scene for many years. Not only does he play a mean pedal steel guitar, but he has produced and appeared on albums for Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Butch Hancock, and other Texas artists.

 

Couldn't agree more with all the praise for this album. My favorite track is the exquisite "Travelin' Soldier".

Jay

 

Can anyone compare the sound of the new Dixie Chicks CD to the vinyl?

 

I just found something interesting with the new Chicks cd, Home. It is supposed to be HDCD encoded, yet when I put it in my new Rotel player, the red HDCD light didn't come on. Since it was the first HDCD I played, I was concerned there was something wrong with the player. Nope, tried another 20 or so encoded discs, and the light came on for HDCD. I took the disc back to Future Shop where I purchased it, and guess what? Their HDCD player wouldn't recognise any of the tracks on it as HDCD encoded either. So they opened two more of the Home discs, and sure enough, they weren't HDCD either. We tried every song on the disc, nothing!

Any other Canadian members having this problem, who have HDCD encoded cd players or amps. It says HDCD right on the packaging. Wonder if it is a bad batch or we're just getting the shaft up here in the manufacturing end of things? I've e-mailed Sony Canada, but so far, not a response. I'd be curious to find out if it is one batch or all of them.

PapaJay

 

Well, now that Microsoft owns the HDCD technology who knows what is going on.

 

The vinyl issue is great. I don't have the CD.

 

Not to worry PJ, you'll occasionally find cd's with the HDCD logo that are not in fact HDCD and sometimes HDCD discs that are not marked as HDCD. If the HDCD light comes on it's HDCD no matter what the packaging says. I've even seen compilations where the HDCD light comes on or off depending on the track! This is not a Canada only problem. I wonder if there is a site that lists mismarked HDCD discs?

 

Thanks for the info on the vinyl, but I'm still have a dilemma. My wife already bought the CD (and it sounds very good!) and I hate to purchase a "second" vinyl copy (since I'm reasonably sure it was digitally mastered) unless it has superior sound.

 

Yes, the vinyl was digitally mastered by the same engineers who mastered the CD.

 

It sure was weird, I played the last two Chicks discs, Wide Open Spaces and Fly, and the HDCD light came on. So something must have happened somewhere in the process, either in Canada, or the US. There aren't many people with HDCD players, so most wouldn't even notice.

I know what you're saying about discs with nothing about HDCD anywhere on the packaging, or the discs. I've found four already in my collection, Rory Block-Confessions of a Blues Singer, Rosie Flores-Dance Hall Dreams, John Mellencamp-The Best That I Could Do, and Lucinda Williams-Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. They must think like Abkco, don't give the average consumer too much info, you'll scare him away.

PapaJay

 

Well I live in CT,USA and my copy doesn't 'do' HDCD either. I called the QC telephone # on the liner notes, and was told I was the first to report the problem ... right ... They quickly offered to send out a new copy, but I doubt that is going to address the issue. It IS interesting that I am ALSO using Rotel, the RSP-1066 to decode. I have not experienced any problems with ANY other HDCD's, including 'cdr copies' that have been sent to me. Anybody OUT there NOT using Rotel ... with any degree of success????
Thanks
j