I don't care that Rob Reiner made it...it is one hilarious movie!
Posted on 05/20/2006 11:44:36 AM PDT by West Coast Conservative
Disappointing airplay for the first two singles from the new album by the Dixie Chicks exposes a deep -- and seemingly growing -- rift between the trio and the country radio market that helped turn the group into superstars.
"Taking the Long Way," due out May 23, is the band's first album since singer Natalie Maines sparked a major controversy in 2003 by declaring that she was ashamed to hail from the same state as fellow Texan President George W. Bush. Radio boycotts ensued, and many fans abandoned the band.
The first single, "Not Ready to Make Nice," peaked at No. 36 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, beginning its descent after just seven weeks. The second single, "Everybody Knows," is now at No. 50, down two places in its fourth week.
"Not Ready to Make Nice" performed only slightly better at adult contemporary radio, peaking at No. 32 on the AC chart and falling off after six weeks.
From the beginning of the album rollout, the Dixie Chicks were eager that their songs be worked to radio formats beyond country. The album was produced by rock veteran Rick Rubin, whose credits include the Red Hot Chili Peppers, System of a Down and Johnny Cash.
By picking the defiant "Not Ready" as the first single, they've reopened a wound that was particularly deep for country radio fans, and left many country programmers with the burning question: Why on earth would the band choose to do this?
After hearing the album, WKIS Miami program director Bob Barnett says he was "excited about the opportunity to introduce some great Chicks music to the listeners." But the group's decision to come with "Not Ready" as the lead single left him "stunned, especially in light of the fact that, when asked, programmers and consultants that listened to the project were virtually unanimous in saying we should put the politics behind us and concentrate on all this other great music we were hearing."
KUBL/KKAT Salt Lake City PD Ed Hill criticizes the song's "self-indulgent and selfish lyrics."
Barnett played the song for a week, but pulled it after listeners called to say it sounded like the Chicks were "gloating" or "rubbing our noses in it," he reports. "We didn't need to pick at the scab any longer."
He and other country programmers were upset that the group chose to launch its new album with a single that rehashed all the angst of three years ago.
The two singles have had a striking lack of impact at radio, considering the band's history. Between 1997 and 2003, it notched 14 top 10 country singles, including six No. 1 hits. In addition to eight Grammy Awards, the group has won 10 Country Music Assn. Awards and eight Academy of Country Music Awards. The trio has sold 23.4 million albums in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
The Dixie Chicks and reps from their label, Columbia Records, declined to participate in this story. But -- at least as far as Maines is concerned -- the drop-off at country radio was part of its plan.
Maines was quoted in late January on entertainmentweekly.com, before the single went to country radio, saying: "For me to be in country music to begin with was not who I was ... I would be cheating myself ... to go back to something that I don't wholeheartedly believe in. So I'm pretty much done. They've shown their true colors. I like lots of country music, but as far as the industry and everything that happened ... I couldn't want to be farther away from that."
Maines also said, "I don't want people to think that me not wanting to be part of country music is any sort of revenge. It is not. It is totally me being who I am, and not wanting to compromise myself and hate my life."
At KNCI Sacramento, Calif., the Chicks' music weathered the 2003 controversy only to be pulled as a result of Maines' new Entertainment Weekly comments, coupled with poor scores in local music tests.
"When an artist says that they don't want to be a part of that industry, it made our decision a no-brainer," program director Mark Evans says. "There are too many talented new artists dying to have a song played on country radio, so I'd rather give one of them a shot."
MARTY: The last time Tap toured America, they where, uh, booked into 10,000 seat arenas, and 15,000 seat venues, and it seems that now, on their current tour they're being booked into 1,200 seat arenas, 1,500 seat arenas, and uh I was just wondering, does this mean uh...the popularity of the group is waning?IAN: Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no...no, no, not at all. I, I, I just think that the.. uh.. their appeal is becoming more selective.
I couldn't care less about the Dixie Sluts, but I will merely note two things: (1) Natalie Maines made some half-hearted apology to fans back in 2003, but now she makes it obvious that she is a FRAUD since she only apologized to try to keep some of her fan base and now she is gleefully poking them in the eye; (2) When she gives the bird to all country music fans and then wonders why her new album doesn't go anywhere, she truly is an idiot. I don't know how her bandmates put up with her crap, but I hope she fades into well-deserved obscurity.
Larry: "...and The Dixie Chicks....what's that little fat one's name....Natalie??? She needs to shut her mouth, and go back to her job as a sales clerk at Lane Bryant..."
OMG, when I heard Larry say that I had tears coming down my face, I was laughing so hard. How funny is that line????
I think CMT has advertised their album. I know about a month ago if you went to cmt.com a HUGE ad for their album was the first thing you saw. Made me sick.
Thanks for the lyrics. Was nice of her to quote Laura Ingraham. lol
"Most liberal country music stars have the good sense to realize that their audience doesn't share their politics, and keep their politics to themselves."
Faith Hill and Tim McGraw have been spewing their venom lately, but I haven't heard, or read, anything negative about them. I sure do look at them differently now.
ping
Natalie is married to Adrian Pasdar. I love him as an actor.
Natalie's husband, from imdb.com
Adrian Pasdar was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, but at the age of 2, his father, a prominent heart surgeon, moved the family to Powelton, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia.
Dixie Chicken.
Fixed
Huh, Zip?
Interesting placement. She is between the A and the C, so that would make her the B....
The Dixie Chicks ain't Country or Western...that's for sure.
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