Continuing my look at the albums of 2006…

I came very close to putting the Dixie Chicks album Taking the Long Way on my personal top ten of 2006, but listening to it again I realized I’m very enthused by about half of its tracks and could give or take the rest.

But I definitely wanted to feature it this week because it’s a milestone record with artistic, commercial, and political import — the rare album of true historic cultural significance.

In 2003, the Dixie Chicks (who now go by The Chicks) received a massive amount of criticism after member Natalie Maines, during a concert appearance in London, said she was ashamed of President George W. Bush, who was on the brink of starting a war with Iraq.

The backlash was particularly strong among country music fans, who burned the band’s albums and sent death threats to Maines. Radio stations blacklisted their music, and both album and concert sales plummeted. Pretty crazy considering how mild the remarks were, especially compared to today’s toxic social and political climate.

Maines apologized, then retracted the apology, and instead channeled her frustration and anger into new material.

Taking the Long Way isn’t all about that controversy, but its best songs are. In the opening, and title, track, Maines sings “It’s been two long years now since the top of the world came crashing down.” The song describes how the band members’ friendship got them through the ordeal.

In ‘Not Ready to Make Nice,’ they stand defiant. “I’m not ready to make nice, I’m not ready to back down, I’m still mad as hell and I don’t have time to go ’round and ’round and ’round.”

Other tracks celebrate the support of loved ones (‘Easy Silence‘) and depict the difficulty of carrying the burden of widespread derision (today’s SOTD).

The rest of the album hews more toward the band’s traditional country pop and that’s where it loses me. But that first half is golden.

Taking the Long Way was a major hit, going 2X Platinum and winning Album, Record, and Song of the Year, making them the only band to complete the sweep. Country fans came around as well, sending it to #1 on that chart.

Talk about a comeback.

Despite its great reception, Taking the Long Way proved to be the band’s last album for 14 years. In 2020, they changed their name in the “Aunt Jemima becomes Pearl Milling Company” of country music and released the well-received Gaslighter as The Chicks.