I cannot frucking wait for this album. You can hear the first single * Not Ready To Make Nice* on their website (http://www.dixiechicks.com), and it is also available for download on iTunes.
Their website also says they’re going to be on 60 Minutes tomorrow, discussing the new album, “The London Incident”, death threats, and their mourning of the Country genre that they once loved and feel is no longer present.
The album sounds amazing. From the Rolling Stone review of the album:
Looking forward to the new album. I’ve been wondering when a new release would be out. Line me up to buy it when released.
I thought that backlash about the Bush remarks was stupid, simpleminded hype, and I hope the album is successful.
I used to really like some country music, but I’d like more Chicks and much less… ah, whoever that obnoxious guy is, can’t recall the name, er, Toby Keith. I don’t listen to country radio stations at all any more; it seems to be all the same bland mush.
Anyone else find it kinda funny they’re going to playing a date at a place called “Shepherd’s Bush Empire”?
bump
The album rocks! We’ve been listening to it pretty much exclusively for a week.
I only caught a portion of the 60 Minutes interviews, but I definitely commiserate with their love/hate relationship with country music and certain subsections of the US population.
The guest musicians that they collaborate with really bring out their best, and it is very fun to hear them oozing into some other genres with their considerable talents for playing traditional folk/bluegrass instruments.
From the SF Gate:
I haven’t picked up the album yet but I saw the video to Not Ready To Make Nice on Logo and was mightily impressed. Would you say that song is indicative of the strength of the album ?
Absolutely. There are no sacred cows left standing, and they sound SO damn good while they’re cow-tipping. 
What can you say to someone who never liked the Dixie Chicks in the first place?
Will this album convert those of us who thought of them as nothing more than Country pop? Are they really better than they’ve ever been?
I never thoguht they were bad, but just found them terribly bland and boring. Will this album change my mind?
Their politics is as important to me as Rush Limbaugh’s (I couldn’t give a Rat’s patootie) but simple music (like Toby Keith) now that’s something worth arguing about.
So, convert Dixie Chick’s unimpressed masses with this album. (I’ll admit Rick Rubin is a start).
I’m sorry? More for me?
Some of you, yes.
I think so, yes. I love love love traditional instruments used in non-traditional ways, or in combination with non-traditional instruments. But this stems from me loving the traditional instruments in the traditional settings in the first place. Do you enjoy bluegrass as a genre?
Imho, they were already dancing to their own tune within the country genre. The banjo/violin/mandolin work on their earlier albums, and their harmonies were solid and often much more up-tempo than other country acts. Further, Marty and Emily are the core musicians, not just pretty faces and voices on stage.
Their country upbringing and history are still obvious on this album, but they’re playing with it as opposed to within it.
I’m a bit biased. I think listening to their old ones would have just as much of a shot as changing your mind. Have you listened to everything on them or just what was played on radio (when they were played on radio)?
I consider it a bonus that they turn me on both ways. You really thought their early stuff was bland, eh? There is A LOT of political/social commentary on this album, but it is mostly between the lines and not so blatant that you can’t enjoy both the music and the lyrics obliviously.
The ochestral crescendo with heavy violins in ‘Not ready to make nice’ is truly a goosebump inspiring highlight, as are the many other moments of fusion with their collaborators. The hard-rocking drumming and baseline with banjo picking in ‘Lubbock or leave it’ is like biting into a thick juicy steak. But don’t take my word for it, you can sample portions of all of the songs on the album on their website . Sorry for the broken link in my OP.
Link to video for ‘Not ready to make nice’.
“I made my bed and I sleep like a baby
With no regrets and I don’t mind sayin’
It’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach her
Daughter that she oughta hate a perfect stranger
And how in the world can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they’d write me a letter
Sayin’ that I’d better
Shut up and sing or my life will be over”
<aforementioned crescendo>
Well, I wish them success, but this just sounds like more of the same to me-- thank you for trying.
I’ll stick with A. Krause & Union Station, The Little Willies, Lucinda Williams, and actual Bluegrass.
I’m just not into their pop-like style (and I really don’t care for Natalie’s voice).
I’m not saying they’re untalented hacks, I’m saying they don’t appeal to me, so, this isn’t an indictment of them or their music or their fans, they just don’t float my boat.
Different strokes and all that. Enjoy.
(I’ve also, pretty much only heard them on the radio and haven’t been sufficiently wooed to want to hear more, whereas the above acts all made me want to seek out and hear more.)
As much as I’ve enjoyed the way they’ve been giving Dubya verbal noogies, I still can’t muster any interest in their music. I nonetheless hope they remain successful, and they keep delivering the noogies.
Forbes: Dixie Chicks Return to No. 1 on Charts
happy chortle
I’ve never been excited by the Chicks myself. They were OK and all but that’s about all.
I saw the video this morning and I really like it. Seems more rock-y to me than other stuff of theirs I’ve heard.
You’ve gotta check out ‘Lubbock or leave it’. They’re streaming the entire album on their MSN site: http://www.dixiechicks.msn.com/ but you can’t skip tracks. ‘Lubbock’ is #7.
Funny you should say that … Natalie Maines once commented in a BTM2 interview that she had a 5-year plan for the Chicks, and that “before too long” they’d all be wearing black and putting out a “hard rock” record. I’m fairly sure they’re not there yet, but they do have an appreciation for louder music, so good on them. I think the dobro’s potential is highly underrated, anyway.
I don’t have the CD yet, but it’s #1 on my “Things I Must Do This Weekend” list.
Get the hell out of my head, rockle! Okay, so it’s on my list for early next week. This weekend is too busy already.
I love the Dixie Chicks.
“Buy the CD” has just been upgraded to “Things I Am Totally Going To Do On My Way Home From Work Tonight,” because there’s a Target on the way, and I want to get the super secret passcode so I can buy pre-sale tickets for their tour this summer. I am soooo spending my bonus on the CD and two concert tickets, and I think it’s absolutely worth it!
I’ve seen 'em three times (Caravan of Dreams) because close friends are fans but, sadly, I just can’t seems to generate much entheusiasm about them. I even was a little amused when this little incident first kinda blew up as usually I’d prefer any and all celebs to not use the stage as a pulpit.
However, they’ve stuck to their guns on this issue, former fans and sales be damned, and I do feel some grudging admiratiuon for that. They could have let things die down and tried to rebuild bridges (read: sales) but they remained true to apparently strongly held feelings. Good on 'em. I admire their spine.
It’s on my list of Things To Buy, along with the third season of Scrubs and NewsRadio, but I just spent $150 at the store on food for my daughter’s graduation on Sunday and another $150 on prescriptions. Damn those un-met deductibles.
I do have a $75 mall gift certificate, though. Gotta see what the two TV shows cost.
honeydewgrrl, I also love that crescendoing bridge-y part. I’m such a sucker for tense, stabby violins.