Decemberists Prep ‘Crane Wife’ Box Set With Lin-Manuel Miranda Essay
The Decemberists will reissue their fourth album, and major label debut, The Crane Wife, as a five-disc vinyl set packed with B-sides and demos, and featuring essays from Hamilton mastermind Lin-Manuel Miranda and Rolling Stone‘s David Fricke.
The 10th anniversary set arrives December 9th and a short trailer for the release, highlighting its extensive artwork and packaging, is now available. The set will collect the original 2006 album on two LPs, while the other three discs will feature B-sides, bonus tracks, unreleased outtakes, alternative versions and frontman Colin Meloy’s solo acoustic demos. Among those demos is a version of the three-part “The Crane Wife” together as a single song in its original sequence.
An accompanying 20-page booklet will feature Miranda’s essay alongside new liner notes from Fricke. The collection will also include a Blu-ray featuring the Decemberists‘ 2006 concert at Washington D.C.’s 9:30 Club, which was filmed for NPR’s second-ever webcast and had previously not been given an official release.
The Crane Wife 10th anniversary box set is available to pre-order now via the Decemberists’ website. The band is also offering a special version pressed on marbled red vinyl, limited to 500 copies.
The Decemberists’ The Crane Wife 10th Anniversary Edition Track List
Record One: The Original Album
Side 1
1. “The Crane Wife 3”
2. “The Island”
– “Come And See”
– “The Landlord’s Daughter”
– “You’ll Not Feel The Drowning”
3. “Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)”
Side 2
1. “O Valencia!”
2. “The Perfect Crime #2”
3. “When The War Came”
4. “Shankill Butchers”
Record 2: Original Album Plus Outtakes
Side 3
1. “Summersong”
2. “The Crane Wife 1 & 2”
3. “Sons & Daughters”
Side 4
1. “After The Bombs”
2. “Culling Of The Fold”
3. “Hurdles Even Here”
Record Three: Outtakes And Alternates<
Side 5
1. “The Perfect Crime #1” + “The Day I Knew You’d Not Come Back”
2. “After The Bombs” (Early Take)
Side 6
1. “Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)” (Alternate Take with Alela Diane)
2. “Culling Of The Fold” (Alternate Take with Sean Nelson)
3. “Hurdles Even Here” (Full Band Take)
4. “The Perfect Crime #2” (Early Take)
Record Four: Home Demos
Side 7
1. “The Island”
– “Come And See”
– “The Landlord’s Daughter”
– “You’ll Not Feel The Drowning”
2. “O Valencia!”
3. “The Perfect Crime #2”
Side 8
1. “Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)” (With Carson Ellis)
2. “The Capp Street Girls”
3. “Culling Of The Fold”
4. “Hurdles Even Here”
Record Five: Home Demos
Side 9
1. “Shankill Butchers” (Demo)
2. “Summersong” (Demo)
3. “The Day I Knew You’d Not Come Back” (Demo)
4. “The Perfect Crime #1” (Demo)
Side 10
1. “The Crane Wife 1, 2 & 3”
2. “Sons & Daughters