Act II: The Meaning of, and All Things Regarding Ms. Leading
| Act II: The Meaning of, and All Things Regarding Ms. Leading | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by The Dear Hunter | ||||
| Released | May 22, 2007 | |||
| Recorded | 2006–07 | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock, indie rock, experimental rock | |||
| Length | 76:56 | |||
| Label | Triple Crown | |||
| Producer | Casey Crescenzo | |||
| The Dear Hunter chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AbsolutePunk | (93%)[1] |
| Allmusic |    [2] |
| Impakte Magazine | [3] |
Act II: The Meaning of, and All Things Regarding Ms. Leading is the second release and first full-length studio album by American progressive rock band The Dear Hunter, released on May 22, 2007 through Triple Crown Records.
The album is the second part of a six-act story.[4] Act II begins with the death of the innominate main character's mother, Ms. Terri. Following her death, he travels to a nearby bordello in the hopes of learning more about his mother and the life she lived as a prostitute, as he himself was the product of her profession. He eventually finds love in a prostitute named Ms. Leading, but the relationship eventually falls apart due to his inability to cope with her chosen profession.
According to an interview with Casey Crescenzo for music website AbsolutePunk, the band wrote 120 minutes worth of music for the album, but managed to trim it down to just under 80 minutes to avoid having to do a double-disc release.[4]
The album features numerous re-recorded tracks from the Dear Ms. Leading demos. Although Casey based much of the demo's lyrics on personal experiences, he has stated that the arc of falling in love with a prostitute is not based on any experience he's actually had.[4]
In June 2007, artist Kent St. John was selected to illustrate a book based on the story of Act II. The progress of his contributions can be seen at his personal blog.[5] The site was recently taken down, possibly due to the project being completed. The deluxe edition of The Dear Hunter's third album includes a 32-page booklet complete with illustrations.
Track listing
All tracks written by Casey Crescenzo.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Death and the Berth" | 0:38 |
| 2. | "The Procession" | 4:59 |
| 3. | "The Lake and the River" | 9:29 |
| 4. | "The Oracles on the Delphi Express" | 4:18 |
| 5. | "The Church and the Dime" | 4:57 |
| 6. | "The Bitter Suite I and II: Meeting Ms. Leading and Through the Dime" | 6:06 |
| 7. | "The Bitter Suite III: Embrace" | 7:46 |
| 8. | "Smiling Swine" | 4:45 |
| 9. | "Evicted" | 3:44 |
| 10. | "Blood of the Rose" | 3:48 |
| 11. | "Red Hands" | 6:07 |
| 12. | "Where the Road Parts" | 4:29 |
| 13. | "Dear Ms. Leading" | 4:28 |
| 14. | "Black Sandy Beaches" | 4:13 |
| 15. | "Vital Vessels Vindicate" | 7:09 |
Total length: |
76:56 | |
- Track 9 and tracks 11-14 originally appeared on Dear Ms. Leading.
Personnel
Casey Crescenzo – Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Organ
Luke Dent – Piano, Organ, Vocals
Sam Dent – Drums, Percussion, Glockenspiel
Erick Serna – Acoustic and Electric Guitar
Additional personnel
Phil Crescenzo – Banjo
Matt Tobin – Violin
Philip Wolf – Cello
Jason Belcher – Trumpet, French horn
Krysten Keches – Harp
Brandon Brooks – Cello
References
- ↑ Steve Henderson. "Dear Hunter, The - Act II: The Meaning Of, & All...". AbsolutePunk. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
- ↑ Allmusic review
- ↑ Badr Bouanani. "Act II: The Meaning of, & All Things Regarding Ms. Leading". Impakte (in French). Archived from the original on 26 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
- 1 2 3 Interview with Casey. AbsolutePunk. Retrieved October 1, 2007.
- ↑ The Dear Hunter Art Blog. Kentstjohn.com. Retrieved October 1, 2007.