Wide open spaces

I liked that song. Liked the whole CD, pretty much. The Dixie Chicks were country-unique. My brother even remembers seeing them in Texas at a bonfire party back before they were rich and famous. Don't recall him saying anything ahout their outspoken opinions on anything other than the fiddle and banjo.

After their Bush trash in London it's admittedly hard to think of them the same way. It's one of those things--no matter what people say an actor or musician's personal opinions can affect their fans. I still listen occasionally, but every time it brings to mind politics. I get enough of that here.

If Natalie Maines was to somehow stumble across this blog, perhaps while googling for lefty sites or forehead cream, she might respond by telling me to go get in the trunk with Earle. It wouldn't be the first time a woman has conveyed that sentiment but is 'copping an attitude' toward the fans really a good idea?

Sure, everyone has the right to a free speech opinion about the war, the president, Ray Nagin or Ted Kennedy. But isn't it kinda dumb to tick off half your audience or constantly shove your politics in their faces? Got news for Ms. Maines, people generally don't go to concerts to get their political marching orders or to be told they are idiots.

The Chicks are featured in Time magazine this month for reasons I won't go into (I don't really know). But it's not hard to believe they might be local newsroom heroes to some, on par with Stephen Colbert. I can imagine some Time news elites perhaps thinking of them as a sappy bunch of red state hillbilly trash before their brave and courageous truth to power moment overseas. I could be wrong, but the article did say this:

And however you vote, it's tough to deny that by gambling their careers, three Texas women have the biggest balls in American music.

Personally I've never much cared for that visual being applied to women. As to their new CD/single, this statement from a DJ sums up my own feelings better than I could:

It is, as one country radio programmer says, "a four-minute f--- you to the format and our listeners. I like the Chicks, and I won't play it."

There's your trouble.