OT: If you see me getting mighty, if you see me getting high: KNOCK ME DOWN

[Pappy P]

Do you think the Chicks are taking themselves too serious. I like the Chicks, alot. But.....

 

Head Line from Dallas Morning News

 

Dixie Chicks: CD's success still no salve for Maines

 

May 28, 2006

By MARIO TARRADELL / The Dallas Morning News

 

 

The fallout from Natalie Maines' now infamous remarks in 2003 bashing George Bush is well documented: radio boycott, CDs publicly destroyed, a sharp decline in sales, death threats, and ridicule from the country music industry.

 

The Dixie Chicks vs. the Red Cross

Natalie Maines: "Politics got in the way of people having food and clothing and homes. That is what hurt and angered me, not country radio."

 

The Red Cross: "(We) may not take sides in hostilities or engage at any time in controversies of a political, racial, religious or ideological nature."

But what bothers Ms. Maines the most, she says, is that the American Red Cross refused a $1 million donation from the Dixie Chicks in 2003.

 

"It has nothing to do with being taken off of the radio," says Ms. Maines, 31, by phone from New York. "It has to do with the absurdity of death threats and the absurdity of being so awful that people won't even touch you. That the Red Cross won't take a million-dollar check from you. How can the Red Cross turn away a million dollars for charity?"

 

But it's not as simple as that, responds national Red Cross spokesperson Julie Thurmond Whitmer in a prepared statement.

 

The band would have made the donation "only if the American Red Cross would embrace the band's summer tour," writes Ms. Whitmer, referring to the group's 2003 U.S. tour after the London incident.

 

"The Dixie Chicks controversy made it impossible for the American Red Cross to associate itself with the band because such association would have violated two of the founding principles of the organization: impartiality and neutrality...

 

"Should the Dixie Chicks like to make an unconditional financial donation to the American Red Cross, we will gladly accept it."

 

Once again the Dixie Chicks roost in the fire. Yet all of the controversy may be helping sell the trio's excellent new CD.

 

Taking the Long Way was released Tuesday. Early numbers indicate the disc may sell more than 400,000 copies its first week, the band's publicist says.

 

Locally, three Targets, a Borders Books & Music and CD Source were sold out of the CD by Thursday. Taking the Long Way is the No. 1 seller on Amazon.com and among the top downloads on iTunes. Dan Lightner, manager of Tower Records in Oak Lawn, said it was the "top-selling new release of the week."

 

Reviews positive

 

"You probably won't hear a better adult pop album this year," wrote Time magazine's critic. Ms. Maines and sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Robison have been interviewed on 60 Minutes, The Late Show With David Letterman and Good Morning America. They hit Larry King Live on Wednesday.

 

When there were discussions about how to market the album, "we told Sony and our management, 'You cannot do the marketing plan with any dependence on radio,' " says Ms. Maines. "We have to get creative with the Internet and with all other avenues as to letting people know that this music is out there.'"

 

And indeed, radio has turned a deaf ear. "Not Ready to Make Nice," the dramatic, orchestrated first single and video, peaked at No. 36 on Billboard's country singles chart. "Everybody Knows," which has more country flavor, dropped to No. 50 after only reaching No. 48.

 

Opinions from radio programmers across the country in a recent Billboard story were negative. In Dallas-Fort Worth, you won't hear "Nice" or "Everybody Knows" on the country dial. "Nice" was played briefly before listener protests stopped the song from spinning. It's unclear how well the Chicks' upcoming tour will sell. Tickets for the Dallas show, at American Airlines Center on Sept. 29, go on sale Saturday.

 

A good country band

 

If the CD and tour suffer, it would be an artistic shame. Taking the Long Way is a mature piece of work, a 14-song cycle that examines everything from anger to Alzheimer's disease. Rock producer Rick Rubin best known for his work with Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Beastie Boys and for reviving the late Johnny Cash's career freed Ms. Maines, Ms. Maguire and Ms. Robison to explore sonically: Southern California pop-rock of the '70s, some blues, bluegrass touches and roots rock.

 

But the Chicks aren't trying to divorce themselves from country music.

 

"The only concern I had with Rick, or with any producer, was, 'Oh here's my chance to reinvent the Dixie Chicks,' " says Ms. Maines. "We know who we are and what we do. We have banjo and fiddle."

 

She pauses.

 

"We think that forever at the Grammys we'll be in the country category. Our goal is not to be up for best pop album ... And ultimately I don't think we care what category we're in. We still think that we are a country band."

 

The Reba factor

 

But don't expect them to attend country music awards shows anytime soon. At the Academy of Country Music Awards this week, hostess Reba McEntire slammed the band: "If the Dixie Chicks can sing with their foots in their mouths, surely I can host this sucker."

 

Ms. McEntire's comment likely was retaliation for Ms. Maguire's quote in Time: "I'd rather have a smaller 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."

 

And that remark obviously was a swipe at Ms. McEntire's slew of below-the-belt jokes on the ACMs in 2003, shortly after the incident in London.

 

"Martie regrets naming names," says Ms. Maines, of the sniping. "I couldn't even name you a Reba McEntire song, so I wasn't a fan.

 

"But three and a half years ago when we were the brunt of all of the jokes on the show, it didn't personally bother me. It personally bothered Martie and Emily. Especially Martie because she was a Reba McEntire fan. She was saddened and hurt by the fact that she [Ms. McEntire] said all those things about us."

 

Moving on

 

So now what? How does the band move beyond the hurt, the anger, the incident?

 

"People want to make the battle with country radio," says Ms. Maines. She says she can't convince people that she's not trying to get back at the industry.

 

"Music is what we really love to do. Music is the only thing we can do. It was very liberating in making this record to not have to think about radio of any kind. We thought there would be no radio station to play our records to get it anywhere on the charts. And that is not disappointing to us or surprising.

 

"The anger in 'Not Ready to Make Nice' and the things that I have to get over have nothing to do with country music. I hope that that dies away. In time, that anger towards us will die away ... We don't want it to be a topic on an awards show."

 

Staff writer Emily Goldstein contributed to this report.

[Pappy P]

I can blow off most the crap in that article and roll my eyes.

 

But how can you donate money with strings attached and wonder why they wouldn't want the money?

[Pappy P]

I think Sinead O'Connor, Natalie Maines, and I should start a support group for people who get all caught up in themselves, and later come to regret it.

 

If they gave out degrees for learning from your mistakes, I would have a double PHD.

[Corner Pocket]

We'll never know what the "strings" were. It may have been as simple as acknowledging the gift, and at the time, it was too hot a potato for the Red Cross to pick up.

 

I think the new DC album is a fantastic piece of music. I've tried to stop categorizing, or at least pigeonholing. The lines between rock/pop/country/new country/etc have been blurry for a long time. The new DC album is, to my ears, a really well crafted collection of MUSIC. Politics may have inspired some of the music, but I think it silly to discount the music because it conflicts with your own politics.

[Corner Pocket]

There are very few vocal performances on record that can compete with Sinead's "Nothing Compares 2 U". Her politics and religious positions don't change the record she made.

 

The video is one of very few that gave me chills.

[Dr. Ellwood]

I think Natalie Maines is a stupid loud mouth fat ass bitch! She should get her funky fat ass out of this country and take those other two dirt bags with her!

[Justus A. Picker]

They aren't taking themselves to seriously, they're exploiting the microphone that keeps getting stuck in their faces. It's nothing more than media hype like Brad/Jennifer/Angelina.

 

As far as strings attached to "gifts", that's not the sole provence of the U.S. governments foriegn aid. Barbra Bush insisted that money she "donated" to the Katrina Relief Fund be funneled into son Neils company (they sell educational software). It's a time honored "have your tax break and eat it too" American tradition.

[Justus A. Picker]

Originally posted by ellwood:

I think Natalie Maines is a stupid loud mouth fat ass bitch! She should get her funky fat ass out of this country and take those other two dirt bags with her!

Freedom of speech is a wonderful thing!

 

It is an excellent album though....

[miroslav]

Originally posted by rockincyanblues:

There are very few vocal performances on record that can compete with Sinead's "Nothing Compares 2 U". Her politics and religious positions don't change the record she made.

 

The video is one of very few that gave me chills.

Without a doubt!

 

Thing is...I even "get" her message about the Pope and about religion in general...and the girl ain't too far off the mark...

though of course, most religious folks tend to NOT accept ANY kind of religious criticism...as most religions tend to be all about blind faith and "self hypnosis"...

but let's not get into that...as this is the Music Player forum.

 

AFA the "Chicks"...even if I skip over their "big mouth" comments that got them into the current state...I was never much into their attempt to pull off a "we be bad-ass chicks" image.

Their music...eh...I can find much better country music or even country pop, than what they had to offer...but overall...they are a pretty good vocal trio.

[Big Red 67]

If they were more intelligent in the ranting it would be easier to listen to the music.

[A String]

Ok guys, Religion and Politics in the same thread? Let's try to steer this in the right direction so I don't have to close it.

[picker]

Originally posted by rockincyanblues:

We'll never know what the "strings" were.

No, they said exactly what the strings were. Read it again.

[Dr. Ellwood]

Originally posted by A String:

Ok guys, Religion and Politics in the same thread? Let's try to steer this in the right direction so I don't have to close it.

[Big Red 67]

I think that the opions they have overshadow the music they make and that is important thing to know. Regardless of religion or politics, smoething to keep in mind.

[Corner Pocket]

Originally posted by Picker:

Originally posted by rockincyanblues:

We'll never know what the "strings" were.

No, they said exactly what the strings were. Read it again.

I did read it, and this is all that was said:

 

"The band would have made the donation "only if the American Red Cross would embrace the band's summer tour," writes Ms. Whitmer, referring to the group's 2003 U.S. tour after the London incident."

 

I don't know what "embrace the band's summer tour" means. It could mean that The Red Cross would provide a first aid presence, it could mean that TDC wanted an "as presented by" on all the tickets.

 

Bottom line is that The Red Cross chose to err on the side of caution, and I don't fault them for that.

 

I also don't fault TDC for speaking their mind. Nobody has to listen to their social commentary, nobody has to listen to their music. I think their new album is a really well crafted piece of work, and I choose to ignore the unrelated hype that surrounds it.

 

To my ears, it is just good music. Nothing more, nothing less.

[Justus A. Picker]

I wonder if ol' Merle will get similar flack for his anti-war stance?

http://www.merlehaggard.com/

Some nice tele-picking here!

[DC Ross]

Originally posted by A String:

Ok guys, Religion and Politics in the same thread? Let's try to steer this in the right direction so I don't have to close it.

Let's keep it musically related and check out The Tailgunners\' Politics of Religion

 

Head cheese, power squeeze, look at these

[Pappy P]

DC Ross.

 

You tricky S.O.B.

 

That's a good song.

 

Much better than the Politics of Dancing.

 

 

Ps. Tell Them to Bring up the Bass in the Mix.

[picker]

Originally posted by ellwood:

I think Natalie Maines is a stupid loud mouth fat ass bitch! She should get her funky fat ass out of this country and take those other two dirt bags with her!

Now come on Lee, what do you really think?

Me, I just wish evrybody'd just shut up about it. I'm so sick of politics I could barf.

[Dr. Ellwood]

Originally posted by Picker:

Originally posted by ellwood:

I think Natalie Maines is a stupid loud mouth fat ass bitch! She should get her funky fat ass out of this country and take those other two dirt bags with her!

Now come on Lee, what do you really think?

Me, I just wish evrybody'd just shut up about it. I'm so sick of politics I could barf.

Yeah I know Picker! it's just that they piss me off totally! Now Haggard I'm going to have to ignore ...because I don't want to get pissed at him!!

[Pappy P]

Me, I just want to know why it is so tempting for Musicians/Singers to cross the line into politics.

 

How do you get to that point where you tell yourself, my politics is a big part of my music?

 

I thought it would take alot to piss off Reba, do you suppose someone wrote that line for her?

 

"If the Dixie Chicks can sing with their foots in their mouths, surely I can host this sucker."

[Guitarzan]

my opinion...

The Dixie Chicks are a great group, writing some great music.

most modern country music sucks monkey butt.

i like them and i challenge us to prove we have never said anything that pissed anyone of differing opinion off.

let's get real.

bottom line: great group, great songs and imho smart girls with more in thier head than the usual air.

i love them.

[Kramer Ferrington III.]

Originally posted by Pappy P:

I thought it would take alot to piss off Reba, do you suppose someone wrote that line for her?

 

"If the Dixie Chicks can sing with their foots in their mouths, surely I can host this sucker."

If she's using someone to ghost her lines for her, she should hire someone with a basic grasp of English. I thought the plural of "foot" was "feet"?

 

Conclusions:

• Country music seems to be a bitchy little world
  
• The radio has only a certain degree of clout
  
• I'm kinda glad I've never heard any of these people.
  

[picker]

Originally posted by Kramer Ferrington III.:

Originally posted by Pappy P:

I thought it would take alot to piss off Reba, do you suppose someone wrote that line for her?

 

"If the Dixie Chicks can sing with their foots in their mouths, surely I can host this sucker."

If she's using someone to ghost her lines for her, she should hire someone with a basic grasp of English. I thought the plural of "foot" was "feet"?[/b]

 

Yeah, someone probably wrote it for her, and she delivered it as "foots" to make it sound more country. Or, the line was written to sound country.

 

Conclusions:

[*]Country music seems to be a bitchy little world

 

aren't all little worlds that way?

 

[*]The radio has only a certain degree of clout

 

If this was even ten years ago, the Dixie Chicks would be as over as high button shoes. Radio isn't the only game in town anymore...

 

[*]I'm kinda glad I've never heard any of these people.

We might all be amazed at the number of people who matter to rather large groups of people that we never heard of.

[Kramer Ferrington III.]

Originally posted by Picker:

You might be amazed at the number of people who matter to rather large groups of people that you never heard of.

Oh, crikey, yes. There's pop stars in China and India whose very flops sell in the millions and whom we very seldom hear about.

 

What I meant by "being glad I'd never heard any of 'em" was that, if I had actually heard any of them, I might care enough to actually take sides in what seems to be a bun fight straight out of the National Enquirer.

 

It was not meant to imply that all those folks don't matter a lot to their public.

[Pappy P]

I still like the Dixie Chicks.

 

I'm just amazed at all the Drama.

 

And Natalie is not fat. Why do people call her Fat.

 

Are they mis-spelling Phat?

[Justus A. Picker]

Originally posted by Pappy P:

Me, I just want to know why it is so tempting for Musicians/Singers to cross the line into politics.

 

How do you get to that point where you tell yourself, my politics is a big part of my music?

 

It's traditional. Once upon a time the troubadour was the person who delivered the news from town to town. Just as today they editorialized.

Besides, people write (and talk) about what interests them.

Otherwise, why in God's name would people write songs about cars?

[Justus A. Picker]

> NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Despite a cool reception from country radio, the

> Dixie Chicks returned to No. 1 on the pop and country charts with

> their first album since publicly criticizing the president three

> years ago.

 

> The album "Taking the Long Way" took the top spot on country albums

> chart and the Billboard 200 overall chart - which are based on sales

> rather than radio airplay - with 526,000 units sold in its first full

> week.

 

> For the year, the Chicks' first-week showing is behind only Rascal

> Flatts' "Me and My Gang" (722,000 units), according to Wade Jessen,

> director of Billboard's country charts.

 

> The new album hit stores May 23, and its first-week sales are the

> trio's best since "Home" sold 780,000 units in its first week of

> release in September 2000.

 

> First-week sales on "Taking the Long Way" were better than Toby

> Keith's "White Trash With Money" (330,000) and Tim McGraw's "Greatest

> Hits Vol. 2: Reflected" (242,000).

[picker]

I'll be curious to see how lon the album stays at the top of the charts. It will be a test of how much juice radio actually has in promoting an album anymore. Currently, they Chicks are getting a lot of publicity from the talk show circuit and the general hoo-raw over NM's speech in London and the fallout from it. But next week there will be another story in the news, this story will be old news, and without airplay, my guess is sales are gonna plummet. But we'll see if that is actually true or not.

[Greg B.]

There is no such thing as bad publicity. I think that she knows exactly what she's doing by flapping her yap...Selling records. I personally don't pay attention to crap like that. If I like the music, I buy the record, if I don't, I don't buy it.

 

Politics...take your ball, leave Music alone, and go back to your side of the street!

Music...quit letting Politics into your yard to play. If he comes over, tell him to go home, and go into the house!