Dixie Chicks - Taking the Long Way
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Free Music Notes for Taking the Long Way
Free Music Review: Outstanding New Direction
Hit: 5 Stars
Prologue #1:
When I was a child my parents had the soundtrack LP of the film, "The Hank Williams Story." The songs were performed by a young, pre-rebel, Hank Williams, Jr. I loved that record and still love the music of Hank Williams. I also remember my father's collection of Willie Nelon and Outlaw (Nelson, Jennings, et. al.) LPs.
Prologue #2:
I enjoy excellence in all forms of music with leanings toward rock that range from British invasion (Beatles, Who, Kinks) to hard rock (Zeppelin) to Punk/Mod (Sex Pistols, Clash, the Jam, Elvis Costello), to traditional (Buddy Holly, Elvis, CCR, Springsteen). My tastes do not generally cross over into contemporary country (with the exception of some Garth Brooks).
Prologue #3:
My family and I are vacationing in Seattle. Resting in our hotel room I turn on the TV and come across "Austin City Limits" on PBS. The band peforming is the Dixie Chicks supporting their, then, new album, "Fly." I am very impressed by the songs, the muscianship, and that voice. I remember thinking even then that they were bigger than what passed for country music at the time.
Prologue #4:
Now own "Wide Open Spaces" and "Fly" and buy tickes to see the Dixie Chicks in concert for the "Fly" tour. At the end of the concert I turn to my wife and tell her, "This group could be Springsteen big if they wanted to." I am very discriminating as a concert goer and I was mightily impressed by their connection with the audience.
This brings us to "Taking the Long Way" (also bought "Home" and saw them on that tour). Regardless of what one thinks about the "comment," this album demonstrates impressive growth on all fronts for the Dixie Chicks. Perhaps those who have remained fans should thank the public backlash against the Chicks because it has produced one of the strongest pop albums in recent years.
If I have one criticism of their previous albums, is that the songs lacked a lived experience to impart them with deeper resonance (with the exception of the beautiful "You Were Mine" on "Wide Open Spaces"). Case in point is their cover of "Landslide" on the "Home" album. While certainly nice, the Chicks' version lacks the emotional timbre of Steve Nicks' voice.
This problem has been resolved on the new album with the Chicks taking on the writing duties on all songs (with partners). Each song resonates with emotion and experience but without being overwrought. This is due to strong melodies, crisp lyrics, luminous production provided by Rick Rubin, and subject matter that taps the emotional and dynamic scale of Natalie Maines' impressive voice. In an industry where emotion has to be telegraphed by the vocal pyrotechnics of its singers (ala Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey), Maines' voice is remarkable for its use of restraint and power at the right moments.
One can also hear an expanding array of influences on the Chicks' music: the Eagles ("Taking the Long Way"), Sheryl Crow ("Favorite Year"), George Harrison and the Bangles ("Voice Inside My Head"), and Gospel ("I Hope"). These are but a few of the musical echoes that I hear on this album; echoes that enrich the music without it being a slavish copy of other artists.
My musical predilictions did not predispose me to consider even purchasing a Dixie Chicks album six years ago. My baseline for country is Hank Williams and most contemporary country music has sadly strayed far from Williams in its unrelenting musical and thematic sameness. A chance ecnounter in a Seattle hotel room introduced me to the Dixie Chicks and I have been a fan since then.
The Dixie Chicks did not leave country music, country music left them. As far back as "Earl" the attuned person could see the current tensions between the Dixie Chicks and the country establishment coming. They were furthered by "Long Time Gone" and cemented by the "comment."
The Dixie Chicks are bigger than country music and, for this, the music lover who enjoys a spectrum of musical tastes can be thankful. If you have never considered buying an album by the Dixie Chicks, the time has come.
Free Music Review: tristan
Hit: 5 Stars
Wow, I do not dig country nor rock music; (I am more into folk, world music, jazz, soul); yet, this album really appeals to me.
The instrumentation (I believe banjo?) really shines through the songs, and the main vocalist is able to stand out despite the heavy drum beat. The songs are catchy, lyrical, heartfelt, and full of meaning. It's like they are singing from the bottom of their hearts, which makes it much more personal and attractive for the listener.
This album is definitely an attraction to folks who like plain good music; and not necessarily only a particular kind of music. Way to go Dixie Chicks.
After reading on the incident, I now have total admiration for how these women were willing to sacrifice their livelihoods, just for the sake of protecting one's freedom of expression. I think ten, twenty years from now these musicians will stand out as patriotic heroines who actually made this country safer by insisting on the preservation of a fundamental American right: freedom of expression. Presidents come and go; but the American bill of rights is sacred and must be preserved indefinitely for future generations to enjoy.
--
UPDATE: for the past two days I have listened to the entire album several more times, and now I'll proceed with the nitty gritty review of the musical merits of this album First of all, the set of songs is a wonderful tapestry of American contemporary music: pop, ballads, country, rock, blues. There is a little bit of everything for everyone. Secondly, the percussion by drummer Chad Smith is outstanding. Steady, catchy, funky percussion rhythm while making sure not to overshadow the vocals and the accompanying instruments. A master doing his thing.
Third of all, I am amazed by Natalie Maine's vocal range, versatility and stylization. The Texan accent is still there, which means she can make any song country in a heartbeat. Natalie is more than country however; she can rock with the best of them and not miss a beat on her vocals. Her voice is extremely versatile in that she can show her bluegrass side, and then in the next passage belt out her rock side; and then switch to country in the next moment. She can do so naturally and originally without sounding mechanical or coached.
Natalie is well known in the industry for not oversinging, and staying in pitch meaning that she is pleasant to the ear. I played the album from my room, and was hearing it across the hall and I could still decipher every word of each song. This is a result of her having good diction; plus having a solid midrange voice. If you are a fan of American Idol, Natalie Maines blows them away because all contestants I've seen end up oversinging. Oversinging means trying so hard to impress the judges by resorting to fancy vocal pyrotechnics which at the end causes the singer to lose control of his/her natural voice. Natalie on the other hand has become a master at her craft, and without a doubt working with such talents as Bonnie Raitt and Sheryl Crowe must have helped her a ton. I must say her Texan accent comes across very appealing (and sensual), and also helps her in having a distinct voice. You can tell right away who is singing.
Last but not least, the strings simply jam/rock and transport the listener to auditory bliss. There are couple of electric guitar riffs ala Santana/Prince, plus mandolin, fiddle and banjo jam sessions that get your head bobbing up and down in approval.
To summarize, this album is the output of three outstanding musicians working together with masterful songwriters, instrumentalists, and producers and the result is synergistic/magical music. At the end of course it's all signature Dixie Chicks and not just another rock or pop band wannabe.
I predict four or five more top 5 hit songs all from this album: Easy Silence is my favorite song. This album's musical greatness makes the previous albums by the Dixie Chicks sound sophomore-ish in comparson. This in spite of the high quality work that they had done before. So, forget about the politics and crank this album up and enjoy the ride.
Free Music Review: Bigger Than Country
Hit: 5 Stars
It was March 10, 2003; the U. S. was poised to invade Iraq and the Dixie Chicks were performing in London. Lead singer Natalie Maines' off-the-cuff onstage comment that evening was about to produce shock and awe in the world of country music.
"Just so you know," she told the crowd of British fans, "we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas."
Although they had just won four Grammy awards two weeks earlier for their album Home and were the most popular act in country music, the backlash was immediate. Country radio stations stopped playing their music, protesters began appearing at their shows and burning their CDs, they received death threats. But they also expanded their audience--their 2003 tour was country music's biggest moneymaker of the year.
In the three years since "the Incident," the Iraq War has become an unpopular quagmire and the president's approval ratings have plunged to record lows. After taking some time off to have babies, the three Dixie Chicks got together with superstar rock producer Rick Rubin to record their long awaited next album. Where the group was originally deemed "too country" for contemporary country radio, their new sound is anything but. Home was an all-acoustic, down-home bluegrass-type affair with nary a drum in sight; Taking the Long Way is being compared with Fleetwood Mac and `70s California pop-rock.
Personally, this new disc reminds me most of Mary Chapin Carpenter with its blend of country, folk and rock. The leadoff track, "The Long Way Around," borrows both its title and its theme from her "The Hard Way" and "The Long Way Home," but with more bite: "My friends from high school/Married their high school boyfriends/Moved into houses/In the same zip codes where their parents live/But I/I could never follow."
The track getting the most attention is the first single, "Not Ready to Make Nice," an autobiographical response to the controversy and its aftermath: "And how in the world can the words that I said/Send somebody so over the edge/That they'd write me a letter/Saying I better shut up and sing/Or my life will be over." It's a potent song that oughtta be a monster hit.
The other song that jumps out immediately is the set closer, "I Hope," a gospel-tinged number co-written with bluesman Keb' Mo' that made its first appearance on the Hurricane Katrina telethon last fall. Catchy in a Staple Singers style, its lyrics serve as both a warning and an inspiration.
"Lubbock or Leave It" is a hard rockin' farewell to Maines' hometown complete with Buddy Holly imagery that should insure an unpleasant homecoming at the next class reunion, but the rest of the songs here are less specific in their references. "Everybody Knows" is country radio-friendly in its relatively generic arrangement; "Easy Silence" is a song of love (to a spouse, a parent?) about refuge in the maelstrom of life.
Maines and her bandmates, sisters Emily Robison and Martie Maguire, co-wrote all fourteen songs with collaborators including Sheryl Crow and Gary Louris of the Jayhawks, and there's a personal, intimate feel at times--in the beautiful love song, "Lullaby," in the sad Alzheimer's story of "Silent House." The guitars of "Voice Inside My Head" recall George Harrison's All Things Must Pass.
The Dixie Chicks are bigger than country music now. They were on the cover of Time magazine's May 29th issue as "Radical Chicks" after appearing in the same publication three weeks earlier among the "100 People Who Shape Our World." As I write this, Taking the Long Way is firmly ensconced at #1 on both Amazon and iTunes. --Jim Newsom
Originally published in Port Folio Weekly, 6/13/06
Copyright 2006 Port Folio Weekly. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.
Free Music Review: Preaching to the chior about double standards?
Hit: 5 Stars
WOW! First of all I have been thinking a lot about the reactionary attacks on the DC's since their minor 'so called' outspoken blunder in London that has decreased their record sales and brought out the DOGS in the US who call themselves Country Music Fans!
First of all these damn hicks wouldn't know what Country Music really is if it hit upside the head! This is the double-standard. I am in my late 30's and over the last 5 years have gone through a process of not liking most country music to being a lover of the genre as I have learned what Country music is.
Country music is CASH, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Hank Williiams...the point is that if any of these MEN had said what the Chicks said publicly the reaction would have been non-existent, oh wait these men have said similiar things; some even more critical and damning and it never hurt their careers so why did the DC come under so muich fire? The most simple answer is they are WOMEN! Unfortunately if goes a lot deeper than that or what follows.
Country music is not about war, racism or hatred and has NO ROOTS in music that does either. Some artists and idiot fan followers have allowed the record companies to taint a pure music form since the eighties into something that is often confusing and makes no sense to many people like myself and REAL MUSIC LOVERS. Kind of reminds me of what has (and is happening) to HIP-HOP but for different reasons.
The bottom line is that if you look through the catalogs of the REAL COUNTRY MUSIC GREATS you will find a lot of albums and songs that 'tell the truth' about the real, ugly america. For a real lesson in Country music check out 'Bitter Tears (Ballads of the American Indian)' by Johnny Cash and keep listening to JC and hating the DC's as so many ignorant idiots do.
The Dixie Chicks spoke the truth (excpet that W is from Maine, not Texas but he sure did a lot of damage there as he has to the US) and while "Not Ready to Make Nice" is a great song it is no more ciritical than many other ones that have been written by men in the genre.
Not a great record review (although I recommend it to any REAL COUNTRY FAN, or music fan for that matter) but it brings to mind many questions.
WHO ARE THESE mostly Southern American hicks, Record Companies and other reactionary artists who have attacked them and why did such a mild statement, YES MILD, create such a stir?
There are many reasons but as time has gone on most people who hated on the Chicks realized they were right to call out the President for the fraud he is but as Natalie wrote "time heals all wounds, but I'm still waiting".
America is a racist, sexist, brutal country founded on these foundations and it is also a rich beautiful country full of a great history of struggle in attempts to change this. So why is it that the DC's were nearly ruined? IGNORANCE!
For that matter let's consider why k.d lang was forced of the genre for being a lesbian...
HATE and IGNORANCE solves nothing and even with all the problems in our country we still have the right to speak our mind (most of the time although this is going away and will continue to if we do not resist ignorance, apathy, hate and facism).
KUDOS to the Dixie Chicks for keeping in LINE with the TRUE TRADITIONS of Country Music!
If you like good music buy (or download) all there music as I have, they are great.
If you hate the DC's for their stand get a life and an education; or jump off a cliff (especially those who wrote HATE MAIL)!
KEEP IT UP GIRLS, YOU'RE AWESOME!
(written by a white male)
Free Music Review: Country Courageous.
Hit: 5 Stars
(from an extended feature, copyright 2006 Michael F. Hopkins)
The Dixie Chicks hit the record stores with their
first album in three years, and it's a safe bet
that TAKING THE LONG WAY will not be music which
anyone takes lightly. While there are those who
will measure this CD solely by their political
affiliation, a look at the potency of the music
and the balanced nature of their perspectives
will settle any debate about the ladies' right
to speak their minds.
Simply put, this is The Dixie Chicks at their
finest. From hard-hitting to serenading, taking
lyrical shots at narrow-mindedness, reflecting
upon complex issues as well as the simple things
which mean the most, this album is a portrait
in courage and artistic fire.
Those who appreciated the finesse of the classic
HOME will be floored by the even deeper integrity
and diversity of TAKING THE LONG WAY. The DC brand
of down home is sharply attuned here, the ladies
co-writing every selection for this album. Think
the hate campaigns of the past few years have
silenced their art? Try "Lubbock Or Leave It",
a skillfully withering depiction of the jingoistic
bigotry, religious fanaticism, and moral
hypocrisy which empowered the worst case of
censorship and blacklisting seen in America
since the ordeals of Paul Robeson and John
Lennon.
While much of the media attention has been
focused upon the nitty-gritty rundown of
"Not Ready To Make Nice", the title
thematics of "The Long Way Around" prove
an equally-upfront showstopper; each making
clear the ladies' right to speak their
piece without submitting to harassment
of a political, economical or any other
kind.
Every track, from personal implorings such
as "Lullaby" to the soulful gospel of the
rousing Peace anthem "I Hope", hurls a
gauntlet at the latter-day lynch mobsters
who would strangle Country music in good
ol' gang stereotypes of hateful ignorance.
They tried it on Johnny Cash, censored him
out of Nashville when he didn't play the
red neck type, just as they've censored
The Dixie Chicks since 2003.
Small wonder, then, that Rick Rubin, the
producer who presented Mr. Cash's last
decade of masterworks for American Recordings,
should be the ideal producer for artists
who are as authentic and provocative in
their expression as the Man In Black
himself. With exceptional talents such
as Keb' Mo' and Sheryl Crow adding their
special touch to the album, the album
can't help being a powerful triumph.
It's important to realize, however,
that this album is 100% DC Strut &
Groove, deeper and more searching
than ever. Natalie Maines is one of
the most versatile singers alive,
able to turn on the power and the
charm on slow burner and hard stomp
alike. Lyrics take breath and form
when she sings. Martie Maguire and
Emily Robison, the sisters who
co-founded the group some years ago,
continue to provide some of the
finest instrumental work in the
field. Together, they present
some of the finest 3-part harmony
ever heard. Here, the sound becomes
legion, ringing strong and clear.
Don't come here looking for Pop
jingles. This is music to grow to,
and live by.
Miss it, or dismiss it, at your own loss.