An Evening With the Dixie Chicks

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Dixie Chicks

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Simply put, this is the Dixie Chicks performing their latest CD, "Home." When I got this DVD, I had not yet heard any of the songs from the CD save for their cover of "Landslide," but I still enjoyed the music and had a great time watching the Chicks perform. They display excellent musical versatility (supporting band included), mixed with fun songs and a great rapport with the audience.

This performance was recorded on August 16, 2002, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, just weeks after "Home" was released. The Chicks play every one of the twelve songs from the CD in the exact same order. This might be a plus for those who are already in the habit of listening to the entire CD, so you'll know what to expect. For me, I appreciated the way the songs were introduced, as explained most often by lead vocalist Natalie Maines. In addition to the "Home" songs, there are four others: three from the previous CD, "Fly," plus the title track to "Wide Open Spaces." Overall, the song count is seven more than what was seen on the original television broadcast. I would have preferred that the three albums were more equally represented, but I guess the point was to promote "Home" so . . . they gave us the whole thing! The Dixie Chicks are known for engaging the crowd, and that was definitely the case here. The crowd at the Kodak was definitely amped throughout the performance, and I was equally drawn in.

In terms of sound quality, this is a top-notch DVD. The mixers (one of whom was Lloyd Maines, Natalie's dad and a member of the band) did a virtually perfect job of balancing all the instrumentation so that not one musician either got drowned out or overwhelmed any of the others. I was perfectly content to have my system set on CD Stereo and to listen to superb sound through a nice subwoofer and satellite system. Dolby 5.1 is also available.

The camera work was excellent and highlighted a multitude of angles and perspectives. My only [slightly] negative criticism is with the video editing, which was far too rapid for my taste. Too many times, the camera selection changed faster than once per measure, which, over entire songs, became a little dizzying. The good news is that the DVD picture quality is awesome: sharp images and vivid colors. Extra features include a biography, discography and a twelve-page liner note booklet.

Hmmm...why does this happen. A great concert moment spoiled by poor engineering. This isn't the first time.

I have ~35-40 Music Concert DVD's I listen to often. I know a good recording when I hear one. Plenty of examples (e.g. Diana Krall Live in Paris - DTS, Billy Idol VH1 Storytellers - DTS, Eagles Hell Freezes Over - DTS, etc.)

Unfortunately the engineers mixing this recording failed miserably. The naturally "piercing" voice of lead singer Natalie Maines comes across as extremely harsh and fatiguing. So very disappointing.

I know every combination of electronics and speakers can sound different, but my combination sounds stellar on 99% of the various music DVD's and SACD's I own.

Buyer beware.