We All Raise Our Voices to the Air (Live Songs 04.11–08.11)

{{music ratings

|MC=77

|rev1=The A.V. Club

|rev1Score=B

|rev2=Consequence of Sound

|rev2Score={{Rating|4|5}}

|rev3=Drowned in Sound

|rev3Score=8/10

|rev4=The Independent

|rev4Score={{Rating|4|5}}

|rev5=Paste

|rev5Score=7/10

|rev6=Pitchfork Media

|rev6Score=6.9/10

|rev7=PopMatters

|rev7Score=8/10

|rev8=Rolling Stone

|rev8Score={{Rating|3|5}}

}}

The album received a largely positive reception from critics and holds a 77 at Metacritic with 13 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Drowned in Sound's David Edwards has called the album "remarkably feisty live record which manages to capture the carnival of their live show with admirable aplomb" noting that The Decemberists are a "band best appreciated live" who embrace vaudeville-type skits and audience participation. Writing for Consequence of Sound, Jake Cohen agrees that the spontaneous banter and theatrics of the album are a strength, but both reviewers lament a lack of visuals to accompany the recording. In a positive review, PopMatters editor Zachary Houle called the album "a sterling document of a band at the peak of their powers showcasing just how good they really are" also praising the between-track banter. Andy Gill of The Independent calls the album a mix of "intelligence and drive" and gave it four out of five stars, comparing the anthemic content to Arcade Fire and R.E.M.

A mixed review came from Stephen M. Deusner of Pitchfork Media. Granting that the band's "heady concepts, genre nods, and oddball experiments... gel fairly well", he still found the onstage antics of the band "too precocious, too juvenile" and opines that a DVD of their performance would only enhance the silliness of their live performance. Paste{{'}}s Doug Heselgrave called the album "respectable", noting that the musicians were talented, but the mix was too focused on percussion and the performances don't add much to the previously-released studio versions of these songs. Steven Hyden of The A.V. Club disagreed with the sentiment, calling the songs "different enough" and compares the engaging performances with a heavy metal band.

All songs written by Colin Meloy

;Compact Disc 1 and LP side 1

1. "The Infanta" – 5:46 (from Picaresque, 2005)
2. "Calamity Song" – 3:52 (from The King Is Dead, 2011)
3. "Rise to Me" – 4:49 (from The King Is Dead)
4. "The Soldiering Life" – 5:04 (from Her Majesty the Decemberists, 2003)

;LP side 2

5. "We Both Go Down Together" – 4:30 (from Picaresque)
6. "The Bagman's Gambit" – 8:27 (from Picaresque)
7. "Down by the Water" – 3:48 (from The King Is Dead)
8. "Leslie Ann Levine" – 4:08 (from Castaways and Cutouts, 2002)

;LP side 3

9. "The Rake's Song" – 4:45 (from The Hazards of Love, 2009)
10. "The Crane Wife 1, 2, and 3" – 16:09 (from The Crane Wife, 2006)

;Compact Disc 2 and LP side 4

11. "Oceanside" – 3:27 (from 5 Songs, 2001)
12. "Billy Liar" – 6:41 (from Her Majesty the Decemberists)
13. "Grace Cathedral Hill" – 4:25 (from Castaways and Cutouts)
14. "All Arise!" – 4:23 (from The King Is Dead)

;LP side 5

15. "Rox in the Box" – 3:07 (from The King Is Dead)
16. "June Hymn" – 4:30 (from The King Is Dead)
17. "Dracula's Daughter > O Valencia!" – 5:26 (from Colin Meloy Sings Live!, 2008 and The Crane Wife)
18. "This Is Why We Fight" – 4:47 (from The King Is Dead)

;LP side 6

19. "The Mariner's Revenge Song" – 12:15 (from Picaresque)
20. "I Was Meant for the Stage" – 10:13 (from Her Majesty the Decemberists)

Tracks were recorded at the following locations:

• "The Infanta", "The Soldiering Life", and "The Rake's Song" – McMenamins Edgefield Amphitheatre, Troutdale, Oregon
• "Calamity Song", "Oceanside", and "Rox in the Box" – Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Atlanta, Georgia
• "Rise to Me" – Overture Center, Madison, Wisconsin
• "We Both Go Down Together" – Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, Tennessee
• "The Bagman's Gambit" – Benedum Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• "Down by the Water" – Iroquois Amphitheatre, Louisville, Kentucky
• "Leslie Ann Levine", "The Crane Wife 1, 2, and 3", and "Billy Liar" – Britt Pavilion, Jacksonville, Oregon
• "Grace Cathedral Hill" – University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
• "All Arise!" – Stubb's, Austin, Texas
• "June Hymn" – Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan
• "This Is Why We Fight" – Marymoor Amphitheatre, Redmond, Washington

{{cite web | url=http://www.decemberists.com/news/we-all-raise-our-voices-to-the-air-available-now/ | title=We All Raise Our Voices to the Air Available NOW – the Decemberists }}

File:The Decemberists at Radio City.jpg

;The Decemberists

• Jenny Conlee – keyboards, Hammond B3 organ, glockenspiel
• Chris Funk – electric, acoustic, and pedal steel guitars; bouzouki; mandolin; piano; harmony vocals
• Colin Meloy – lead vocals, acoustic 12- and six-string guitar, electric guitar, bouzouki
• John Moen – drums, harmony vocals
• Nate Query – upright and electric bass

;Additional musicians

• Portland Auxiliary Brass – saxophones and trumpets
• Sara Watkins – violin, harmony vocals, baritone guitar, and percussion

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite news |url=http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-decemberists-we-all-raise-our-voices-to-the-ai,70730/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316010737/http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-decemberists-we-all-raise-our-voices-to-the-ai%2C70730/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 16, 2012 |title=The Decemberists: We All Raise Our Voices To The Air |last=Hyden |first=Steven |date=2012-03-13 |accessdate=2012-03-13 |newspaper=The A.V. Club}}

{{cite magazine |url=https://consequence.net/2012/03/album-review-the-decemberists-we-all-raise-our-voices-to-the-air-live-songs-04-11-08-11/ |title=Album Review: The Decemberists – We All Raise Our Voices To The Air (Live Songs 04.11–08.11) |last=Cohen |first=Jake |date=2012-03-09 |accessdate=2012-03-09 |magazine=Consequence of Sound}}

{{Cite web |url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/16869/reviews/4144599 |title=The Decemberists – We all Raise Our Voices to the Air (Live 04.11–08.11) / Releases / Releases // Drowned In Sound |last=Edwards |first=David |date=2012-03-09 |accessdate=2012-03-09 |publisher=Drowned in Sound |archive-date=2012-03-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310210837/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/16869/reviews/4144599 |url-status=dead }}

{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-the-decembrists-we-all-raise-our-voices-to-the-air-rough-trade-7545878.html |title=Album: The Decembrists, We All Raise Our Voices to the Air (Rough Trade) |last=Gill |first=Andy |date=2012-03-09 |accessdate=2012-03-09 |newspaper=The Independent}}

{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/we-all-raise-our-voices-to-the-air-live-songs-041108 |title=We All Raise Our Voices to the Air: Live Songs 04.11.08 Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic |accessdate=2012-03-09 |website=Metacritic}}

{{Cite web |url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16373-we-all-raise-our-voices-to-the-air-live-songs-411-811/ |title=The Decemberists: We All Raise Our Voices to the Air (Live Songs 4.11–8.11) | Album Reviews |last=Deusner |first=Stephen M. |date=2012-03-12 |accessdate=2012-03-12 |publisher=Pitchfork Media}}

{{cite magazine |url=http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2012/03/the-decemberists-we-all-raise-our-voices-to-the-ai.html |title=The Decemberists: We All Raise Our Voices To The Air (Live Songs 04.11–08.11) |last=Heselgrave |first=Doug |date=2012-03-12 |accessdate=2012-03-12 |magazine=Paste}}

{{cite magazine |url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/155743-the-decemberists-we-all-raise-our-voices-to-the-air-live-songs-04.11/ |title=The Decemberists: We All Raise Our Voices to the Air (Live Songs 04.11–08.11) |last=Houle |first=Zachary |date=2012-03-12 |accessdate=2012-03-12 |magazine=PopMatters}}

{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/we-all-raise-our-voices-to-the-air-live-songs-04-11-08-11-20120313 |title=We All Raise Our Voices to the Air Live Songs 04.11–08.11 | Album Reviews |last=Dolan |first=Jon |date=2012-03-13 |accessdate=2012-03-13 |magazine=Rolling Stone}}

}}

• [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/exclusive-stream-the-decemberists-career-spanning-live-album-20120305 Stream of disc one from Rolling Stone]
• [http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/av/2012/03/album-stream-the-decemberists---we-all-raise-our-v.html Stream of disc two from Paste]

{{The Decemberists}}

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Category:2012 live albums

Category:Capitol Records live albums

Category:Live folk rock albums

Category:Rough Trade Records live albums

Category:The Decemberists albums

Category:Live indie folk albums

Category:Live indie rock albums