Track Listing

Disc 1:

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

Disc 2:

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 Stratagem
9. I Can See Now
10. American Dreaming
11. Nierika
12. How Fortunate The Man With None

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20367 in Music
• Released on: 2003-05-05
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .28 pounds

CD 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 and Lisa Gerrard have gone on to successful movie soundtrack work. This collection is released as a more affordable alternative to 2001's lavish boxset 'Dead Can Dance 1981-1998'.

Customer Reviews

Excellent overview from 4AD's best band
A very useful introduction to this distinguished band. A double CD of tracks taken from their recent 3 CD/DVD box set, this set offers an excellent overview from their back catalogue.

Though Lisa Gerrard has become well known for her recent soundtrack work, it was the coupling of Gerrard and Brendan Perry which created the magic that was Dead Can Dance. Though they started out as a Goth sounding band on their first EP and album, they quickly established their own distinctive style of orchestral based music, encompasing various influences such as early music, European folk and classical, Irish music as well as world music flavourings. The focus of their music has always been Lisa Gerrards remarkable voice. Powerful and evocative, once heard never forgotten. Brendan Perry brought a more contemporary, song-based edge to the band, with his Scott Walker croon and his songs more evocative of the folk tradition of Tim Buckley and Nick Drake. But they were at their best when the duo integrated their talents. At times this would result in something almost transcendent in its power and beauty as on "Cantara" or "Frontier" for instance.

Each album is a thing of wonder and it's recommended to purchase those. For me the best are, "Within the Realm of a Dying Sun" and "Toward the Within", though they are all excellent. For the curious, this collection is a good retrospective of one of the most beautiful and original of bands.

Superb!
I must initially state that I disagree entirely with one reviewers opinion of Brendan Perry's voice. I am normally not inclined to favour male singers over female's, but I think his voice incredible. A deep and powerful delivery which is preferred over the higher pitch of Gerrard's (which could be delivered a few octaves lower at times, in my opinion). He really makes DCD stand out personally for me. When singing along to his delivery, I get the same resonance as my deep vocal exhalations in yoga! Heavy.

Anyway, I think the band incredible and normally would shy away entirely from a genre such as this. One reviewer commented that the sound 'deeply resonates with humaness, is enigmatic and powerful'. I cannot agree more. I listen to electronic music primarily but find this has a timeless and very human sound that defies any contemporary and narrowminded categorisation. The feel transcends intellectualism, which, for me, is a sign of good music!

Excellent intoduction to DCD
This is an absolute bargain of a double CD with a brief but good biography and lyrics (where applicable!) included in the booklet. I would thoroughly recommend this album to anyone unfamiliar with DCD, the tracks included represent a very balanced sample of the incredible musical diversity explored by Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard. Use this as a starting point and then buy the individual albums and solo works - you will not be disappointed...