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The Hazards Of Love

The Decemberists Audio CD
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
Price: £10.74 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Life as a musician means continual evolution. Over the course of a career, any band worth paying attention to will pursue a sound, a direction, until it triggers a different idea and they’re chasing some other distant dream. With their sixth album, The King Is Dead, The Decemberists illustrate the power that comes from this kind of creative call-and-response.
When the band completed ... Read more in Amazon's The Decemberists Store

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Frequently Bought Together

The Hazards Of Love + Picaresque + The King Is Dead
Price For All Three: £31.43

Buy the selected items together
  • Picaresque £9.25
  • The King Is Dead £11.44

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought


Product details

  • Audio CD (23 Mar 2009)
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: Rough Trade Records
  • ASIN: B001TKMRWE
  • Other Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 46,087 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s

Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or view the MP3 Album.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Samples
Song Title Time Price
Listen  1. Prelude 3:04£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen  2. The Hazards Of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle The Thistles Undone) 4:18£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen  3. A Bower Scene 2:08£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen  4. Won't Want For Love (Margaret In The Taiga) 4:06£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen  5. The Hazards Of Love 2 (Wager All) 4:25£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen  6. The Queen's Approach0:29£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen  7. Isn't It A Lovely Night? 3:38£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen  8. The Wanting Comes In Waves/Repaid 6:26£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen  9. An Interlude 1:40£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen10. The Rake's Song 3:15£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen11. The Abduction Of Margaret 2:06£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen12. The Queen's Rebuke/The Crossing 3:56£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen13. Annan Water 5:11£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen14. Margaret In Captivity 3:07£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen15. The Hazards Of Love 3 (Revenge!) 3:21£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen16. The Wanting Comes In Waves (Reprise) 1:30£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen17. The Hazards Of Love 4 (The Drowned) 5:57£0.79  Buy MP3 


Product Description

Amazon.co.uk

This is not the seventies anymore. You do not need to be afraid of prog rock. Bearing that in mind, open your arms for the fifth album by Portland’s baroque-folksters The Decemberists, The Hazards Of Love, a bona-fide concept album (based loosely, since you asked, around '60’s Brit folk revivalist Anne Briggs’ EP of the same name). You need not quiver at its 17 tracks, preludes, interludes, a song in four parts, and another reprised at the record’s conclusion. This is, in keeping with their tendency to get ever more theatrical by the year, by far their most prog offering to date, even more so than 2006’s The Crane Wife. But nestling at its centre is a clarity, warmth of expression and twee smile that has been present in their songwriting since their more threadbare early releases. "Annan Water" is gently campfire acoustic, a la Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes, but with a flaming arrow protruding from its chest, "The Queens Rebuke / The Crossing" writhes noisily in a '70s rock swamp and the bright stomp of "The Rake’s Song" recalls The New Pornographer’s knack for honeycomb pop with a kick and is somewhat of a respite from tracks like "The Abduction Of Margaret" and "Margaret In Captivity" which are as convoluted and flamboyant as you’d expect (Medieval French vibes, minstrel-esque laments, psychedelic flutterings, children’s choir, heavy metal guitars, the lot). Positioned somewhere between Arcade Fire, Yes, Pink Floyd and Patrick Wolf the last thing you can accuse them of is being uninteresting. --James Berry

Product Description

CD

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The Hazards Of Love review 21 Jan 2010
Format:Audio CD
It's nice to read so many positive reviews for this album, particularly those from fans of the first generation of prog-rock fans. The Decemberists certainly seem to have hit the right notes for many with this one. For myself, my first taste of their music was the wonderful Picaresque, which was one of those really special finds that put me in a spin for weeks, just brilliant. Hearing Castaways And Cutouts, after that, was a none-event, unfortunately.

So now I own a copy of The Hazards Of Love, and concur with the masses that this is one audacious album. The music is bright and adventurous, drawing noteably from classic prog-rock, British folk-rock, Americana, the blues, and a hint of early music, throughout the telling of one rather dark tale. If this storyline were made into a film or book you can be sure I'd steer clear, but it is curious that such subject-matter in song-form, at least in the capable hands of folks like The Decemberists, doesn't leave me disturbed and regretting the encounter. There is plenty of light and space here and it is overall much more dignified (in a good way) than you might expect.

I have no problem with Colin Meloy's singing (though my wife did at first), I'm actually reminded of Robin Williamson (Incredible String Band), and it is perfect for these songs. Also akin to Robin Williamson, Colin Meloy is like a magpie collecting curios and decorating a nest, all sorts of shiny fragments that don't really go together in normalville but together in this setting are beautiful. Joining Colin are Sharon Worden - who sings with suitable power, malevolence and contempt as the Queen character - and Becky Stark, singing as Margaret, whose voice is soft and lovely and goes well with Colin's voice, particularly on the charming Isn't It A Lovely Night?. On The Wanting Comes In Waves, there are passages with swooping female backing vocals that sound like they were pulled off of Neon Bible by Arcade Fire, I was surprised at first, but it's good stuff.

Choosing to make a concept album has its pitfalls, one artistic decision that I'm not so keen on is having all the songs run into each other. It works really well in some places but not in others, it's just a small detail but after a while I just crave a couple of seconds pause between tracks. This probably magnifies my sense that there should be a certain commitment on the part of the listener to hear out the complete album, it feels improper to pick and choose tracks, whereas an album of stand-alone songs can be taken in smaller portions without it feeling strangely wrong. Because of this I will probably listen to this album less.

I don't rate this album quite as highly as many of the other reviewers have, I think it is very fine, strong throughout, adventurous, but I like Picaresque better. In some ways Hazards Of Love is like the brilliant Mariner's Revenge Song or the Bagman's Gambit - both songs brimming with ideas, both arranged into several scenes - allowed to grow in size and bust out of its earthenware pot and take over the greenhouse. At the first listen to Hazards I wasn't sure what I made of it, but several listens on, and with much of the story more or less understood, I can say I like it lots!
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Bloody bloody great!! 28 Mar 2009
Format:Audio CD
Well...what do you say eh? Despite perhaps others attempts at diminishing this latest epic as pretentious, pomp, meaningless folk/prog/rock ish, I am blown away - as usual!
Lyrically this is unsurpassed - just sit and listen! I love words - I really do! This is poetry and storytelling at it's best, all crafted within a cocoon of gorgeous music. Having discovered the Decemberists a few years ago I have listened with curiosity and growing admiration. The Crane Wife was lovely, haunting, painful to listen to at times but always wonderful. The Hazards of Love is .....probably the best recording of it's genre - is there a genre that encapsulates these guys? I don't know! Anyway vocally with the guest appearances (Shara Worden in particular) this album is beautiful, just beautiful. I don't know of another band that can just do this sort of thing. They are an unlikely bunch... just look at their photos.... but for me (and I know it's always personal with music - it HAS to be) this is a classic. Thanks guys - more of the 'same' - but oh so different. Lovely lovely lovely. Colin Meloy is a genuinely genius songwriter. This a a genuinely genius album.
Try it, don't be deterred by what you may read, get in there, close your eyes and let yourself be sucked in, seduced and sensualised! It's just good good music!!!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent 28 April 2009
Format:Audio CD
As with the previous Decemberists albums, this is a well-crafted, imaginative and vivid album. I love the fact that The Decemberists have such a distinctive sound, and yet each album is quite different from the last. All the ingredients are present here - stories, some good rocking parts, fun and menace. It stand up to plenty of listens as well. Thoroughly recommended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Great, But Not Perfect
When I first heard this album, it was among one of my favourites by the Decemberists, but unfortunately it hasn't aged well. Read more
Published 10 months ago by JJKelsall
5.0 out of 5 stars Don't be fooled by the prog label - this is great!
I had just one track from the Decemberists prior to hearing this - the pleasant but unremarkable "Perfect Crime". Read more
Published 15 months ago by Marchespie
5.0 out of 5 stars what a great album!
I'm amazed it's taken me so long to get round to reviewing this album. I can't praise it highly enough - it's fantastic! Read more
Published on 11 May 2011 by R. Murray
3.0 out of 5 stars 3 Stars - It's OK
This album certainly didn't blow me away as I had hoped. That's mainly due to the feeling of 'sameness' experienced during the CD's first half. Read more
Published on 3 Feb 2011 by David Sleger
5.0 out of 5 stars A 2nd review
It's been a few months since I got this album and reviewed it, I don't play it so often as before, however when I do I find it's still one of the most compelling and absorbing... Read more
Published on 26 Sep 2010 by mark rogers
5.0 out of 5 stars American alternative progressive folk opera
American alternative progressive folk opera aka Fairport Convention meets Black Sabbath. Initially conceived as a musical, this is a 17-track concept album with a grandiose... Read more
Published on 6 Aug 2010 by Alister King
4.0 out of 5 stars The Hazards of Love
Some really good songs on this album,buy it!But beware of the occasional bit of sea shanty.
Published on 17 July 2010 by bcpeach
5.0 out of 5 stars Epic Album
Came across this band by chance...saw them on Jools Holland and thought yeah interesting. Downloaded the album and was completely blown away. This album is brilliant... Read more
Published on 5 April 2010 by Lexicon
5.0 out of 5 stars Best album so far.
I have all the Decemberists albums and this is by far the best progressing away from their folky roots to some great innovative tracks and brilliant female vocals. Read more
Published on 17 Mar 2010 by Mr. Anthony D. Sullivan
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow
I don't normally do reviews but i'll make an exception this time.
This is a stunning album.
I'd never heard of The Decemberists but a mate told me about them. Read more
Published on 13 Mar 2010 by Xerxes13
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