Dixie Chicks Top Of The World Tour Live CD

With their blend of country, pop, rock, and forthright attitude, the Dixie Chicks took the country music world by storm in the late 1990s, after kicking around for several years with a slightly different lineup and recording for indie labels. This two-disc live album is something of a love letter to the trio's fans; not the fickle few who abandoned them for speaking their minds about the U.S. government in a 2003 "scandal," but those who've always loved their energetic, from-the-heart approach to recording and (especially) performing.

Though they're genuine pop stars, the Chicks display country roots here, as on the classic Ray Price-like shuffle of "Hello Mr. Heartache" and the bluegrass instrumental showpiece "Lil' Jack Slade," where the ladies show off their guitar and fiddle chops. They're still full of contemporary sass, though, as witnessed by the rowdy, irreverent leadoff cut "Goodbye Earl" and the breakneck "White Trash Wedding." And yes, Fleetwood Mac fans, their popular acoustic cover of "Landslide" is here, too.

Recorded live in 2003.

Personnel: Natalie Maines (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, electric bass); David Grissom (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, electric 12-string guitar, background vocals); Emily Robison (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, dobro, banjo); John Mock (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, tin whistle, concertina, tambourine, percussion); Keith Sewell (acoustic guitar, fiddle, background vocals); Roscoe Beck (electric guitar, upright bass, electric bass, fretless bass, background vocals); Robby Turner (steel guitar, dobro, background vocals); Martie Maguire (mandolin, fiddle, viola); Brent Truitt (mandolin, background vocals); Lorenza Ponce, Hiroko Taguchi (violin); Linda Ghidossi de Luca (viola); Matthew Brubeck (cello); John Deaderick (accordion, keyboards, background vocals); Jason Deleu, Bob House, Richard Randall, Henry Metcalfe, Roger Cabot, Todd Green, Ryan Merfy (organ); John Gardner (drums, snare drum, djembe, tambourine, percussion); Drew Finley (programming); Emmylou Harris (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Fred Remmert; Lloyd Maines.

Photographers: Chris McCann; Kim Maguire; James Minchin.

Unknown Contributor Roles: Jane Richter; Tom Cusimano; Lawrence Rupp; Tanya Ross-Hughes; Ken Mitchell; Richard Dixon; EJ Wojtowicz.

Dixie Chicks: Natalie Maines, Emily Robison, Martie Maguire.

Rolling Stone (12/11/03, p.206) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...The songs sound great..."
Q (2/04, p.99) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[It] whistles along merrily."