In December, 1997, as I Can Love You Better was cracking the charts, the Dixie Chicks featuring Natalie Maines sang West Texas Wind and Pink Toenails in concert at Billy Bob's Texas in Ft. Worth. Since it was my first time to hear the Chicks' new lead singer, I found these numbers a bit jarring... but since then, I've come to realize that incorporating pre-Sony Dixie Chicks tracks in the "New Chicks" repertoire is the best way to preserve the memory of where the Chicks came from.

I've maintained all along that the changes the Dixie Chicks have gone through are an integral and neccesary part of who they are. They would not be where they are now without Robin Lynn Macy's songwriting and Laura Lynch's vocals, but they couldn't have made that final leap to stardom without Natalie Maines' fiery, irreverent stage presence.

So while it may not be politically correct for them to fully acknowledge their past (see the story of my own troubles with their past for details), it is appropriate and desirable for the "New Chicks" to play the "Old" songs. But not all "Old Chicks" songs were created equal! Some are more suited to Natalie than others, and these pages contain my highly subjective opinion on the subject.

For a more detailed overview of the Dixie Chicks' independent releases, you'll want to visit the Complete Discography, which includes information about these and other Dixie Chicks releases before Natalie joined in 1995.

You may also want to see my "Greatest Hits" picks. If Sony decided to release the full Dixie Chicks discography, I've compiled my own list of hits: Better Things To Do: The Dixie Chicks' Greatest Hits. It's just as subjective as these pages, and suggestions and comments on both pages are welcome!

• Thank Heavens For Dale Evans (1990)
  The Dixie Chicks' all-cowgirl, all-acoustic debut release.

• Little Ol' Cowgirl (1992)
  The transition album, recorded shortly before Robin Lynn Macy left the group.

• Shouldn't A Told You That (1993)
  The breakout album that should have propelled the Chicks to national fame.

• Wide Open Spaces (January 1998)
  Coming soon!

• Fly (August 1999)
  Coming soon!

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Last update: 07/08/1999 by Robert Brooks
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