[1] The first half of the album (up to "The Man in the Wood") emulates the sound of an actual live performance at the inn, with an audience cheering and singing along as the band performs songs about the lore of Middle-earth; to capture the spirit of an actual band performing in Lord of the Rings, the album is much more folk and acoustic-oriented than other works of the band, and heavily features traditional instruments such as harpsichord, fiddle and recorder.

The second half retains the same lyrical orientation, but is recorded as a traditional studio album, and features more progressive elements and electric instruments.

The lyrics of the album were written by Steve Babb, while Fred Schendel wrote the music.

[4] In a 2010 interview, Babb referred to The Middle-Earth Album and 2009's Three Cheers for the Broken-Hearted as the Glass Hammer albums straying the most from the band's usual sound, stating, "we may throw the odd curve ball now and then.

"[5] All lyrics are written by Steve Babb; all music is composed by Fred Schendel