Nashville Pines for Dixie Chicks [Archive]

View Full Version : Nashville Pines for Dixie Chicks

Troll

01-21-2006, 10:22am

Nashville Pines for Dixie Chicks
Country stations eagerly await new music from formerly banned trio

When the Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines made her infamous anti-Bush, anti-war comments almost three years ago, she exposed a shocking truth: Country music, as it turns out, is not 100 percent Republican.
With radio stations across the nation boycotting their music and outraged commentators predicting walkouts at their concerts, the Chicks were made to seem like very lonely liberals in the love-it-or-leave-it world of country. In hindsight, however, the group set off a political bombshell of an altogether different sort: They blew open the door for a remarkable number of closeted Music Row Democrats.

In fact, that's the name of a high-powered Nashville advocacy group that sprang up in the wake of the controversy. The blackballing of the Dixie Chicks was a prime motivation in the founding of the left-leaning political action committee, says co-founder Bob Titley, a prominent talent manager (Brooks and Dunn, Kathy Mattea) and a confirmed Democrat. "There was a failure in our community to step up to their defense," he says.

The Music Row Democrats now claim more than 1,300 members, including key Nashville executives, songwriters and artists such as Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell. "The organization grew spectacularly fast," says country music historian Robert K. Oermann, a founding member. "People were hiding in corners, afraid to come out. Now the community is more mobilized."

As the political tides turn -- not just in Nashville but nationally -- the Chicks are preparing to release their long-awaited follow-up to 2002's Home, an as-yet untitled album recorded with renegade producer Rick Rubin. "Instead of making a country album with a rock side," Rubin recently told Rolling Stone, "we wanted to do a rock album that leaned country, like [Tom] Petty or Gram Parsons."

Hints like that have unnerved some in the country industry, where sales were recently reported to be down about ten percent from 2004. From an economic perspective, it's tough to argue with an act that has sold more than 22 million copies of its first three major-label studio albums, according to SoundScan.

"We need them," says Clay Hunnicutt, Clear Channel's vice president of country programming nationwide. "Radio is always looking for great artists with great music, great hits."

Yet the Dixie Chicks -- Maines, Emily Robison and Martie Maguire -- may have already moved on. "We don't feel a part of the country scene any longer," Maguire told the German magazine Der Speigel in September 2003. "We now consider ourselves part of the big rock & roll family." (The group, lying low in anticipation of the new release, declined to comment for this story.)

There are a few hardcore holdouts who continue to boycott the Chicks. In Lubbock, Texas -- Maines' hometown -- the staff at KLLL 96.3 ("Country for Texans") has recently tried spinning an occasional Chicks track after more than two years of banishment. Many local listeners, says PD Jeff Scott, are still upset that a hometown product would declare she was "ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas," as Maines did.

Lubbock, Scott notes, recently took second place in a poll of the most conservative cities in the nation. "People still have a lot of anger over what was said. It's been a real lightning rod for us."

Elsewhere, however, there are nagging questions about the legitimacy of some of those complaints. Titley is one of several people interviewed who claimed that the rash of angry calls demanding boycotts were at least partly the result of a coordinated effort by conservative political activists.

Despite the controversy -- or perhaps because of it -- the Chicks continued to prove their commercial viability, selling almost six million copies of Home and mounting the top-grossing country tour of 2003. Now, as they prepare to reenter the spotlight, some speculate that the group might be poised to shun the industry that shunned them.

"If I were the Chicks," says Oermann, "I wouldn't give a rat's behind if [country] radio played us."

Titley, too, thinks a little payback may be in order. "Now that things have fallen apart politically on the right," he says, "there might be a certain vindication."

But industry gatekeepers say it will be hard to ignore the Dixie Chicks' commercial track record when the new album comes out. Mike Peterson, program director for Chicago's WUSN ("America's Country Station"), says he's keeping his fingers crossed that the new album will work for his station's format. "I can't wait to hear it," he says. "I want to own the Dixie Chicks in this market."

"It doesn't matter to me which side of the political spectrum pulls for them," says Brian Phillips, executive vice president and general manager of country music network CMT. "The Dixie Chicks captivated the limelight to the extent that it caused a lot of conversation."

And he says that's good for business: "We're not looking for wallpaper."

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/9166584?rnd=1137804714531&has-player=true&version=6.0.11.847

MiniShaniaTwain

01-25-2006, 12:08am

I also eagerly await new music from the Dixie Chicks. I love their music! I have all of their CDs and will for sure get the new one!

Troll

01-25-2006, 10:10am

Look who's back
-- On their upcoming album, the Dixie Chicks get help from members of the Jayhawks, the Heartbreakers, Chili Peppers, and noted producer Rick Rubin, according to Entertainment weekly.

Is it a rock album? Not exactly. "It sounds more like '70s Eagles than 'System of a Down,' explains the group's Emily Robison.

The trio reportedly delves into what they refer to as "the incident" (The 2003 UK problem), on the song "Not Ready to Make Nice" -- and on breaking up with country radio, with "Lubbock or Leave It."

"We feel free," Natalie Maines tells EW. "We go into this thinking, No one's going to play it -- and it's fine. We made it for people who want to hear it.''

MiniShaniaTwain

01-25-2006, 5:25pm

Thanks for the info Troll! Sounds interesting!

Ania

01-27-2006, 8:53am

Thanks so much for posting!! I'm looking forward to new music by the Chicks!!!

Troll

01-31-2006, 1:50pm

Still pissed
-- Three years after the "Bush incident" in London, Dixie Chicks frontwoman Natalie Maines tells Entertainment Weekly, why she's "pretty much done" with country music.

"For me to be in country music to begin with was not who I was. I liked Martie and Emily's playing, but I did not grow up liking country music, Maines tells the magazine.

"And I guess I was ignorant to the fact that the stereotypes behind country music were true."

How do Emily and Martie feel about this? "Um... I don't know..."

Lawd love a duck! Keep that woman away from sharp objects.

MiniShaniaTwain

02-01-2006, 1:22pm

Troll

03-10-2006, 2:36pm

Flight of the Phoenix
-- The Dixie Chicks will release their new album, Taking the Long Way, on May 23. All fourteen tracks on the Rick Rubin produced disc were co-written by the Chicks.
Inspired by such classic rock artists as the Eagles, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and the Mamas and the Papas, the new album adds a "sweeping, Southern California vibe."

"Everything felt more personal this time," says Natalie Maines. "I go back to songs we've done in the past and there's just more maturity, depth, intelligence on these. They just feel more grown-up."

Still quite the little rebel, Maines blames Tim McGraw and Faith Hill for the Katrina mess.

canoilers

03-10-2006, 3:21pm

canoilers

03-10-2006, 3:23pm

I supported them when the back-lash started, but the way they've handled since hasn't impressed me at all. I give up on them as a fan period. I won't be buying the next record thats for sure.

Troll

03-10-2006, 5:02pm

:funny: What!!! They blame Tim and Faith for the Katrina mess. I really don't get that at all. :huh:

Read this

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/music/article.adp?id=20060309043509990007

canoilers

03-10-2006, 5:09pm

Still don't get how Natalie could put the blame on Tim and Faith for the mess. I'm still confussed about that part of it.

Troll

03-10-2006, 10:24pm

Still don't get how Natalie could put the blame on Tim and Faith for the mess. I'm still confussed about that part of it.

It is from countrynation.com and they like to put little comments like that.

canoilers

03-11-2006, 1:12am

Okay, still don't get it. :p

I shouldn't say what I said before either, I mean goods good. I'll probably buy the disc if its good. :D

Troll

03-11-2006, 10:58am

Chicks not through with country radio yet

Programmers noncommittal on single

By BRAD SCHMITT
Staff Writer

Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines told a magazine a couple of months ago that she's done with country music and the country music business.

Guess what arrived at three Nashville country radio stations yesterday: the Dixie Chicks' new radio single called, appropriately, Not Ready to Make Nice.

The title is a direct nod to fallout from the Chicks' 2003 statements on a London concert stage that they opposed the war in Iraq and that they were "ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas."

Nashville country radio programmers said they would let listeners decide whether to play the single, and one station, 103 WKDF, played it early yesterday evening to mostly positive reviews.

The programmers said they weren't taking Maines' comments personally.

"I'm sorry she feels that way about country music and the country industry that propelled them to riches," said Michael Dickey, a Nashville-based Cumulus Media vice president whose responsibilities include 95.5 The Wolf.

"But these people are in it for the shock value," Dickey said. "It won't have any impact either way on whether it gets played or not."

That's not to say country radio listeners won't take it personally.

"My gut tells me my audience will tell me they don't want to hear it," said Dave Kelly, WKDF program director.

It's an interesting theory but one unsupported by a New Jersey research company who polled country listeners on that exact subject.

In a survey conducted by Edison Media Research that was presented at last month's Country Radio Seminar held here, about 60% of respondents said country stations should play Dixie Chicks songs whether or not the respondent agreed with what Maines said in London. Only 21% said stations should ban Dixie Chicks music altogether.

That survey was taken before Maines' recent Entertainment Weekly interview in which she said she never liked country music growing up.

"And I guess I was ignorant to the fact that the stereotypes behind country music were true — and it was disappointing. … So I'm pretty much done," she said. "They've shown their true colors. I like lots of country music, but as far as the industry and everything that happened ... I couldn't want to be farther away from that."

The Chicks' new album, Taking the Long Way, comes out May 23 via Sony Music Nashville. No label executives could be reached to say why the album is being worked to country radio if Maines is "done" with it.

In a press release, the Chicks promise a more mature album, made with legendary rock/rap producer Rick Rubin, who helped make Johnny Cash's last recordings. The Chicks co-wrote all the songs on the album.

"This album was total therapy," Maines said in the release. "I'm way more at peace now. Writing these songs and saying everything we had to say makes it possible to move on."

But the Chicks — who will support the new album with a worldwide tour starting this summer — apparently aren't moving on completely. •

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060311/ENTERTAINMENT01/603110338/1005/ENTERTAINMENT

canoilers

03-11-2006, 1:10pm

"And I guess I was ignorant to the fact that the stereotypes behind country music were true." Stuff like this don't make me a fan of Natalie. Thats a pretty ignorant thing to say if you ask me.

SHANIANUTS!

03-11-2006, 1:15pm

I am not really sure what she is saying by that. What is your read?

canoilers

03-11-2006, 1:41pm

Pretty much that country music fan's are cousin lovin', African- American hating, uneducated idiots, isn't that what the stereotypes are?

canoilers

03-11-2006, 2:25pm

MiniShaniaTwain

03-12-2006, 12:44am

As a loyal Dixie Chicks fan, I'm staying out of this one...

Shannia

03-12-2006, 7:09am

Thanx for all the info guys. I kept entering to Dixie Chicks website but there´s never any update since Martie had their children! So they won´t be country anymore? I can´t wait to listen their new music. It´s great to see that they will start a worldwide tour starting this summer! SO that means that they will go to Europe! Of course I am not expecting that they are coming to Spain lol but I will do everything I could to watch them in concert in other European country :D

Troll

03-12-2006, 2:28pm

Top Five Reasons Why the Dixie Chicks Are Ready to Return to Country Music...

No. 5 - Natalie no longer hypnotized by Michael Moore's "dreamy" eyes.

No. 4 - Safe to come out of hiding now that Faith and Tim are running the country.

No. 3 - Someone has to put a stop to that MusikMafia crap.

No. 2 - Dealing with country fans more fun than dealing with Food Stamps.

And the No. 1 reason -- Just love to **** people off.

From countrynation.com

Troll

03-16-2006, 2:06pm

You can hear the song here. I like the song.

http://music.msn.com/artist/?artist=16097852&GT1=7702

canoilers

03-16-2006, 7:26pm

Thanks for the link, sounds good. Wouldn't exactly say it my favourite, but its got heart.

rosakelley

03-17-2006, 10:16am

...how the country music industry treats Shania shows how ugly they are. Though there are times I wish Shania will bite hard but I guess she reacting and treating the situation in her own special way. As for the Dixie Chicks well I'm still out on the jury about what happened but what all is going on with the prez the Chicks have made me think and look. I do like their music and I can't wait to hear their new album.

MiniShaniaTwain

03-17-2006, 12:23pm

I like this song! It's upbeat, and the Chicks sound terrific!

Shannia

03-17-2006, 12:48pm

Thanx for the link. It sounds very different :)

Roger

03-17-2006, 1:00pm

Shania would never pull that, even though Nashville treats her like crap. She stood by country music no matter how bad they treat her. They given her more reason to come out and say something bad and she doesn't. She's always had something good to say about the genre. She stood by this country even though it hasn't exactly given her an easy life growing up too. I think thats remarkable, and even more reason that I'm proud to call myself a Shania fan. I think that woman is just plain remarkable. That woman impress's me everday and that grows everyday as well. :D

The country music establishment has been much harder on the Chicks than they were on Shania. No one has stomped on Shania's CDs and no radio stations have refused to play her (that I know of).

I am with the Chicks on this one. They were right to question Bush's action in Iraq and to feel ashamed of him. They are right to continue to stand up to Nashville until such time as they hear a few apologies (yeah, right!). If country stations wish to play them, fine. If country music fans wish to buy their CD, fine. If not, it will be country music's loss.

I like the sound and the message of their new single. Not sure I like the melody yet but I have to hear it a time or two more to absorb it.

canoilers

03-17-2006, 7:57pm

There have been a couple of stories on here where its happened, there was a church group that even burnt her discs. I believe the excuse was she was destroying the moral fabric with her sexy video's. There have been radio stations that won't play her because she's destroying country music.

canoilers

03-17-2006, 8:36pm

Heres one but it wasn't the one I was looking for, I seem to remeber a group in Indiana that burnt her discs too. Maybe it was one of the ones that got removed, but I'll keep looking.

http://www.shaniaforums.com/showthread.php?t=23707&highlight=church+shania

canoilers

03-17-2006, 8:40pm

Heres another one, but its still not the one I'm looking for.

http://www.shaniaforums.com/showthread.php?t=24981&highlight=church+shania

canoilers

03-17-2006, 8:48pm

D'oh they are the same story, sorry about that. :p I remeber a story about that from Indiana.

Troll

03-18-2006, 2:49pm

Thanks for the link.

shaniatfan

03-19-2006, 1:20pm

I love the song, its got really good lyrics and the Chicks sound great.
I have nothing against the Chicks about wat they said they only thing that i didnt like that they did was that whole Toby Keith thing thats the only thing. I feel they are people and they have the right to their opinion just like every other American.

La Diablesa

03-19-2006, 2:53pm

You can hear the song here. I like the song.

http://music.msn.com/artist/?artist=16097852&GT1=7702

:D THANKS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!! :love: SOUND *FCK* GREAAAAAAAAAAT :shocked: :] :love: CANT WAIT TO HAVE THE ALBUM :D

:devil:

canoilers

03-19-2006, 5:54pm

Troll

03-19-2006, 6:49pm

:D THANKS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!! :love: SOUND *FCK* GREAAAAAAAAAAT :shocked: :] :love: CANT WAIT TO HAVE THE ALBUM :D

:devil:

Can't wait to get it either.

Shannia

03-20-2006, 2:41pm

Roger

03-20-2006, 8:31pm

Well, I have been such a big Chicks fan for a long time that I downloaded their new song and have been listening to it. It is powerful in word and sound, with wonderful instrumentation. Now, will it do well? Hmm, hard to say. I googled reaction to it and a lot of rabid right wing types are very bitter. I think it will do only modestly well in the US country environment. Reaction will depend on political leanings and in US country, the right wing rules. I kinda doubt the Chicks will make a successful jump to pop music, at least based on this particular song. They could in Canada but that counts for nothing outside Canada.

Troll

03-20-2006, 11:00pm

Troll

03-20-2006, 11:06pm

Roger

03-20-2006, 11:40pm

Well I guess this answers that question.

Kissing Chicks
-- Looks like country radio is planting a big, wet kiss on the Dixie Chicks' new single, "Not Ready To Make Nice." The tune takes the week's biggest chart jump on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart -- moving 54-36.

Oh, well, if this song does well, it indicates a changing mood in the US public to the war in Iraq. The more people who now think the invasion was a bad idea, the better Natalie looks. But I guess the next few weeks will tell. Where will this song peak? In the 30s or in the top ten?

Troll

03-24-2006, 2:10pm

Dixie Chicks tackle Bush backlash

Country music stars the Dixie Chicks have used their new single to hit back at people who made death threats after they criticised President George Bush.
The trio caused an outcry in 2003 after singer Natalie Maines said the band were "ashamed" the US President was from their home state of Texas.

They said the backlash was the focus of their new song Not Ready to Make Nice.

"We knew [the song] was special because it was so autobiographical," said banjo player Emily Robison.
The stakes were definitely higher on that song.

"And once we had that song done, it freed us up to do the rest of the album without that burden."

Dixie Chicks, comprised of Maines, Robison and Martie Maguire, were performing in London on the eve of the Iraq war when Maines made the comments.

She said: "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas."

US radio stations reported a flood of protests from listeners angered by the comments, while some dropped the band's music from playlists.

The trio also said they received death threats, which led to them installing metal detectors at their shows.

Maines later said she regretted her remark, but remained passionately against the war.

Not Ready to Make Nice is from the band's new album, Taking the Long Way, released in the US in May.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4841238.stm

MiniShaniaTwain

03-24-2006, 4:19pm

Oh, well, if this song does well, it indicates a changing mood in the US public to the war in Iraq. The more people who now think the invasion was a bad idea, the better Natalie looks. But I guess the next few weeks will tell. Where will this song peak? In the 30s or in the top ten?

I agree with you there Roger! I think this song could peak in the top 10! After all, there still are a lot of Chicks fans, and they've missed the Chicks' music.

MiniShaniaTwain

03-30-2006, 1:23pm

You can watch the Dixie Chicks new video for "Not ready to make nice" using this link:

http://video.msn.com/v/en-ca/v.htm?g=0bc19...usic_ENCAvideos

I wanna hear what your reactions are!

Troll

03-30-2006, 2:16pm

Thanks for the link Heidi. A very interesting video.

La Diablesa

03-31-2006, 3:48pm

:D:up: THAAAAAAAAAAANKS SWEETIE :love: COOL VIDEO AND BETTER SONG ;) :D

:devil:

rosakelley

03-31-2006, 5:53pm

I like it- the song and video. I can connect with it. I can't wait for the album to hit the stores.

Troll

04-01-2006, 1:06am

I like it- the song and video. I can connect with it. I can't wait for the album to hit the stores.

Can't wait for it either. :up:

1Yukari2

04-06-2006, 1:54pm

Again , I believe that THE CHICKS were right about BUSH , as he is proving to be the worst President in U.S. history.

A record 1 trillion $ deficiet. [I guess going to Mars will not happen ,who will pay for it?]

36% at times [approval rating]

The IRAQ WAR , disaster that still continues and has made things allot worse.
Terrorism is way up , not down. The world is much more dangerous now.

NO.......WMD

SADDAM , had nothing to do with SEPT 11th

Iraq , was not a terrorist state , but it is now.

BIN LAUDIN , is still on the loose.

BUSH , wanted to sell some U.S. ports to ARAB countries.

U.S. government reports that PROVE that GLOBAL WARNING is a fact are edited by a former oil lobbiest in the WHITE HOUSE :rolleyes:

The U.S.' world wide reputation is in taters.

Just look at the U.S. and the world with BILL CLINTON and with BUSH.

And the way NASHVILLE treated THE CHICKS and SHANIA proves that allot of the NASHVILLE stereo types are true.

Free speech is a U.S. trade mark. I guess not any more.

Shannia

04-07-2006, 1:44pm

Thanx for the video :) It´s great, it has a lot of symbolism

Roger

04-07-2006, 2:09pm

Great video! Go Natalie!!

OMG just when I think Bush can't get any worse, he hits a new low. How many more years is the world stuck with him?

Troll

04-11-2006, 10:46pm

Chicks with a plan?
-- Wonder why the Dixie Chicks would provoke instead of placate, by releasing the single "Not Ready to Make Nice," one of the weaker tracks on their upcoming album?

Sony Records declined to comment, but the most obvious explanation, reckons Entertainment Weekly's Chris Willman, is that the band and label knew it would stiff at radio, but be a smash in the world of TV news and talk shows like Bill O'Reilly's.

Dunno. Why not just release the best music and forget the scheming? That's what really counts, ain't it?

MiniShaniaTwain

04-11-2006, 11:58pm

In case anyone was wondering, the director of the video is Sophie Muller, who directed Faith Hill and Tim McGraw's video for "Like we never loved at all", and the video just premiered on CMT's Top 20 Countdown last week. I also saw it a few times on VH1 Country already, so be sure to look for it!

Shannia

04-12-2006, 7:56am

Anyone has seen this? :mad: :mad: :scowl:

Not ready to make nice "parody" (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2727163556988029063&q=dixie+chicks&pl=true)

Troll

04-12-2006, 11:00am

Anyone has seen this? :mad: :mad: :scowl:

Not ready to make nice "parody" (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2727163556988029063&q=dixie+chicks&pl=true)

That is interesting.

Roger

04-12-2006, 11:18am

Anyone has seen this? :mad: :mad: :scowl:

Not ready to make nice "parody" (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2727163556988029063&q=dixie+chicks&pl=true)

Ah yes - another coherent, tasteful, incisive, relevant and, above, all intelligent response from the redneck crowd! :rolleyes:

Shannia

04-14-2006, 7:58am

That is interesting.
It´s a shame:mad:

Troll

04-15-2006, 11:16pm

Dixie Chicks: "Taking the Long Way"
"It's easier to write songs that are about other people," says Natalie Maines. "It's much harder to put yourself out there, but the songs are so much better and mean so much more when you can let yourself be vulnerable, and be honest with your emotions and your beliefs."

With "Taking the Long Way," one of the most anticipated albums in recent years, the Dixie Chicks are putting themselves out there like never before. For the first time, every one of the disc's fourteen songs are co-written by the Chicks themselves, exploring themes both deeply private and resoundingly political. Collaborating with legendary producer Rick Rubin (who has worked with everyone from Johnny Cash to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, from Run-DMC to Neil Diamond), the biggest-selling female band in history has truly pushed themselves to new heights both as writers and as performers.

"Everything felt more personal this time," says Maines. "I go back to songs we've done in the past and there's just more maturity, depth, intelligence on these. They just feel more grown-up." Inspired by such classic rock artists as the Eagles, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and the Mamas and the Papas, "Taking the Long Way" adds a sweeping, Southern California vibe to the Chicks' down-home intimacy. That ambition is matched with lyrics addressing everything from small-town narrow-mindedness ("Lubbock or Leave It") to the psychology of celebrity ("Everybody Knows"). "This album was about finding a balance in the different aspects of our lives," says Emily Robison, "but there's something thematic there, too -- it's really about being bold."

Of course, that's a subject that the Dixie Chicks know a few things about. Not just "big for a country band" or "big for a big female band," the Dixie Chicks are a multi-platinum selling act in North America, Europe and Australia. They are one of a mere handful of acts with multiple albums achieving "diamond" status (meaning sales over 10 million copies) -- both "Wide Open Spaces" (1998) and "Fly" (1999) hit that stratospheric landmark -- and have won seven Grammy awards. Their on-stage reputation has helped them sell over $100 million worth of concert tickets, and outspoken songs like "Goodbye, Earl" made it clear that this power trio played by nobody's rules.

And that was all before Natalie Maines's comments about a fellow Texan, President George W. Bush, during a London appearance in March, 2003 really put the Dixie Chicks in the headlines. The resultant uproar -- complete with boycotts and death threats -- is the focus of the defiant first single from "Taking the Long Way," "Not Ready to Make Nice" (listen to the song right now). "The stakes were definitely higher on that song," says Robison. "We knew it was special because it was so autobiographical, and we had to get it right. And once we had that song done, it freed us up to do the rest of the album without that burden."

Martie Maguire says that all three Chicks believe they've grown as a result of the incident. "I learned I was ready to put my career on the line for something I believed in," she says. "Emily and I could have pressured Natalie to apologize, and I was so proud that I had that inner strength -- that nothing is as important as standing up for what you believe in."

Following the controversy, the group spent the rest of 2003 on their "Top of the World" tour (documented on a double-CD and a DVD of the same name), and amassed the biggest one-year gross for a country music act in history -- a whopping $62 million. The following year, they joined the historic "Vote for Change" tour in anticipation of the 2004 Presidential election.

When it came time to return to the recording studio, the Chicks knew that they wanted a new direction. Their last studio album, 2002's "Home," was itself a departure -- a glorious celebration of their acoustic roots -- so there was no obvious next move. They discovered that they shared a fondness for Rick Rubin's work, only to find out that he was a Dixie Chicks fan ever since seeing the trio "completely blow everyone off the stage" at a Sony Music function early in their career.

When sessions began in Los Angeles in May, 2005, Maguire remembers Rubin saying, "I think this should sound like a great rock act making a country album, not a country act making a rock album." Beyond that, things were left open to see where the creative process would lead. "It was a very different style of working," says Maines. "You have to learn to relax and be OK with experimenting. We just knew we wanted to do something different, and that's scary."

"The journey is to see where the songs take us," says Rubin. "I felt like they had a lot to talk about, and it would be a good time for them to talk. It was really like the start of their career. Up until now, people loved them in a very surface way. This was the first time that people took them seriously -- and in one stroke they went from loved artists to serious artists."

Rubin assembled a band including Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, session hero Larry Knechtel, and Heartbreakers Benmont Tench and Mike Campbell, and matched the Chicks with co-writers including Dan Wilson (who wound up collaborating on six of the songs on "Taking the Long Way"), Pete Yorn, and Gary Louris of the Jayhawks. Rubin says that he watched the band's songwriting skills skyrocket in front of his eyes. "Over a period of time, by honing their craft and working with good mentors, they got to be really, really good songwriters," he says.

The results cover an impressive range of territory. "Silent House" examines the emotions that come from watching an older relative struggle with Alzheimer's. "It's So Hard When It Doesn't Come Easy" addresses infertility, an issue that both Robison and Maguire have faced. ("I think we feel a responsibility to break down some barriers," says Maguire. "It's much more of a common problem than people realize.") The Chicks debuted the gospel-inflected "I Hope," co-written with Keb' Mo', during last year's telethon benefiting the victims of Hurricane Katrina; the album version features a blistering guitar solo by John Mayer.

Of course, political brouhahas weren't the only things happening in the Dixie Chicks world during the last few years. The number of children in their posse has grown from two to seven since the release of "Home," and their domestic life informs such songs as "Baby Hold On" and the delicate "Lullaby," which they call "a gift to our kids." Robison laughs that "our entourage just consists of nannies," while noting that their tour plans this time will be "stretched out more -- we'll tour longer, with more time off."

As for the tour -- set to kick off in the summer and run for more than a year -- Maines says that it will be "more of an old-style rock show, not so much about theatrics and props but just about the music." She also notes that "to rock out, we used to have to pull out a cover tune, so it's nice to have your own songs to fill that part of the set."

Superstars, renegades, innovators, heroes, villains, and moms -- over almost a decade, the Dixie Chicks have grown from a band into a phenomenon. Now more than ever, the eyes of the world are on them, and with "Taking the Long Way," they come out swinging, surpassing the pressures and expectations history has placed upon them.

"This album was total therapy," says Natalie Maines. "I'm way more at peace now. Writing these songs and saying everything we had to say makes it possible to move on."

http://music.msn.com/artist/?artist=16097852&GT1=7961

Shannia

04-16-2006, 6:58am

Thanx for the article Troll, it´s nice to read:) Nice news that they are already talking about their new tour when the cd is not out yet:)

Troll

04-16-2006, 10:17am

Thanx for the article Troll, it´s nice to read:) Nice news that they are already talking about their new tour when the cd is not out yet:)

Yes it is nice. :D

Troll

04-26-2006, 7:25pm

Chicks in the park
-- The Dixie Chicks will kick-off "Good Morning America's 2006 Summer Concert Series," May 26 at New York City's Bryant Park.
No, Natalie won't be biting the heads off pigeons. The Chicks will be on the show to promote their new album, Taking The Long Way, which is due May 23.

Kenny Chesney performs on the show, June 9 -- and Carrie Underwood is scheduled for August 11.

MiniShaniaTwain

04-26-2006, 10:01pm

Thanks for the info Andrew! I'll have to DVR that show on all those dates!

Shannia

04-30-2006, 3:30pm

Thanx for the info Troll. It´s a pity, I can´t watch that show :(

Troll

04-30-2006, 4:05pm

Dixie Chicks on Time list
-- The Dixie Chicks show up on Time Magazine's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
The Chicks are named in the Artist & Entertainers category.

Why exactly were they included on the list? Because Cindy Sheehan isn't a singer, silly.

Also lumped in with the Chicks: George Clooney, Reese Witherspoon, Howard Stern and Matt Drudge, among others.

You'll find the complete list in Time's May 8 edition, on newsstands Monday.

La Diablesa

04-30-2006, 8:09pm

Taking The Long Way (May 23, 2006)

Recorded at The Village Recorder in Los Angeles, California
Produced by Rick Rubin

The Dixie Chicks first studio album since 2002 includes 14 songs, all co-written by the Chicks. Other co-writers include Dan Wilson, Pete Yorn, and Gary Louris of the Jayhawks. The first single, Not Ready To Make Nice, is an autobiographical look at the fallout over Natalie's comments about President Bush in March 2003. Other topics addressed in songs are Alzheimer's disease, infertility, small-town narrow-mindedness, and the psychology of celebrity.

Track By Track
(courtesy of Front Page Publicity)

1. The Long Way Around (written by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Dan Wilson)

Emily: That's a journey song, about the different stages in our lives. A recap of where we've been, where we're going - and it was nice to remind ourselves of all that.

Natalie: We've always written songs that are about other people. It's so much harder to put yourself out there and be honest with your emotions and your beliefs, but the songs are so much better and mean so much more when you can let yourself be vulnerable.

2. Easy Silence (written by by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Dan Wilson)

Martie: We didn't set out to write a lot of love songs, but we're all probably in the best place we've ever been with our mates.

Natalie: There's also a bit of political commentary in there, from my point of view. I had to get a lot of other things off my chest before I could be nice and sentimental. Even when we tried to write a sweet song, there was always a little dig at somebody.

Martie: One of the challenges for me was that the songs we were writing weren't necessarily calling for the traditional kind of fiddling that I am used to doing on our records. The orchestrated approach really pushed me to dig back into my training and remember how to play and write with those sensibilities. Rick really encouraged me to think differently in this respect and not feel limited.

3. Not Ready To Make Nice (written by by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Dan Wilson)

Emily: The stakes were definitely higher on that song. We knew it was special because it was so autobiographical, and we had to get it right.
We've all gone through so many emotions about the incident. We talked for days with Dan before putting pen to paper, and he really helped get inside our heads and put these feelings out. And once we had this song done, it freed us up to do the rest of the album without that burden.

Martie: We had reached a point where we were laughing a lot about it, and people didn't really know how far it had gone. I realized I had suppressed a lot about the death threat. It all came flooding back in the process of writing this song, I think we all realized just how painful it had been for us.

Natalie: We tried to write about the incident a few times, but you get nervous that you're being too preachy or too victimized or too nonchalant. Dan came in with an idea that was some kind of concession, more 'can't we all just get along?' and I said, nope, I can't say that, can't do it. And we talked about it, and he said, what about "I'm not ready to make nice?" From the outside, normal people really weren't aware of how bizarre and absurd it got. Dan was really good at cluing in to that, saying something that didn't back down, but still had a vulnerability to it. This album was therapy. To write these songs allowed me to find peace with everything and move on.

4. Everybody Knows (written by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Gary Louris)

Natalie: I find the psychology of celebrity very interesting; the things people are willing to sacrifice to be famous. I think it comes from a sad place. Some are grounded and can keep it in perspective, and some let it take over.

Emily: It's a soap opera, something for people to watch that's bigger than life. And the people who are in the middle of it love that. They want to be perceived as being larger than life. It's like watching "Richie Rich" or "Silver Spoons."

Martie: I'm very proud that when Brad and Jennifer broke up, I didn't know for a month!

Natalie: Sometimes you do feel more claustrophobic. I've definitely become more reclusive and anti-social and suspicious of people, which sucks, but it does come with it.

5. Bitter End (written by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Gary Louris)

Emily: That started when Martie came in with a little Celtic fiddle riff, just like two notes.

Martie: I'd been listening to the Pogues a lot, and I just started from a drone and a waltz time feel. It was hard at first writing with people you don't know, how much you're willing to put out there and risk getting shot down. We spent long hours just talking with these people, talking about life, collaborating on what we wanted to say

Natalie: It's a lot of hours to spend with somebody if you don't have much in common. These writers are so good, they are constantly questioning if a song is the best it can be.

Emily: Gary Louris is just so melodic - and he's really good at singing nonsense words to the melodies, and then ideas just come out of that.

6. Lullaby (written by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Dan Wilson)

Emily: That was last song that was written for the album. We felt like we said everything we wanted to say, it was time to write a song about our kids.

Natalie: It's a song that you're really going to get and is going to make you cry if you have kids. If you're a teenager, I guess you can skip over it!
One thing that's cool about being a musician is that things live forever, so our kids will always have this as a gift to them.

7. Lubbock or Leave It (written by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Mike Campbell)

Emily: We'd seen a documentary called "The Education of Shelby Knox," which was about a girl - she was 16 at the time, very religious - trying to get Lubbock to teach sex education in the schools. And Lubbock has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy and STDs in the US, so it really showed what happens when you keep this information away from people. Lubbock is also one of the last hold-out radio stations that still won't play us, and of course Natalie is from Lubbock, so she has personal experience with the box that a small town can keep you in.

Natalie: It's not just about Lubbock, but about any small, hypocritical town. Mike was asking me for all the details - the stores, streets and I came up with this long list of names. We talked about the irony of having a big painting of Buddy Holly at the airport -that his face is the last thing you see before getting on a plane!
I do feel bad for my family who’s still there and has to defend me - after everything they already went through, to have to do it again.

8. Silent House (written by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Neil Finn)

Natalie: This song is about my grandmother who has Alzheimer's. It's about walking through her house, that she no longer lives in. Packing up a house, having all those familiar feelings and passing those wonderful memories on to others.

Emily: Martie and I also had a grandfather who had dementia, and you realize that it's up to you to remember them the way they were, because you're going to be a witness to their life. That's one of my favorites on the album. It's kind of a dark horse - it's long, it takes a lot of patience, but I really grew to like it.

Natalie: Even though this song is about our experiences, almost everyone has been touched by something like this. The other writers were all very generous and understood what we needed to say.

9. Favorite Year (written by Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Sheryl Crow)

Martie: I had an idea for a song where the person knows in their heart that a relationship wasn't right, but still wants the other person to look back on it as the best time in their life. I think I was wished that that’s how my ex husband looked back on our 5 years together, but I know that's not the case. But hey, you can make it true in a song, right?

Natalie: I had just watched "The Big Chill," so that's what I was visualizing. People who were so in love when they were really young, and you really think you're going to spend the rest of your lives together, but then life just takes turns.

Emily: Sheryl Crow worked out the chord progression. We worked on this song together when we were recording "Home."

Natalie: We felt an instant connection to Sheryl, she's very real and funny, easy to talk to and open about herself.

10. Voice Inside My Head (written by Linda Perry, Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Dan Wilson)

Martie: This one was hard for Natalie. It took a long time for her to feel like she could sing this song and really own it. It's a very heavy subject matter and it took us a while to get it right.

Natalie: It’s one that didn’t come together until the very end. Rick was instrumental in making the sound really work for this song.

11. I Like It (written Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Gary Louris)

Natalie: The day we wrote “I like It” with Gary we were looking just to write a rock song with a great hook. What I like most about this song is all the layers of harmonies. It was one of those songs that we got to try things vocally, that we had never done before.

12. Baby Hold On (written by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Pete Yorn, Gary Louris)

Emily: That's a song touching on where we are in our lives and our relationships, trying to get your partner to be Number One in your life and putting the focus back on your marriage, as opposed to just being mom and dad. Kind of a "where are we now" look at married life.

Martie: I thought we'd write more about our families than we did. We're really good friends, but we don't always talk a lot about our personal lives - maybe out of not wanting to burden the others, or even just to keep a bit of privacy.

13. So Hard (written by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Dan Wilson)

Martie: That song touches on the issue of infertility, which Emily and I both had to deal with. I think we feel a responsibility to break down some of these barriers - it's much more of a common problem than people realize. Someone the other day asked me if twins ran in my family. When I told them I did in vitro they said, "Oh, so you took the easy way." I couldn't believe they said that.

Emily: We both got pregnant through in vitro fertilization, and people usually get all freaked out when we tell them that. I don't find it a stigma at all - people need to start talking about it, because it feels almost epidemic. And it's so wonderful that we have this technology.

14. I Hope (written by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Keb’ Mo’)

Emily: Keb’Mo’ was one of the last writers we wrote with, and it was so nice and so comfortable working with him. With what he's been through and where he grew up, it's important to him to write positive, uplifting songs.

Natalie: On the other hand, he wasn't afraid to get political, and this ultimately turned out to be a pretty serious song. Hopeful and positive, but serious.

:devil:

La Diablesa

04-30-2006, 8:17pm

AND THE LYRICS ;) :D

1. The Long Way Around
Words & Music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Dan Wilson

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
No I
I could never follow

I hit the highway
In a pink RV with stars on the ceiling
Lived like a gypsy
Six strong hands on the steering wheel

I’ve been a long time gone now
Maybe someday, someday I’m gonna settle down
But I’ve always found my way somehow

By takin’ the long way
Takin’ the long way around
Takin’ the long way
Takin’ the long way around

I met the queen of whatever
Drank with the Irish and smoked with the hippies
Moved with the shakers
Wouldn’t kiss all the ***** that they told me to

No I
I could never follow
No I
I could never follow

It’s been two long years now
Since the top of the world came crashing down
And I’m getting’ it back on the road now

But I’m takin’ the long way
Takin’ the long way around
I’m takin’ the long way
Takin’ the long way around
The long
The long way around

Well I fought with a stranger and I met myself
I opened my mouth and I heard myself
It can get pretty lonely when you show yourself
Guess I could have made it easier on myself

But I
I could never follow
No I
I could never follow

Well I never seem to do it like anybody else
Maybe someday, someday I’m gonna settle down
If you ever want to find me I can still be found

Takin’ the long way
Takin’ the long way around
Takin’ the long way
Takin’ the long way around…..

Words & Music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Dan Wilson
C 2005 Woolly Puddin’ Music (BMI) - Chrysalis Music/Sugar Lake Music (ASCAP)

2. Easy Silence
Words & Music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Dan Wilson

When the calls and conversations
Accidents and accusations
Messages and misperceptions
Paralyze my mind

Busses, cars, and airplanes leavin’
Burnin’ fumes of gasoline and
Everyone is running and I
Come to find a refuge in the

Easy silence that you make for me
It’s ok when there’s nothing more to say to me
And the peaceful quiet you create for me
And the way you keep the world at bay for me
The way you keep the world at bay

Monkeys on the barricades
Are warning us to back away
They form commissions trying to find
The next one they can crucify

And anger plays on every station
Answers only make more questions
I need something to believe in
Breathe in sanctuary in the

Easy silence that you make for me
It’s ok when there’s nothing more to say to me
And the peaceful quiet you create for me
And the way you keep the world at bay for me
The way you keep the world at bay

Children lose their youth too soon
Watching war made us immune
And I’ve got all the world to lose
But I just want to hold on to the

Easy silence that you make for me
It’s ok when there’s nothing more to say to me
And the peaceful quiet you create for me
And the way you keep the world at bay for me

The easy silence that you make for me
It’s ok when there’s nothing more to say to me
And the peaceful quiet you create for me
And the way you keep the world at bay for me
The way you keep the world at bay for me
The way you keep the world at bay

Words & Music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Dan Wilson
C 2005 Woolly Puddin’ Music (BMI) - Chrysalis Music/Sugar Lake Music (ASCAP)

3. Not Ready To Make Nice
Words & Music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Dan Wilson

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting

I’m through with doubt
There’s nothing left for me to figure out
I’ve paid a price
And I’ll keep paying

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

I know you said
Can’t you just get over it
It turned my whole world around
And I kind of like it

I made my bed and I sleep like a baby
With no regrets and I don’t mind sayin’
It’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach her
Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger
And how in the world can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they’d write me a letter
Sayin’ that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything

But I’m still waiting

Words & Music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Dan Wilson
C 2005 Woolly Puddin’ Music (BMI) - Chrysalis Music/Sugar Lake Music (ASCAP)

4. Everybody Knows
Words & Music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Gary Louris

Tell me now
If you came sneaking up behind
Would you know me
And see behind the smile
I can change like colors on a wall
Hoping no one else will find what lies beneath it all
I think I hide it all so well

Steppin’ out
Everyone can see my face
All the things I can’t erase
From my life
Everybody knows
Standing out
So you won’t forget my name
That’s the way we play this game
Of life
Everybody knows

Looking through the crowd
I search for something else
But every time I turn around
I run into myself
Here I stand
Consumed with my surroundings
Just another day
Of everybody looking
I swore they’d never see me cry
You’ll never see me cry

Steppin’ out
Everyone can see my face
All the things I can’t erase
From my life
Everybody knows
Standing out
So you won’t forget my name
That’s the way we play this game
Of life
Everybody knows

You say I’ll pay the price
That’s the chance that I’ll take
Though you may think I’m telling lies
But I just call it getting by

Steppin’ out
Everyone can see my face
All the things I can’t erase
From my life
Everybody knows

Standing out
So you won’t forget my name
That’s the way we play this game
Of life
Everybody knows
I am just barely getting by

Words & Music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Gary Louris
C 2005 Woolly Puddin’ Music (BMI) - Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./Absinthe Music (BMI).

5. Bitter End
Words & Music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Gary Louris

The words that you said
They still ring in my head
Don’t you know
We say goodbye
With a tear in our eye
Oh where’d you go

It’s alright
You can sleep tonight
Knowing you’ll always live on
In a song

Farewell to old friends
Let’s raise a glass to the bitter end
Farewell to old friends
Will you be the same when we see you again

Remember the days
When we’d laugh as you played
Who would have known
The water would come and just take you away
Oh where’d you go

It’s not alright
I can’t sleep tonight
Knowing you should have played on
On and on

Farewell to old friends
Let’s raise a glass to the bitter end
Farewell to old friends
Will you forgive me when I see you again

You had a good time
Drinking all of our wine
After the show
We all rode the wave
Of that crazy parade
Oh where’d you go
What happened to
The ones we knew
As long as I’m the shiniest star
Oh there you are

Farewell to old friends
Let’s raise a glass to the bitter end
Farewell to old friends
We’ll still be here when you come ‘round again

Words & Music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Gary Louris
C 2005 Woolly Puddin’ Music (BMI) - Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./Absinthe Music (BMI).

6. Lullaby
Words & Music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Dan Wilson

They didn’t have you where I come from
Never knew the best was yet to come
Life began when I saw your face
And I hear your laugh like a serenade

How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough, is forever enough
How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough, ‘cause I’m never never
Givin’ you up

I slip in bed when you’re asleep
To hold you close and feel your breath on me
Tomorrow there’ll be so much to do
So tonight I’ll drift in a dream with you

How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough, is forever enough
How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough, ‘cause I’m never never
Givin’ you up

As you wander through this troubled world
In search of all things beautiful
You can close your eyes when you’re miles away
And hear my voice like a serenade

How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough, is forever enough
How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough, ‘cause I’m never never
Givin’ you

How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough, is forever enough
How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough, ‘cause I’m never never
Givin’ you up
Is forever enough, ‘cause I’m never never

Givin’ you up

Words & Music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Dan Wilson
C 2005 Woolly Puddin’ Music (BMI) - Chrysalis Music/Sugar Lake Music (ASCAP)

7. Lubbock Or Leave It
Words & Music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Mike Campbell

Dust bowl, Bible belt
Got more churches than trees
Raise me, praise me, couldn’t save me
Couldn’t keep me on my knees
Oh boy
Rave on down loop 289
That’ll be the day you see me back
In this fool’s paradise

Temptation’s strong
(Salvation’s gone)
I’m on my way
To hell’s half acre
How will I ever
How will I ever
Get to heaven now

Throwin’ stones from the top of your rock
Thinkin’ no one can see
The secrets you hide behind
Your southern hospitality
On the strip the kids get lit
So they can have a real good time
Come Sunday they can just take their pick
From the crucifix skyline

Temptation’s strong
(Salvation’s gone)
I’m on my way
To hell’s half acre
How will I ever
How will I ever
Get to heaven now
Get to heaven now

International airport
A quarter after nine
Paris Texas, Athens Georgia’s
Not what I had in mind
As I’m getting out I laugh to myself
‘Cause this is the only place
Where as you’re getting’ on the plane
You see Buddy Holly’s face

I hear they hate me now
Just like they hated you
Maybe when I’m dead and gone
I’m gonna get a statue too

Temptation’s strong
(Salvation’s gone)
I’m on my way
To hell’s half acre
How will I ever
How will I ever
Get to heaven now
Get to heaven now
How will I ever

Get to heaven now

Words & Music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Mike Campbell
C 2005 Woolly Puddin’ Music (BMI) - Wild Gator Music (ASCAP).

8. Silent House
Words & Music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Neil Finn

These walls
Have eyes
Rows of photographs
And faces like mine
Who do
We become
Without knowing where
We started from

It’s true
I’m missing you
As I stand alone
In your room

Everyday that will pass you by
Every name that you won’t recall
Everything that you made by hand
Everything that you know by heart

And I will try to connect
All the pieces you left
I will carry it on
And let you forget
And I’ll remember the years
When your mind was clear
How the laughter and life
Filled up this silent house

One room
Two single beds
In the closet hangs
Your favorite dress
The books
That you read
Are in scattered piles
Of paper shreds

Everything that you made by hand
Everything that you know by heart

And I will try to connect
All the pieces you left
I will carry it on
And let you forget
And I’ll remember the years
When your mind was clear
How the laughter and life
Filled up this silent house
Silent house

In the garden
Off the living room
A chill fills the air
And the lilies bloom

And I will try to connect
All the pieces you left
I will carry it on
And let you forget
And I’ll remember the years
When your mind was clear
How the laughter and life
Filled up this

And I will try to connect
All the pieces you left
I will carry it on
And let you forget
And I’ll remember the years
When your mind was clear
How the laughter and life
Filled up this silent house

Silent house

Words & Music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Neil Finn
C 2005 Woolly Puddin’ Music (BMI) - Roundhead Music/Admin. by Chrysalis Songs (BMI).

9. Favorite Year
Words & Music by Sheryl Crow, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines

We were young and so inspired
We weren’t the only ones who thought
We’d change the world
No sun would set without us
No one we knew could ever doubt us

We had our future figured out
We knew a love like ours would always save the day
And that we’d always be ok

But would you know me now
Would you lay me down beside you
Tell me everything I want to hear
Like that was your favorite year
Like that was your favorite year

You looked at me like no one else
But sometimes love just doesn’t seem to conquer all
We search for someone else to blame
But sometimes things can’t stay the same

But would you know me now
Would you lay me down beside you
Tell me everything I want to hear
Like that was your favorite year
Like that was your favorite year

Holdin’ on to the memories
Of when we were younger
I can’t forget
‘Cause when we were together
That’s when I was at my best

And would you know me now
Would you lay me down beside you
Tell me all the things I long to hear
Like that was your favorite year
Like that was your favorite year
‘Cause that was my favorite year

Words & Music by Sheryl Crow, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines
C 2005 Woolly Puddin’ Music (BMI) - Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./Old Crow Music (BMI).

10. Voice Inside My Head
Words & Music by Linda Perry, Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Dan Wilson

I was only a kid
When I said goodbye to you
Ten summers ago
But it feels like yesterday
Lost, scared and alone
Nothing I could give to you
I tried, I really did
But I couldn't find another way

And I want
And I need
Somehow to believe
In the choice
I made
Am I better off this way

I can hear the voice inside my head
Saying you should be with me instead
Every time I'm feeling down, I wonder
What would it be like with you around

So I, I made my way
Cold and roaming in the wild
I’m forever changed
By someone I never knew
Now I've, I’ve got a place
I’ve got a husband and a child
But I’ll never forget
What I've given up in you

And I want
I need
Somehow to believe
In the choice
I made
Am I better off this way

I can hear the voice inside my head
Saying you should be with me instead
Every time I'm feeling down, I wonder
What would it be like with you around

And I want
I need
Somehow to believe
In the choice
I made

Am I better off this way

Words & Music by Linda Perry, Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Dan Wilson
C 2005 Woolly Puddin’ Music (BMI) - Famous Music Corp. o/b/o Itself and Stuck In The Throat Music (ASCAP) - Chrysalis Music/Sugar Lake Music (ASCAP).

11. I Like It
Words & Music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Gary Louris

Some people think I’m crazy
But try to understand
I get satisfaction
Out of everything I can
The losers and the winners
The laughter and the tears
The noises of the day to day
Is music to my ears
And I like it
Yeah I like it, whooaa

Gonna live it up this time
And dance like the song is never ending
Gonna get so high tonight
You won’t be able to bring me down
‘Cause I like it
Yeah I like it

Driving down the highway
The wind is in my hair
And if I hit a traffic jam
I swear that I won’t care
Livin’ the lows
Makes the highs that much higher
And the sun will shine through
The smoke and fire of love
Whooaa love
Whooaa

Gonna ride this merry-go-round
And dance like the night is never ending
Gonna get so high on life
You won’t be able to bring me down
‘Cause I like it
Yeah I like it
Oh baby
I like it
Whooaa, I like it

A sea
Couldn’t wash away
The happiness I’ve come to find since love
Has taught me how to break
Break these chains that hold me back

Noisy streets and the
Sleepy bars and the
Neon signs and the
Rusty cars
How many nights have I wondered how
One goes through life without
Seeing the beauty of love
Whooaa the beauty of love
Whooaa

Gonna live it up in this town
And dance like the song is never ending
Gonna get so high tonight
You won’t be able to bring me down

And I like it
Yeah I like it
Whooaa baby
I like it
Oh yeah
I like it

(That’s the beauty of life)…..

Words & Music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Gary Louris
C 2005 Woolly Puddin’ Music (BMI) - Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./Absinthe Music (BMI).

12. Baby Hold On
Words & Music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Pete Yorn, Gary Louris

Hey
It might never be the same
We might never live those days
gone by
But we can try

Good mornin’
Let’s kick the babies out of bed
How ‘bout you and me instead
Hanging on
Not up and gone

(Baby hold on)
Let’s start this over
(Baby hold on)
We’re not much older now
(Baby hold on)
If you still see what I see
Keep holdin’ on
Hold on to me

Baby
It’s good to see you smile again
I know we can’t escape
So let’s pretend
We’re someplace else

It’s a new day
Let’s look at all we’ve got
It’s everything we thought
We ever wanted
It’s beautiful

(Baby hold on)
Let’s start this over
(Baby hold on)
We’re not much older now
(Baby hold on)
If you still see what I see
Keep holdin’ on
Hold on to me

I look across the room and catch you staring at me
And see the love we almost left behind
So lead me by the hand and let’s make up
Let’s make up for lost time

(Baby hold on)
Let’s start this over
(Baby hold on)
We’re not much older
(Baby hold on)
If you still see what I see
Keep holdin’ on

(Baby hold on)
Hold on to me
(Baby hold on)
Just hold on to me
(Baby hold on)
Hold on to me
Keep holdin’ on

Hey
It might never be the same
We might never live those days
Gone by
But we can try

Words & Music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Pete Yorn, Gary Louris
C 2005 Woolly Puddin’ Music (BMI) - Boyletown Music, Inc. (ASCAP) - Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./Absinthe Music (BMI)

13. So Hard
Words & Music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Dan Wilson

Back when we started
We didn’t know how hard it was
Living on nothing
But what the wind would bring to us
Now we’ve got something
I can imagine fighting for
So why is fighting all that we’re good at anymore

And sometimes I don’t have the energy
To prove everybody wrong
And I try my best to be strong
But you know it’s so hard
It’s so hard

It’s so hard when it doesn’t come easy
It’s so hard when it doesn’t come fast
It’s so hard when it doesn’t come easy
It’s so hard

It felt like a given
Something a woman’s born to do
A natural ambition
To see a reflection of me and you

And I’d feel so guilty
If that was a gift I couldn’t give
And could you be happy
If life wasn’t how we pictured it

And sometimes I just want to wait it out
To prove everybody wrong
And I need your help to move on
‘Cause you know it’s so hard
It’s so hard

It’s so hard when it doesn’t come easy
It’s so hard when it doesn’t come fast
It’s so hard when it doesn’t come easy
So hard

I can live for the moment
When all these clouds open up for me to see
And show me a vision
Of you and me swimming peacefully

Last night you told me
That you can’t remember
How to feel free

It’s so hard when it doesn’t come easy
It’s so hard when it doesn’t come fast
It’s so hard when it doesn’t come easy, easy

It’s so hard…..

Words & Music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Dan Wilson
C 2005 Woolly Puddin’ Music (BMI) - Chrysalis Music/Sugar Lake Music (ASCAP)

14. I Hope
Words & Music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Keb’Mo’

Sunday morning
I heard the preacher say
Thou’ shall not kill
I don’t wanna hear nothin’ else
About killin’ and that it’s God’s will

‘Cause our children are watching us
They put their trust in us
They’re gonna be like us
So let’s learn from our history
And do it differently

(I hope)
For more love, more joy and laughter
(I hope)
We’ll have more than you’ll ever need
(I hope)
We’ll have more happy ever afters
(I hope)
And we can all live more fearlessly
And we can lose all the pain and misery
(I hope)
I hope

Oh Rosie
Her man he gets too rough
And all she can say
Is he’s a good man he don’t mean no harm
He was just brought up that way

But our children are watching us
They put their trust in us
They’re gonna be like us
It’s ok for us to disagree
We can work it out lovingly

(I hope)
More love, more joy and laughter
(I hope)
You’ll have more than you’ll ever need
(I hope)
You’ll have more happy ever afters
(I hope)
And you can all live more fearlessly
And you can lose all your pain and misery
(I hope)
I hope

There must be a way
To change what’s going on
No I don’t have all the answers

But I hope
(I hope)
For more love, more joy and laughter
(I hope)
You’ll have more than you’ll ever need
(I hope)
You’ll have more happy ever afters
(I hope)
And we can all live more fearlessly
And we can lose all the pain and misery
(I hope)
I hope
And we can lose all the pain and misery

Words & Music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Keb’Mo’
C 2005 Woolly Puddin’ Music (BMI) - Kebnote Music (BMI) admin. by Wixen Music Publishing

:devil:

Roger

04-30-2006, 8:24pm

Thanx so much, Silvi! Looks like a meaningful album.

Troll

04-30-2006, 11:12pm

Thanks Silvi for the reveiew and lyrics.

MiniShaniaTwain

05-01-2006, 12:28am

Thank you Silvi!

Shaniaolivia

05-01-2006, 3:48am

Eagerly awaiting the new album! :)

BamaGuyJP

05-01-2006, 2:24pm

I'm getting really excited about hearing new Dixie Chicks music. I love "Not Ready To Make Nice" and I can't wait to hear the rest of the album.

Roger

05-02-2006, 2:56pm

Go to www.amazon.ca and you can see an in studio performance of Long Way Around interspersed with comments from all three about this song and the album in general.

La Diablesa

05-02-2006, 3:32pm

TOO INTERESTING AND COOL :kiss: THANKS ROGER ;) I LOVE THE LONG WAY AROUND!!! :D THE ALBUM SOUND PRETTY GOOD :D HERE U HAVE 30 SEC SONG CLIPS OF EVERY SONG :D CANT WAIT TO LISTEN IT ALL!!! :D ENJOY IT :p

http://www.chicksrockchicksrule.com/takinglong_index.htm

:devil:

UllaCountryGal

05-02-2006, 4:06pm

I'm also waiting for the album... I will be casing the record store here for it.

Troll

05-02-2006, 5:04pm

Thanks for the link Silvi and Roger.

Roger

05-03-2006, 9:57pm

Until today I had only seen the video for Not Ready to Make Nice on their website. I had wondered what the words were that Natalie had to write on the blackboard like a naughty child in school. Today I downloaded the video and could see it full screen. The line Natalie had to write over and over is:

"To talk without thinking is to shoot without aiming"

That is a good line. But I am not sure it applies very well to Natalie's comments about Bush. She was in fact aiming at him!

Troll

05-05-2006, 10:24am

From Nashville Kat:

Buddy Holly’s family is mad - on the Chicks upcoming album – in the song "Lubbock or Leave It," Lubbock native Chick Natalie sings: "I hear they hate me now/Just like they hated you./Maybe when I'm dead & gone/I'm gonna get a statue, too." Holly’s statue’s in downtown Lubbock & his brother Larry doesn't know anyone there who hated him. Chick Natalie says “it’s not Lubbock, it’s any small, hypocritical town."Can’t they just sing about puppies and clouds…

Shannia

05-06-2006, 7:10am

You can preorder the new album at amazon.com. There´s a little video where the Chicks are talking about the album while they play The Long Way Around. Brilliant song:]

The Long Way (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F7MG4G/ref=pe_m_dixie_hero/002-2259786-3047215)

Troll

05-06-2006, 10:06am

Troll

05-06-2006, 10:20am

This is going to be an awesome album from the snippets I heard.

Roger

05-06-2006, 10:39am

Not all Texans are as favourably impressed, Andrew:

Dixie Chicks Vs. Buddy Holly

Anthony Welsch
KIMT - NewsChannel 3
Thursday, May 4, 2006

A new album set to hit the country music scene has a connection to North Iowa that may have Buddy Holly fans a little upset.

There's a already a fuss about a new Dixie Chicks song called Lubbock or Leave It. It's not out yet--- radio stations don't even have it. But Buddy Holly's family says they know the song and they're not pleased.

The Dixie Chicks are already fairly well known, but most people know them more for their politics than their music.

"Didn't they talk out against Bush or something a while back?" Andrew Smith of Ventura said.

"I know they got into some trouble when we first went into Iraq," Cathy Hillyer of Clear Lake said.

The band perhaps known best for saying they were ashamed of President Bush. They had their music pulled by a lot of radio stations.

"They were big, they were selling out shows all over and they were huge. Then they made the comment people in Texas were literally smashing their CD's," Robyn McCann, the Programming Director at the Country Moose in Mason City said.

Now the newest controversy is with one of North Iowa's favorite adopted sons.

"The whole deal with them dissing the country, that's what makes me mad. And now, with this Buddy Holly thing, I'm going--- not in North Iowa. Not here. It's not going to fly here at all," she said.

It's all centered around these lyrics:

"I hear they hate me now--- just like they hated you--- maybe when i'm dead and gone---i'm going to get a statue too."

There's a statue of Buddy Holly in downtown Lubbock--- and his family says they're not happy about the comments.

They don't think anybody hated Buddy---even if Rock N Roll wasn't popular with adults when he was playing.

"I think the younger recognize generation at that time loved him. The older generation was 'oh my gosh this is terrible music'," McCann said.

But Robyn's station, the Country Moose out of Mason City only plays the Dixie Chicks now by request.

As for the song with the Buddy Holly reference...

"This whole song with the Buddy Holly thing I'm going to stay away from because Buddy Holly is so well known here," she said.

For a lot of people in our area--- they say they won't complain if every song in Iowa refuses to play the song.

The Dixie Chicks were unavailable for comment. They do say on their website the song isn't just about Lubbock, it's about any hypocritical small town anywhere.

One song off that album has been released to radio stations, it's currently sitting around number 30 on the country charts.

http://www.kimt.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=KIMT/MGArticle/IMT_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137835813497&path=

Troll

05-10-2006, 1:56pm

Waiter, there's a bug in my soup!
-- Following their performance at Time magazine's "Time 100" Gala Monday night, the Dixie Chicks suddenly found themselves thrust into the dreaded "No-Spin Zone."

According to Liz Smith's column in the NY Post, the Chicks were seated, preparing to dig into the excellent lamb, when lead singer Natalie Maines found Fox news' Bill O'Reilly hovering above her head.

"I enjoyed your performance. I'm glad you performed. I don't agree with some things you say," O'Reilly told her, "but you've got guts. We just wish you'd said what you'd said in the United States" (referring to Natalie's 2003 anti-Bush rant in England).

Maines, who kept her expression free of surprise, remarked, "Oh, I'd say it in the U.S."

Troll

05-11-2006, 10:28am

Bill O'Reilly: Radio Should Play the Dixie Chicks
Conservative Commentator Says, "Natalie Maines Has Paid the Price"

Bill O'Reilly, host of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, has thrown his support behind the Dixie Chicks by encouraging radio stations to play their new song, "Not Ready to Make Nice."

In an essay posted on the Fox News Web site, the conservative commentator writes, "It's a pretty good song. There is no reason not to play it.
He also describes a chance meeting with Maines at a Time magazine event Tuesday night (May 9) in New York where he told her that her "primary mistake" was criticizing Bush on foreign soil, referring to her infamous comment at a London concert in 2003. The Chicks are included in the magazine's recent feature, Time 100: People Who Shape Our World. They also performed "Not Ready to Make Nice" at the event.

In his essay, O'Reilly, who did not make the Time list, writes, "Natalie Maines has paid the price for her remarks. Her life has been threatened, and she remains under siege. That is wrong as well. The woman has a right to believe what she wants to believe. You have a right to reject her beliefs and not to buy her stuff. But to punish her further is not in the spirit of America."

According to New York Post gossip columnist Liz Smith, Maines had the last word. After O'Reilly praised her performance at the event, he commented that he wished she would have made her critical comments in the U.S. instead. According to Smith, Maines "kept her expression free of surprise, (and) remarked, 'Oh, I'd say it in the U.S.'"

In 2003, Maines told a London audience that she was "ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas," an impromptu comment that turned into a major controversy among fans and country radio programmers. The duo's new album, Taking the Long Way, will be released May 23 in North America and June 12 throughout the remainder of the world. The Chicks will return to London for a concert on June 15.

http://www.cmt.com/news/articles/1531519/20060510/dixie_chicks.jhtml?headlines=true

Roger

05-11-2006, 10:43am

Hmmmn, some people say there is no such thing as bad publicity for a show biz person because it keeps them in the spotlight. When it gets to death threats (which, you never know, could happen), that is something else. This may yet be to the Chicks' advantage. It forced them to rethink their relationship with the country music crowd and widen their appeal. This could make them or break them depending on how successful this album is.

As for the repeated assertion that it wasn't what Natalie said that bothers people, it was the fact she said it outside the USA, I find that argument suspect. I bet if she had said it in the USA, she would have been reviled just as much. Natalie was right but the US was still in a frenzy of patriotism and revenge at the time she said it. Now many Americans are beginning to realize what a colossal mistake Iraq was so they are softening their attitude to the Chicks.

JMO

Troll

05-11-2006, 11:12pm

Dixie Chicks Recall Death Threat
May 11, 4:30 PM EST

The Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Natalie Maines says one of the death threats she received after criticizing President Bush three years ago was "definitely scary" because the sender "had a plan."

Maines, lead singer of the Dixie Chicks, told a London audience during a March 10, 2003, concert: "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas." The comment was made as war was looming with Iraq, and Maines later apologized for the phrasing of her remark.

In an interview on CBS' "60 Minutes" to air Sunday (7 p.m. EDT), Maines says one threat she received in the summer of 2003 was different from the others.

"It was definitely scary because it seemed so — it wasn't just somebody wanting to write a hate letter," she says. "It was somebody who obviously thought they had a plan."

Emily Robison, who plays banjo and guitar in the Texas trio, says, "There was one specific death threat on Natalie. (It) had a time, had a place, had a weapon. I mean, everything. ...`You will be shot dead at your show in Dallas.'"

The band flew into Dallas, "went straight from the police cars to the stage and straight from the stage back to the police cars and back to the plane," Maines says. "So, you know, it was all surreal. But at that stage, everything was surreal."

Her London comment angered many country music fans and caused radio stations to pull Dixie Chicks music from their playlists. The Chicks said they received death threats, leading them to install metal detectors at their shows.

Today, the Chicks refuse to apologize to fans who were upset by Maines' comment.

"We don't make decisions based on that," Maines says. "We don't go, `OK, our fans are in the red states, so I'm going to play a red, white and blue guitar and put on my I Love Bush T-shirt.

"We're not like that because we're not politicians. We're musicians."

The band, which also includes fiddle and mandolin player Martie Maguire, echoes that sentiment in the song "Not Ready to Make Nice" on their latest album, "Taking the Long Way," slated for release May 23.

http://music.msn.com/music/article.aspx?news=223104&GT1=7702

Troll

05-13-2006, 6:30pm

No Apologies
-- During their Sunday night appearance on CBS' "60 Minutes" the Dixie Chicks say they will not apologize to fans or "make nice" with radio stations still boycotting their music.
"We don't go, 'OK, our fans are in the Red States, so I'm going play a red, white and blue guitar and put on my I Love Bush T-shirt,'" the group's Natalie Maines says. "We're not like that because we're not politicians. We're musicians."

Natalie has an "I Love Bush" T-shirt?

Seriously. With all the ankle-grabbing suck-ups in this business, country media in particular, it's kind of refreshing to see someone stand their ground.

Roger

05-14-2006, 1:05am

Seriously. With all the ankle-grabbing suck-ups in this business, country media in particular, it's kind of refreshing to see someone stand their ground.

I agree, Andrew. But it is getting easier and easier for artists to oppose Bush these days. Neil Young's next album is very anti-Bush. Bush's approval rating is now less than 30%.

Shania19

05-14-2006, 9:40am

Wait till you hear what else they have to say about country music tonight on 60 minutes,, A local radio DJ told us on the air friday what they said and he's a fan of there music, he and his cohost said just play the music and shut the heck up!! we don't want to hear you talk, end quote , and I gotta say there trying to sell albums and they totally diss Country music tonight on 60 minutes!!!

I've never liked them.. good luck DC ;)

Troll

05-14-2006, 10:38am

Shaniaolivia

05-14-2006, 1:01pm

I hope it will be online somewhere......

Troll

05-14-2006, 10:28pm

I watched part of the interview. It was pretty good.

Roger

05-15-2006, 12:18am

I watched the interview. My first reaction: Natalie has lost weight and looks great. She is quite pretty now. I guess you can see she is thinner in their new video but I noticed it more in this interview.

Martie said something that really resonated with me. She said country music has gone back to being redneck again and she can't listen to it on the radio any more. She is also describing me. I used to love country music in the 90s. But ever since 9/11 it has changed and started exuding values I am in deep disagreement with. So I have just drifted away from country music.

Shannia

05-15-2006, 7:44am

Troll

05-15-2006, 10:25am

Yeah it did look like she lost some weight.

Roger

05-15-2006, 10:29am

It is very hard to keep a svelte figure after having babies. Some ladies like Shania can get back down to their original size very quickly, some take a few years and some never do get their prepregnancy weights back.

Shaniaolivia

05-15-2006, 11:09am

If you only have one child,it's easier,but if you have more,it gets difficult........

Troll

05-16-2006, 10:32am

Dixie Chicks Remain Unapologetic in 60 Minutes Interview

Dixie Chicks lead vocalist Natalie Maines still isn't planning to apologize for telling a concert audience in London she's ashamed that President Bush is from the trio's home state of Texas. In an interview with 60 Minutes anchor Steve Kroft, Maines said her comment in 2003 "was definitely meant as an insult."

Maines and bandmates Martie Maguire and Emily Robison were profiled in a 60 Minutes segment that aired Sunday (May 14) as part of the media coverage leading up to the May 23 release of their new album, Taking the Long Way.

When Kroft asked Maines if she was sorry for what she said in London, she replied, "No. Sorry about what? Sorry about what? Sorry about not wanting to go to war and not wanting people to die?" Asked if she would do it again, Maines said, "Yeah, I've said so much worse than that, I'm telling you."

The segment was titled "Dixie Chicks: Not Ready to Make Nice," a reference to the first single from the new album. The trio co-wrote the song with Dan Wilson as a response to what happened after they offered their opinions about the Bush administration and the war in Iraq.

Noting that the song was difficult to write, Robison said, "We each felt the same way, but ... we didn't want to make too much light of it. We didn't want it to be too preachy or ... heavier than it was. And after we wrote this song, we felt like it was exactly how we felt."

When Kroft suggested they were pouring salt on a wound, Maines replied, "We didn't write the song thinking about what other people wanted us to say or what would be a hit on radio. I needed to make this record to be able to get past it."

Noting that they couldn't pretend that nothing had happened, Maguire added, "You can't come back going, 'All right, let's pick and grin all over again.'"

Although the song has been a top download on the Internet, the single peaked at No. 36 on Billboard's country singles chart, a list reflecting national radio airplay. Maines said she wasn't surprised at the reaction from country radio programmers.

"I think you explain it that when you're in the corporate world and when that's your livelihood and when 100 people e-mail you that they'll never listen to your station again, you get scared of losing your job," Maines said. "And why did they need to stand up for us? They're not our friends. They're not our family. And they cave."

Kroft questioned why the Dixie Chicks would risk insulting an audience that provided them success in the first place.

"I think I know where your question's leading, and it goes back to the answer that we don't make decisions based on that," Maines said. "We don't go, 'OK, hmm, our fans are in the red states, so I'm going to play a red, white and blue guitar and put on my 'I love Bush' T-shirt.' And we're not like that because we're not politicians. We're musicians."

Maguire said the Dixie Chicks' fan base doesn't fit the stereotype of today's country music audience. While she did not suggest that the country audience is mostly rednecks, she said, "But over the years, and especially since country music's turned into this redneck thing, it's become kind of a negative. I think for a while, a lot of artists were doing great things that ... were broadening the audience so that country was cool. ... So it makes me sad that it's kind of reverted back to a place that I'm not that proud of, and this is coming from a true country fan. I can't listen to the radio right now."

The 60 Minutes feature also discussed the trio's reaction after Maines received a death threat at a concert in Dallas. The matter was investigated by the FBI and Texas Rangers.

"It was definitely scary because ... it wasn't just somebody wanting to write a hate letter," Maines said. "That was somebody who obviously thought they had a plan."

"You don't know what people are capable of," Robison said. "We had a radio station say they had our picture on the side of one of their vans, and they were just driving down the highway, and then a car pulled up with a shotgun and pointed at them out the window. Just because our picture was on their van."

http://www.cmt.com/news/articles/1531820/20060515/dixie_chicks.jhtml?headlines=true

MiniShaniaTwain

05-18-2006, 1:29am

Pssst... I have tour dates avaliable!

Tour Presale

Accidents & Accusations World Tour

If you purchase the Dixie Chicks’ new CD Taking the Long Way at Target stores in the United States beginning on May 23, it will include a passcode to purchase up to four Dixie Chicks concert tickets. All shows will go on sale to the general public in early June. Check back at dixiechicks.msn.com for further updates as they are confirmed.

Date City Venue
July
21 Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena
22 Pittsburgh, PA Mellon Arena
23 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
25 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center
28 Albany, NY Pepsi Arena
29 Boston, MA Banknorth Garden

August
1 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
4 Washington, DC Verizon Center
13 Milwaukee, WI Bradley Center
15 Chicago, IL The United Center
18 Minneapolis, MN Target Center
20 Kansas City, MO Kemper Arena
22 St. Louis, MO Savvis Center
23 Indianapolis, IN Conseco Fieldhouse
24 Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena
26 Fargo, ND Fargodome

September
3 Phoenix, AZ Glendale Arena
6 Fresno, CA SaveMart Center
8 Sacramento, CA ARCO Arena
9 Oakland, CA Oakland Arena
14 Los Angeles, CA STAPLES Center
16 Las Vegas, NV Mandalay Bay
23 Omaha, NE Qwest Center
24 Denver, CO Pepsi Center
26 Oklahoma City, OK Ford Center
27 Memphis, TN FedEx Forum
29 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
30 Houston, TX Toyota Arena

October
1 Austin, TX Frank Irwin Center
3 Nashville, TN Gaylord Entertainment Center
5 Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum
6 Jacksonville, FL Veterans Memorial Arena
7 Ft. Lauderdale, FL BankAtlantic Center
17 Atlanta, GA Phillips Arena
20 Knoxville, TN Thompson-Boling Arena
22 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
27 Ottawa, Ontario Scotiabank Place
28 Toronto, Ontario Air Canada Centre

November
4 Edmontgon, Alberta Rexall Place
5 Calgary, Alberta Saddledome
8 Vancouver, BC GM Place
9 Portland, OR Rose Garden
11 Tacoma, WA Tacoma Dome

http://dixiechicks.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=498997

I'm hoping to go see them in Detroit July 21!

canoilers

05-18-2006, 1:50am

Psssssssst, thanks Heidi. :D

Troll

05-18-2006, 10:01am

Thanks for the dates Heidi. Hopefully will go to the Dallas concert.

Roger

05-18-2006, 11:37am

YES!!!

Thanx Heidi! Too bad those of us buying the CD in Canada don't get the special passcode.

MiniShaniaTwain

05-18-2006, 1:11pm

No problem at all!

Troll

05-19-2006, 10:37pm

Waking up with Chicks
-- ABC's Good Morning America will roll out the Dixie Chicks each day next week, beginning Monday morning (5/22).
Interview footage with the trio will air Monday through Thursday, with a performace segment 'live' from Bryant Park in Manhattan, set for next Friday.

The Chicks will perform three songs from their new album, Taking the Long Way: "Not Ready To make Nice," and "Lubbock or Leave It" -- with the third song to be announced.

Troll

05-20-2006, 9:59am

The Dixie Chicks Answer Your Questions

May 19, 2006 — It's been three years since the "Bush incident," and four since the Dixie Chicks released their last album. Now Natalie Maines, Emily Robison and Martie Maguire are ready to return to the stage, this time moving away from their country roots and into the thralls of rock 'n' roll.

The Chicks kick off "Good Morning America's" Summer Concert Series on May 26 with songs from their new album, "Taking the Long Way."

But before the "GMA" performance and the launch of a worldwide tour, the Dixie Chicks took time out to answer questions from you, the viewers.

Monotony of the Road

I'd like to know how you deal with the monotony of life on the road: What's the funniest practical joke you've pulled on one another, or on a crew member?
— Nancy Atkins, Aloha, Ore.

The Chicks say they are not big practical jokers.

"We try more to out shock each other," Natalie said. "Our humor is more perverted and gross."

Emily did let it slip that there was one time they called child-protective services on Natalie as a joke, but the government didn't share the group's sense of humor. It took the complaint seriously.

"My husband was furious," Natalie said.

"Note to self," said Emily. "Calling child protective services is not funny."

Another Album?

Did you write more songs for the album than what are actually on "Taking the Long Way"? If so, do you think they might make it onto a future album?
Corey, Keyser, W.Va.

The Chicks said there are two more songs that will find their way onto the album as bonus tracks, and while there are a couple that might "end up somewhere" someday, they've tried to put all the ones they really felt strongly about on the album.

On the Chicks iPod

What kind of music are you listening to these days? Is it country or other stuff? Who's your favorite new artist or band? Lindsay Czitron, Toronto

"I'm afraid to say I don't listen to music," Natalie said. "I listen to Howard Stern all day long."

Martie, who has 2-year-old twins, said she's been listening to Teri Hendrix, a children's album. Even Natalie can stomach that.

I hate kids' music, because it's usually just too obnoxious, and I don't want my kids to think that's music," Natalie said. "Teri Hendrix is an album that's musical enough for parents to not want to shoot themselves in the head."

Emily said she has been listening to the artists who co-wrote the songs on their album, like Dan Wilson and Gary Louris.

Not Ready to Make Nice

Since writing and releasing the song "Not Ready to Make Nice," do you feel "cleansed" and ready to move forward with your music? Personally, I think the song is awesome in every way, and you deserved to voice your feelings after the hell you were put through. It's mind-boggling to me the extremes that people went to because of your statement. Terry Beatty, Abingdon, Md.

"This is the biggest thing that has ever happened to us in our careers as far as the emotional impact," Natalie said. "It's just not something that you forget and it's not something people let you forget."

Natalie, Martie and Emily said they have moved on from anger, but like the song says, they're not going to forget the past:

"Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I'm not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I'm still waiting"

Finding a Voice

I read online that the song "Voice In My Head" was a hard song for Natalie to sing. Why was it a hard song for her?
Stacey, Arkansas

"It took me a long time to figure out how to sing it, to kind of own it," Natalie said. "It's probably the one song on the album that is not our personal story — it's someone's true story."

Natalie said she sang the song many different ways but it never sounded right. She said the version on the album is the best she's ever heard, but is still working on it for the tour.

Overcoming Fertility Issues

Because both Martie and Emily faced and overcame infertility, what advice do you have for women, men and couples facing those same issues? What helped keep your spirits high during those agonizing times? Bobbisue Gabrielson, Dayton, Ohio

I found it hard to find solace in anything anyone told me, so I don't know if there's anything perfect to say to encourage anyone," Emily said. "No one can say, 'It will happen,' because it's not guaranteed. … Seeking out as much information is to me the best weapon you have. … To me, knowledge is power."

Martie said science and funding for expensive fertility treatments should be encouraging for women.

"Know that science has advanced so much, we're so lucky that there are options," Martie said. "There is funding to be had whether through your doctor or private groups. … There's so much more of a support system then there ever was."

Writing the Album

How long did it take to write your new album. When did the writing begin and when did you know you had something good enough to sing again?
— Sherri Bryan, Flint, Mich.

"The songs were so personal and meant so much to us," Natalie said. "It was nice to have someone else be the decider."

http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/SummerConcert/story?id=1950677&page=1

La Diablesa

05-20-2006, 7:28pm

:love: THE ALBUM IS SOOOOOO FANTASTIC!!!! :love:

:D CANT STOP LISTENING SINCE GOT IT YESTERDAY :D *GOD BLESS INTERNET* :p BUT OF COURSE I'LL BUY IT ;) IS TOO WORTHY!!! :D

:devil:

Troll

05-21-2006, 10:14am

This disc is swept clean of any hint of bluegrass, folk or country, making room for lite-pop showcases of frontwoman Natale Maines' alto voice. The Chicks dump their down-home appeal and replace it with overly orchestrated pop that even Faith Hill and Shania Twain would shun.

Heavy on ballads, the album sidelines the heart of the band - fiddler Martie Seidel and her banjo-picking sister Emily Robison - to occasional solos.

"Not Ready to Make Nice," is a pseudo-controversial composition that answers Chicks fans who turned on the band in '03, Maines croons she's still "mad as hell." But like a number of other tracks, it suffers from major chip-on-the-shoulder sentiments.

Here's a hint for the Chicks: Protest songs are usually about we the people, not me the singer.

http://www.nypost.com/music/64011.htm

Shannia

05-21-2006, 4:14pm

I still haven´t found the cd but I am not sure if I will preorder it out of Spain because country cd´s here are very expensive. They will be doing a big tour! Can´t believe they are touring so many months! I hope they start a little tour after that in Europe.

RKSTFan

05-21-2006, 11:50pm

The saga continues...

http://www.countrynation.com/nataliemaines.jpg

--Since blasting President Bush at that London concert in 2003, Dixie Chick Natalie Maines tells this week's Time magazine, she has one regret -- the apology she finally got around to coughing up.

"I apologized for disrespecting the office of the president," says Maines. "But I don't feel that way anymore. I don't feel he is owed any respect whatsoever."

In the article, the trio's Martie Maguire gets her licks in, too.

"I'd rather have a small following of really cool people who get it, who will grow with us as we grow and are fans for life, than people that have us in their five-disc changer with Reba McEntire and Toby Keith."

"We don't want those kinds of fans. They limit what you can do," Maguire says.

I'm guessing you won't have to worry about it.

Countrynation (http://www.countrynation.com/)

Here (http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/05/21/cover.story.tm/) is CNN's summary of the Dixie Chicks' "TIME" interview.

Here (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1196419,00.html) is the Dixie Chicks' "TIME" magazine interview.