Taking the Long Way (CD - 2006)

Personnel: Natalie Maines (vocals, omnichord, background vocals); Dan Wilson (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, electric 12-string guitar, piano, background vocals); Gary Louris (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, electric 12-string guitar, background vocals); Emily Robison (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo, sitar, accordion, background vocals); Smokey Hormel (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Jonny Polonsky (acoustic guitar, lap steel guitar, piano); Martie Maguire (mandolin, violin, viola, strings, background vocals); Lloyd Maines, Marvin Etzioni (mandolin); Richard Dodd (cello); Matt Funes, Gerardo Hilera, Joel Derouin, Larry Corbett, Mario Diaz de Leon, Andrew Duckles (strings); Steve Kujala (flute); Terry Landry (alto saxophone, baritone saxophone); Lon Price (tenor saxophone); Brian Swartz (trumpet); Brad Warnaar (French horn); Benmont Tench (piano, tack piano, harpsichord, harmonium, Farfisa, Wurlitzer organ); Larry Knechtel (piano, Wurlitzer organ); Chris Testa (xylophone); Lenny Castro (percussion); Bonnie Raitt (background vocals); John Mayer , Keb' Mo', Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Chad Smith .

Audio Mixer: Richard Dodd.

Recording information: Sunset Sound Studios, Hollywood, CA; The Village, Los Angeles, CA.

Photographer: Mark Seliger.

At the time of TAKING THE LONG WAY's release, the lyrical content of a high-profile album by a big-deal artist hadn't been the topic of such public scrutiny since Eminem was still a hot topic. The Dixie Chicks certainly had to have seen this coming, though, after they withstood a firestorm of insults, threats, and boycotts for criticizing George W. Bush's policies. "Not Ready to Make Nice" and "Lubbock or Leave It" (among others) make it clear, however, that the Chicks have no intention of retreating a single step from their convictions. Similarly, the fact that TAKING THE LONG WAY is as much a pop album as it is contemporary country should not be misinterpreted as an abandonment of the factions that turned against the group during the controversy in question.

The soaring pop choruses and dashes of string orchestration that vie for space with acoustic picking and steel guitar swells should rather be seen in the context of a group that's been evolving toward a pop/country amalgam for some time. (Don't forget that one of their biggest hits was a Fleetwood Mac cover.) If anything, the expansive sonic approach and forthright themes simply stand to show that the Chicks have transcended genre pigeonholes. There's still plenty of country in their sound, but with LONG WAY the trio belongs to the larger world at last.

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