Fly

Dixie Chicks

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 31, 1999)
• Original Release Date: August 31, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00000K29H
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (480 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,175 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > Country > Neotraditional

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

After the roaring success of Wide Open Spaces--a blend of turn-of-the-century pop and country traditionalism--what do you do for an encore? Rather than deliver more of the same, the Chicks have chosen instead to up the ante in country radio with a follow-up that's both poppier and twangier than its predecessor, and just plain better too. Some of it we've heard before: "Hello Mr. Heartache," for example, adheres pretty closely to the honky-tonk model of "Tonight the Heartache's On Me." Mostly, though, the record lights out for new territories. "Without You" is driven by an in-your-face string arrangement that's downright fierce, and the rootsy "Sin Wagon" may rock harder--and with more solos--than any mainstream country since Buck Owens held forth. That's not to say Fly's perfect. A couple of songs miss the mark, particularly "Goodbye Earl," an abusive-husband murder song that's sure to get criticized (wrongly) for being anti-male but actually fails because it can't decide if it's a moral lesson, a horror movie, or a joke. Still, even in this failure, the Chicks are bravely pushing the envelope. If they push hard enough, maybe Young Country radio will open up some wider spaces. --David Cantwell

Rolling Stone

"... the most fun you can have on country radio these days, bringing a sisterly zest to their celebrations of hell-raising country gals who know how to rip out a man's heart and use it to fix a flat."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rarely even like country music...I violently love this CD!, March 16, 2004

By	Christian Hunter "Christian hunter" (Austin, TX and Santa Barbara, CA,) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

34 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great music - Enough said!, February 18, 2000

By A Customer

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.

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ..Can't Take Back Every Little Chill You Give Me!, December 5, 1999

By	Michael Curtis (Nashville, TN USA) - See all my reviews

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! :-)