big joe said:
Dixie Chicks-
If I ever heard them on the radio, I turned the channel because they are not good singers,,good musicians yes, but not good vocalists. Actually, I can't stand their sound. This accounts for the low record sales, too.
I would not even know about them if not for this political mess,,so yes, this has been good for them.
IMO, this is not right in wartime,,they have that right, but I have the right to dispise them for it.
To each their own as far as musical tastes goes, but I have always felt that Natalie Maines has a very sweet, pure, strong voice. You may not like country music, and many dismiss anything country as being "bad" because of it. For example, when a discussion about the best guitar players comes up, I've never seen anyone mention Vince Gill as being one of the best, and he is a guitar virtuoso and is probably a top 5 talent with a guitar in today's music scene.
You mention their low record sales, as if it were a valid point. The Billboard chart rankings would disprove that, so not where you got that idea from. This, from Billboard:
Dixie Chicks Retain Lead On Billboard 200
June 07, 2006, 10:50 AM ET
In a slow week for new album releases, the Dixie Chicks are queens of The Billboard 200 for a second week straight with "Taking the Long Way." Despite a slip of 48% in sales at 271,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, the Columbia set also remains No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart.
Out of the 13 albums that have taken No. 1 on the big chart so far this year, only four had a second week sales decline of less than 50%: "Taking the Long Way," Barry Manilow's "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties," Jack Johnson's "Curious George" soundtrack and Il Divo's "Ancora."
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I note that this week - week 3 on the charts for this one - they hold the number 2 spot in the Top 200. This is measured record sales for ALL types of music, let alone country, which they remain at #1. Looks like they are selling pretty good, compared to EVERYONE else.
I have heard a couple of their songs recently, and they do stray a bit from the more traditional country songs of the past. They have about half the songs written on this recording from one of the members of Semisonic, and another half written by a member of the Jayhawks...two good "alternative" bands for those that don't know. So, their crossover appeal seems strong with this one, and they are tops in country since this debuted.
