The Crane Wife, one the most widely acclaimed albums from The Decemberists, turns 10 this year. To commemorate the occasion, the band is releasing a 5-LP box set reissue on December 9th via Capitol Records. More than half of the collection boasts a boatload of bonus material in the form of demos and outtakes; there’s even an essay celebrating the album’s milestone penned by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Following a teaser trailer last month, the Decemberists have today unboxed a demo version of “The Crane Wife 1, 2, & 3”, the three-part suite that pops up at the beginning and end of the original album. This alternate take features Colin Meloy front and center, accompanied by little more than the gentle, warm strumming of an acoustic guitar.
Check it out below (via Stereogum).
In addition to The Crane Wife reissue, Decemberists are selling another product that’s aged well with time: their own Pinot Noir. For more information, head here.
The Crane Wife Box Set Tracklist:
LP 1: The Original Album
01 .The Crane Wife 3
02. The Island: Come and See/The Landlord’s Daughter/You’ll Not Feel the Drowning
03. Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)
04. O Valencia!
05. The Perfect Crime #2
06. When the War Came
07. Shankill Butchers
LP 2: Original Album Plus Outtakes
01. Summers0ng
02. The Crane Wife 1 & 2
03. Sons & Daughters
04. After the Bombs
05. Culling of the Fold
06. Hurdles Even Here
LP 3: Outtakes and Alternates
01. The Perfect Crime #1 + The Day I Knew You’d Not Come Back
02. After the Bombs (Early Take)
03. Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then) (Alternate Take With Alela Diane)
04. Culling of the Fold (Alternate Take With Sean Nelson)
05. Hurdles Even Here (Full Band Take)
06. The Perfect Crime #2 (Early Take)
LP 4: Home Demos
01. The Island: Come and See/The Landlord’s Daughter/You’ll Not Feel the Drowning
02. O Valencia!
03. The Perfect Crime #2
04. Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then) (With Carson Ellis)
05. The Capp Street Girls
06. Culling of the Fold
07. Hurdles Even Here
LP 5: Home Demos
01. Shankill Butchers (Demo)
02. Summersong (Demo)
03. The Day I Knew You’d Not Come Back (Demo)
04. The Perfect Crime #1 (Demo)
05. The Crane Wife 1, 2 & 3
06. Sons & Daughters
Blu-ray: Live at the 9:30 Club, October 29, 2006
01. The Crane Wife 3
02. The Island
03. We Both Go Down Together
04. The Gymnast, High Above the Ground
05. The Perfect Crime #2
06. Shankill Butchers
07. Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect
08. O Valencia!
09. The Legionnaire’s Lament
10. 16 Military Wives
11. The Crane Wife 1 & 2
12. Sons & Daughters
13. Red Right Ankle
14. Culling of the Fold
15. I Was Meant for the Stage
