Sodom-on-the-Hudson Chicks: The Does Anyone Remember Molly Seidel or Emily Erwin?

Long, Long ago, in a pickup truck far, far away, Molly Seidel and Emily Erwin were just two rather talented, Southern musicians. Then, like the Little Rascals' remake of "Faust," (or, "Damned Yankees,") Natalie Maines was plunked in their midst.

Ms. Maines is a short, stubby woman of no obvious talent or beauty. But her rock-and-roll attitude was just the twist that the Dixie Chicks needed to differentiate themselves from the kind of passable bluegrass music that is most useful for the background music of a Ken Burns documentary. Up through 2002, with the exception of "Landslide," the Dixie Chicks' style remained solidly bluegrass.

If ever there was a song that highlighted Natalie's shortcomings, it was the remake of Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide." Molly and Emily did a fine job performing "Landslide" as a bluegrass song, but the song's innate musicality belongs more to Berkeley than Birmingham.

Emily's pregnancy would've fit into a true Dixie video just fine; but Berkley women don't reproduce; they just worship Gaia, so there was no reconciling the imagery. The result was a four-minute long eau-de-Toilette commercial. Emily's very pregnant appearance made her look like something out of an Anne Gedes photoshoot, and made Natalie look like something out of "Bride of Chucky." And Natalie's singing made Stevie Nicks sound good, which is pretty bad since Stevie sounds a lot like Katherine Hepburn accepting her lifetime achievement Oscar.

Nonetheless, songs like "Long Time Gone" were radio-friendly enough to make a huge hit out of the album. Her anti-war comments came as the country audience was just about wearing thin, but brought in a whole new audience: the DailyKOS / Democratic Underground / Move On crowd, who didn't know what good bluegrass sounded like.

As much as they'd like to claim victimhood, the country crowd always knew the Dixie Chicks were liberals. And they didn't care until the Dixie Chicks slammed their commander-in-chief on foreign soil during a time of war. Rather than apologize, the Dixie Chicks proclaimed their freedom of speech and bitterly denounced how horrible it was that people exercise their freedom of speech to criticize the Dixie Chicks.

Quite unjustly, Natalie became the center of attention, but the Chicks caught on among an audience which is otherwise shocked and offended by the use of the word "chick," and whose only previous exposure to country music was K.D. Lang.

But what Hell Molly and Emily must be in now! Trying desperately to pump up album sales so as to get Natalie's "message" heard, the record company has thrown an incredibly lavish production behind Natalie: a gospel choir for backup, a full symphony orchestra for accompaniment, and a slew of songwriters and producers to give her something to sing. All of which leaves Molly and Emily about as useful as Stevie Nicks during a Lindsay Buckingham song. Even the video comes off looking like the pretty (Ok, passable) girls defending the ugly girl from schoolyard taunts.

If there was any question of the recording industry's leftism, would someone please explain the fortune invested into spreading Ms. Maines' new gospel? After all, that's left of the Chicks is Maines' weak voice, almost drowned out by over-production. Granted, there have been Pop acts that don't display any more talent, but then Brittney Spears doesn't look like Murphy Brown's 63-year-old face superimposed onto Uncle Fester's body. Yet.

Poor Molly and Emily. Other people are now telling them what to sing, what to wear, what (not) to play. But at least they have their artistic freedom.

Well, the new Country is making gobs of money so new country will be considered REAL country

The popularity of any given "artist" isn't necessarily a sign of their degree of talent,especially in this post-MTV world.Example-Britney Spears,all the female "screamers"(Gawd,who told these people that torturing a note in as high a pitch as the singer-or the production team-can reach,was good singing?)Whitney Houston should be haunted by her version of "I Will Always Love You"-she murdered it. Dolly at least put some feeling into the song.

When I'm in the mood for country I just stick to Hank Williams,George Jones,Roy Acuff,and...DAVID ALLEN COE! After all, he does sing the perfect country and western song,LOL.

I'm with ya'. I'd add Tom T. Hall, Waylon Jennings, Billy Walker (RIP), and a few others.

I love "I Like Beer" by Tom T Hall. I like all the artists that you mentioned,and I'll also have to add Jerry Reed-I love his songs,especially "Eastbound And Down" and "When You're Hot You're Hot". He wasn't half bad in "Smokey & The Bandit" either.I'll listen to just about any of the classic country artists.

Whitney Houston should be haunted by her version of "I Will Always Love You"-she murdered it.

I have never before seen a post by someone else that has the same opinion of Whitney Houston as I. Did she have to try for an "11" on every single note?

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