dolphinboy

Album of the year

Dixie Chicks, Taking the Long Way

It was a calculated risk that paid off. Having alienated much of their country constituency with an ill-timed jibe at President Bush, the Chicks declined to beg for forgiveness, defiantly forging ahead with a forthright description of their situation and attitude, Not Ready to Make Nice, and releasing it as the album's lead-off single. That alienated even more of the country base, but throngs of new fans — and the majority of USA TODAY's critics — were enthralled by the stance and, more important, the rich, textured, genre-transcendent music the trio and producer Rick Rubin cooked up.


-My new, favorite newspaper!

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/r...c_x.htm?csp=34

Groucho

Clearly, the editors of USA Today hate the USA.

dolphinboy

That's the best you could do? I'm very disappointed.

Maybe you'll warm up later in the day.

Groucho

My writers are all off for the week, so it ain't getting in better. Sorry.

dick_grayson

in a perfect world......

Hiro11

Seconded.

Also, that Dixie Chicks album is pretty good but nowhere near best of the year. Smells like politics.

Giles

didn't USA Today also vote the Dixie Chick documentary film 'Shut Up & Sing' best docu film of 2006 as well??

Goldberg74

... better to go out with a bang instead of fading away with a whimper.

This is the last we'll see of them since the sisters are kicking Natalie to the curb!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy_YrUP2NQ0

dolphinboy

It's certainly deserving, but you need to do your own research.

I've heard nothing about it.

Bugg

I don't get it. It was their least impressive album to date. In the past they have been more musically creative and stylistically adventurous. This was kind of bland adult contemporary. While I fully back them up on their Bush statements, It does not make this album any better.

dolphinboy

Politics or "politics?"

Because EVERY award show or every best of the year list is going to have politics involved. The Oscars have it every year. They didn't give them album of the year as a knock to Bush, conservatives, republicans or rednecks.

The only time anyone accepts a winner without any cries of politics, is when it's the winner they want.

So, today, I'm not crying politics.

dolphinboy

Least impressive? Is that a scientific fact or merely your opinion?

Because it's easily their most creative album, it was the FIRST time they co-wrote every song, and the most of the reviews (while some would argue most of the reviews are from the liberal media, although these same reviewers typically don't like country music) call it their best album to date. Only Home is worthy of being involved the debate.

So, whether you think it deserves the title of Album of the Year or not is one thing, but you're in the vast minority who would say this is their least impressive album.

Daytripper

That is hands down the worst parody I've ever seen. They didn't even try to look like them.

dolphinboy

What do you expect when Bill O'Reilly is directing?

But, honestly, I love the Chicks and I think the parody is both good and funny.

Daytripper

I think the real Bill O'Reilly could have done a better job.

Was the idea funny? Yes. My only gripe is that they look nothing like the D.C.'s in that faux video.

Rypro 525

thirded, actually, the mastodon album got 9th place in Rolling Stone magazine

dolphinboy

Chevy Chase looks nothing like Gerald Ford.

Short of plastic surgery, I'm not sure what more they could have done.

Using the cast that they had, those girls did the best they could to have similar hair colors/styles and were about the same size.

Daytripper

Huh!? The hair (wigs) looked nothing like the Dixie Chicks. Sometimes make-up artists nail it, sometimes they don't. And it doesn't take a huge budget. Look at the old SCTV's for example. Spot on there for the most part. Anyway, we're in agreement about the skit being funny. They just didn't look anything like the DC's.

And back on topic. I see the other USAToday critics played it safe with their choices. And the Artic Monkeys mentioned again. THE most overrated album of the year. "Black Holes and Revelations" by Muse is 100,000 times better on no where on any of the critic's lists.

Rogue588

Most creative? Is that a scientific fact or merely your opinion?

I feel like i've wandered into a Madonna thread.

The Infidel

Or into one of Cottington's Hilary Duff threads.

Rogue588

or an Allred Queen + Paul Rodgers thread..

TGM

The fat one is still fat.

dolphinboy

Well, it's what the Dixie Chicks have said, therefore, since it is their music, I'm going to go with FACT.

Maybe you should stop wandering into threads if you keep having such problems.

What postivie contribution have you made to the thread? None.

Any comment on the actual news of the thread? Nope.

Maybe threads get annoying because people like you come in, having nothing to say about them, but don't mind posting how you don't like the thread's direction and tone.

dolphinboy

Washington Post chooses TTLW as album of the year (I smell politics).

By J. Freedom du Lac
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 27, 2006; Page C01

Here are the top 10

1. Dixie Chicks, "Taking the Long Way"

Forget, for a moment, about the controversy that enveloped the Dixie Chicks after lead singer Natalie Maines popped off about President Bush in 2003. Forget the backlash, the evaporating airplay, the protests, Toby Keith, the death threats, the naked magazine cover, the politics -- all of it. Put down the baggage and pick up the Texas trio's latest album and revel in the rich melodies, the soaring harmonies, the sharp writing and gorgeous instrumentation and sense of soul. It's a tuneful tour de force, a triumph of pop songcraft that's a little bit country, a little bit more soft-rock-and-roll. Of course, it's impossible to forget about the back story, because the Chicks won't let you. While this isn't an album-length diatribe, the Chicks aren't biting their tongues, either: They're downright defiant in "Not Ready to Make Nice," one of the great singles of 2006. So they're not exactly contrite and conciliatory. Isn't being great good enough?

dolphinboy

iTunes Best of 2006

Dixie Chicks
Taking The Long Way
Best Country Album

They weren't ready to make nice, but they certainly were ready to create the best country album of the year, beating tough competition from Keith Urban, George Strait, and Dierks Bentley.