Dixie Chicks, “Taking the Long Way” Art Direction: Kevin Reagan Designers: Kevin Reagan & Bret Healey Open Wide/Columbia Records

Review by Darren Melchiorre

It’s been four years since the Dixie Chicks left “Home”, dodging a few arrows brought on by a few choice words in between now and then. Now, while stepping out of their town car, they seem to be hit by one. The pop country trio and Open Wide/Columbia Records have once again teamed up with famed art director Kevin Reagan to design their new album, “Taking the Long Way”. With 2002’s design of “Home”, Reagan evoked a compelling journey down a long dirt road that the Chicks have taken to pop success. But with “Taking...”, it seems that Reagan was indeed hit by the arrows of the marketing executives. This cover art does what it intends to do, painting a serious, more polished group, stepping out of their town car and on to the cobblestone streets, a long cry from that dirt road they used to call “Home”. Now, illuminated by the neon lights, the Chicks have arrived and not without principle. But this art suggests that home grown style has been replaced by Hermes and Gucci shoes. The groups’ extremely powerful first single, “Not Ready to Make Nice”, may suggest otherwise, but Kevin Reagan failed to match that strength with some balls of his own. Unfortunately, one of those marketing arrows seems to have been deflected to the album cover, pointing right at Natalie Maines, as a not so subtle reminder to us all what brought our attention to the first amendment and to the Dixie Chicks to begin with (as if we needed to be reminded). By the look of this cover, they made a statement and then cashed in on it. There’s not a better way to say “America” than that. Too bad though. What a missed opportunity to make a real statement!