I only heard their "Toward the Within" album...

I can tell you which albums not to get: 'Into The Labyrinth' and 'Spiritchaser'. They sound too worldbeat for me. I like their earlier stuff that was more classical-influenced. Get whichever album has the song "Cantara" on it. That track is awesome.

sextonseven said:

That's my favorite song by them!


And it's on "Within the Realm of a Dying Sun" which is the first album I heard from them back in 1989 and it's also my favorite.

ALL OF THEM OF COURSE!

But really all you got was a live album there. I agree SpiritChaser was a bit World Music-ish. That's becasue that was their first on the WB label (they broke up right after).

I like Into the Labryinth - It's got my favorite the Ubiquitous Mr LoveGrove as well as some other really great songs like

"Yulunga (Spirit Dance)"
"The Wind That Shakes the Barley"
"The Carnival Is Over"
"How Fortunate the Man with None"

I also LOVE LOVE LOVE Aion. The beginning is stunningly beautiful.


And Serpent's Egg is really great as well.

If you like Dead Can Dance, definitely check out Lisa Gerrard's "Immortal Memory". That's my favorite thing I've heard that she's been involved with.

Paging Moonsongs...

GangstaFam said:

That is a great album! But I also really liked the Whalerider soundtrack.


As for DCD, my fave album is Spiritchaser, followed by Spleen and Ideal. And I like my live CD from the 2005 US tour.

My favourite song is Sanvean. It evokes such a real imagery for me that is unbearably sad and profound. Aion is my favourite cd but I love the live performances from the European and US Tours they did in 2005 ~ a bit pricey but very much worth the money. SO many of their songs are just amazing ~ In the Kingdom of the Blind the One~Eyed Are Kings is gorgeous as are so many others.The white box set is wonderful. They are at the top of my list of favourites. And, yes, Immortal Memory is simply beyond words.

MoonSongs said:

I still need to hear your newest discoveries from her.

Tough one as their sound is very transformative. Pound-for-pound, I'd say my favorite albums are Into the Labyrinth (very "worldbeat," indeed, but also extremely accessible to a newcomer... and I'm personally inclined toward the Near-Eastern/Islamic influences) and probably a tie between Aion and The Serpent's Egg, which share a heavy medieval European court sound with maybe the latter leaning slightly more ecclessial.

My Top 10 songs would comprise a hodge-podge of their career, and as I write these I'm finding I lean a bit more toward Brendan's voice over Lisa's. "Indoctrination" from Spleen and Ideal; and "Black Sun," "Fortune Presents Gifts Not According to the Book" and "As the Bell Rings the Maypole Spins," all from Aion, would definitely rank among the top. "The Carnival is Over," "The Spider's Strategem" and "Tell Me About the Forest," from Into the Labyrinth, would be up there too; as would "Severance" from The Serpent's Egg. But if I were stuck on an island with only one DCD song, it'd probably be "Ulysses," also from The Serpent's Egg. To me it has everything Aion and The Serpent's Egg have to offer in a single song -- an initial drone; then harpsichord for a sort of medieval court dance feel, phonetic chant, then stirring string work wrapped around Brendan's voice in mythical exhortation! The overall effect is a soaring tale of an epic personal journey! Really inspiring stuff!

This ain't to say you can sleep on their other stuff. I can't think of much that's dispensible. You've already heard their folkier songs "American Dreaming" and "I Can See Now" on Toward the Within, which would finish up my Top 10... er 11. And "Rakim" is cool too. So that's 12!!
[Edited 5/22/07 10:23am]

hey lamm-how are you?! long time no see

jonylawson said:

Hey, Jony!! I'm well. You behaving yourself!? How are things?

same old !