Robert Baird

Chicks On Top

Robert Baird  |  Jun 8, 2006

The Chicks' victory is nearly complete.

Let me add my voice to the growing chorus that's applauding the Dixie Chicks new album, Taking the Long Way, and its unrepentant stance against America's continuing drift, what Natalie Manes said about Bush and Nashville's pitifully small-minded crap. Make that the small-mindedness of the mainstream country music establishment and some—not all— of its fans.

The always smug Reba McEntire, who entirely made a fool of herself on the ACM award telecast by tweaking the Chicks can only dream of the kind of sales they’ve nailed down: 525,000 the first week and 271,000 in the second. Another good week and they strike platinum.

To be fair, no, it's not strictly a country record, more like urban country folk rock. And to go even further, they haven’t been a purist country act in a long time.

The best part for me is the reaction the record has drawn here in New York, a town where causes large and small are always welcome. This morning I saw two people in Starbucks sipping Caramel Macchiatos, buying what, judging by their reaction, was their first country music record ever. Now that's what I call marketing.

COMMENTS
Jason Coyer's picture
Submitted by Jason Coyer (not verified) on June 21, 2006 - 12:18am

Who gives a shit about this petty cat-fight? I mean Reba has not said anything as nasty or mean-spirited as the Dixie Chicks have. I am not a big George W. Bush fan myself, but the man is entitle to some level of respect. I wasn't extremely surprised, considering the close friendship between the Bush family and Reba. In regard to record sells......very few female country stars have sold as much as Reba has in her career. I respect the success of the Dixie Chicks, but they do need to take a more subtle approach to how they express their opinions. The fact is.....Reba was a star when they were in diapers. I highly doubt slamming the old gal is going to win you brownie points for long. Reba has a special charisma that people are drawn too, whether they like her music or not.

Jason Coyer's picture
Submitted by Jason Coyer (not verified) on June 21, 2006 - 12:23am

By the way, Reba's recent CD went Platinum in one month and is well on it's way to Double Platinum. :-) Anyway, enough of my weird Reba facts. LOL I say just throw the bitches into some mud and let em' have it out on national tv.

RG's picture
Submitted by RG (not verified) on June 23, 2006 - 1:49pm

I'm not buyin' any of eithers music, but I'll tune in for the mud slingin' cat fight! LOL

Bill Peace's picture
Submitted by Bill Peace (not verified) on June 23, 2006 - 9:25pm

Your liberal bias is overwhelming. The chicks are disgraceful and deserve every bit of the backlash they are receiving. As usual, liberals use the old ad hominem argument to slam Reba. Nice touch from the peace-loving oh so tolerant ones.

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