Customer Reviews

Thank Heavens for Dale Evans

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I drove across country shortly after getting this cd, and I barely took it out of the cd player the whole way--not sure how many hundreds of times that means I've listened to this! I love the "new" Dixie Chicks, too (sisters Martie and Emily Erwin are the only common thread), but I was curious about their previous sound, and I wasn't disappointed! This is a great record, with a lot of great harmony and, of course, talented ladies playing the heck out of just about every stringed instrument there is.

That said, buy their new records too! Natalie Maines, the lead singer, is witty and expressive, and her beautiful voice goes great with Martie and Emily's fiddle/banjo/mandolin/etc. Laura Lynch and Robin Lynn Macy brought some very different things to the mix, but their departures were largely, if not entirely, their own choices, and I hate to see Natalie punished for that.

I bought this album way before anyone had heard of the Dixie Chicks, and it remains my favorite of theirs. Its bluegrassy instrumentals and honest-sounding vocals are a pleasure to listen to, and there's nothing slick about this cd. I can see why they haven't re-released it, though - it sounds nothing like the present Chicks. Snag one used if you can!

country music fans should get a chance to hear how the dixie chicks sounded like when they had singer/songwriter/guitarist robin macy and singer/bassist laura lynch[now laura lynch tull]and the dixies chicks first cd "thank heavens for dale evans" serves that purpose.

I have been a big Chicks fan since "Fly" and supported them through "the incident". I got to see their recent concert and wanted to hear them from "before". I was not disappointed. This album and their older sound has it's own special, acoustic and bluegrass charm. Glad I got it, the old and new Chicks rule!

This is a must for anyone who collects the Dixie Chicks. I got mine. Good luck getting yours.

got the tape from a freind, just love it..but have one question ... can it be the same group that are the current Chicks? 1999-98 group dont look the same. sure would like to know , anyone have any info about them? great music, anyway.

Some of you might know -- but others might not -- that there was a group called the Dixie Chicks, formed back in the late 80s, that was very different from today's group of the same name. The two groups are related, of course; sisters Martie and Emily Erwin were members of both the original ensemble and the current group. But they really should have changed the name of the band somewhere along the line, because today's group bears little resemblance, in appearance or music, to that original group -- whose first album was "Thank Heavens for Dale Evans".
Clearly, the majority of Americans prefer the new group -- as evidenced by the fact that the new Chicks have found the commercial success that always eluded the original Chicks. But the changes that were required to achieve that success came at a heavy artistic cost. Today's country/pop/rock sound makes the Chicks just part of that generic pop scene that sells most of the records, but has little real art to it. The original Dixie Chicks, on the other hand, were a truly unique group: An all-girl band who could really play and sing serious bluegrass and western swing music. And I mean really play. You'll have to try to get a copy of this album to see that I'm right about that.
Unfortunately, getting a copy might not be easy since the "new" Chicks have tried mightily to erase any memory of their past. "Thanks Heavens for Dale Evans" is out of print and will never be re-released, because Martie, Emily, and Natalie Maines want everyone to forget about Robin Lynn Macy and Laura Lynch -- the other two members of the original group, and the two members who were the real personality and heart and soul of the group (I saw them perform live in the early 90s, and Robin and Laura absolutely sparkled during the performance, while the Erwin sisters -- providing superb instrumental and vocal performances, to be sure -- pretty much stayed in the background from a personality standpoint). I especially remember Robin twisting her hips in time to the music, her western skirt swishing back and forth, as she strummed away at her guitar and sang the lead on the title song to this album. When she, and later Laura, left (were forced out of?) the group, it was the end of something special -- a really unique musical ensemble.
If you can get a copy of this CD, please do so. You might find that the past the current Chicks wish to hide was really the high point of the group's history.

I grew up listening to the Dixie Chicks giving their free concerts in Dallas every week or so. I love Oh Thank Heavens for Dale Evans. And I feel it's a shame that they, first of all, dropped and added different members to the group, and second of all, changed their musical stylings. Any bluegrass fan will absolutely adore this CD, and so will any true blue Dixie Chicks fan. I really reccomend buying this CD, you will cherish it!

Buffalo Wednesdays are not the same without Robin and Laura, but this group emerged, grew, changed, and blossomed to the salty chicks they are today out here on the flat prairie we call Dallas. Good tunes, and a great way to try out your yodeling skills while singing along in the car.

Saw this group at a bluegrass festival in '92 or so and was blown away. Bought this tape and wore it out! Hot bluegrass licks, tight harmony - somewhat different from the band's current style. I wasn't at all surprised to see the group hit the big time, but I'd like to see a little of the style of this recording brought to their current work. Way to go, Chicks!