Her Majesty the Decemberists
| Her Majesty the Decemberists | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||
| Studio album by The Decemberists | ||||
| Released | September 9, 2003 | |||
| Recorded | February 2003–March 2003 | |||
| Genre | Indie rock, folk rock | |||
| Length | 48:26 | |||
| Label | Kill Rock Stars | |||
| Producer | Larry Crane | |||
| The Decemberists chronology | ||||
|
||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 83/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Blender | [3] |
| Pitchfork Media | (8.2/10)[4] |
Her Majesty the Decemberists is the second full-length album by The Decemberists, released on September 9, 2003, by Kill Rock Stars. The song "Song for Myla Goldberg" was written years earlier, after Colin Meloy had been a media escort for the novelist Myla Goldberg during a tour following the publication of her first book, Bee Season. "The Bachelor and the Bride" has the words "stripped bare" in the chorus, and appears to be a reference to Marcel Duchamp's piece "The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even".
The album cover was designed by the Portland artist Carson Ellis, the long-time girlfriend (and now wife) of Meloy, who has created artwork for each of the band's albums.
Contents
Track listing
All songs written by Colin Meloy.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Shanty for the Arethusa" | 5:38 |
| 2. | "Billy Liar" | 4:08 |
| 3. | "Los Angeles, I'm Yours" | 4:18 |
| 4. | "The Gymnast, High Above the Ground" | 7:13 |
| 5. | "The Bachelor and the Bride" | 4:13 |
| 6. | "Song for Myla Goldberg" | 3:34 |
| 7. | "The Soldiering Life" | 3:48 |
| 8. | "Red Right Ankle" | 3:29 |
| 9. | "The Chimbley Sweep" | 2:54 |
| 10. | "I Was Meant for the Stage" | 7:02 |
| 11. | "As I Rise" | 2:14 |
|
Total length:
|
48:26 | |
Note: On some editions, the track listing printed on the actual disc omits "The Chimbley Sweep", though the song is listed on the back of the CD jacket and in the liner notes.
Personnel
According to the liner notes of Her Majesty the Decemberists.
The Decemberists
- Colin Meloy - vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, percussion
- Chris Funk - electric guitar, Oberheim synthesizer, pedal steel, lap steel, dobro, percussion
- Jenny Conlee - Hammond organ, piano, Rhodes piano, accordion, Wurlitzer, backing vocals, percussion
- Jesse Emerson - electric bass, upright bass, percussion
- Rachel Blumberg - drums, percussion, vibes, glockenspiel, backing vocals, organ solo on "Red Right Ankle"
Additional Musicians
- Cory Gray - trumpet, trombone, hand claps
- Dave Lipkind - chromatic harmonica
- Carson Ellis - Blood-curdling scream
- Kenneth Erlick - Hand claps
- Her Majesty's String Quartet
Production
- Produced by The Decemberists with Larry Crane and Adam Selzer
- Engineered by Larry Crane (tracks 2-6, 8, 10) and Adam Selzer (tracks 1, 7, 9, 11)
- Mastered by John Golden
- String arrangements by Mike Johnson
- Illustrations and design by Carson Ellis, assisted by Colin Meloy
- Layout and production by Brady Clark
