Before they bring Taking the Long Way back out on the road, the Chicks have gone back into the archives.
To mark the 20th anniversary of their 2006 album, the trio has announced Taking the Long Way: 20th Anniversary Edition, due Oct. 2 via Legacy Recordings. The expanded edition will arrive digitally and as a three-LP set featuring five bonus tracks, including previously unreleased demos for “Not Ready To Make Nice,” “So Hard” and “Flowers,” and two rarities. Among the archival material, “Thin Line” and “Live Wire” will be available to stream for the first time.
Originally released May 23, 2006, Taking the Long Way found Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer at perhaps their most fearless and vulnerable. Released in amid the fallout from group member Natalie Maines’ criticism of then-President George W. Bush and the ensuing industry backlash, it became both a commercial juggernaut and a cultural line in the sand. It eventually swept the Grammy Awards with five wins, including Album, Record and Song of the Year.
The anniversary package adds a physical collector’s element to the revisit, with the three-LP edition featuring an exclusive etching, refreshed cover art and updated packaging alongside the five bonus tracks. “It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since Taking the Long Way,” the Chicks said in a statement. “These songs take us right back to one of the most defining times in our lives, and it’s incredible how much they still resonate today.”
The reissue arrives ahead of the trio’s Taking the Long Way 20th anniversary tour, which will kick off Sept. 30 in Detroit and has recently added shows in Philadelphia (Oct. 7), Boston (Oct. 9) and a third at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre (Nov. 3). For the first time, the Chicks will perform the album in its entirety before closing each night with favorites from across their catalog.
“We’re so excited to finally share some unreleased tracks and to perform the entire album on this tour,” the band said. “It feels like the perfect way to celebrate this journey with the fans who have been with us every step of the way.”
