The Decemberists: We All Raise Our Voices To The Air (Live Songs 04.11-08.11)

The Decemberists have always been a hard band to pigeon hole. Their earlier albums celebrated and recalled the great prog-rock bands of the seventies, but in the last few years they’ve been clearly enamored with the Appalachian sounds of antique American folk as exemplified by artists like Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. The Decemberists’ music has always been complex and it’s easy to imagine how difficult it could be to recreate in a live setting. Lead singer and main songwriter, Colin Melloy - like Shane McGowan of the Pogues before him - writes extremely literary - if occasionally verbose - lyrics that the band molds into a traditional music framework that gives extra weight and power to the stories the songs tell. On record, it is a formula that works brilliantly, but as compelling as the concerts that these live recordings are taken from may have been to witness in person, the performances captured here don’t always translate well into a home-listening experience. It’s not that the songs aren’t well played. They are. Colin Melloy is in fine voice throughout, and the band with Chris Funk on guitar and Nate Query on bass, as well and Jenny Conlee on accordion is a capable and tight group of musicians. If there is any problem with the performances, it’s that John Moen’s powerful drumming is often front and center in the mix, which sometimes has the effect of drowning out the subtle interplay between the other musicians. In concert, this probably would have added to the immediacy of the performance, but the repetitive nature of Moen’s martial rhythms proved to be exhausting a few songs into this set. The problem with this record certainly doesn’t lie with the material. Any concerns about how their older prog-rock opuses would fit alongside the warm and rootsy songs from _The King is Dead_ and _Long Live the King_ are put to rest early on. New songs such as “This is Why We Fight” and “Down By the Water” co-exist comfortably with older cuts like “The Rake Song” and “The Bagman’s Gambit” to form an effective narrative arc that demonstrates the care and attention to band took in constructing their live show. Choices such as presenting an uninterrupted sixteen minute version of ‘The Crane Wife’ suite as a centerpiece to the concert - rather than separating the song into three sections as it was on the album make for an exhilarating listening experience. The essential difficulty that listeners may have when considering whether to purchase this two CD set is that the live versions of the songs it features don’t really add much to the original recordings. While it is certainly true that concert-goers want to hear their favorite songs in a form that they recognize - and not a mumbled Bob Dylan-like approximation of them - it is also true that what made concert albums like _Frampton Comes Alive_, _Grateful Dead’s Europe ‘72_ and _Bob Marley Live at the Lyceum_ so great was how each of them featured improvised and reworked versions of classic songs that added to and extended their effect and meaning. Features of other great live albums include unexpected cover versions or monologues - a la John Prine - that are often as exciting and rewarding as the songs themselves. There is none of that here, and other than a few breathless, perfunctory remarks and introductions, Melloy and company let the music speak for itself - which is fine in concert, but more often than not the presentation falls flat when considered in isolation on a home stereo. Listening to “We All Raise Our Voices To The Air” makes me want to catch the Decemberists live, and for those who have, this collection will doubtless serve as a great souvenir of a memorable experience. It also provides a fine overview of The Decemberists’ oeuvre, but this live set adds little to an understanding or appreciation of their music overall. Those who are interested, but don’t already have their studio albums might want to start with them instead of purchasing this set.   read more

The Decemberists to Release Double Live Album

The Decemberists’s 2011 tour was apparently so awesome that they recorded for posterity. So, for all of you who couldn’t make it to any of the band’s shows, be sure to pick up their upcoming release—a double disc, triple vinyl, 20-track live album dropping on March 13.  read more