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6 Degrees Entertainment

Title - x4 Dixie Chicks Vinyl LPs (Record Store Day 2016)
Artist - Dixie Chicks

To be greeted at the office door by the mail man carrying these wondrous, prized, and soon-to-be cherished, brand new and Record Store Day limited edition Dixie Chicks double vinyl LP sets (all but one), was, well, soul lifting, that's for sure!

For those not in the know, and shame on you, the Dixie Chicks are an American country music band which has also crossed over into other genres, including pop and alternative country. The band is composed of founding members (and sisters) Martie Erwin Maguire and Emily Erwin Robison, and lead singer Natalie Maines.

The band formed in 1989 in Dallas, Texas, and was originally composed of four women performing bluegrass and country music, busking and touring the bluegrass festival circuits and small venues for six years without attracting a major label.

After the departure of one band mate, the replacement of their lead singer, and a slight change in their repertoire, Dixie Chicks soon achieved commercial success, beginning in 1998 with hit songs 'There's Your Trouble' and 'Wide Open Spaces'.

Yup, the Dixie Chicks are back in action, and in honor of their return to the stage, the trio will re-releasing four of their beloved albums on vinyl — three for the first time!

Wide Open Spaces (1998), Fly (1999), Home (2002) and Taking the Long Way (2006) have been remastered and will be available on high-resolution 150-gram 12″ vinyl as of Friday, April 15th; but can be preordered on Amazon now. [FYI - Record Store Day is April 16th this year].

The four albums to be released on vinyl have collectively sold more than 30 million copies and earned the band 13 Grammys! Each of the records hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Albums chart and three reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Wide Open Spaces alone sold more than 12 million copies in the U.S., more than any of the other top country acts that year combined, still holding the record for the best-selling country album by a group ever.

Wide Open Spaces (1998) - This was actually the Dixie Chicks' fourth studio album and their major label debut. It was their first record with new lead vocalist Natalie Maines, and became their breakthrough commercial success. It received diamond status by the RIAA on February 20, 2003 in the United States, having shipped 14 million units worldwide, while spending more than six years in the Australian ARIA music charts Country Top 20. The album has sold 8,841,000 copies in the United States as of October 2013.

Five songs on the album were major hits, starting with the 'I Can Love You Better' (#7 in 1998), a playful up-tempo song. The group then scored three #1's in a row: 'There's Your Trouble' (2 weeks in 1998), 'Wide Open Spaces' (4 weeks in 1998), and 'You Were Mine' (2 weeks in 1999). Indeed, 'Wide Open Spaces' has really become their signature song; it's a great sing-a-long about a girl's need to find her own place in the world.

Remastered from original analog sources on high-quality 150-gram vinyl, it is also the first time on LP anywhere. It also comes with a free download of the album.

Fly (1999) - This was their fifth studio album. The album was very successful for the group, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It has received diamond status by the RIAA on June 25, 2002 in the United States, for shipments of 10 million units. It has sold 8,396,000 copies in the United States as of October 2013.

The follow up to the Dixie Chicks wildly successful Wide Open Spaces, Fly swooped in (sorry, I just had to!) and swept me away, easily becoming my all-time favorite Chicks album. Off the gun, the Chicks get popping with 'Ready to Run' and continue firing with the strength of 'If I fall You're Going Down With Me.' Slowing up the pace with yet another hit 'Cowboy Take Me Away,' the Chicks show their range, mesmerizing listeners with their wistful storytelling.

In a purely whimsical vein 'Goodbye Earl' is a comic romp and a cautionary tale to all who would cross the Chicks. My advice: If you're evil, cook your own meals! Rounding out the Fly hit parade is 'Without You,' a soulful, sad memorial to the end of yet another relationship.

Remastered from original analog sources on high-quality 150-gram vinyl, it is a Limited Edition 2LP Original Album Set! First time on LP anywhere, it also comes with a free download of the album.

Home (2002) - This was their sixth studio album and is notable for its acoustic bluegrass sound, which stands in contrast with their previous two country pop albums.

The group was promoting the album when lead singer Natalie Maines made controversial comments about U.S. President George W. Bush. The album's third single, 'Travelin' Soldier', was #1 on the Billboard Country Chart the week that Maines' comments hit the press. The following week, as many stations started a still-standing boycott of the Chicks' music, the song collapsed. None of their following singles gained traction with country radio.

The Chicks really hit their fans hard on this one, because I was simply blown away by it! It's perfection to listen to, even for pop/mainstream fans. There's a heavy bluegrass feel to the entire album that doesn't distract non-country fans of the Chicks.

'Long Time Gone' is a great choice for a first single - it's easy to listen to, with a great, catchy hook. 'Landslide' is quite possibly the best remake I've ever heard of Stevie Nicks' classic song, and the Chicks certainly do it justice! 'Traveling Soldier' (regardless of all that aforementioned radio shutdown stupidity) is another favorite, with a very sad story-song that tugs at the heart. Their voices blend together perfectly melody-wise, and it still gives me shivers hearing Fly today (especially now on this incredible high-quality 150-gram vinyl.

Remastered from original analog sources on high-quality 150-gram vinyl, it is a Limited Edition 2LP Original Album Set! First time on LP anywhere, it also comes with a free download of the album.

Taking the Long Way (2006) - This was their seventh, and thus far last studio album. It was released on May 23, 2006 in the U.S. and on June 12, 2006 worldwide. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. It sold over 2.5 million copies in the U.S., being certified 2x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America as of July 11, 2007. It won 5 Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year in February 2007.

In all honesty, Taking the Long Way is one heck of a great release from the Dixie Chicks and is quickly becoming one of my favorite albums of theirs. For fans of the Chicks, there is plenty to like here. They are in wonderful form and the music, which is very personal, is more mature yet still contains all the elements that made us like them to begin with.

This isn't a clone of Home, but that was not the intent. The sound is purposely a little less country than previous efforts, and there are the welcome additions of Mike Campbell's guitar work and Rick Rubin as producer. Although Home was excellent, the reason I prefer this album to that one is that intensely personal sentiments are being expressed here. Some recurring themes are: lost loves; past relationships; moving on; bitterness; anger; compunction (and lack thereof), anguish and fallout from "The Incident" (shall we politely call it!).

Remastered from original analog sources on high-quality 150-gram vinyl, it is a Limited Edition 2LP Original Album Set! First time on LP anywhere, it also comes with a free download of the album.

Wide Open Spaces LP Vinyl Purchase Link

Fly 2LP Vinyl Purchase Link

Home 2LP Vinyl Purchase Link

Taking the Long Way 2LP Vinyl Purchase Link

www.LegacyRecordings.com

www.DixieChicks.com





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