Red Mosquito

It's just a lyric video though, right? Not like a "music video" proper

theplatypus wrote:It's just a lyric video though, right? Not like a "music video" proper

Yeah, I think. But it seemed like it was an "official" lyric video. The Decemberists posted it and sent out an email about it. So, I posted it here.

I don't think I've done this here before. It's a massive undertaking but here we go...

LET'S RANK THE DECEMBERISTS!!!!

Castaways and Cutouts

Spoiler: show

The Legionnaire's Lament
Grace Cathedral Hill
Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect
Odalisque
Leslie Anne Levine
A Cautionary Song
California One/Youth and Beauty Brigade
July, July!
Cocoon
Clementine

Her Majesty the Decemberists

Spoiler: show

The Chimbley Sweep
Red Right Ankle
The Bachelor and the Bride
I Was Meant for the Stage
Billy Liar
Los Angeles, I'm Yours
Song for Myla Goldberg
The Gymnast, High Above the Ground
The Soldiering Life
Shanty for the Arethusa
As I Rise

Picaresque

Spoiler: show

Sixteen Military Wives
Eli, The Barrow Boy
The Mariner's Revenge Song
The Infanta
The Engine Driver
We Both Go Down Together
From My Own True Love (Lost at Sea)
On the Bus Mall
The Bagman's Gambit
The Sporting Life
Of Angels and Angles

The Crane Wife

Spoiler: show

The Island: Come and See/The Landlord's Daughter/You'll Not Feel the Drowning
When the War Came
Summersong
Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)
The Crane Wife 3
Sons & Daughters
Shankhill Butchers
O Valencia!
The Perfect Crime #2
Crane Wife 1 & 2

The Hazards of Love

Spoiler: show

The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid
Annan Water
The Rake's Song
The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)
The Hazards of Love 2 (Wager All)
The Hazards of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle the Thistles Undone)
Won't Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga)
The Hazards of Love 3 (Revenge!)
The Abduction of Margaret
A Bower Scene
Isn't it a Lovely Night?
Margaret in Captivity
The Queen's Approach
The Wanting Comes in Waves (Reprise)
The Queen's Rebuke/The Crossing
An Interlude
Prelude

The King is Dead

Spoiler: show

Rox in the Box
June Hymn
Down by the Water
January Hymn
Don't Carry it All
Calamity Song
Dear Avery
Rise to Me
All Arise!
This is Why We Fight

What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World

Spoiler: show

Make You Better
Till the Water's All Long Gone
Lake Song
Better Not Wake the Baby
Philomena
The Wrong Year
Anti-Summersong
12/17/12
Carolina Low
Cavalry Captain
Mistral
The Singer Addresses His Audience
A Beginning Song
Easy Come, Easy Go

I'll Be Your Girl

Spoiler: show

Rusalka, Rusalka/Wild Rushes
Sucker's Prayer
We All Die Young
Tripping Along
Your Ghost
Starwatcher
Severed
I'll Be Your Girl
Cutting Stone
Once in My Life
Everything is Awful

5 Songs/The Tain EP

Spoiler: show

The Tain
My Mother Was a Chinese Trapeze Artist
Shiny
Apology Song
Oceanside
Angel, Won't You Call Me
I Don't Mind

Picaresqueties

Spoiler: show

The Kingdom of Spain
The Bandit Queen
Constantinople

Always a Bridesmaid

Spoiler: show

Record Year for Rainfall
Valerie Plame
Raincoat Song
O New England
Days of Elaine

Long Live the King

Spoiler: show

Forgone
Burying Davy
E. Watson
I4U & U4Me

Florasongs

Spoiler: show

The Harrowed and the Haunted
Why Would I Now
Fits and Starts
Riverswim
Stateside

Entire Catalog:

Spoiler: show

The Tain
Sixteen Military Wives
The Chimbley Sweep
The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid
The Island: Come and See/The Landlord's Daughter/You'll Not Feel the Drowning)
Foregone
My Mother Was a Chinese Trapeze Artist
The Legionnaire's Lament
Grace Cathedral Hill
Red Right Ankle

The Bachelor and the Bride
Rusalka, Rusalka/Wild Rushes
Sucker's Prayer
Burying Davy
I Was Meant for the Stage
Record Year for Rainfall
Make You Better
Billy Liar
Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect
Shiny

Valerie Plame
The Harrowed and the Haunted
E. Watson
Odalisque
Leslie Anne Levine
Raincoat Song
Eli, The Barrow Boy
Annan Water
Till the Water's All Long Gone
We All Die Young

Lake Song
Los Angeles, I'm Yours
When the War Came
Summersong
Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)
The Crane Wife 3
Sons & Daughters
Why Would I Now
Fits and Starts
Better Not Wake the Baby

Rox in the Box
Philomena
Apology Song
Tripping Along
Song for Myla Goldberg
A Cautionary Song
June Hyme
Down by the Water
The Wrong Year
January Hymn

The Mariner's Revenge Song
Your Ghost
The Infanta
The Rake's Song
Anti-Summersong
Shankhill Butchers
O Valencia!
Don't Carry it All
The Gymnast, High Above the Ground
The Soldiering Life

The Engine Driver
We Both Go Down Together
The Kingdom of Spain
Calamity Song
The Perfect Crime #2
From My Own True Love (Lost at Sea)
California One/Youth and Beauty Brigade
July, July!
12/17/12
Carolina Low

Mistral
Starwatcher
Severed
I'll Be Your Girl
The Bandit Queen
The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)
The Hazards of Love 2 (Wager All)
On the Bus Mall
The Bagman's Gambit
Crane Wife 1 & 2

The Singer Addresses His Audience
O New England
I4U & U4Me
The Hazards of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle the Thistles Undone)
Won't Want for Love
The Hazards of Love 3 (Revenge!)
Cutting Stone
Angel, Won't You Call Me
Oceanside
Days of Elaine

Shanty for the Arethusa
Cocoon
Riverswim
A Beginning Song
The Sporting Life
Clementine
Once in My Life
Of Angels and Angles
As I Rise
Easy Come, Easy Go

The Abduction of Margaret
Dear Avery
Everything is Awful
A Bower Scene
Isn't it a Lovely Night?
I Don't Mind
Margaret in Captivity
All Arise!
The Queen's Approach
The Wanting Comes in Waves (Reprise)

The Queen's Rebuke/The Crossing
This is Why We Fight
Stateside
Constantinople
An Interlude
Prelude

Crane Wife 1&2 is my favorite Decemberists song.

The thing I love the most about The Crane Wife, is that it's an original concept album. Obviously, the music is outstanding and Colin offers some of his most interesting and layered lyrics to date. Then there's the "major label" money and production budget, blah blah blah. All of that factors in, for sure.

But at the end of the day it's the storytelling. The Crane Wife is a concept album that is essentially a collection of various short stories from various cultures and various time periods. We have Chinese folklore, Spanish folklore, non-fiction, Shakespeare, American standards. It's all there. It's such a complex and beautiful record. And I honestly can't think of a single record like it.

1. The Crane Wife
2. What A Terrible World, What a Beautiful World
3. Her Majesty, The Decemberists
4. Castaways and Cutouts
5. The Hazards of Love
6. Picaresque
7. I'll Be Your Girl
8. The King is Dead

I was surprised to read an interview with Colin Meloy a couple years ago where he seemed to suggest he considered The Crane Wife something of a failure. I agree it's their most complex and forward-thinking album, and one where the band isn't afraid to show some teeth. Wish they explored their more aggressive sound more often

theplatypus wrote:I was surprised to read an interview with Colin Meloy a couple years ago where he seemed to suggest he considered The Crane Wife something of a failure. I agree it's their most complex and forward-thinking album, and one where the band isn't afraid to show some teeth. Wish they explored their more aggressive sound more often

Totally agree.

When I saw them this summer, they played the entire record, front to back. It was incredible. But during When the War Came (which is a personal favorite) Colin mentioned that he had a love/hate relationship with the song. I was fascinated and wanted to know more but he didn't really elaborate. I'd love to talk to him (or hear him talk) more about why he's so conflicted about the record. I think that's fascinating.

I really dig the new Traveling On EP. Every song is good, not a disappointment in the bunch. I think I like the Full Band Version of Tripping Along more than the version on the I'll Be Your Girl LP.

The title track might be my first impression favorite.

I listened to these when they first appeared as bonus tracks for "I'll Be Your Girl." The title song was excellent -- should have been on the album. None of the others really did much for me. I thought "Midlist Author" was pretty bad.

theplatypus wrote:I was surprised to read an interview with Colin Meloy a couple years ago where he seemed to suggest he considered The Crane Wife something of a failure. I agree it's their most complex and forward-thinking album, and one where the band isn't afraid to show some teeth. Wish they explored their more aggressive sound more often

My least favorite album in their catalog, with the exception of the new one.

i haven’t listened to their last few albums

Kevin Davis wrote:I listened to these when they first appeared as bonus tracks for "I'll Be Your Girl." The title song was excellent -- should have been on the album. None of the others really did much for me. I thought "Midlist Author" was pretty bad.

I tried to listen to them via that link you sent but it was down, so this is my first time with them. I put it on last night and just gave it one spin. I don't remember which song has which title, really. I just remember Traveling On (because it's the title track; and yes it should have been on IBYG) and the full band version of the song that I already know really well. I'll definitely give each song more attention tomorrow. I want to listen to it a few times through at least. But, again, first impression of each song was super positive.

I retracked 'I'll Be Your Girl' to include the full band version of Tripping Along and Traveling On:

1. "Once in My Life"
2. "Cutting Stone"
3. "Severed"
4. "Starwatcher"
5. "Tripping Along (Full Band Version)
6. "Your Ghost"
7. "Everything Is Awful"
8. "Sucker's Prayer"
9. "We All Die Young"
10. "Traveling On"
11. "Rusalka, Rusalka / Wild Rushes"
12. "I'll Be Your Girl"


Very simple adjustments that I think make the album even stronger.

i just bought tickets to their 20th anniversary tour. i really hope they mix things up a bit from night to night.

Chris_H_2 wrote:i just bought tickets to their 20th anniversary tour. i really hope they mix things up a bit from night to night.

I bet they will. With nothing new to promote, I expect them to pull a lot from everything.

durdencommatyler wrote:

Chris_H_2 wrote:i just bought tickets to their 20th anniversary tour. i really hope they mix things up a bit from night to night.

I bet they will. With nothing new to promote, I expect them to pull a lot from everything.

i honestly haven't looked more forward to a decemberists' show since they played the crane wife with the chicago symphony back in like 2007.

you should go to the central park show joe

Chris_H_2 wrote:

durdencommatyler wrote:

Chris_H_2 wrote:i just bought tickets to their 20th anniversary tour. i really hope they mix things up a bit from night to night.

I bet they will. With nothing new to promote, I expect them to pull a lot from everything.

i honestly haven't looked more forward to a decemberists' show since they played the crane wife with the chicago symphony back in like 2007.

you should go to the central park show joe

I'm planning on it. But I need to check with my wife's schedule before I buy tickets.

The first time I saw them in NYC was at Summer Stage (back in 07, I think?). It's a good time.

I think I've had my fill of seeing these guys live, but the Castaways and Cutouts-themed artwork in the promo email did get me itching a bit, as did the promise to pull songs "from all corners of the discography."

Kevin Davis wrote:I think I've had my fill of seeing these guys live, but the Castaways and Cutouts-themed artwork in the promo email did get me itching a bit, as did the promise to pull songs "from all corners of the discography."

I can't imagine not seeing them whenever they play near me. The Decemberists are actually one of the only bands that I want to see live anymore. I'm more excited about seeing them for the dozenth time than seeing Pearl Jam again. And I've seen The Decembrists like four times since I last saw PJ.

They just keep getting better. Plus, the last time I saw them they played all of The Crane Wife, which was so special and amazing, but it meant that they played very little of I'll Be Your Girl. So I still want to hear a lot of those songs live.