[DLeeWebb]

I am trying to decide what I should buy from Dead Can Dance. I have heard a few of their songs which I never identified by title but I liked what I heard a great deal. I have also liked the film sountrack work that I have heard from them. DCD seems to enter the discussion here in the music forum quite frequently. I know the album "Passage of Time" seems to be highly-rated by long-time DCD fans. Instead of nickel and diming my way to buying all of their albums, I was just thinking about getting the 2001 boxed set which covers their entire career from 1981 to 1998. [about $50.00] I am wondering if anyone is familiar with the box set and could give me some advice in terms of is it worth the money. [or is there one album by Dead Can Dance that simply shines head and shoulders above the others...?] Any advice for a budding DCD fan would be appreciated.

 

[sbulack]

I own:
"Dead Can Dance", "Aion", "A Passage In Time", "Toward The Within", and "Spiritchaser".

For me, "A Passage In Time" is the one that stands head and shoulders above the rest.

 

[DarkAngel]

DCD - Passage in Time is not an album but an excellent 1CD best of collection, therefore a good place to start to see if you really like the group and want to purchase individual albums.

I suppose if you are really sure you like DCD you can get box set which IIRC has remastered sound. There are 3 music CDs and 4th disc is DVD. The only problem with collections in general is they tend to represent a all albums equally even if some are much better than others........they can save you some money by not buying all albums, but you can't choose which songs go into box set.

 

[KR...]

I too only hear MP3's and liked them, but I do not own any albums. I heard tracks from Serpent's Egg that I really liked.

 

[DLeeWebb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkAngel DCD - Passage in Time is not an album but an excellent 1CD best of collection, therefore a good place to start to see if you really like the group and want to purchase individual albums. I suppose if you are really sure you like DCD you can get box set which IIRC has remastered sound. There are 3 music CDs and 4th disc is DVD. The only problem with collections in general is they tend to represent a all albums equally even if some are much better than others........they can save you some money by not buying all albums, but you can't choose which songs go into box set.

I figured that I should probably get "Passage In Time." I was aware that it is a collection. That's why I hesitated since it was released in 1991 and the band appears to have continued on until 1998. I believe that I will take your advice and go from there...thanks

 

[xantus]

My vote goes to Spiritchaser and Into the Labrynth. Spiritchaser moreso, but the first track on Labrynth makes it all worth it.

 

[spaceman]

You may want to give Lisa Gerrard's solo work some attention as well. Immortal Memory just blows me away.

 

[Nightfall]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spaceman You may want to give Lisa Gerrard's solo work some attention as well. Immortal Memory just blows me away.

I strongly second this. The "Immortal Memory" collabaration with brilliant Irish composer Patrick Cassidy is wondrous music.


JC

 

[strohmie]

I'm going to toss in a vote for Spleen and Ideal, which is the one album I've heard of theirs that I really liked. I think I'd like Aion more if I didn't dislike "Fortune Presents Gifts Not According to the Book" so damn much. Don't know what it is, but that song just grinds on my nerves. Probably because the lyrics are so damn odd that I get them stuck in my head.

(edit: what the heck's a "Speen"?

)

 

[photographlondon]

There is also a 2 CD best of collection released last year you might want to consider, it's called "Wake" and comprises work from their entire career. They changed quite a lot during it's course so you might find it useful as an introduction to them.

Amazon US lists it for $30, with second-hand copies for $15.

 

[Genetic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DLeeWebb Instead of nickel and diming my way to buying all of their albums, I was just thinking about getting the 2001 boxed set which covers their entire career from 1981 to 1998. [about $50.00] I am wondering if anyone is familiar with the box set and could give me some advice in terms of is it worth the money.

Hi DleeWeeb,

Dont do it. I have it and it is probably for the hardcore fans like myself... There is stuff in this Box that is not that interesting for the newcommers.

Amicalement

EDIT: Oups instead of simply complaining i should have made a suggestion...

OK I'm going in the same direction as Spaceman about the Lisa Gerrard's solo work but I prefer the Mirror Pool...and in a distant second place Eye of the hunter from Brendan Perry.

 

[rapoon]

get the box set, 3 cd's and 1 dvd, but if you're looking for just 1 cd, get a passage in time.

box set doesnt have everything. off the top of my head, i know its missing "ullyses".

 

[dabblerblue]

I actually find that Toward the Within is my favourite of all the albums, partially because I enjoy the live versions of their songs much more than the album version [particularly Yulunga (Spirit Dance) and Cantara], plus you get absolutely amazing songs that aren't on any of the other DCD albums [(such as Rakim and Sanvean (though this was released on Lisa Gerrard's first solo album afterward...)].

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Get the box set. I have all the albums, and I still got the box set. It's excellent, and should keep you happy for a long time. (And if you end up not liking them that much [as much as I do], then you can just stop there.)

All their albums are different, so if someone says they like album ...X... more than the others, they're saying something more about their tastes than they are saying anything else. On some albums, all the songs are different.

I didn't really like everything by Lisa Gerrard solo. Whalecatcher in particular, bugged me in its...pedestrian-ness. I've heard a lot of other music-makers more experienced in that beatless ambience genre do it much better.

Duality, on the other hand, was excellent.

 

[CD44hi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dusty Chalk I didn't really like everything by Lisa Gerrard solo. Whalecatcher in particular, bugged me in its...pedestrian-ness. I've heard a lot of other music-makers more experienced in that beatless ambience genre do it much better. Duality, on the other hand, was excellent.

Hum... Whalecatcher ....Dusty, it's more like Whalerider : NO harm was done to any whale during this recording....

/CD