Not Ready to Make Nice

Rick Garrett · Post by **Rick Garrett** » 16 Mar 2006 6:42 am

Anybody heard the new Dixie Chicks song yet? I had the pleasure this morning. The lyrics go something like "I'm still mad as hell and I'm not ready to make nice, I sleep well at night etc." Along the lines of if you don't like what I said tough. Then they opened the lines at the radio station to take people's opinions of the song. It wasn't too nice to say the least and of course they have the right to say anything that they please. This is a free country thank God. However I have the right to totally ignore the Chicks for the rest of their musical career too and I intend to do so. Not necesarily for WHAT Natalie said but WHERE she said it. The over all attitude of the song was nearly as much a slap in the face as her original comment.

Rick
P.S. Moderators feel free to lock this one up if you think it's too political.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 16 Mar 2006 7:21 am

Haven't heard the song, Rick, but are you sure it's necessarily a political statement as opposed to a lover's feud that the song is about?

Rick Garrett · Post by **Rick Garrett** » 16 Mar 2006 7:39 am

Yeah man the DJ said that this new song was "The Dixie Chicks" answer to all the fury they got from the statement made. In the lyrics it is fairly clear what they're in reference to. Man you should have heard the comments coming in. oweee! Wish I had it recorded so I could listen to it again. it's really not a bad sounding song till you hear the words.

Rick
P.S. Sure missed seeing and hearing you in Dallas Jim. Hopefully next year.

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 16 Mar 2006 7:56 am

Yes, the anniversary of May 4, 1970 is just a few weeks away too...
That was something to write about...
Maybe the "Chicks" are outspoken, we have the inalienable right to ignore them

[This message was edited by Ray Minich on 16 March 2006 at 08:31 AM.]

John Poston · Post by **John Poston** » 16 Mar 2006 8:02 am

It seems strange to come out with a song like this so much later. Probably half the people out there would have forgotten about the whole thing. I think they should have just dropped it and moved forward.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 16 Mar 2006 9:48 am

They certainly seem to have dropped out of sight a little bit.

I'm very disappointed that they're no longer being judged on their excellent music - I'd hoped that people would have been able to see past one ill-advised expression of opinion, and continue to acknowledge their (especially Natalie!) great talent.

We have their CDs in this house, and I'll never forget how well Natalie sang James Taylor's material on CMT's 'Crossroads'.

RR

Rick Garrett · Post by **Rick Garrett** » 16 Mar 2006 9:59 am

I agree Natalie can sing and I've enjoyed their music in the past. Seems to me they would have been better off to simply apologize and move on rather than releasing a song like that. It's as if she's stomping her foot and saying I did it and if you don't like it tough! Maybe not the best attitude to have given the circumstance. The DJ on that local station even went so far as to say the Chicks music was banned from country radio and to some degree he's right.

Rick

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 16 Mar 2006 11:26 am

The Chicks have 1st Amendment rights just like the rest of us. They should be judged on their music, not on their political opinion(s). IMO, The rest of the bleeding hearts need to get over it. Flame away ....[This message was edited by Barry Blackwood on 16 March 2006 at 11:27 AM.]

Mark Fasbender · Post by **Mark Fasbender** » 16 Mar 2006 12:08 pm

When you include politics in your music you run the risk of not being judged by your music alone because its no longer just music............Duh

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Got Twang ?

Mark

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 16 Mar 2006 12:32 pm

I heard the song and it could've read as a political statement, but I doubt it. Sounds like a DJ might've been trying to stir up s&%t.

Lee Gustafson · Post by **Lee Gustafson** » 16 Mar 2006 12:33 pm

I miss the Chicks! It was quality music, great musicianship and voices, better than some of the stuff these country stations play over and over. I'm not that political of person to let their comments get me upset.

Marlin Smoot · Post by **Marlin Smoot** » 16 Mar 2006 2:08 pm

It wasn't so much the radio stations that wanted the Chicks music off the airwaves, it was the listeners. Listener complaints kept the music off and still does to this day.

Current research shows the Chicks may have a very hard time getting back on country radio because of the research. This is also why many of their older songs are not played in rotation at country radio.

Mrs. Mains quoted as saying "We're pretty much done with country" but their label (Sony) has a different story. Their new CD was produced by Rick Rubin, the Hip Hop producer in LA who also produced Johnny Cash's last CD. He also was involved with some devil music from some guy named Dangiz(sp?) Rubin has a wide variety of taste.

There will always be a market for the Chicks, even though their last single was a Fleetwood Mac song "Landslide" during the aera of when Mrs. Mains made her comments. The Chicks were already leaving country music and moving on to the pop, rock world. Country radio felt it and it may of had something to do with the backlash as well.

However, it will be interesting to see how this single and CD does at country radio. Faith Hill had a CD that sold over 5 Million units with hardly any airplay.

The Chicks in their prime selling days were over 10 million units. The new CD comes out in May, the first weeks sales will be interesting as well as the overall sales over a period of time. The CD release date is currently being promoted now to give the marketing push plenty of advance time to get everyone fired up, hopefully in a good way.

The sold out concerts the Chicks did after coming home across the ocean and after the comments were made...were sold out (pre-sold) in advance of Mrs. Mains comments.

The Chicks music on the new CD is going to have the rock/LA vibe.
Best of luck to the girls, they may need it this time around.

Rick Garrett · Post by **Rick Garrett** » 16 Mar 2006 2:14 pm

"It wasn't so much the radio stations that wanted the Chicks music off the airwaves, it was the listeners. Listener complaints kept the music off and still does to this day."

Hey Marlin, man you're dead on with that and this morning on the radio the DJ said the same exact thing. "The Dixie Chicks are banned from country music radio stations because YOU, the listening audience, demanded it."

Rick

Chris Schlotzhauer · Post by **Chris Schlotzhauer** » 16 Mar 2006 2:16 pm

I love the Chicks. Can't wait to get the album. Is that song out for download or anything?
I can disagree with what and where they said what they said, but it's a shame that the few that own country radio can pull the plug on someone like that. That's just flat wrong. BTW, their new band was in town (Austin) a couple of weeks ago rehearsing for the tour. Some of the band members came out to the Spoke to hang out with us. Our friend Pete Finney will be touring with them. Pete sat in on my Rains. He sounded great.

Marlin Smoot · Post by **Marlin Smoot** » 16 Mar 2006 2:26 pm

Rick,
That's interesting. Were you listening to KNUE or one of the stations in Longview (Kicks?) or something else? Hows the city of roses?

Rick Garrett · Post by **Rick Garrett** » 16 Mar 2006 3:33 pm

Marlin, the City of Roses is hanging in like a loose toothe man.

Everything is ok around here.

KYKX in Longview is the station I was listening to and it was the Danny and Drew show done in the a.m. I wasted a good part of my morning trying to listen to different opinions on this and believe it or not, the men calling in were more forgiving. The women who phoned in were down right mean man. Incredible! Most sounded like somebody's grandma and buddy they were some kind of upset about the song. Real interesting to hear. You ever find yourself down in East Texas Marlin look me up and we'll go get a steak.

Rick

Pete Finney · Post by **Pete Finney** » 16 Mar 2006 5:28 pm

Guilty as charged!

The Dixie Chicks have an incredible new band and I was lucky enough to get the call...

By the way, I'm also proud to be playing on the only few tracks on the new "Derailers" album that Chris Schlotzhauer doesn't play on... thanks for the kind words Chris; you sounded great playing your "Rains" at the Spoke the other night... You'll have to join Ed and I at our traditional get together for "Juans" breakfast tacos when I come back to Austin in a week or two...[This message was edited by Pete Finney on 17 March 2006 at 11:50 AM.]

Rick Garrett · Post by **Rick Garrett** » 16 Mar 2006 6:00 pm

Hey Pete, congrats on the gig!

"I doubt if grandmothers in East Texas buy many CDs... (In my humble opinion some of the above posts show a lot of misunderstanding about how the radio business actually works these days but that's a different subject)."

You can bet that it wasn't only GRANDMA'S from East Texas that got the chicks banned from radio stations all over the good old USA. Like someone has already said "When you include politics in your music you run the risk of not being judged by your music alone because its no longer just music............Duh". I wonder how much that remark made in france cost them.

I agree that they are an amazing group and I loved their music. Incredible harmony and incredible musicianship. Too bad really. Personally I wouldn't pay to see them now especially after hearing their new song.

Best of luck with your gig. I hear you're an awesome picker. Hope to hear you someday.

Rick Garrett

[This message was edited by Rick Garrett on 16 March 2006 at 06:10 PM.]

Henry Nagle · Post by **Henry Nagle** » 16 Mar 2006 6:49 pm

What was the big scandal? They said they were ashamed of George W. Bush, right? What is so wrong with that? People are ready to boycott some one because they disapprove of a president? That is ridiculous. If you feel that strongly, I can think of a lot of products that you probably don't want to buy.

Rick Garrett · Post by **Rick Garrett** » 16 Mar 2006 6:53 pm

It's not so much WHAT she said. It's WHERE she said it. I bet if she had been at a concert here in the USA and said the same exact thing there wouldn't have been any big deal made of it.

Personally speaking, when the dj said they were going to dedicate 4 minutes and 1 second to the chicks so they could redeem themselves, I hoped for a blanket apology. When you hear the song you'll know it was anything BUT an apology. Guess they don't need the $$$ and like the song says they just want to be left alone. ok then....

Rick

Jody Sanders · Post by **Jody Sanders** » 16 Mar 2006 7:54 pm

I have been involved in all facets of music during my 62 years of playing. My advice to any performer is to keep your politics out of your performing. The Dixie Chicks are a prime example of a group that could be enjoying super stardom if One member had not gotten political on stage. When I go to a concert I want to hear the talent, not the politics. This is a free country and we have the right to speak our opinion. But Grandma always said, "Don't cut your nose off to spite your face". Whew!!!! That is the most I have had to say in years. Jody.

Henry Nagle · Post by **Henry Nagle** » 16 Mar 2006 7:58 pm

Hi Rick... Believe me, I don't mean to cause any trouble. I just don't think they have anything to apologize for. People state thier opinions in public and abroad all the time, be they on the left or right.

Steinar Gregertsen · Post by **Steinar Gregertsen** » 16 Mar 2006 8:29 pm

I wonder how much that remark made in france cost them

Hmmmm....... the infamous comment was made at a concert in London, which was in England and not in France last time I checked....
Don't mean to be pedantic, but since the "WHERE" seems to play a big part in this for some of you, I figured it was best to get that part right.

CNN, March 14th, 2003:

Country stations across the United States have pulled the Chicks from playlists following reports that lead singer Natalie Maines said in a concert in London earlier this week that she was "ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas."

http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Music/03/14/dixie.chicks.reut/

Steinar

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www.gregertsen.com

[This message was edited by Steinar Gregertsen on 16 March 2006 at 08:34 PM.]

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 16 Mar 2006 8:49 pm

All Chicks controversy aside, the Home albumm which "Landslide" is from, is very country to the point of containing some legitimate bluegrass. It is the least pop/rock of any of their albums since Natalie Maines joined the group.

The comment about the steel playing of Lloyd Maines is right on the money-he is one great steel guitarist.

I had the honor and pleasure of hanging with Lloyd awhile back, after a gig where he accompanied Terri Hendrix-and he is one heckuva nice guy-we even did a little dobro jamming together-which was a huge thrill for me!

You have to take into account that dj's get paid to stir up sh*t on certain stations-and I'm sure this was the case.

I haven't heard the new Chicks album, or the new song-but I'm looking forward to it.

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Mark

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 16 Mar 2006 9:18 pm

That was 3 years ago. Can't we just move on?