Customer Reviews

Fly

5 star:		(316)
4 star:		(82)
3 star:		(32)
2 star:		(24)
1 star:		(25)

 

 

It was November of 1999 and I was crowded into the back of Stacey's Honda Civic zipping across the tundra-like landscape of some Chicago suburb after a weekend of savage partying. My brain was oatmeal suspended in a cocktail of Advil and black coffee. Needless to say, when Stace decided to liven things up a bit with this "new CD", I wanted to scream no, beg for mercy, I hate country...

...but I was too weak to fight.

She skipped to track 3 (smart girl) and I was hooked almost immediately. I immediately took to their very well polished acoustics and couldn't resist an attraction to the deliciously comforting vocals of Natalie (the lead singer of this 3 sister band who I thought sounded kind of like Jewel to me). Each song blended into the other, warping time, soothing my hangover, and disarming my predjudice. I liked them right away, which is no small feat for any act.

This album is my favorite, although not by much ("Home" and "Wide Open Spaces" are also excellent in their own right). The best tracks on "Fly" in my opinion are:

"Ready To Run"...this track is upbeat and fun, it puts me in a good mood right away (fun to play when you're driving on the way to a party or something).

"Cowboy Take Me Away"...i don't think any song has ever made me want to trade away the keys to my car for a horse quite like this one does. very romantic.

"Cold Day In July"...didn't get any press, but a fantasic ballad. very slow, acoustic (might just be guitar and vocal) and sad but beautiful song about losing love.

"Hello Mr. Heartache"...humorous spin on the typical "country heartbreak song".

"Don't Waste Your Heart"...another excellent track that didn't get allot of press.

"Let Him Fly"...my favorite song on this CD, and one of my favorite love songs of all time; a slow, longing song about love, loss, pain, and acceptance.

I couldn't recommend this CD any higher. Notwithstanding their political activism (which some love and others loath), these girls are musical geniuses in my opinion and if you're just familiar with what's leaked onto the airwaves and don't have this CD, get it, you won't be dissapointed.

Hope this helped.

Fly is a great album. The lyrics are quite good and the musicianship is excellent. What always catches my fancy with these girls is Natalie Maines' vocals. That girl has a great set of pipes. Just listen to Hole in my Head. She goes all out on that hilarious song. The chicks best work are on the uptempo country songs like Ready to Run, Sin Wagon, and Some Days You Gotta Dance (my personal favorite). However, the ballads are also excellent. Cowboy Take Me Away is a beautiful, sweet, romantic song. Without You is a sad ballad that is becoming my favorite on the CD. It's Let Him Fly however where the Chicks prove their greatest abilities. Hearing that song was the reason I bought this album. I was not disappointed. I am not a huge fan of country music. I love Shania Twain, Jo Dee Messina, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, and Alison Krauss (the best voice of the bunch). But it's not really about liking a specific genre of music. It's about music itself. This music is great. I recommend this album to anyone who likes great vocals and musicianship rolled into one. You truly do not have to be a diehard country fan to love the Chicks of Dixie. Though I would love to see Alison Krauss win the grammy award this year for best country album, the chicks should and probably will win. They put together a nice mix of uptempo songs and ballads. I look forward to more from these girls. They can only improve and that's scary because you can't get much better than Fly.

That's a line from the 2nd FLY tune "If I Fall, You're Going Down With Me", & it pretty much sums up what this CD does for me. From the Celtic fiddle/tin whistle intro in the opening track "Ready To Run" to singer Natalie Maines' last note on the last tune "Let Him Fly", this CD absolutely blows me away everytime I put it on. If you liked Wide Open Spaces, You Love FLY. Fiddler Martie Seidel & Banjo/Dobro whiz Emily Robison absolutely shine on this CD whereas singer Natalie kinda took over on most of the tracks on Wide Open Spaces. FLY musically, vocally & lyrically blows away Wide Open Spaces. My favorite track is Sin Wagon. One reason is that it's an awesome blend of Bluegrass with a passion & attitude that Rock-n-Roll since the good ol' (pre-Cobain) days. Not only do they pay tribute to their Bluegrass roots on the FLY CD, but the Chicks also do traditional country, pop/rock, blues, folk.. You name it, it's here! Well, I could go on forever about this CD, but you have to hear it for yourself to understand how awesome this CD is. Go Out & Buy It NOW! :-)

I generally do not listen to much country music, but for some reason this CD really hit a chord with me, and I absolutely love it!

Every song on "Fly" makes you want to sing along & tap your feet - and each has a great story to tell as well. I think that's what I really like about this particular CD.

I would highly recommend "Fly" to anyone who enjoys country &/or "folk rock" type music. If you want to listen to some music that will put a smile on your face, then this CD is definately for you!

I admit I bought this CD on a whim in a music store after reading a flattering review and I am so glad I did! Ready To Run is a cheerful little tune- an instant pick-me-up. If I Fall You're Going Down With Me is a great upbeat love song that really sticks in your head. The CD is probably best known for Cowboy Take Me Away, a sweetly romantic song that though it can't decide whether it's county or pop come out all the better for it. Cold Day In July is one of the more surprising tracks. It ends up being alot more memorable than one might originally give it credit for, a bittersweet break-up song. Despite all the controversy, Goodbye Earl is one of my favorites. It's smart lyrics are the tale of an outstanding friendship through thick and thin, rather than the tale of the premeditated murder of an abusive husband, though that's in there too. Hello Mr. Heartbreak is a song everyone can relate to with a real county twang. Sin Wagon is a snappy , upbeat number- one of my favorites. Some Days You Gotta Dance makes you feel like doing just that- one of the songs you can really dance too. Hole In My Head is the obligatory male-bashing song found on all "girl-band" albums. Let Him Fly is my least favorite song of the album, though with a good message and some nice harmonies. Altogether though the best part of this CD is Martie Seidel and Emily Robison giving wonderful performances on the fiddle and banjo among other instruments.

Although I am not a country fan, I appreciate the Dixie Chicks for their musicianship and catchy songs. I saw them live this summer at Lillith Fair, and fell in love. This is a leap from "Wide Open Spaces". It somehow is geared to the country fan and appeals to the non-country fan as well. "Goodbye Earl" is the ultimate "getting dumped" song, and will ring true to any woman, whatever has happened in previous relationships. I URGE anyone looking for a good listening experience to get this one NOW!

I HIGHLY recommend this cd. It has a song for every mood your in. Lots of cd's only have one or two songs you like, but every song on this cd is great. I think my favorite song is Cowboy Take Me Away or Sin Wagon. Even if you are not a big country fan, this is a great cd. It would be a great gift!

I am the Dixie Chicks' new "Biggest Fan." I finally bought this CD after listening to their songs and loving them. And I can honestly say that the only time I've stopped playing it was when my husband told me that our neighbors might kill us if I played it one more time. The best tracks are "If I Fall..." "Cowboy Take Me Away" "Cold Day in July" "Without YOu" and "Heartbreak Town". The album rocks, a perfect blend of Natalie Maines' strong soulful voice, Emily Robison and Martie Seidel providing great harmony and fiery musical solos, and heartfelt -- and often funny -- lyrics. There are a couple songs that I don't love, but that's all right, too. You can't please everyone all the time. I was reluctant to buy this CD because I wouldn't typically describe myself as a "country fan." But the Chicks make Country a style and not a category. They're fantastic!

While flipping through the liner notes included with the CD, I couldn't help but smile when I saw the various pictures of the Chicks that were included. In one they were riding a rocket, in one they were dressed in black leather and stuck to some fly paper, and in one they were dressed as fairies. It took me a minute to catch on, but "Fly"-ing was the common theme. The creativity that was shown in those photo lay-outs also abounds in the music itself. "Cowboy, Take Me Away" has some awe-inspiring lyrics: "I want to touch the earth. I want to break it in my hands....I want to be the only one for miles." "Sin Wagon" may not be wholesome, but it's fun to dance to. "Ready to Run" proves that it's OK to be without a man in your life, as long as you have good fun and good friends. (Who but the Chicks could mix Celtic folk with country on "Ready to Run" and get away with it?) More extreme than "Wide Open Spaces" on all counts, "Fly" is a delight, whether you're a rock, pop, or country fan.

I didn't know what to expect of "Fly". I thought it would be good, but I was blown away by how brilliant this album really is. With the beautiful opening of "Ready To Run", to the powerful conclusion of "Let Him Fly". Not only was I impressed with the Songs themselves, I was also impressed at Martie's writing ability. Don't get me wrong, Natalie, and Emily can write (especially Emily and Martie's "You Were Mine"). In my opinion, "Cowboy Take Me Away"is the best song that the Chicks have recorded in their career. It Shows that these Chicks really are talented in many different ways.This album is truly awesome. So,go pick it up! It's a great CD!