CHICKS WIN, GRAMMYS LOSE

So the Dixie Chicks won five Grammys last night, including the big trifecta (best song, best album, best record), and your reaction to that probably has more to do with your politics than with your taste in music.

The Chicks' big sweep Sunday night is being cast in the only light it deserves: as redemption for the abuse they suffered starting in March 2003, when Natalie Maines criticized President Bush. For that, the Chicks were censored by country radio and pilloried by conservatives in politics, entertainment and elsewhere. Likewise, they became heroines to liberals, like Michael Moore, who infamously invoked their names (along side the Pope) during his Oscar acceptance speech in 2003.

Four years  later, all that fuss seems like excessive posturing from both sides. The Chicks' suffered more fear and ridicule than they deserved (including death threats) from politicians, fans and fellow entertainers. But they were also elevated to a stature they neither asked for nor deserved. They became, you could say, the Rosa Parks of country music: the outspoken women-folk who wouldn't budge when asked to shut up and move.

Sunday night was a huge moment for them. But it was for the wrong reasons. This is all subjective, certainly, but anyone would have a hard time making the case that "Taking the Long Way" was the best album of 2006. I don't even think it was the best country album of 2006 (better: James Hand, Sunny Sweeney, The Wreckers, Neko Case, Willie Nelson).

In the annual poll of music critics by Village Voice, the Chicks' album came in No. 20. In Metacritic's survey of dozens of reviews, it didn't even make the Top 30. Granted, the Grammys are a survey of music industry insiders, not writers, reporters and critics. And its standards are, at times, baffling. Example: The Chicks' "Not Ready to Make Nice" was song and record of the year overall; it was not nominated as song of the year in the country category. Even so, a sweep like this is typically reserved for albums that  represent an artist's peak or a defining moment in music. "Long Way" is neither.

This landslide in their favor feels like the music industry commenting on not just the backlash against the Chicks from both the country radio establishment and the conservative wing of our culture but also a validation of their stance against the war. The Chicks won, it seems, for the same reaons they suffered all that abuse nearly four years ago: for their politics. HEre's how the writer at CMT.com framed it:

The wins at the awards show in Los Angeles serve as an indication of the music industry's respect for the rough road the Dixie Chicks have traveled since Maines criticized President Bush ...

It was a transparent indication. Look who was up on stage towards the end of the show: Don "Walden Pond" Henley and Al Gore, who thanked the audience in the hall for its stance on the environment. He sounded like he was speaking at a political convention in front of his own constituents. And, for the most part, he was.

In the end, unless you're Gnarls Barkley or another slighted group/artist, this is pretty much a petty matter (remember Lauryn Hill?). If you're smirking today over this, having the kind of last laugh that everyone assumes the Chicks are having, then enjoy the moment. No doubt over at Fox News and in other conservative media channels, they're rolling out their standard, blanket arguments about the liberal/Hollywood entertainment/media establishments. Only this time, those arguments will emit the faint scent of truth.

| Timothy Finn, The Star 

Comments

[Gentle Ben]

To compare the tubby little singer to Rosa Parks is a bit much. Rosa faced immediate danger for the actions she took. These wowsers have enough security to keep them far distant from fan or foe at all times. Then there would be the economic comparisons.

Maines has a right to any opinion she wants, but her music should be separate from that for better, or worse. The real crime here is politicizing the awards. They now no longer have any credibility as an assessment of musical talent (if, of course they ever did have).

[Suzanne Wischropp]

Are there any true competitions remaining? What a shame! Radios play music because of payola; Academy Awards are suspect; I could go on...

[Vandelay]

It probably should have been apparent from the start that the Dixie Chicks were going to have a big night. And it wasn't because of the the "liberal" thing. It was the fact that the Grammys, for better or worse, have always rewarded the best of the MAINSTREAM recordings (as opposed to the best recordings, period). If you look at the Village Voice poll you quoted, the Dixie Chicks and Gnarls Barkely were the only two real mainstream albums in that list. And since the Chicks appeal to a larger segment of the market than Gnarls, the Chicks win.

The Grammys feel the need to walk the fine line between critical and popular success. If they were to always go with the critics' favorite, they'd lose credibility (and viewership) with the mass audience, and vice versa.

For me, the best part about the Chicks victory was seeing Dan Wilson win for co-writing "Not Ready To Make Nice". As an old Trip Shakespeare fan (who saw them MANY times at Parody Hall and in Westport), that was pretty cool.

[Bobby901]

Gentle Ben writes,
"Maines has a right to any opinion she wants, but her music should be separate from that for better, or worse."

So does the same go for Toby Keith's opinion of where to put his boot? Would we have "Huckleberry Finn" without Twains opinions on racism? Darn that Shakespeare for his thoughts and opinions on revenge. All we got from that was "Hamlet". Molière expresses his thoughts on hypocrisy and gives us "The Misanthrop".

To suggest that artists in any medium keep their opinions and/or feelings seperate from their work is one of the most unintelligent, narrow minded, ill-conceived notions of all time. All art, be it film, paintings, writing, or song is created out of the artists passion. That passion should be supported and encouraged in all potential artists. Surely Gentle Ben and others agree with that.

[Aaron Barnhart]

Hey Ben, thanks for having the courage of your convictions and leaving an obviously bogus email.

[Tim Finn]

Regarding the comments from Mr. Vandalay (are you an architect or a latex salesman?):
The Gnarls Barkley album was a mainstream album; so was the Wreckers' album. I don't expect artists like James Hand or even Neko Case to win big Grammys.
I also liked seeing Gary Louris, former Jayhawk, up there at the end, though he represents what I think is wrong with the Chicks' album: too many cooks and sous-chefs got involved.

[Mbart]

I just find the lyrics to "Not Ready to make nice" a little ironic. She sings, "How can you teach your daughter to hate a perfect stranger?" Shouldn't Natalie, of anyone, know the answer to that? Has she ever met President Bush or had dinner with him to know him as a person?

Honestly, I could care or less about anyone else's opinions on politics. It all comes down to respect. I don't feel the Dixie Chicks have been respectful and they certainly were not respectful when they won their awards.

Their previous albums are much better than this one. But we know that award shows are most of the time predictable and boring and thus try to add contriversy to garner more viewers. Last year the show was beat out by American Idol....hmmmm. Why the voting for who sings with Justin.

I hold absolutely no merit to the awards. It is a way to get people to buy an album. Just as the Oscar-nominated movies try to pay for their votes because in the end it will pay off, I too believe the Grammies are the same.

Let them feel vindicated to win the grammy. I still am not buying the album. Who really won?

[Dave]

I am "Not Ready to Make Nice" with the Dixie Chickens.

[Steve]

One need only read a couple Gentle Ben's posts on other Star blogs (see especially Faith Matters) to understand that he is always right and everyone who disagrees with him is wrong and probably out to destroy America and Christianity. As for the Grammy's validity as a statement on quality of music, how valid can they be if they give the first Best Heavy Metal award to Jethro Tull?

[Florn Roonst]

"They became, you could say, the Rosa Parks of country music: the outspoken women-folk who wouldn't budge when asked to shut up and move."

I usually really like Timothy Finn's stuff, but that Rosa Parks comparison is just crappy and lazy. Get it together, Finn.

The Grammies are usually predictable, lame and mainstream, so the Dixie Chicks awards shouldn't be too surprising.

I do like that the Chicks grammies are both a snub to the knee-jerk right wing bumpkins AND the lovers of the utter dreck that passes for popular country music these days.

Hang in there, Limbaugh fans. This indignity shall pass. In the meantime just pop some Shania or Toby in the CD player and drive aggressively around town in your lifted F150s and Grand Ams until the anger passes. Maybe stop in for a Coors Light and some wings on the way home. You'll survive.

[Tim Finn]

Let me clarify: What happened to the Chicks was excessive and unnwarranted -- and I'm talking about the death threats and Toby Keith showing them in bed with Saddam and all their friends in country music abandoning them. I don't think the Chicks are anything like Rosa Parks; I don't thing what they went through was anything like what she went through. Their suffering, however, in some circles been elevated -- exaggerated -- to that level. So I was exaggerating, too. I guess I should have said Joan of Arc. Or Sinead O'Connor.

[Florn Roonst]

What? Are you implying that Sinead O'Connor's suffering has been exaggerated?

Now you've gone too far, Finn.