Dead Can Dance

Amazon.com
This 1984 release set the pace for the band's career, helped define the tone of the 4AD label, and opened the door for a genre that includes Delirium, Deep Forest, and Enigma. While much less dense and textural than more recent DCD, this album begins the group's study of combining global rhythms and instrumentation from various musical eras with contemporary sounds. Here they explore the somewhat Gothic electronic and rock instrumentation of post-punk European pop. Featuring the lush, sonorous vocals of Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard, this is a dark, mysterious, and compelling release. Fans of later works will not be disappointed; newcomers will find this groundbreaker a good place to meet Dead Can Dance. --Andy Stevens

Dead Can Dance,Dead Can Dance,Warner Bros / Wea,Alternative Pop/Rock,Dream Pop,Ethnic Fusion,Pop,Popular Music,Rock,World Fusion

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Average customer rating: I am impressed. OKAY BUT NOT STELLAR Music for the Witching Hour Chasing the Ghost : one of Collide's best! Mesmerizingly Hard!!

Chasing the Ghost Collide Manufacturer: Noise Plus Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Some Kind of Strange Vortex Zerospace Beneath The Skin The Damage ASIN: B000050YAK Release Date: 2000-10-31

Tracks:

1. transfer
2. wings of steel
3. razor sharp
4. dreamsleep
5. white rabbit
6. frozen
7. halo
8. monochrome
9. ocean
10. like you want to believe

Album Description

“chasing the ghost” is haunting and captivating, with an essence that cuts to the core. Its hypnotic lull of orchestrated sounds and heartfelt emotion reveal a journey reaching deep into the psyche that will grab you and not let go. Recognized as innovators in sound, Collide prefer to cut their own path. This album, although decidedly different from their previous CDs, once again treads on new ground, combining new elements into a powerful whole.

Customer Reviews:

I am impressed........2007-07-04

Rarely in the darkwave genre do I find anybody that I consider to be interresting, however this time around, I'm satisfied. Collide is a collition of trip hop and goth that sounds like a terrible idea, but actually works out quite well. Collide will trip you out big time!

OKAY BUT NOT STELLAR.......2007-05-18

I like songs 1, 2, 7 and the band's dance remake of White Rabbit. kaRin's voice is hauntingly similar to Kate Bush; although real heavy on the Vo-Coder. Some of the songs, instead of being entrancing tend to drone on and none of the tracks pop out as a really strong single. However, I am not sorry I bought the cd and would recommend it to others because it's easy on the ears (very melodic).

Music for the Witching Hour.......2007-04-13

This album is so darkly ethereal and richly textured that I yearn for the poet's ability to paint a vivid word picture of its seductive sound. Sadly, I am not the world reknown poet any review of this album demands, but simply your average music lover, and after musing over it so long my brain cramps, the best I can come up with is something like. "Hey, what do you get when you cross a goth chick with a computer geek?" So you will just have to use your imagination.

Imagine the perfect song for a lovesick vampire. Imagine what moonlight peeking through gathering stormclouds sounds like. Imagine a Hammer horror movie with a Moby soundtrack. Imagine the distant music that haunts the dreams of some half-mad hero from an H.P. Lovecraft story. Imagine the perfect CD for your date with that fair-skinned lovely with the black lipstick and fingernail polish.
Imagine closing your eyes and feeling the sound sweep over you, setting you hair on end and your soul on fire.

Then stop imagining it and order this CD. Wait for a dark and stormy night and slip it in. Set your imagination free on midnite wings...

Chasing the Ghost : one of Collide's best!.......2007-04-13

I highly recommend this Cd to anyone who loves to be swept away in imagination. I find all of Collide's music highly moving and inspiring, and Chasing the Ghost is one that truly grabs you and carries you away. I can't say enough about this cd really.. but it's definitely one of my all-time favorite cds. Dark and alluring.... perfection!

Mesmerizingly Hard!!.......2007-04-12

This album is definitely a haunting series of songs!! The bands ability to add that certain haunting nature to Karin's voice is, in my experience, rare!! Defintely a must have for your hard core gothic/industrial/electronica collection!!!

Average customer rating: 5 stars! Their commercial breakthrough, but not their best Dead Can Dance - Labyrinth look-over Superb! Multi-culturalism and Cross-culturalism

Into the Labyrinth Dead Can Dance Manufacturer: Wea International ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | British Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Dream Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Australia & New Zealand | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Fusion & World Fusion | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music Alternative Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Aion Spiritchaser Toward the Within Within the Realm of a Dying Sun Serpent's Egg ASIN: B000002MM8 Release Date: 1993-09-14

Tracks:

1. Yulunga (Spirit Dance)
2. The Ubiquitous Mr Lovegrove
3. The Wind That Shakes The Barley
4. The Carnival Is Over
5. Ariadne
6. Saldek
7. Towards The Within
8. Tell Me About The Forest (You Once Called Home)
9. The Spider's Stratagem
10. Emmeleia
11. How Fortunate The Man With None

Amazon.com

Their goth-sounding name and dour visual image aside, the prolific duo of Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard produce wildly eclectic but utterly unique music. Their painstakingly crafted albums encompass numerous arcane genres, from European classical music to ancient Celtic and Middle Eastern folk styles, often employing authentic antique instruments to achieve their ambitious, emotive soundscapes. The 1993 effort Into the Labyrinth found Dead Can Dance mixing their medieval leanings with more exotic Eastern influences on "Saldek" and "Yulunga," while exploring Celtic balladry on the traditional "The Wind That Shakes the Barley" and theatrical songcraft in their interpretation of Bertolt Brecht's "How Fortunate Is the Man with None." --Scott Schinder

Album Description

Out of print in the U.S.! Import pressing of this classic 1993 album from one of the 4AD label's most popular and influential bands. At the core of Dead Can Dance is guitarist Brendan Perry and vocalist Lisa Gerard, who created a body of work that remains invigorating and uniquely their own. Into The Labyrinth was the first DCD album to gain a major label release in the U.S and features the Alternative radio hit 'The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove'. This was also the first album that Perry and Gerrard completed on their own without the aid of guest musicians. 11 tracks. 4AD.

Customer Reviews:

5 stars!.......2007-05-22

This is a great CD...go get it if you are into Dead Can Dance! This is their greatest album.

Their commercial breakthrough, but not their best.......2007-04-15

After an absence of three years which saw the release of a best of collection, Dead Can Dance achieved their commercial and U.S. breakthrough as well as yet another stylistic shift with this, their sixth studio album. Unlike previous albums which featured backing musicians, this one saw the DCD duo of Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard handling all the instruments and vocals themselves in their new private studio. While this mostly works, occasionally the synthesizers sound a bit thin and one wishes they had employed musicians playing actual instruments for certain passages.

Stylistically, DCD moved on from the medieval arrangements of their previous album, Aion, towards more middle eastern influences alternating with dreamy pop sounds. This album also marks an increasing estrangement of the duo's individual musical styles. Lisa's dramatic opener, Yulunga, sets the tone with her chilling multi-octave wordless singing over building percussion, followed by what was to become one of the unlikelier alternative radio hits, Brendan's The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove, a bitter rebuke to an unfaithful lover delivered over a crisp background of tablas and period bagpipes. Lisa then startles longtime fans by delivering the next track, the Wind That Shakes the Barley, an actual traditional song with lyrics (as opposed to her usual wordless glossolalia). Brendan's song of dreamy nostalgia, The Carnival Is Over, was another minor hit thanks to its being featured as the theme of MTV's Real World, and is as close as the group had come so far to mainstream pop. Less successful is his third original song on the album, Tell Me About The Forest, which lyrically strays into preachiness and musically provides little interest. His closing piece on the album is an arrangement of Berthold Brecht's How Fortunate The Man Who Has None, which achieves a kind of gloomy dignity musically but strains to sustain interest throughout its full nine minute length.

The rest of the album is heavier on middle eastern and eastern European influences. Lisa's Ariadne is a brief but lovely piece featuring multitracked vocals over organ, while her even briefer Saldek sounds like it came straight from a National Geographic special on traditional Bulgarian music. The title track is a meandering and ultimately not very interesting set of passages of middle eastern styled singing and drumming with synthesizer; the similar Spider's Strategem features the same musical elements but actually comes together as a more interesting and compelling whole. The medieval a capella choral piece Emmeleia sounds like an outtake from Aion.

This album marked a watershed in several ways for the group, and for many fans was their initial introduction to DCD and hence defined their sense of the duo's musical identity, but I can't give it more than three stars. Though it features some terrific songs, much of it sounds like filler, and the stripped production pales in comparison to their best earlier work. To get a sense of what this duo is really capable of, find a copy of Within the Realm of a Dying Sun, Spleen and Ideal, The Serpent's Egg, or Aion.

Dead Can Dance - Labyrinth look-over.......2007-04-03

Jim morrison did not die - he sings with these guys

Superb!.......2006-10-22

Dead Can Dance "Into the Labyrinth." Beautiful, ethereal, trancendental, hypnotic, an absolutely classic!

Multi-culturalism and Cross-culturalism.......2006-10-15

The work of Dead Can Dance, Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard, might be best described as cross-cultural. Some songs sound like Celtic songs from the middle ages while others sound like Islamic chants from the desert countries. On "Into the Labyrinth", I found that The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove; The Wind That Shakes the Barley; The Carnival is Over; Tell Me about the Forest; Ariadne; and HOw Fortunate the Man with None were my favorite 6 selections. Perry's voice has a dreamy quality that is hard to describe, kind of like Dean Martin does Lebanon. I certainly like the multicultural blending of musical traditions that Dead Can Dance offers.

Average customer rating: The best album yet in my eyes A mediocre end to a great group A Monument of Music Spiritchaser Digital Bongo Worst DCD album

Spiritchaser Dead Can Dance Manufacturer: 4ad / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | British Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Dream Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Fusion & World Fusion | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Into the Labyrinth Talking Timbuktu Serpent's Egg Toward the Within Aion ASIN: B000002N74 Release Date: 1996-06-25

Tracks:

1. Nierika
2. Song of the Stars
3. Indus
4. Song of the Dispossessed
5. Dedicace Outo
6. Snake and the Moon
7. Song of the Nile
8. Devorzhum

Amazon.com

Listening to Dead Can Dance is a transcendental experience. Enriched with dedications to the living Gaia, their creations subsist in natural and other worldly realms. Initially crafting songs which augmented their Australian roots with Gothic and Renaissance traditions, the group have since grown to encompass a hybrid of global sounds. On Spiritchaser the enchanted souls of founding members Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard shine in this, their most ethereal LP to date. Whereas earlier endeavors succumbed to genres grounded in eras of the past and non-Western present, it's immediately apparent that this album has loftier aspirations. Hypnotically threaded with traditional and electronic instruments, the exorcism of each song touches upon the universal essence beyond. While Gerrard's heavenly vocals are used primarily for instrumental effect, Perry's fertile lyricism both compliments her efforts and expresses the spiritual associations related to the album's title and meaning. Intrinsically delivered with shamanistic connectivity, the sensations ritualize the modern mortal. --Lucas Hilbert

Album Description

Out of print in the U.S.! Import pressing of this 1996 album, the final release from one of the 4AD label's most popular and influential bands. At the core of Dead Can Dance is guitarist Brendan Perry and vocalist Lisa Gerard, who created a body of work that remains invigorating and uniquely their own. Eight tracks. 4AD.

Customer Reviews:

The best album yet in my eyes.......2007-07-05

This is by far in my opinion the best album DCD has put out. I heard that it's out of print, but I could be wrong. If so I wouldn't waste time not buying it. I think anyone who likes DCD would be extremely satisfied with this piece of work. The sound is similar to the other albums, but much more more dynamic, dark, etheric sounding, yet calmer at the same time. Great for those who are really into trance music!

A mediocre end to a great group.......2007-04-15

Spiritchaser is Dead Can Dance's seventh and last studio album, and sees them forging deeper into realms of ethnic music. Unfortunately, this is also their least successful album musically, and is a bad place for anyone unfamiliar with the group to start their explorations.

One criticism leveled at recent prior albums by the group was that the duo of Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard appeared to be getting more and more disconnected from one another musically, with albums featuring a succession of "his" and "her" songs. The two appear to be attempting to rectify that failing throughout this album, with more integrated vocals and more of a group feel throughout. There is a greater emphasis on percussion and drumming, as well as the reintroduction of some electric guitar, mostly unheard on the duo's albums since their second album some 11 years earlier.

Alas, most of the percussion is uninspired, and although several songs begin with promise, almost all outstay their welcome: the opening track, Nierika, ultimately becomes repetitive and boring, the exciting opening four minutes of Song of the Stars (featuring Brendan reading an Iroquois invocation over drones and native drumming), gives way to an interminable six more minutes of guitar noodling and chanting, the initially catchy The Snake and The Moon devolves into repetitive vocal refrains, and even the addition of gamelan to the instrumentation of the eight minute long Song of the Nile can't save it from tedium. Worst of all is Brendan's cringe-inducing stab at Caribbean music in Song of the Dispossessed; one keeps waiting for him to burst out in a chorus of "Day-O!"

Along with the beginning of Song of the Stars, two tracks save this album from wretchedness: the middle eastern flavored song Indus, which at over nine minutes is a bit long, but Lisa's vivid singing carries the listener along, and the absolutely gorgeous closing track by Lisa, Devorzhum. This wordless song has been used in at least two movies, and it's easy to see why. Lisa's singing is at its sweetest and most achingly beautiful here, and drifts atop a layer of drones and gentle guitar strings. By itself this song almost justifies the purchase of the album.

An instrumental outtake from the Spiritchaser recording sessions, Sambatiki, was released as part of the 1996 concert tour souvenir book, and also appears on the DCD box set. It features the same drumming, twangy electric guitar and ethnic instrumentation as much of the rest of the album, but somehow works better than most tracks that unfortunately made it on to the final release.

For those just beginning to explore Dead Can Dance, move on now and come back to this album later if you know you love the group and have to have everything they ever produced. A better starting point for beginners would be the live album Toward the Within, the early collection A Passage In Time, which features their pre-1990 work, or the career spanning two disc retrospective, Wake, though this last has some rather odd choices in the track listing.

A Monument of Music.......2006-08-18

Their last one - and one of the best, for sure. This duo has single-handedly created a genre of its own which they inhabit almost by themselves. And at the last moment they gave as yet a new direction, more into tribal and latin spheres. Nevertheless, this IS Dead Can Dance: Their mood, their melodies, their voices are ever present. Listen to it more than once, more than twice - and you will find them. From "Within the Realm of a Dying Sun" to "Aion" to "Into the Labyrinth" to "Spiritchaser" they have conquered the world and will forever stay with us.

Spiritchaser Digital Bongo.......2006-08-16

It seemed like it took a long time for this one to come out. I don't think this is their BEST album but there are a few winners. The production is crispy and digital like Labarynth but that can make them come off a little dry as on this one. A change in focus to African, Native American, Latin and Aboriginal ideas is cool in pricipal as Dead Can Dance was always revered for moving on with their awesome journey. I do agree with the reviewer that says that maybe some actual Africans or Latins to listen to might be better. Perhaps. This is an overall hot-weather sounding album but very digital in it's quality. I think their handeling of Native American and Aboriginal concepts goes over well as does Perry's lyrics and Gerrard's "stairway to the spheres". This probably would have been a transitional record as Spleen and Ideal bridged them from a spooky murky post punk experimental band to their most well known period. This would have bridged the more technological production and drum heavy period with whatever came next. But...this was supposed to be the last one. No more Dead Can Dance. But..then..in 2005 they go on a huge world tour and release live albums that turn out to be half full of new songs...this time..almost political (if you can believe that) with the great Joy Division influced post-punk lyrical classism that not so many can pull off. I do hope they play some more together and that this Spiritchaser is NOT the actual last official studio record by this amazing band. It may be said that perhaps a lesser record by this band is far far better than the best material of so so many. This is one of their more pychedelic offerings though. Strange though...you may notice their studio records are never very long in duration.

Worst DCD album.......2006-03-13

If you are new to Dead Can Dance, please do yourself a favor and don't buy this album, which is by far the worst album they have ever recorded. It shows DCD's lack of new ideas and reworking of tired ones. You should start with _Within the Realm Of A Dying Sun_ or _The Serpents Egg_ instead.

Average customer rating: A transitional album -- and a good one Brendan Perry's brooding romanticism makes him the modern Lord Byron Baudelair! not spleen Esophagus and Disenchantment Immacculate Cat-Head Music for Toddlers and Thizz Kids

Spleen and Ideal Dead Can Dance ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | British Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Dream Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Alternative Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Within the Realm of a Dying Sun Dead Can Dance Serpent's Egg Aion Into the Labyrinth ASIN: B00002428M Release Date: 2006-11-07

Tracks:

1. De Profundis [Out of the Depths of Sorrow]
2. Ascension
3. Circumradiant Dawn
4. Cardinal Sin
5. Mesmerism
6. Enigma of the Absolute
7. Advent
8. Avatar
9. Indoctrination (A Design for Living)

Album Description

Out of print in the U.S.! Import pressing of this classic 1985 sophomore album from one of the 4AD label's most popular and influential bands. At the core of Dead Can Dance is guitarist Brendan Perry and vocalist Lisa Gerard, who created a body of work that remains invigorating and uniquely their own. Nine tracks. 4AD.

Customer Reviews:

A transitional album -- and a good one.......2007-04-14

Made up of the duo of Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry, Dead Can Dance melded their own unique and changing sound from a variety of influences. Spleen and Ideal, Dead Can Dance's second full album, can be best seen as a transition from their 80s new wave/dark pop beginnings towards the more orchestral/operatic sound of their next album, Within The Realm of a Dying Sun. As such, it features some of the best of both these worlds.

The two opening tracks feature strings, horns, and spine-tingling vocal work from Lisa, conjuring up associations of medieval liturgy, classical dirges and dark opera, and on Enigma of the Absolute, Brendan sounds a bit like a goth Frank Sinatra, crooning mythically-tinged lyrics over a background of harpsichord, thundering tympani and pulsing string section. By contrast, his songs The Cardinal Sin and Advent utilize more standard drums and bass backing, and the combination of crashing 80s backbeat, wailing vocals and shimmering Yang Ch'in (Chinese hammer dulcimer) turn Lisa's track Avatar into a thrilling dark wave headbanger anthem.

If you think you may be interested in the group's early sound and/or their rich and distinctive middle period, this CD not a bad place to start your explorations.

Brendan Perry's brooding romanticism makes him the modern Lord Byron.......2006-10-15

This CD has a great mix of the voices of Brendan Perry with his masculine seductive baritone and that of Lisa Gerrard, whose voice reminds me of what ancient Greek and Roman priestesses must have sounded like as they chanted to the gods.

The instrumentation is very well done with African drums mixed with violin and cello for a mellow string sound. However the trombones are powerful and strategically placed and the timpani adds a sense of the Mediterranean.

Brendan Perry at times sounds brooding, romantic, and passionate like a contemporary Lord Bryon. His lyrics are usually more easy to understand that Lisa Gerrard whose voice is strongest when she evokes the Middle Eastern traditions.

The five strongest works on the CD are De Profundis, Ascension, The Cardinal Sin, Enigma of the Absolute, and Indoctrination.

Baudelair! not spleen.......2006-09-15

Spleen et Ideal is the title of a section of XIXth century poet Charles Baudelair's Flowers of Evil (Les fleurs du mal).

Esophagus and Disenchantment.......2006-09-13

I never understood the title of this album. A spleen is an internal organ no matter how much poetry you read.
Nevertheless...: This album from way back in 1985 was a big underground hit in England at the time which I'm sure was a big help for them. A credit to British forsight and taste if not humility. Usually this is thought of as a transitional album for them as while they still had some post-punk..or...um...goth?..elements going on with the bass guitar and the doom doom dish dish dish drum machine (they would use drum machines latter but the "world" sense would be dominate)..drum amchines DO have soul by the way, esp. here. This release also streched foward...and more so than I thought when I first heard this back in '89 or so. I just got this again in 2006 and it has been a lot of fun to rediscover. The group here are stretching further forward than I thought atb the time with the big timpanai drums and the trombones.
I turns out to be a very fun listen and the dramatic intensity of the first two tunes shows that this group had an extra level of talent and was destined for great things.
This album has a foggy, mukery and sombre quality. It takes alot of listenings for me to pick out the lyrics. It almost gives me a headache..bu the kind of headache one might get if a spirit was entering ones' body which I think might even be happening here. This group is THAT amazing. That said..I listened to this album 9 times in a row yesterday as if I was starving for some aspect of it. I expected this to be a pretty-cool transitional album bya great band..but it is kind of an underrated masterpiece. It's just that on the next record they would really explode....

Immacculate Cat-Head Music for Toddlers and Thizz Kids.......2005-12-06

Dead Can Dance's 1985 effort "Spleen and Ideal" is a collection of solid jams from the original Australian lords of thizz..Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard..it is groovy cult music for all generations and must be listened to carefully, and obsessively..it is best in the wee hours of the morning, after a long day/night i.e. 4-5am..expensive speakers or headphones are highly recommended for this particular musical journey..i implore you all to get this bad boy under your belt QUICKLY, time is running out.

-Dr. Gonzo, PHDizzle

Average customer rating: Desert island DCD Wake - same old same old Lisa Gerrard has the voice of an angel AMAZING!! The Best Music of Its Kind!

Wake Dead Can Dance Manufacturer: 4ad / Ada ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | British Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Dream Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Into the Labyrinth Serpent's Egg Within the Realm of a Dying Sun Toward the Within Silver Tree ASIN: B00007KN3A Release Date: 2003-05-20

Tracks:

1. Frontier (Demo)
2. Anywhere Out Of The World
3. Enigma Of The Absolute
4. Carnival Of Light
5. In Power We Entrust The Love Advocated
6. Summoning Of The Muse
7. Windfall
8. In The Kingdom Of The Blind
9. the Host Of Seraphim
10. Bird
11. Cantara
12. Severance
13. Saltarello
14. Black Sun

Tracks:

1. Yulunga
2. The Carnival Is Over
3. The Lotus Eaters
4. Rakim
5. The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove
6. Sanvean
7. Song Of The Nile
8. The Spider's Straagem
9. I Can See Now
10. American Dreaming
11. Nierika
12. How Fortunate The Man With None

Album Description

Posthumous double-disc best of from duo whose unclassifiable sound combined ancient world musics with industrial electronics. Critically acclaimed throughout their 12-year career, both Brendan Perry & Lisa Gerrard have gone on to successful movie soundtrack work. This collection is released as a more affordable alternative to 2001's lavish box-set 'Dead Can Dance 1981-1998'. 26 tracks & a 24-page full color booklet featuring liner notes, song lyrics & photos. 4AD. 2003.

Album Details

A Condensed Compilation of Highlight Tracks Personally Chosen by Brendan Perry from their Limited Edition Box Set, Released on 4ad in 2001.

Customer Reviews:

Desert island DCD.......2007-05-03

This is a really great "desert island" Dead Can Dance CD that has great bits from all their phases. In fact two years ago I was studying abroad in Germany and heard they were on tour...I caught their show in England. Lucky me. But..I have had most of their work on vinyl and I had lost a few (if you can believe that..life is crazy and sad sometimes)so I needed a good comp to listen to for a refresher crash course in DCD. This fit the bill and I went nuts over it. Only one number from "Spleen and Ideal" and nothing from their first album. Now I have the awesome box set and my dumb friend lost my "Wake" but I still may buy "Wake" again even though I will have everything on it. It's just a great handy dandy overview of their career until this supposed "break-up" phase which I don't buy for a second is over. Addicting. Beautiful. Stunning. Inspiring. Cool.

Wake - same old same old.......2007-04-12

I love the music, DCD are so hypnotic and this is as good as any other album - oh wait, it IS the music that's on any other album ... and that's my criticism. Almost every track I recognised from Toward the Within or Silver Tree, both of which I love and play regularly.
It is a good album anyway and I would recommend it to anyone who isn't sure whether they will like DCD - a very good introduction to the work of these amazing musicians, especially Lisa Gerrard who has an incredible vocal range and great skill in composition.

Lisa Gerrard has the voice of an angel.......2007-01-15

I've been a fan of DCD since I was in high school and I'm now in my early thirties. I absolutely love this album, Lisa Gerrard has such an amazing voice that I am often moved to tears at the beauty of the songs on this album. Although each song is a gem, my favorites are "Host of the Seraphim", "The Carnival is Over", "Summoning the Muse" and "Song of the Nile". This is an excellent cd for someone who is new to Dead Can Dance or an old fan like myself.

AMAZING!!.......2006-04-04

These two (Brendan & Lisa) could put out a CD of them singing the phonebook ...... and I'd eagerly buy a copy!!!!

To describe their music as "surreal" is an understatement. You don't just LISTEN to Dead Can Dance music ...... You EXPERIENCE it!

Get this collection - You won't be disappointed!!

The Best Music of Its Kind!.......2005-11-09

Saw them on October 4, 2005 (My Birthday) and I was totally blown away. Upon leaving the venue, I made up my mind to purchase "WAKE" as well as "Into the Labyrinth". Both were on my shopping list and I purchased both and don't regret a minute of it! My favorite songs on this collection are: YULUNGA, HOW FORTUNATE THE MAN WITH NONE, THE CARNIVAL IS OVER, RAKIM, SANVEAN, I CAN SEE NOW, AMERICAN DREAMING, THE HOST OF SERAPHIM, and CANTARA. Disc 2 features the more "known & loved" songs. On the contrary, Disc 1 features songs which I only know 3/4 of. For those who aren't aware of this remarkable duo & their equally remarkable band...you MUST buy "WAKE". It's definitely worth owning because of the quality of sound & the selection of tracks. Every track will move you, mind, body & soul.

Lisa Gerrard & Brendan Perry are 2 of the finest vocalists & musicians to walk to earth. When I saw them live for the first time, I was awestruck by Lisa's remarkable, versatile & creamy voice, as well as Brendan's calm, smooth vocals. When I closed my eyes during the songs at the concert, I was at peace. Sometimes you have to listen to the music at live concerts with your eyes closed, to get the full effect. What I discovered is the phenomenal similarity between their Studio recodings and their live music. There's virtually no difference between the both...that's how cleverly this band has mastered their craft. And that's why they've managed to earn such grand appreciation & countless fans. This compilation marked the end of DCD as a duo in 2003. Fortunately, they're back & even better than before.

Disc 1 Tracklist:
01- Frontier (Demo) - 3:00
02- Anywhere Out of the World - 5:07
03- Enigma of the Absolute - 4:14
04- Carnival of Light - 3:30
05- In Power We Entrust the Love Advocated - 4:10
06- Summoning of the Muse - 4:57
07- Windfall - 3:31
08- In the Kingdom of the Blind, the One-Eyed are Kings - 4:10
09- The Host of Seraphim - 6:17
10- Bird - 5:00
11- Cantara - 5:58
12- Severance - 3:21
13- Saltarello - 2:36
14- Black Sun - 4:56

Disc 2 Tracklist:
01- Yulunga (Spirit Dance) - 6:57
02- The Carnival is Over - 5:42
03- The Lotus Eaters - 6:42
04- Rakim - 5:38
05- The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove - 6:14
06- Sanvean - 3:46
07- Song of the Nile - 8:00
08- The Spider's Stratagem - 6:41
09- I Can See Now - 2:56
10- American Dreaming - 4:30
11- Nierika - 5:45
12- How Fortunate the Man with None - 9:09

The only complaints I have are extremely minor. First, the liner notes booklet seems to be slightly off (alignment-wise). I think it was intentional, yet it looks quickly put together. Secondly, "THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY" is missing in the tracklist. That 1 song is so poetic and haunting, sung by Lisa Gerrard. It's definitely worth a lend of your ear, given you've not heard it yet. With that out of the way, I'd like to talk about the discs themselves. Disc 1 is painted a matte, metallic Coppery-Bronze, and Disc 2 is a lovely matte, Blue. Regarding the packaging, everything is housed in a 2CD jewel case, which opens like a regular case, but the inner tray opens from left to right, rather than right to left. This is just to clear up any difficulties anyone may have, upon trying to open the fragile CD tray. The booklet has a lovely 7-page bio of the duo & band + on the last 2 pages, the tracks are listed chronologically, as they were released. It gives you an idea of what album you may want to buy next.

(...)

Average customer rating: DcD, another great album A Classic Album If Death were as beautiful as this.... A dark masterpiece Passionate and romantic yet brooding and mournful

Within the Realm of a Dying Sun Dead Can Dance ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | British Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Dream Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Alternative Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Serpent's Egg Aion Into the Labyrinth Spleen and Ideal Spiritchaser ASIN: B00002428O Release Date: 2006-11-07

Tracks:

1. Anywhere Out of the World
2. Windfall
3. In the Wake of Adversity
4. Xavier
5. Dawn of the Iconoclast
6. Cantara
7. Summoning of the Music
8. Persephone

Amazon.com

Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry actually manage to out-shimmer the Cocteau Twins on this 1987 release, which finds their beautiful minimalism adorned with increasingly developed compositional genius. The cascading melodies that grace "Summoning of the Muse" and "Persephone" are tailor-made for that next Christmas or Winter Solstice celebration, while more conventional (albeit somewhat somber) pop tracks like "Xavier" and "Anywhere Out of the World" keep the going from getting too arcane. All in all, more fun than a barrel of goths. --Billy Grenier

Album Description

Out of print in the U.S.! Import pressing of this classic 1987 album from one of the 4AD label's most popular and influential bands. At the core of Dead Can Dance is guitarist Brendan Perry and vocalist Lisa Gerard, who created a body of work that remains invigorating and uniquely their own. Eight tracks. 4AD.

Customer Reviews:

DcD, another great album.......2007-06-13

Well if you like them this is a must have. Lots of that mind stretching harmonies and melodies.

A Classic Album.......2007-06-01

Every track an absolute classic, which just grows and grows on you on each hearing. This is definitely recommended, especially after a hard day in the office. It just fits. The lyrics, as usual, are laconic philosophical poetry, and the music flies you away to the farthest sanctuary of reason, far from the madding social mess us Westerners are growing up (down?) in. Definitely buy this - it's great!

If Death were as beautiful as this...........2007-04-16

and as beautiful as the cover. It was on this cd the Dead Can Dance really fell into thier own, although the previous works were masterpieces in their own right. Highly recommended for it's chilling beauty.

The entire work captures death in it's beauty, not it's horrifficness. And Lisa Gerrard's vocals are other worldly and haunting. Brendan Perry's smooth resonant tennor wili haunt you as he spins his ancient tales of trechary and deceit.

This is what Gothic is all about!

A dark masterpiece.......2007-04-15

Dead Can Dance's third album is arguably their masterpiece. Even though they continued to explore some of this album's sonic elements in future recordings, they never quite equaled the consistent excitement and richness featured here. Clocking in at a terse 39 minutes, the album delivers a complex and thematically integrated aural tapestry that stands up favorably in comparison to many classic works of orchestra and opera.

Having said all this, if you are a fan of their later work, when they incorporated more world music, drumming, and acoustic pop styles, you may possibly find this album not to your taste. It can be slow to grab the listener - the pace is generally deliberate and stately, and it took repeated listenings on my part to really appreciate the genius of the work.

Comprised of the duo of Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry, Dead Can Dance on this album took the approach of dividing it evenly between the two principals, with the first four tracks featuring Brendan, and the final four showcasing Lisa. By this time in their career, DCD had completely abandoned the 80s new wave roots evident in their two previous albums, in favor of a sound much closer to opera or chamber music than to mainstream pop. The overall tone is archaic and ominous, with sepulchral backing choruses, chilling Bulgarian-style wailing vocals from Lisa, chiming bells, moody strings, and dreamy, soaring vocals from Brendan.

Brendan's opener Anywhere Out of This World echoes and surpasses the mood of Enigma of the Absolute from their previous album, building to a shimmering climax. This then shifts to the dark and hypnotic instrumental Windfall, one of the best tracks on the album, followed by what is arguably the weakest track, In The Wake of Adversity, which establishes a brooding mood but never really goes anywhere with it. Brendan achieves his pinnacle on his final track, Xavier, a mythic tale of tragedy delivered over a deep soundscape of keyboards and climaxing in soaring romantic strings.

If Brendan's first half of the album is inspiring, Lisa's second half is dazzling. Her ethereal vocals were made for this kind of orchestral arrangement, and she displays a remarkable range on these four tracks, from spine-chilling operatic declamation on Dawn of the Iconoclast, to wailing middle eastern diva on Cantara, to angelic multi-tracked chorus on Summoning of the Muse, and finally to the amazing showcase of Persephone, which finds her running the gamut from gutteral alto to sweet soprano.

Those who like the sound of this album may want to check out Lisa's later solo work, The Mirror Pool, which also uses some orchestral arrangements, as well as her amazing collaboration with Irish classical composer Patrick Cassidy, Immortal Memory.

Passionate and romantic yet brooding and mournful.......2006-10-15

The arrangement of selections on this CD are somewhat different from other Dead Can Dance arrangements in that the voice of Brendan Perry dominates the first selections while the voice of Lisa Gerrard dominates the last selections.

The mixture of Celtic, African, Middle Eastern, and other musical traditions always makes Dead Can Dance a great bet for a good CD. On this CDC Anywhere Out of the World, Windfall, In the Wake of Adversity, and Xavier are my favorites. Windfall is an instrumental piece. Xavier combines the voices of Perry and Gerrard.

Brendan Perry's voice has somewhat of the tone or sound of Tony Bennett, Dean Martin, or Frank Sanatra yet the presentation is more mysterious, existential, and brooding. He brings somewhat a tone of anxiety into his smooth presentation. I am sure Perry could probably do a great version of "I left my heart in San Francisco' with his dark, smooth, masculine voice but in Dead Can Dance the emphasis is mythical not current as well as transpersonal rather than personal.

Average customer rating: A great live album, and a great place to start Music To Live To Well integrated influences from a vast range of musical sources Enchanting Vocals w/ a fusion of world music One word....WOW!!

Toward the Within Dead Can Dance Manufacturer: 4ad / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | British Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Alternative | Live Albums | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Dream Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Fusion & World Fusion | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Into the Labyrinth Spiritchaser Aion Serpent's Egg Within the Realm of a Dying Sun ASIN: B000002MV0 Release Date: 1994-10-25

Tracks:

1. Rakim
2. Persian Love Song
3. Desert Song
4. Yulunga (Spirit Dance)
5. Piece For Solo Flute
6. The Wind That Shakes The Barley
7. I Am Stretched On Your Grave
8. I Can See Now
9. American Dreaming
10. Cantara
11. Oman
12. Song Of The Sibyl
13. Tristan
14. Sanvean
15. Don't Fade Away

Album Description

Out of print in the U.S.! Import pressing of this 1994 live album from one of the 4AD label's most popular and influential bands. At the core of Dead Can Dance is guitarist Brendan Perry and vocalist Lisa Gerard, who created a body of work that remains invigorating and uniquely their own. 15 tracks. 4AD.

Customer Reviews:

A great live album, and a great place to start.......2007-04-15

One thing to bear in mind when choosing Dead Can Dance albums is that the duo of Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry went through at least four distinct stylistic phases, so you may find that certain albums appeal much more than others. This live album is a wonderful starting point, because it straddles a broad range of their musical styles and abilities. Also, while most artists' live albums simply rehash their existing popular work, of the 15 tracks on this album, only four (Yulunga, The Wind That Shakes the Barley, Cantara, and Song of the Sybil), have appeared on previous DCD releases, making this an individual album in its own right. (Studio versions of two of Lisa's tracks, Persian Love Song and Sanvean, later appeared on her solo Mirror Pool release.) Both performers have never sounded better vocally, and are backed by a band of multi-instrumentalists with impeccable musicianship.

The album opens with one of DCD's all time best tracks, Rakim, long a staple of their live shows but making its first official recorded appearance here. Brendan and Lisa work as an integrated team here, melding her shimmering yang ch'in (Chinese hammer dulcimer) and lilting vocals with his rich Sinatra-like baritone over a driving percussion beat. Percussion is also used to great effect on a later track, Oman, which has a somewhat African and middle eastern flavor. Lisa shines on her vocal showpieces of Persian Love Song, Yulunga, Cantara and Sanvean, demonstrating her amazing multi-octave vocal range. Haunting flutes feature prominently on Desert Song, Piece for Solo Flute, and I Am Stretched On Your Grave; the last is a masterpiece of gloomy goth stylings resonantly delivered by Brendan over an ominous drone. Tristan and Song of the Sybil feature the group in its traditional medieval mode.

The most surprising tracks on the album, which have no stylistic counterparts in DCD's studio work, are three original songs by Brendan: I Can See Now, American Dreaming, and Don't Fade Away. These find Brendan in a singer/songwriter mode, primarily accompanying himself on acoustic guitar, conjuring up comparisons to Tim Buckley and some of Bruce Springsteen's more introspective work. The last two tracks mentioned are among the best songs on the album, but if there is any criticism of them it is that they really don't fit stylistically with the rest of the album or the group's overall oeuvre. In fact, these songs foreshadowed the musical directions Brendan would pursue in his later solo album, Eye of the Hunter.

Listeners finding that they like the medieval styled tracks on the album should check out Aion. Those drawn to Cantara, I Am Stretched On Your Grave, Persian Love Song, and Sanvean should check out Within The Realm of a Dying Sun, Spleen and Ideal, and The Serpent's Egg, along with Lisa's solo album Mirror Pool. Those drawn to Yulunga and the more middle eastern tracks may want to check out Into The Labyrinth, which also features some more straightforward pop songs by Brendan, as of course does his solo album Eye of the Hunter.

Music To Live To.......2007-02-01

I was without the internet/cable for several days and I don't own a radio, so I popped this cd in to listen to. I expected that I would tire of it after two or so repetitions, but I didn't. There's such a wonderful variety of styles of music on the cd that it never feels redundant. From start to finish you travel a wonderful journey that never gets old. Not even when you're playing it on constant repeat for 24 hours straight.

Well integrated influences from a vast range of musical sources.......2006-10-15

Sometimes they sound like cloistered monks, at other times like Druid nature worshipers, and at others like North African nomadic tribes. Their range is amazing as you hear the sounds of Palestine, Ireland, and Libya combined with a very contemporary existential presentation of dark brooding, mournful loss.

Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard seem like contemporary priests of the earth goddess mourning the end of the harvest and the coming winter. At other times Brendan Perry's dark masculine smooth baritone seems to be romantic and passionate, as if we mourning the loss of a lover.

The instrumentation is excellent with a broad range of world instruments. In this CD, which was made from a live performance in Santa Monica California, the power of a live presentation with its required spontanaeity heightens the work.

There were many strong selections on this CD, but some of the best are: Rakim, Piece for solo flute, The wind that shakes the barley, American dreaming, Oman, and Don't fade away. Some of these works are on other CDs but the live performances have an immediacy that is very nice.

Enchanting Vocals w/ a fusion of world music.......2006-04-20

About the Band:
Dead Can Dance is considered the seminal example of the ethereal (in the US) or heavenly voices (in Europe) genre. In fact, the name of the label, 4AD, which carried many of the 1990s DCD releases, is sometimes also used to describe this genre of music, which is a fusion of subtle electronics, vocals, drums, world music, and a near limitless count of instruments. Brendan Perry sometimes has been described as a gothic Frank Sinatra. Lisa Gerrard's enchanting vocals are often sung in a language only known to Lisa. I count myself among the many that hold these two musicians in the highest esteem.

About the Album:
Toward the Within is a live album from 1994, and though many music fans will often prefer the quality associated with a studio recorded album, I personally feel that heavenly voices music is designed to be emotional and moving ... and this album has a sincerity that will touch any listener. Toward the Within is one of my favorite albums. Fans of Brendan Perry's vocals will likely be more pleased by this album, as he provides the lead on the majority of the tracks.

Recommended Tracks:
- I Can See Now
- Don't Fade Away
- Rakim
- American Dreaming
- Desert Song
- The Wind that Shakes the Barley (I like this live version better)
- Cantara

In contrast to two very popular DCD offerings that are also worth checking out, Aion (which is very medieval sounding) and Into the Labyrinth (which is a bit remorseful and dark), I found this entire album extremely uplifting and inspirational. I can't stress enough how much I wish I could sing like Perry, and the truth is that I find myself doing so with this album. Fans of folk and romantic music will absolutely love this album.

Similar Artists:
If you love DCD because of Lisa's and Brendan's vocals, then I am confident you'll enjoy the following heavenly voices artists:
- Impressions of Winter (hard to find) - considered better than DCD, by many DCD fans lucky enough to hear them!!!
- Das Zeichen
- Love is Colder Than Death
- Deine Lakaien
- Qntal
- Helium Vola
- Corvus Corax
- Soil & Eclipse

One word....WOW!!.......2005-09-19

I wish so much I could have been there when they were touring America...It sounds so much like your right there listening to them.

Dead Can Dance is one of the most talented artists I have ever heard. I love their music, and I feel this album is a great piece to add to the collection.

Average customer rating: Dead Can Dance does medieval Garden of Arcane Delights One of my favorites! Mysical Renaissance Magic Historical Soul

Aion Dead Can Dance Manufacturer: 4ad / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | British Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Dream Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Fusion & World Fusion | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Serpent's Egg Within the Realm of a Dying Sun Into the Labyrinth Spiritchaser Toward the Within ASIN: B000002MQ7 Release Date: 1994-02-15

Tracks:

1. The Arrival And The Reunion
2. Saltarello
3. Mephisto
4. The Song Of The Sibyl
5. Fortune Presents Gifts Not According To The Book
6. As The Bell Rings The Maypole Spins
7. The End Of Words
8. Black Sun
9. Wilderness
10. The Promised Womb
11. The Garden Of Zephirus
12. Radharc

Amazon.com

Long before No Doubt brought back ska and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy resurrected swing, Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry were making music that recalled an earlier time. How early? Try the Renaissance. Everything old--really old--is new again on Aion, the band's fifth and arguably finest album. Like DCD's other discs, Aion revolves around the interplay between Gerrard's soaring glossolalia and Perry's baritone crooning. A range of styles are explored, from the polyphonic choral heights of "The Arrival and the Reunion" to the smooth balladry of "Fortune Presents Gifts Not According to the Book" to the Middle Eastern sensuality of "Radharc." Other standout tracks include the playful "Saltarello," a traditional 14th-century instrumental dance piece, and "As the Bell Rings the Maypole Spins," a strikingly melodic song carried by bagpipes and Gerrard's angelic voice. --Steve Landau

Album Description

Out of print in the U.S.! Import pressing of this classic 1990 album from one of the 4AD label's most popular and influential bands. At the core of Dead Can Dance is guitarist Brendan Perry and vocalist Lisa Gerard, who created a body of work that remains invigorating and uniquely their own. 12 tracks. 4AD.

Customer Reviews:

Dead Can Dance does medieval.......2007-04-15

The cover of Aion (a detail from Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights) provides a strong clue to the stylistic theme of this disc, Dead Can Dance's fifth album. With the exception of one track, the songs on this album are modern interpretations (often quite faithful) of medieval vocal and instrumental music. And therein lies the rub - if you dislike medieval or period music, you are likely to find the album slow and dull, whereas if you do like it, this may quickly become one of your favorite discs.

My own tastes fall somewhere in between the two extremes, with the result that I find my favorite tracks on the album are those where Dead Can Dance's Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard provide some interesting modern spin on the period sound. The brief opening track, The Arrival and the Reunion, offers a thrilling take on medieval choral singing, quickly followed by a reworking of a lively dance tune, Saltarello, which is performed on period instruments but features an added modern punch in the production that pushes it into the realm of greatness. The marvelous centerpiece to the album are Brendan's Fortune Presents Gifts and Lisa's As The Bell Rings. The former features a crystalline production of a traditional Spanish poem on the vagaries of fortune, delivered in Brendan's rich baritone over an atmospheric backdrop of lute and drone, while the latter combines a modern drum machine with period bagpipe and Lisa's marvelous singing.

A couple of the album tracks, Mephisto and The Garden of Zephyrus, are brief musical sketches which come and go without registering much of an impression. Of the more traditional medieval tracks, The Song of Sybil is stately and lovely, while The End of Words, Wilderness and The Promised Womb require a deeper love of traditional medieval music than I possess. The album closer, Radharc, punches up the tempo and explores some of the middle eastern influences in medieval music; it might not sound out of place blaring from a radio in Cairo.

The one oddball track on this album is Brendan's Black Sun. Though it is one of his best songs, it bears little resemblance stylistically to the rest of the album; its horns, plucked strings, and goth lyrics place it more in the genre of their previous albums, particularly Within The Realm of A Dying Sun. It doesn't exactly clash with the rest of the album, but it also doesn't fit very well either.

Garden of Arcane Delights.......2007-03-04

If you know DCD, you know how wonderfully literate and just spectacular their lyrics can be. This album is no different. It has "Black Sun" which I was blessed enough to see live in 06, and "Radharc", both stand the test of time. This is not a good "My first DCD" cd only because the music is very genre specific, and if you have never heard their stuff before you may get lost in the tangles of myth and legend. I'm sure some will disagree, but I don't find this album to be a good `get to know me' album - I suggest starting with DCD, "Into the Labyrinth" a sort of Best Of, without the corny-ness of being a Greatest Hits. It gives a wide breadth of styles and lets you hear all of the creamy goodness the band has offered up in the years gone by. Id say this album has a definate "Arabian flair" and not everyone is open to that. I however am a huge fan of World Music, and this is right up my crooked dimly lit alley.
BTW, when you see H. Bosch on the front cover of an album, you know its going to be good!

One of my favorites!.......2007-03-02

This was actually the first thing I ever heard from Dead Can Dance, I fell in love with them right away, Both there voices are incredible in this album, the music, the instruments are all so amazing in this album.

Beautifuly written, beautifuly done..

Mysical Renaissance Magic.......2006-10-15

Dead Can Dance never lets you down, especially if you are into multicultural influenced music. Here the influences come from Turkey, Egypt, Palestine, Crete, and Celtic Ireland. It seems that Brendan Perry's smoothly dark baritone voice, very masculine and sexy, contrasts nicely with Lisa Gerrard's which is a powerful voice of the priestess, a voice that can chant in any tradition or language.

Some may feel the work is sad, but it is more intraspective than tragic, unless the turning of autumn to winter could be called tragic. This CD harks back to the Renaissance with references to love songs, celebration songs, and religious chants from monks and nuns.

There are many great selections. Some of my favorite were: Saltarello, an Italian 14th century song done with all instruments, Mephisto, Fortune Presents Gifts Not Acording to the Book (which has odd lyrics from a poem by Luis De Gongora) and presented wtih full integrity to the poem even if the piece seems long. There is also As the Bell Rings the Maypole sings, evoking the town fairs of the Remaissance. Also a series of dark works; The End of Words, Black Sun, and Wilderness that work great in sequence.

Always great mystical magic from Dead Can Dance.

Historical Soul.......2006-06-09

By far, the most historical work of Dead Can Dance. I rememebered well when I listened for the first time: Saltarello and Black Sun. Unbeliavable!!!

Average customer rating: Murky shadows of the real thing Dead Can Still Dance Amazing The best DCD tribute so far At last a worthy tribute to Dead Can Dance !

Summoning Of The Muse: A Tribute To Dead Can Dance Various Artists Manufacturer: Projekt ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Compilations | Rock | Styles | Music Goth & Industrial | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music | Goth | Industrial Similar Items: Dead Can Dance Tribute: The Lotus Eaters A Thousand Roads In the Garden of Souls Memento: The Very Best Of Dead Can Dance Feast of Silence ASIN: B000AMJDP6 Release Date: 2007-07-16

Tracks:

1. Arcana The Arcane*
2. Dark Sanctuary Summoning of the muse
3. Autumn's Grey Solace Musica Eternal*
4. Faith & the Muse Chant Of The Paladin*
5. Black tape for a blue girl Fortune presents gifts not according to the book
6. Rajna Cantara
7. Mirabilis The Writing On My Father's Hand*
8. Chandeen In power we entrust the love advocated
9. Arcana Enigma of the Absolute*
10. Athan Maroulis with Surface 10 Ulysses
11. Stoa Cantara*

Customer Reviews:

Murky shadows of the real thing.......2007-02-23

I love DCD and have since the mid 80's. Maybe I am missing the point of a tribute album, because this album, while okay, offers nothing new, musically or emotionally. I was hoping that some talented artist world interpret the music and soul of these songs for themselves - and in turn share with us a new perspective and a new experience. But instead all that is here are some simplistic renditions and uninviting covers. What bothered me the most are the pieces where the tribute band did everything they could (vocals and instruments) to sound just like DCD. My first comment would be... `not possible', and the second would be `Why' even if you could??? I can see the enjoyment from the musician's point of view of playing the music the same as DCD did, but not as the one who is listening! The few songs where the artists took the music and made it their own were much more enjoyable for me, but there is just not enough of that here. Mostly the music is just murky shadows of the real thing.

Dead Can Still Dance.......2006-05-21

Let me start out by saying that I have been a fan of DCD since I was in high school, I own all their recordings, and have seen them perform live. This CD is perhaps the greatest tribute that could be given to Lisa and Brendan, and I strongly suggest that anyone who likes Dead Can Dance go out and buy this CD. It's dark, haunting and beautiful, and it's put out by the Projekt label, which is really good at that sort of thing.

Some of the best bands step up to perform songs done by Dead Can Dance on this CD - Faith & the Muse, Black Tape for a Blue Girl, Mirabilis, Arcana, Rajna, Chandeen, Autumn's Grey Solace.... The artists clearly respect DCD and have a sensitive ear for their music. It's not copying, but rather a tribute, and it serves very well in that regard. From Rajna's "Cantara" to BTfaBG's "Fortune Presents Gifts Not According to the Books" to Arcana's "Engima of the Absolute", every single song on here is worth hearing. I have since bought Arcana's CD Le Serpent Rouge and several Rajna CDs, also available from Projekt. Trust me, if your a fan of DCD, you can't go wrong with this CD.

Amazing.......2006-05-11

This literally has been some of the most beautiful music I heard in a very long time. Songs like, "In power we entrust the love advocated","Musica Eternal" and "The Writing On My Fathers Hand" even beat the original. Being a hard core Dead Can Dance fan I would say that is amazing!!!

I'm sure Lisa and Brendan would be very proud of this tribute that is only suitable for a band like Dead Can Dance.

The best DCD tribute so far.......2005-09-08

I only hit "skip" twice, and that ain't bad for a full-length CD. Many of the songs don't deviate a lot from the original versions. Several tracks are exclusive to this CD.

Overall, the songs are tribal/folk/ethereal with a "Heavenly Voices" aesthetic. Arcana's cover of "The Arcane" sets the mood perfectly. The person who reviewed this album before me is a member of Rajna ("Cantara"), which is another highlight of the album. Good work, Fabrice.

Autumn's Grey Solace gives "Musica Eternal" the Cocteau Twins treatment, while Faith and The Muse sticks closely to the letter and spirit of "Chant of The Paladin." With Monica Richards' voice, it sounds like music for an ancient wedding *or* sacrificial rite. Athan Maroulis is still one of my favorite male "goth"-identified singers.

Mirabilis brings a gorgeous, solemn vocal harmony to "The Writing on My Father's Hand". It gets harder and harder to tell which one is Dru Allen, and which is Summer Bowman. Chandeen's "In Power We Entrust...I Wish These Songs Had Shorter Titles" has a Loreena McKennitt appeal. Stoa's piano-intensive take on "Cantara" is a fitting closure to the compilation. The low horns on this one stir the blood.

My only gripe with DCD tributes: FOR GOD'S SAKE, WILL SOMEONE PLEASE COVER "XAVIER", ONE OF THE GREATEST SONGS EVER? If no one else does it, I'm gonna do it. Do we really want that hanging over our heads?

At last a worthy tribute to Dead Can Dance !.......2005-09-06

As the singer from Rajna, I wanted to tell everyone that this brand new Tribute to DCD " Summoning of the Muse " is a wonderful work that has been done by 11 different artists such as Black Tape for a Blue Girl, Arcana, Dark Sanctuary, Stoa, Chandeen, Faith & the Muse, Rajna ... It is at last a worthy tribute with highlights including :" The arcane, Summoning of the muse, Musica Eternal, Cantara, Ulysses " and so on.
Finally, I will add that the artwork is fabulous , in adequacy with the DCD Tour 2005 design.
The nicest tribute to DCD for years !
If you would have one CD to buy, that will be this one !

Jeanne LEFEBVRE.

Average customer rating: A transitional album -- and a good one Brendan Perry's brooding romanticism makes him the modern Lord Byron Baudelair! not spleen Esophagus and Disenchantment Immacculate Cat-Head Music for Toddlers and Thizz Kids

Spleen and Ideal Dead Can Dance Manufacturer: 4ad / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | British Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Dream Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Fusion & World Fusion | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Within the Realm of a Dying Sun Dead Can Dance Serpent's Egg Aion Into the Labyrinth ASIN: B000002MPO Release Date: 1994-03-22

Tracks:

1. De Profundis (Out Of The Depths Of Sorrow)
2. Ascension
3. Circumradiant Dawn
4. The Cardinal Sin
5. Mesmerism
6. Enigma Of The Absolute
7. Advent
8. Avatar
9. Indoctrination (A Design For Living)

Album Description

Out of print in the U.S.! Import pressing of this classic 1985 sophomore album from one of the 4AD label's most popular and influential bands. At the core of Dead Can Dance is guitarist Brendan Perry and vocalist Lisa Gerard, who created a body of work that remains invigorating and uniquely their own. Nine tracks. 4AD.

Customer Reviews:

A transitional album -- and a good one.......2007-04-14

Made up of the duo of Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry, Dead Can Dance melded their own unique and changing sound from a variety of influences. Spleen and Ideal, Dead Can Dance's second full album, can be best seen as a transition from their 80s new wave/dark pop beginnings towards the more orchestral/operatic sound of their next album, Within The Realm of a Dying Sun. As such, it features some of the best of both these worlds.

The two opening tracks feature strings, horns, and spine-tingling vocal work from Lisa, conjuring up associations of medieval liturgy, classical dirges and dark opera, and on Enigma of the Absolute, Brendan sounds a bit like a goth Frank Sinatra, crooning mythically-tinged lyrics over a background of harpsichord, thundering tympani and pulsing string section. By contrast, his songs The Cardinal Sin and Advent utilize more standard drums and bass backing, and the combination of crashing 80s backbeat, wailing vocals and shimmering Yang Ch'in (Chinese hammer dulcimer) turn Lisa's track Avatar into a thrilling dark wave headbanger anthem.

If you think you may be interested in the group's early sound and/or their rich and distinctive middle period, this CD not a bad place to start your explorations.

Brendan Perry's brooding romanticism makes him the modern Lord Byron.......2006-10-15

This CD has a great mix of the voices of Brendan Perry with his masculine seductive baritone and that of Lisa Gerrard, whose voice reminds me of what ancient Greek and Roman priestesses must have sounded like as they chanted to the gods.

The instrumentation is very well done with African drums mixed with violin and cello for a mellow string sound. However the trombones are powerful and strategically placed and the timpani adds a sense of the Mediterranean.

Brendan Perry at times sounds brooding, romantic, and passionate like a contemporary Lord Bryon. His lyrics are usually more easy to understand that Lisa Gerrard whose voice is strongest when she evokes the Middle Eastern traditions.

The five strongest works on the CD are De Profundis, Ascension, The Cardinal Sin, Enigma of the Absolute, and Indoctrination.

Baudelair! not spleen.......2006-09-15

Spleen et Ideal is the title of a section of XIXth century poet Charles Baudelair's Flowers of Evil (Les fleurs du mal).

Esophagus and Disenchantment.......2006-09-13

I never understood the title of this album. A spleen is an internal organ no matter how much poetry you read.
Nevertheless...: This album from way back in 1985 was a big underground hit in England at the time which I'm sure was a big help for them. A credit to British forsight and taste if not humility. Usually this is thought of as a transitional album for them as while they still had some post-punk..or...um...goth?..elements going on with the bass guitar and the doom doom dish dish dish drum machine (they would use drum machines latter but the "world" sense would be dominate)..drum amchines DO have soul by the way, esp. here. This release also streched foward...and more so than I thought when I first heard this back in '89 or so. I just got this again in 2006 and it has been a lot of fun to rediscover. The group here are stretching further forward than I thought atb the time with the big timpanai drums and the trombones.
I turns out to be a very fun listen and the dramatic intensity of the first two tunes shows that this group had an extra level of talent and was destined for great things.
This album has a foggy, mukery and sombre quality. It takes alot of listenings for me to pick out the lyrics. It almost gives me a headache..bu the kind of headache one might get if a spirit was entering ones' body which I think might even be happening here. This group is THAT amazing. That said..I listened to this album 9 times in a row yesterday as if I was starving for some aspect of it. I expected this to be a pretty-cool transitional album bya great band..but it is kind of an underrated masterpiece. It's just that on the next record they would really explode....

Immacculate Cat-Head Music for Toddlers and Thizz Kids.......2005-12-06

Dead Can Dance's 1985 effort "Spleen and Ideal" is a collection of solid jams from the original Australian lords of thizz..Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard..it is groovy cult music for all generations and must be listened to carefully, and obsessively..it is best in the wee hours of the morning, after a long day/night i.e. 4-5am..expensive speakers or headphones are highly recommended for this particular musical journey..i implore you all to get this bad boy under your belt QUICKLY, time is running out.

-Dr. Gonzo, PHDizzle

Meditation Music:

1. Deep at Night
2. Deep Breathing
3. Desires
4. Earth Heart
5. Expressions: The Heart of God
6. Fair Play
7. Fairy of the Woods/Fairy Night Songs
8. Fall in Love Again
9. From a Blue Planet
10. Hanna's World

Meditation Music

meditation music

Meditation Music

Big Surf!/Surfer Girl

Ahmed Essyad: Le Collier Des Ruses

Antonin Kraft: Cello Concertos / Mikulas Kraft: Polonaise for Cello & Orchestra

Music: Since We've Become Translucent

Acossi Movement Vol 1 / Venture through Dance & House

3.5 [Import]

20 Super Sucessos [Import]

A Son Unique [Explicit Lyrics]

A Taste of Passover

A Life in Music, Box 3 (Box Set) [Box set]

12 Plus 12 [Import]

10 Jahre Intensiv [Import]

19 Naughty Nine: Nature's Fury [Clean]

Going Back to Mississippi

Maynard Ferguson's Horn, Vol. 6: Live at Ronnie's