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The road leading away from Home, the Chicks' acclaimed 2002 return to straight-ahead country, proved to be quite rocky for the Texan trio, largely due to anti-George W. Bush and anti-war comments lead singer Natalie Maines made during the long crawl to the 2003 Iraqi War. Maines' words, initially spoken off the cuff in concert but then repeated in numerous interviews, earned her plenty of enemies within the country community (most notably Toby Keith), but despite the hailstorm of publicity, Maines, Martie Maguire, and Emily Robison did not back down, even as their country audience slowly diminished. But by that point, the Chicks were bigger than a mere country act anyway: they were international superstars. Their sound and sensibility played to an audience that was much bigger and more self-consciously sophisticated than the country audience, so their shift from country to pop on 2006's Taking the Long Way feels natural; even the neo-bluegrass of Home felt like a kindred spirit to the alt-country movement and such AAA singer/songwriters as Sheryl Crow, not the pure bluegrass of Ricky Skaggs, or even the progressive Alison Krauss. Given the controversy of 2003, the conscious distancing from country makes sense -- and given songs like the defiant "Not Ready to Make Nice" and the redneck-baiting "Lubbock or Live It," the Chicks don't sound like they're in retreat on Taking the Long Way, either; they merely sound like they're being themselves. And Taking the Long Way is as genuine a Chicks album as Home or Wide Open Spaces, feeling like an accurate reflection of the trio's current life. They are now savvy, sophisticated urbanites -- the album cover makes it seem like they've stepped out of Sex and the City -- and the music reflects that. It's rooted in country -- or more specifically country-rock -- and it wouldn't sound out of place in Nashville, but sounds more suited for upscale apartments and coffeehouses. The sound might be a little more NPR than hot country, but the trio's harmonies still shine brightly, they still play with conviction, and they still have a strong body of songs here. No doubt reflecting the influence of producer Rick Rubin, the Chicks work with songwriters well outside of the Music Row mainstream: naturally, Sheryl Crow makes an appearance as a co-writer here, but so does acclaimed pop tunesmith Neil Finn, alt-country mainstay Gary Louris, bluesman Keb' Mo', Heartbreaker Mike Campbell, and through much of the album, Semisonic/Trip Shakespeare frontman Dan Wilson. All are accomplished songwriters whose strengths may not seem to lie in country, but they all know how to structure a song, and they help give the group direction and the album focus. Rubin's skill on picking collaborators for the trio makes up for his typically flat production -- it's clean and classy but not colorful, which it begs to be, given that this is a pop album filled with different styles and textures from rollicking rock & roll to soulful laments to sweet ballads. But this lack of zest in the production is forgivable because Taking the Long Way is otherwise a strong, confident affair that is far from suggesting the Chicks are being cowardly for moving away from country. Rather, they're bravely asserting their identity through this varied, successful crossover move.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Dixie Chicks, Associated Performer, Main Artist - Rick Rubin, Producer - Emily Burns Erwin Robison, Accordion, Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Composer, Electric Guitar, Lyricist, Sitar - Natalie Maines, Composer, Lyricist - Lindsay Chase - Martha Eleanor Seidel Maguire, Composer, Lyricist, Mandolin, Viola, Violin - Kevin Dean, Assistant Engineer - Dan Wilson, Composer, Lyricist - Vanessa Parr, Assistant Engineer - Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer, Mixing Engineer - John Netti, Mixing Engineer - Jim Scott, Recording Engineer - Chris Testa, Recording Engineer
(P) 2006 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Dixie Chicks, Associated Performer, Main Artist - Rick Rubin, Producer - Natalie Maines, Composer, Lyricist - Dan Wilson, Composer, Lyricist - Lindsay Chase - Kevin Dean, Assistant Engineer - Martha Eleanor Seidel Maguire, Composer, Lyricist, Mandolin, Viola, Violin - Emily Burns Erwin Robison, Accordion, Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Composer, Electric Guitar, Lyricist, Sitar - Vanessa Parr, Assistant Engineer - Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer, Mixing Engineer - John Netti, Mixing Engineer - Jim Scott, Recording Engineer - Chris Testa, Recording Engineer
(P) 2006 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Dixie Chicks, Associated Performer, Main Artist - Rick Rubin, Producer - Natalie Maines, Composer, Lyricist - Martha Eleanor Seidel Maguire, Composer, Lyricist, Mandolin, Viola, Violin - Lindsay Chase - Emily Burns Erwin Robison, Accordion, Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Composer, Electric Guitar, Lyricist, Sitar - Kevin Dean, Assistant Engineer - Dan Wilson, Composer, Lyricist - Vanessa Parr, Assistant Engineer - Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer, Mixing Engineer - John Netti, Mixing Engineer - Jim Scott, Recording Engineer - Chris Testa, Recording Engineer
(P) 2006 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Dixie Chicks, Associated Performer, Main Artist - Rick Rubin, Producer - Natalie Maines, Composer, Lyricist - Gary Louris, Composer, Lyricist - Lindsay Chase - Kevin Dean, Assistant Engineer - Martha Eleanor Seidel Maguire, Composer, Lyricist, Mandolin, Viola, Violin - Emily Burns Erwin Robison, Accordion, Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Composer, Electric Guitar, Lyricist, Sitar - Vanessa Parr, Assistant Engineer - Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer, Mixing Engineer - John Netti, Mixing Engineer - Jim Scott, Recording Engineer - Chris Testa, Recording Engineer
(P) 2006 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Dixie Chicks, Associated Performer, Main Artist - Rick Rubin, Producer - Natalie Maines, Composer, Lyricist - Emily Burns Erwin Robison, Accordion, Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Composer, Electric Guitar, Lyricist, Sitar - Lindsay Chase - Kevin Dean, Assistant Engineer - Martha Eleanor Seidel Maguire, Composer, Lyricist, Mandolin, Viola, Violin - Gary Louris, Composer, Lyricist - Vanessa Parr, Assistant Engineer - Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer, Mixing Engineer - John Netti, Mixing Engineer - Jim Scott, Recording Engineer - Chris Testa, Recording Engineer
(P) 2006 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Dixie Chicks, Associated Performer, Main Artist - Rick Rubin, Producer - Natalie Maines, Composer, Lyricist - Lindsay Chase - Martha Eleanor Seidel Maguire, Composer, Lyricist, Mandolin, Viola, Violin - Kevin Dean, Assistant Engineer - Emily Burns Erwin Robison, Accordion, Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Composer, Electric Guitar, Lyricist, Sitar - Vanessa Parr, Assistant Engineer - Dan Wilson, Composer, Lyricist - Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer, Mixing Engineer - John Netti, Mixing Engineer - Jim Scott, Recording Engineer - Chris Testa, Recording Engineer
(P) 2006 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Dixie Chicks, Associated Performer, Main Artist - Rick Rubin, Producer - Natalie Maines, Composer, Lyricist - Martha Eleanor Seidel Maguire, Composer, Lyricist, Mandolin, Viola, Violin - Lindsay Chase - Emily Burns Erwin Robison, Accordion, Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Composer, Electric Guitar, Lyricist, Sitar - Kevin Dean, Assistant Engineer - Mike Campbell, Composer, Lyricist - Vanessa Parr, Assistant Engineer - Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer, Mixing Engineer - John Netti, Mixing Engineer - Jim Scott, Recording Engineer - Chris Testa, Recording Engineer
(P) 2006 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Dixie Chicks, Associated Performer, Main Artist - Rick Rubin, Producer - Emily Burns Erwin Robison, Accordion, Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Composer, Electric Guitar, Lyricist, Sitar - Natalie Maines, Composer, Lyricist - Lindsay Chase - Martha Eleanor Seidel Maguire, Composer, Lyricist, Mandolin, Viola, Violin - Kevin Dean, Assistant Engineer - Vanessa Parr, Assistant Engineer - Neil Finn, Composer, Lyricist - Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer, Mixing Engineer - John Netti, Mixing Engineer - Jim Scott, Recording Engineer - Chris Testa, Recording Engineer
(P) 2006 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Dixie Chicks, Associated Performer, Main Artist - Rick Rubin, Producer - Sheryl Crow, Composer, Lyricist - Natalie Maines, Composer, Lyricist - Lindsay Chase - Martha Eleanor Seidel Maguire, Composer, Lyricist, Mandolin, Viola, Violin - Kevin Dean, Assistant Engineer - Vanessa Parr, Assistant Engineer - Emily Burns Erwin Robison, Accordion, Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Electric Guitar, Sitar - Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer, Mixing Engineer - John Netti, Mixing Engineer - Jim Scott, Recording Engineer - Chris Testa, Recording Engineer
(P) 2006 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Dixie Chicks, Associated Performer, Main Artist - Rick Rubin, Producer - Natalie Maines, Composer, Lyricist - Linda Perry, Composer, Lyricist - Lindsay Chase - Martha Eleanor Seidel Maguire, Composer, Lyricist, Mandolin, Viola, Violin - Kevin Dean, Assistant Engineer - Emily Burns Erwin Robison, Accordion, Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Composer, Electric Guitar, Lyricist, Sitar - Vanessa Parr, Assistant Engineer - Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer, Mixing Engineer - Dan Wilson, Composer, Lyricist - John Netti, Mixing Engineer - Jim Scott, Recording Engineer - Chris Testa, Recording Engineer - Greg Fidelman, Recording Engineer - John Silva, Recording Engineer
(P) 2006 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Dixie Chicks, Associated Performer, Main Artist - Rick Rubin, Producer - Natalie Maines, Composer, Lyricist - Lindsay Chase - Gary Louris, Composer, Lyricist - Kevin Dean, Assistant Engineer - Martha Eleanor Seidel Maguire, Composer, Lyricist, Mandolin, Viola, Violin - Emily Burns Erwin Robison, Accordion, Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Composer, Electric Guitar, Lyricist, Sitar - Vanessa Parr, Assistant Engineer - Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer, Mixing Engineer - John Netti, Mixing Engineer - Jim Scott, Recording Engineer - Chris Testa, Recording Engineer
(P) 2006 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Dixie Chicks, Associated Performer, Main Artist - Rick Rubin, Producer - Natalie Maines, Composer, Lyricist - Pete Yorn, Composer, Lyricist - Lindsay Chase - Martha Eleanor Seidel Maguire, Composer, Lyricist, Mandolin, Viola, Violin - Kevin Dean, Assistant Engineer - Emily Burns Erwin Robison, Accordion, Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Composer, Electric Guitar, Lyricist, Sitar - Vanessa Parr, Assistant Engineer - Gary Louris, Composer, Lyricist - Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer, Mixing Engineer - John Netti, Mixing Engineer - Jim Scott, Recording Engineer - Chris Testa, Recording Engineer
(P) 2006 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Dixie Chicks, Associated Performer, Main Artist - Rick Rubin, Producer - Natalie Maines, Composer, Lyricist - Martha Eleanor Seidel Maguire, Composer, Lyricist, Mandolin, Viola, Violin - Lindsay Chase - Emily Burns Erwin Robison, Accordion, Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Composer, Electric Guitar, Lyricist, Sitar - Kevin Dean, Assistant Engineer - Vanessa Parr, Assistant Engineer - Dan Wilson, Composer, Lyricist - Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer, Mixing Engineer - John Netti, Mixing Engineer - Jim Scott, Recording Engineer - Chris Testa, Recording Engineer
(P) 2006 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Dixie Chicks, Associated Performer, Main Artist - Martha Eleanor Seidel Maguire, Composer, Lyricist, Mandolin, Viola, Violin - Rick Rubin, Producer - Natalie Maines, Composer, Lyricist - Emily Burns Erwin Robison, Accordion, Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Composer, Electric Guitar, Lyricist, Sitar - Lindsay Chase - Kevin Dean, Assistant Engineer - Keb' Mo', Composer, Lyricist - Vanessa Parr, Assistant Engineer - Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer, Mixing Engineer - John Netti, Mixing Engineer - Jim Scott, Recording Engineer - Chris Testa, Recording Engineer
(P) 2006 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Album review
The road leading away from Home, the Chicks' acclaimed 2002 return to straight-ahead country, proved to be quite rocky for the Texan trio, largely due to anti-George W. Bush and anti-war comments lead singer Natalie Maines made during the long crawl to the 2003 Iraqi War. Maines' words, initially spoken off the cuff in concert but then repeated in numerous interviews, earned her plenty of enemies within the country community (most notably Toby Keith), but despite the hailstorm of publicity, Maines, Martie Maguire, and Emily Robison did not back down, even as their country audience slowly diminished. But by that point, the Chicks were bigger than a mere country act anyway: they were international superstars. Their sound and sensibility played to an audience that was much bigger and more self-consciously sophisticated than the country audience, so their shift from country to pop on 2006's Taking the Long Way feels natural; even the neo-bluegrass of Home felt like a kindred spirit to the alt-country movement and such AAA singer/songwriters as Sheryl Crow, not the pure bluegrass of Ricky Skaggs, or even the progressive Alison Krauss. Given the controversy of 2003, the conscious distancing from country makes sense -- and given songs like the defiant "Not Ready to Make Nice" and the redneck-baiting "Lubbock or Live It," the Chicks don't sound like they're in retreat on Taking the Long Way, either; they merely sound like they're being themselves. And Taking the Long Way is as genuine a Chicks album as Home or Wide Open Spaces, feeling like an accurate reflection of the trio's current life. They are now savvy, sophisticated urbanites -- the album cover makes it seem like they've stepped out of Sex and the City -- and the music reflects that. It's rooted in country -- or more specifically country-rock -- and it wouldn't sound out of place in Nashville, but sounds more suited for upscale apartments and coffeehouses. The sound might be a little more NPR than hot country, but the trio's harmonies still shine brightly, they still play with conviction, and they still have a strong body of songs here. No doubt reflecting the influence of producer Rick Rubin, the Chicks work with songwriters well outside of the Music Row mainstream: naturally, Sheryl Crow makes an appearance as a co-writer here, but so does acclaimed pop tunesmith Neil Finn, alt-country mainstay Gary Louris, bluesman Keb' Mo', Heartbreaker Mike Campbell, and through much of the album, Semisonic/Trip Shakespeare frontman Dan Wilson. All are accomplished songwriters whose strengths may not seem to lie in country, but they all know how to structure a song, and they help give the group direction and the album focus. Rubin's skill on picking collaborators for the trio makes up for his typically flat production -- it's clean and classy but not colorful, which it begs to be, given that this is a pop album filled with different styles and textures from rollicking rock & roll to soulful laments to sweet ballads. But this lack of zest in the production is forgivable because Taking the Long Way is otherwise a strong, confident affair that is far from suggesting the Chicks are being cowardly for moving away from country. Rather, they're bravely asserting their identity through this varied, successful crossover move.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 14 track(s)
- Total length: 01:06:24
- Main artists: The Chicks
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Open Wide - Columbia
- Genre: Country
(P) 2006 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
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