The Chicks - Taking The Long Way on CD

Description

Co-written by the Dixie Chicks--Natalie Maines with sisters Emily Robinson & Martie Maguire--and produced by Rick Rubin, lyrically the album covers a whole range of topics but at its centre is a diary that focuses on that moment in 2003 (where the band commented on President Bush), and the reaction that followed. The new album features an impressive band including Red Hot Chilli Peppers drummer Chad Smith, bass player Larry Knetchel, (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’) Benmont Tench on keyboards and Mike Campbell on guitar, plus co-writers Dan Wilson, Pete Yorn and Gary Louris of The Jayhawks. Inspired by artists including The Eagles and The Mamas and the Papas, Taking The Long Way is their first release since 2002’s Home and adds a sweeping, southern California sound to the band’s intimacy and heart-on-sleeve attitude. "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." Album highlights include the first single "Not Ready To make Nice" which revisits the events of 2003, "Silent House" which examines the struggle of watching a relative suffer from illness, and the beautiful "It’s So Hard When Things Don’t Come Easy" which addresses infertility - an issue both band-members Emily Robinson and Martie Maguire have experienced. Similarly, the gospel-inflected "I Hope", which was co-written with Keb’ Mo and features a guitar solo by John Mayer, was premiered during a Hurricane Katrina benefit in 2004. "This album was total therapy," adds 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." Review On first listen, Taking The Long Way comes across as a far more dour affair than the Chicks' previous two studio albums, Fly and Home, both of which sold over 10 million copies. There are no bluegrass or pure country jaunts to raise a smile here. But that's hardly surprising when you consider what these Texans, who dared to criticise the president, have had to endure over the last two years. First single "Not Ready To Make Nice" roundly sums up Natalie Maine's anger over being pilloried in the land of free speech (while demonstrating her intensely powerful vocal skills). But the fact remains that while Taking... may be short on laughs, it's still the product of three extraordinary talents who were never going to be contained by the mere epiphet 'country'. A lot of the dourness comes from Rick Rubin's flat production. His more rock-based approach (aided by various members of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers) puts the overall sound firmly into the mainstream. Co-wrritten songs by Sheryl Crow and Neil Finn (the very Crowded House "Bitter End") also contribute to a more generic, FM friendly feel but the sheer quality of the material and the performances shines out. It's a fiercely independent statement that's tempered with tracks such as "Lullaby" that demonstrate their tender sides. This is an album that obviously needed to be made, and while it may not fit squarely with the Nashville crowd it will undoubtedly win them far more support in homes not used to the ironies of Music City. Long may they go their own way... --Chris Jones Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window