LIVE FROM SOHO

This is another from the seemingly endless string of iTunes ‘Live from SoHo’ download-only releases, all of them recorded live (as far as I know) at the iTunes Apple Studios in New York. In this particular case the recording was made in November, 2006. It must have been early in that month since the band had just started their supporting tour following the October release of ‘The Crane Wife’, and by the middle of November they were far away in Missoula, Montana about to break for the Thanksgiving holiday before heading off to Canada (well, Vancouver anyway) to make up a couple of previously canceled shows just in time for Christmas (you’re welcome Canada!).

Petra Haden was still with the band, which makes a difference since her vocals and violin were major contributors to the success of ‘The Crane Wife’ (both the CD and the tour). You can see her almost exactly a year earlier on ‘The Decemberists: A Practical Handbook’ DVD.

These are mostly acoustic songs – all six of them (I assume accordion qualifies as an acoustic instrument). The song selection is rather predictable, stuff from the new album and largely what was destined for radio play; except for “Song for Myla Goldberg” from ‘Her Majesty the Decemberists’, which is a great R.E.M. tribute sound but not something I personally would have picked in this setting. “July! July!” from their debut album and “We Both Go Down Together” from ‘Picaresque’ are here as well, but both of those songs get played a lot in concert and are high on the favorites list among some of the band’s more obsessive fans (especially the teenage emos who swoon – or whatever the emo equivalent of swooning is, over the young suicide theme of “We Both Go Down Together”).

Colin Meloy’s vocals are a bit out-of-tune, but since when is that news when it comes to his singing. It’s an acquired taste like escargot is an acquired taste as far as I’m concerned; and some people never develop the appreciation. Jenny Conlee manages to supplant her B3 with the accordion quite well, and you’d hardly miss the organ even if she shanks a few notes on “Song for Myla Goldberg”. No big deal though.

Overall this is a fair live recording from the band. I wouldn’t pick it over their DVD, but you could do worse (like some crappy shirt-pocket stage shot off youTube, for example). I got this from my oldest kid ‘cause I don’t do iTunes myself, but as near as I can tell pretty much the entire rest of the Western universe does, so you won’t have any trouble finding it. Three stars I guess; just barely, but at least you get a half-hour’s worth of music and unless MTV is still doing their ‘Unplugged’ series that’s about the only chance you’re likely to get to pick these songs au naturale. Enjoy.

peace