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Toward the Within

Dead Can Dance - Toward the Within Audio CD

A fair review of the Dead Can Dance "Toward the Within" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Dead Can Dance reviews here, or go back to the Dead Can Dance tabs.

Band: Dead Can Dance
Title: Toward the Within
Rating:

Release Date: 1994-10-25
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Rakim 2: Persian Love Song 3: Desert Song 4: Yulunga (Spirit Dance) 5: Piece for Solo Flute 6: 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 [Traditional Version] 13: Tristan 14: Sanvean 15: Don't Fade Away

"I am transcending..."
Recently, I brought it out again and gave it a fresh, concentrated listen. I must admit that I had this CD for a long time, and only casually listened to it (being much more absorbed with DCD's studio albums).

Dead Can Dance has always seemed to me to be three bands -- the one that was Brendan Perry, the one that was Lisa Gerrard, and the one that was both of them together. That's not a criticism, but an appreciation of how they could capture such a cohesive trinity in their work.

This recording is no different, and in fact adds the extra dimension of live intimacy.

Many of these songs you may have heard on their other albums. But not this way.

(Also equally entrancing, the concert DVD: Dead Can Dance - Toward The Within)
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A great live album, and a great place to start
This live album is a wonderful starting point, because it straddles a broad range of their musical styles and abilities. 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. 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
I expected that I would tire of it after two or so repetitions, but I didn't. 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. 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
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. Sometimes they sound like cloistered monks, at other times like Druid nature worshipers, and at others like North African nomadic tribes.

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
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. About the Band:
Dead Can Dance is considered the seminal example of the ethereal (in the US) or heavenly voices (in Europe) genre. 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
.

You can see a complete list of all Dead Can Dance discography, or go back to the Dead Can Dance tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.