Music
All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best Of 2009
Best Of 2008
Best Of 2007
Best Of 2006
Best Of 2005
Best Of 2004
Best Of 2003
Best Of 2002
Best Of 2001
Best Of 2000
Upcoming &
Recent Releases
62
50 Cent
70
AFI
65
Air
70
Alice In Chains
53
Kris Allen
78
Amerie
79
Annie
76
Anti-Pop Consortium
75
Arctic Monkeys
82
Atlas Sound
77
The Avett Brothers
67
Backstreet Boys
59
Bad Lieutenant
68
Devendra Banhart
71
Lou Barlow
88
Baroness
69
Basement Jaxx
81
David Bazan
72
Beak>
84
Biffy Clyro
72
The Big Pink
95
Big Star
46
Billy Talent
75
The Black Crowes
72
The Black Heart Procession
68
Blitzen Trapper
75
BLK JKS
53
Bon Jovi
76
A.A. Bondy
65
Boys Like Girls
76
Brand New
73
Tyondai Braxton
83
Brother Ali
72
Ian Brown
75
Michael Buble
77
Built To Spill
61
Colbie Caillat
78
Califone
69
Mariah Carey
81
Brandi Carlile
72
Julian Casablancas
83
Rosanne Cash
71
Castanets
82
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
64
Exene Cervenka
79
Vic Chesnutt
81
Circulatory System
67
The Clean
84
The Clientele
72
Cold Cave
85
Converge
76
The Cribs
79
Cymbals Eat Guitars
62
Dashboard Confessional
71
Datarock
59
Dead By Sunrise
76
Dead Man's Bones
77
Del The Funky Homosapien & Tame One
73
Do Make Say Think
63
The Dodos
77
Drive-By Truckers
67
Bob Dylan
58
Echo & The Bunnymen
61
Electric Six
44
The Entrance Band
69
Fanfarlo
71
Jay Farrar And Benjamin Gibbard
63
Felix Da Housecat
68
Fink
66
Orenda Fink
79
The Flaming Lips
66
Flight Of The Conchords
79
Florence And The Machine
67
John Fogerty
83
Fuck Buttons
71
Nelly Furtado
47
Gary Go
68
Ghostface Killah
79
Girls
69
Gossip
62
David Gray
66
David Guetta
65
Calvin Harris
79
Richard Hawley
74
Mayer Hawthorne
66
Headlights
79
HEALTH
67
Hockey
67
Whitney Houston
80
Hudson Mohawke
68
Imogen Heap
59
Jack Ingram
79
Islands
74
Jamie T
65
Jay-Z
51
Jet
68
Daniel Johnston
76
Norah Jones
77
Karen O And The Kids
72
Toby Keith
69
Kid Cudi
75
Kid Sister
66
Kings Of Convenience
62
Sean Kingston
64
KISS
63
Mark Knopfler
73
Kris Kristofferson
68
KRS-One & Buckshot
76
La Roux
85
Miranda Lambert
71
Sondre Lerche
56
Juliette Lewis
62
Leona Lewis
82
Lightning Bolt
74
Little Dragon
44
Pixie Lott
83
Patty Loveless
73
Lyle Lovett
79
Lucero
75
Baaba Maal
77
Madness
84
Madonna
85
Manic Street Preachers
61
Maps
73
Mario
55
Massive Attack
57
Matisyahu
62
John Mayer
66
Tim McGraw
65
Brian McKnight
79
Mew
75
Mika
68
Amy Millan
76
Mission Of Burma
75
Molina And Johnson
80
Monsters Of Folk
66
Morrissey
76
The Mountain Goats
62
Múm
72
Muse
66
Willie Nelson
82
Nirvana
96
Nirvana
80
No Age
71
Noah And The Whale
75
Noisettes
79
Nudge
64
OneRepublic
47
Dolores O'Riordan
74
Os Mutantes
78
Osso
67
Alec Ounsworth
81
Owen
73
Paramore
78
Pastels And Tenniscoats
80
Pearl Jam
69
Jemina Pearl
65
Phish
61
Pitbull
79
A Place To Bury Strangers
79
Polvo
72
Porcupine Tree
72
Port O'Brien
79
Q-Tip
79
R.E.M.
88
Raekwon
69
Rain Machine
75
Dizzee Rascal
74
The Raveonettes
79
Real Estate
81
Rodrigo Y Gabriela
66
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
78
Russian Circles
69
Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
78
Say Anything
61
Sally Shapiro
78
Shudder To Think
70
Simian Mobile Disco
58
Simple Minds
80
Slayer
61
The Slits
58
Spiral Stairs
55
Steel Panther
75
Sufjan Stevens
52
Rod Stewart
68
Joss Stone
83
Barbra Streisand
77
A Sunny Day In Glasgow
74
Susanna And The Magical Orchestra
79
The Swell Season
80
David Sylvian
83
Taken By Trees
80
Tegan And Sara
68
The Temper Trap
78
The Dutchess & The Duke
71
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
74
Them Crooked Vultures
72
Themselves
82
They Might Be Giants
66
J Tillman
69
Times New Viking
57
Tokio Hotel
67
Trey Songz
73
Frank Turner
71
The Twilight Sad
60
Carrie Underwood
56
The Used
68
Various Artists
69
Various Artists
77
The Very Best
70
Kurt Vile
65
Vivian Girls
71
Volcano Choir
73
Rufus Wainwright
78
Wale
57
Weezer
81
White Denim
76
Why?
83
Wild Beasts
80
Wildbirds & Peacedrums
69
Robbie Williams
59
Andrew W.K.
65
Wolfmother
84
The xx
79
Yo La Tengo
83
Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band
52
Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
59
Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
Taking The Long Way
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 18 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 126 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Sony
Release Date: 23 May 2006
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Country
Summary
Rick Rubin "executive" produced the controversial country outfit's first release in four years. John Mayer, Bonnie Raitt, and members of Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Heartbreakers guest.
Also By This Artist: Home
Also On Metacritic
FILM: Dixie Chicks: Shut Up And Sing
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Entertainment Weekly
Finally, they put their music where their opinionated mouths are.
Read Full Review >Rolling Stone
[It] embraces the depth and fury of classic rock while remaining true to the trio's Texas roots. [18 May 2006, p.226]
PopMatters
Apart from the political material, they’ve rustled up some of their most gorgeous melodies.
Read Full Review >NOW Magazine
There's still some banjo-pickin' and fiddle-playing, but The Long Way's clean, soft-rockin' vibe is striking in contrast to the traditional bluegrassy leanings of 2002's Home.
Read Full Review >All Music Guide
[The] lack of zest in the production is forgivable because Taking the Long Way is otherwise a strong, confident affair.
Read Full Review >Mojo
It's another good one. [Jul 2006, p.100]
Austin Chronicle
With The Long Way Around, the Chicks haven't turned a corner as much as locked horns with their recent past, their spirituality and spunk intact, heroines on the side of truth.
Read Full Review >Stylus Magazine
Those voices alone are enough to devastate, and they’re the reason this album deserves mention among the year’s best.
Read Full Review >Billboard
The first-time pairing with Rubin has resulted in a surprisingly cohesive mix of country and rock tunes.
Read Full Review >Amazon.com
On first listen, Taking the Long Way seems too somber--in need of a bit of levity and more than a couple of uptempo songs (like the sexy, '60s-flavored "I Like It") to resonate for the long haul. It also seems to lack the writing quality that Darrell Scott, Patty Griffin, and Bruce Robison brought to Home. But on repeated plays, those concerns dissipate.
Read Full Review >Blender
This album has some of what was missing from Home: fire, ugliness, resentment. [Jun 2006, p.135]
Uncut
The development in their songwriting is dramatic. [Jul 2006, p.90]
ShakingThrough.net
Taking the Long Way wraps its still-raw emotions in sweet satin sheets of breezy, middle-of-the-road pop. While there are still some country elements, the album mostly exists in that top-down netherworld of Sheryl Crow albums and Tom Petty's "Learning to Fly."
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club)
If anything, Taking The Long Way is overly blunt, as though the group felt it has an image to maintain. The anger feels calculated.
Read Full Review >The Guardian
Ironically, just as they have become a liberal cause célèbre, the Dixie Chicks sound more conservative than ever.
Read Full Review >Q Magazine
The bulk sounds little different from most of what passes for mainstream country these days. [Jul 2006, p.113]
Slant Magazine
It's not just Rubin's production choices that fail, though--it's the songwriting.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 8.1 (out of 10) based on 126 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Jack gave it a5:
Yet another politically charged album that appeals to the Air America crowd and is despised by the Sean Hannity crowd. If I want politics, I will listen to any of those talk radio programs. If I want music, give me music, not a temper tantrum from some partisan POV.
Patrick gave it a10:
Anybody who gives it a 0 or 1 obviously holds a huge bias. There are so many great songs on this album. 10 because it deserves it
francisco g gave it a10:
The best album of the year without a doubt.... flawless!!!
Aaron L gave it a10:
Another amazing album by one of the most incredible groups to date.... Taking The Long Way is sure to hold a place in my cd player for a long time to come... "Taking The Long Way", "Not Ready To Make Nice", "Silent House", and "I Hope" are certainly heart felt, personal works of art!! Enjoy!
QI M. gave it a9:
It is truely a great album ,so meaningful,chicks go down ur own way like this ,I will show my best support,PS,bush goes the hell
martin J gave it a0:
Never release an album again!
p g gave it a1:
glad someone in the south has made a political statement. now someone please make a real album. if you actually like this album, go buy neko case, it'll blow apart your head, it's so much better.
