The Dixie Chicks are a country music group, currently comprising Martie Maguire, Emily Robison and lead singer Natalie Maines. The group formed in 1989 in Dallas, Texas. The Dixie Chicks achieved massive country music and pop success and also became well-known for their independent spirit and controversial comments on subjects such as war and politics.
During a London concert ten days before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, lead vocalist Maines said, "..we don't want this war, this violence, and we're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas" (the Dixie Chicks' home state). The statement offended some people, who thought it rude and unpatriotic, and the ensuing controversy cost the group half of their concert audience attendance in the United States and led to accusations of the three women being "un-American", as well as hate mail, a death threat, and the public destruction of their albums in protest.
The comment by Maines angered many country music fans but their brute public honesty in speaking out against the Iraq war gained them the respect of a larger audience worldwide. Following the initial uproar, Maines attempted to clarify matters by saying, "I feel the President is ignoring the opinions of many in the U.S. and alienating the rest of the world."
As of 2011, the Dixie Chicks had won 13 Grammy Awards, including five in 2007 for Taking the Long Way—which received the Grammy Award for Album of the Year—and "Not Ready to Make Nice", a single from that album. By July 2010, with 30.5 million certified albums sold, and sales of 26,733,000 albums in the U.S. alone, they had become one of the top selling female groups in the U.S.
Taking the Long Way was released on May 23, 2006 in the U.S. and on June 12, 2006 worldwide. The album appeared at #19 on the Rolling Stone list of the top 50 albums of 2006. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. It sold over 2 million copies in the U.S., being certified 2x platinum as of July 11, 2007. It won 5 Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year in February 2007.
Tracklist:
1. "The Long Way Around" – 4:33
2. "Easy Silence" – 4:02
3. "Not Ready to Make Nice" – 3:58
4. "Everybody Knows" (Gary Louris, Maguire, Maines, Robison) – 4:18
5. "Bitter End" (Louris, Maguire, Maines, Robison) – 4:38
6. "Lullaby" – 5:51
7. "Lubbock or Leave It" (Mike Campbell, Maguire, Maines, Robison) – 3:54
8. "Silent House" (Neil Finn, Maguire, Maines, Robison) – 5:23
9. "Favorite Year" (Sheryl Crow, Maguire, Maines) – 4:29
10. "Voice Inside My Head" (Maguire, Maines, Linda Perry, Robison, Wilson) – 5:52
11. "I Like It" (Louris, Maguire, Maines, Robison) – 4:34
12. "Baby Hold On" (Louris, Maguire, Maines, Robison, Pete Yorn) – 5:04
13. "So Hard" – 4:27
14. "I Hope" (Maguire, Maines, Kevin Moore, Robison) – 5:25
