Dixie Chicks Bring Out The Brooms

[RadioFanBoy]

If the Dixie Chicks are so "over" and nobody wants to hear them anymore, and their Grammy wins were just political, then why was "Taking the Long Way" one of the top selling country CD's, and the #1 downloaded CD in 2006? That was just a fluke, right? All those iTunes downloads that put "Not Ready to Make Nice" at the #2 spot for 2006, doesn't mean a thing, right? The "High School Musical" soundtrack, the number one selling pop CD of 2006, that was a fluke too, right? I mean, the only airplay singles like "Breaking Free" were getting was on that rinky-dink Radio Disney outfit. I mean, KIIS-FM and Z 100 didn't want them, so no one over the age of 14 could have possibly been interested. The fact that 8 out of the soundtracks 13 songs made Billboard's Hot 100 for the year without any FM radio airplay, doesn't mean a thing, right?

Just how many of these "flukes" are we going to see in 2007?

 

[radioman1380]

I hate to say this, but this is one case when I have to agree with Eduardo and disagree with Lash. Sorry, Lash! The Grammy's have no significance to the country listener. The Chick's Grammys represented a political statement and not a reflection of their music. I was and still am a fan of the early DC's music, but the country listeners made a decision not to support them and the DC's have thumbed their noses at them and have even declared themselves non-country.

I have nothing against the right to say what was said. This is a free country and we have the freedom of speech. At least we're supposed to, but it seems that, today, you have to watch what you say for fear of hurting someone's feelings. Anyway...

I don't think it was, necessarily, what was said. What wasn't considered, as country artists, is the makeup of the country listener. I was a country DJ for 16 years and have a country Internet radio station. Early in my career, I was told not to make any comments about the songs or artists until I had some 'tenure' and was considered worthy of being able to give my opinions. Well, many celebrities today don't consider the consequences of their comments and how they'll be perceived by the public.

The heavy handed fist came down on the DC's because what they were attacking is what country listeners believe to be sacred...motherhood, apple pie, the Flag, patriotism and all those things that the country listeners regard as great about America. As Merle Haggard would say, "if you're running down our country, man, you're walkin' on the fightin' side of me". Now, my wife feels it's not what they said, but where they said it. Everyone has their own opinion on this but, in the end, when country listeners fill station phone lines complaining, stations listened.

It's just too bad many stations don't listen to the listeners at others times, as well.

 

[manwhore]

Of course, the Chicks weren't attacking any of those things. They were attacking someone they believed was destroying those things. The audience may have perceived they were attacking those things. And perception is...

Dissent is the embodiment of patriotism. And the Chicks put more on the line for their love of the country than probably 99 percent of the hillbillies who got all ticked off.

 

[Keith Thompson]

In response to Radioman1380, the Grammys have never been an important award for the country music biz because the country music biz is a very small part of the music biz as a whole. I think country music fans and some radio or industry types in the country music biz tend to forget that. Artistically, the Grammys are the biggest one to win as a pop artist and for some artistically minded country artists (say Lyle Lovett or Alison Krauss), but largely meaningless to the Nashville machine.

As for the Grammys being politically motivated...there is probably some element of truth to that but the element there is of it goes to the point I made above, in that the music biz as a whole is predominantly liberal and I think many in the music community were angered over an artist getting shunned for their political beliefs. Having said that, the Dixie Chicks wouldn't have won five Grammys if they hadn't had put out the musical masterpiece that they put out. I think those (especially those in the country music community) who complain about the Chicks' sweep at the Grammies never bothered to listen to the album (and those who did, didn't listen with an open mind). In fact, it is appropriate that politics would come into play with the Grammy wins because it was politics that had a huge part in creating the art. Much of the album was inspired by and driven by the controversy and it is often true that facing adversity can result in creating wonderful works of art. The only thing close to being embarrassing are the two "country" Grammys that the Chicks won, since they really don't consider themselves country artists anymore. Musically, the Dixie Chicks are as country as you can get given Natalie's voice and the instrumentation they use, but from a songwriting perspective, the songs were not country songs given the political voice and the other themes addressed. The songs were far too sophisticated than what we get out of commercial country and I say that is something the country music biz needs to address if it wants to start wooing pop music fans again.

 

[Oldbones]

Musically, the Dixie Chicks are as country as you can get given Natalie's voice and the instrumentation they use, but from a songwriting perspective, the songs were not country songs given the political voice and the other themes addressed. The songs were far too sophisticated than what we get out of commercial country and I say that is something the country music biz needs to address if it wants to start wooing pop music fans again.

But do country music fans/artists want to start wooing pop music fans again? There was a bit of a backlash a few years ago about how "pop" country music had become. As far as the DC's music being "too sophisiticated"...well, hasn't much of country's appeal been the fact that it's NOT sophisticated? Songs like "Where I Come From", "Play Something Country" or "Redneck Girls" were hits for a reason...a lot of country listeners connected with the sentiments expressed.

Maybe the Chicks can re-image themselves as a AAA act...it seems their attitudes are more in line with that audience (though I agree Natalie's voice is a bit too twangy to fit in with John Mayer, et al).

 

[lash]

I had forgotten that the chicks had made negative comments towards country listeners. We played "Not Ready To Make Nice" following their Grammy wins the other night. We got good phones on it, and have continued to play the song.

With the pop sound of country right now, the song sounds good and flows nicely with what we're doing.

Good points guys!

 

[Keith Thompson]

"But do country music fans/artists want to start wooing pop music fans again? There was a bit of a backlash a few years ago about how "pop" country music had become. As far as the DC's music being "too sophisiticated"...well, hasn't much of country's appeal been the fact that it's NOT sophisticated? Songs like "Where I Come From", "Play Something Country" or "Redneck Girls" were hits for a reason...a lot of country listeners connected with the sentiments expressed"

Country music has always gone in cycles, but it has always been at its most popular when it is attracting pop audiences...and the music doesn't necessarily have to be pop sounding to attract pop audiences. In late 2002-early 2003 before the controversy hit, the Dixie Chicks were the hottest act in country music and their "Home" CD was an acoustic, almost bluegrass, album that was more country sounding than just about anything else in the format. They were also attracting a substantial following among pop audiences. Granted they did a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide", but still it was a rootsy and very un-Nashville sounding album that managed to sound country but sophisticated at the same time. Since the Chicks backlash, the format has gone to sounding very unsophisticated and my theory is that it the format was appealing to its biggest core listeners while it drove off almost everyone else. My question is, do you want the country format to appeal only to its base and limit its appeal, or do you want it to expand to the mainstream and be more profitable even if it means upsetting your core? That has always been the balancing act that country radio has had to deal with, but I will ask this question...if you make the format too pop, where else is the country fan base going to go? They don't have a lot of options.

 

[cARLOS Blake]

Who cares about what they said about Bush...I CAN'T STAND the Hicks, especially the crosseyed inbred lookin' one that was all pregnant & nastified in the Landslide video. They're loud obnoxous hillbillies. A band does not deserve a Grammy if their song ISN'T EVEN ON THE BILLBOARD TOP 40 Chart! The Scammy awards always have & always will be a FARCE. How the hell can that group get Song of the Year & Record of the Year and Album of the Year for a song that hasn't even cracked the Top 40? Beyonce should've stole Song of the year w/ Irreplaceable(#1 for 10 weeks)...hell FERGIE deserves a Grammy before the Hicks & even moreso Nelly Furtado! I remember a few years back when, I believe, Steely Dan beat out Metallica as Best Rock Act of the year? C'mon. That shows ya the minds behind the Scammy Awards. Dixie Hicks suck bad!!! Maybe they should put out a spoken word album for everyone who loves hearing what they say. I'm sure it'd get a Scammy award too!

 

[OnTheAir123]

I played a Dixie Chick Song one day by mistake, slip of the mouse, and received 2 female calls saying how great it was to hear them on the radio again. For what it's worth.....

 

[cARLOS Blake]

ya, bring out the brooms so they can ride 'em!

 

[vchimpanzee]

Songs like "Where I Come From", "Play Something Country" or "Redneck Girls" were hits for a reason...a lot of country listeners connected with the sentiments expressed"

I'm quoting it because it's here.

"Play Something Country" isn't even country, in my opinion.

I'm not sure about "Redneck Girls".

 

[Keith Thompson]

Songs like "Where I Come From", "Play Something Country" or "Redneck Girls" were hits for a reason...a lot of country listeners connected with the sentiments expressed"

I'm quoting it because it's here.

"Play Something Country" isn't even country, in my opinion.

I'm not sure about "Redneck Girls".

Actually, the quote was from "old bones" and not from me (I forgot to use this newfangled quote function in my post). Anyway, whatever is defined as "country" has always been in the ear of the beholder. The point I was trying to make is that country music has always had to tread a fine line between making its core happy and with attracting cume (that is, converting some pop audience). If the format defines itself too narrowly, it runs the risk of reducing itself to a niche format with no audience outside of its core. However, if it aims too wide to catch the pop audience it runs the risk of alienating its core. I've always thought it is better to err on the side of aiming too wide, since the core country audience has fewer options to turn to than the pop audience does. I think that the result of aiming too wide wouldn't result in driving off the core, but instead would result in the splitting of the format. I think if the format splits, the result would be that the contemporary wing of the format would merge with one or more of the pop formats, while the traditional wing of the format would circle back around and would consist of the core audience meaning that the format would define itself too narrowly. The fact that country has been able to balance pleasing its core while attracting new audiences without splitting has been the reason the format has been successful in the long term. If the format would go for too long without attracting new listeners, it runs the risk of dying like the oldies format is today.