Cofounded in Australia in the early '80s by Irish punk bassist/singer Brendan Perry and Australian vocalist Lisa Gerrard, Dead Can Dance transplanted to London in 1982 and quickly became globally renowned for their stylist... more »ically diverse and groundbreaking music as well as their incredible live shows. Fusing atmospheric, ambient pop, spiritual undertones, and alt-electronica with world beats and European folk-both contemporary and centuries old-their string of album masterpieces kicked off in 1984 with a self-titled debut. After disbanding in '99, Perry went solo and Gerrard became a prominent film composer, celebrated for her Golden Globe winning score for Gladiator, among other works. Their cult following thrives, and Rhino's new compilation coincides with the band's reunion, their first together in many years.« less
Cofounded in Australia in the early '80s by Irish punk bassist/singer Brendan Perry and Australian vocalist Lisa Gerrard, Dead Can Dance transplanted to London in 1982 and quickly became globally renowned for their stylistically diverse and groundbreaking music as well as their incredible live shows. Fusing atmospheric, ambient pop, spiritual undertones, and alt-electronica with world beats and European folk-both contemporary and centuries old-their string of album masterpieces kicked off in 1984 with a self-titled debut. After disbanding in '99, Perry went solo and Gerrard became a prominent film composer, celebrated for her Golden Globe winning score for Gladiator, among other works. Their cult following thrives, and Rhino's new compilation coincides with the band's reunion, their first together in many years.
"I consider myself extremely fortunate to have seen Dead Can Dance on their 2005 reunion tour, at their October date in New York City at Radio City Music Hall. They have been my #1 all-time favorite band for years, so it was an absolute thrill and easily ranks as the best concert experience of my life. But much like 'Memento', although the content was fantastic, there wasn't much new.
That's NOT a complaint, mind you. I realize that on a reunion tour not every band can come up with new stuff. In a live environment that's entirely understandable. For a 'best of' album though, a few great songs are noticeably missing (I think it'd be impossible to fit a true 'best of' DCD on one disc though), and they have already released a few compilations with much, if not all, of this material on them.
It serves as a great introduction to the band for those who haven't heard their fantastic music before, so if you're one of those people who have never heard them but have always heard OF them, this might be for you. For a long-time fan like myself though, this isn't a must-have or anything, because I already have all of the material on other releases."
Beyond words.
H3@+h | VT | 11/07/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Honestly, this music is almost pointless to describe. It really needs to be heard, felt, and absorbed to blow your mind. But in words, it is a unique blend of folk, electronica, goth, and world music. In one word, I'd say it sounds ancient. This is actually their second collection. "A Passage In Time" is one track longer than this, however "Momento" includes tracks since, like the earthy "Yulunga". Existing fans might simply choose which disc has more of their favorite songs. New fans will love either. As with any "Best Of" I miss quite alot, but as a sampling of their work, "Momento" is wonderful."
Beautiful music
L. Wood | California | 01/25/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is my new soundtrack for life. It's really beautiful & has lots of cool ethnic parts. I can listen to it over & over again."
Great compilation for a great group -Long live Dead Can Danc
Manny Hernandez | Bay Area, CA | 02/03/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Dead Can Dance's music has managed to survive after the group's death. In spite of belonging to a different time and century, it still retains the same spirit it had back when we first heard them. This compilation of the best of their work can only be blamed for the same problem that most compilations have: it does not have enough space to house all the great work they recorded. But it allows newcomers into their music to get a feel for their medieval-meets-ethnic approach, and realize what they've been missing. Past that point, there is no resort but going back and getting their entire catalog. Long live Dead Can Dance!"
Different and Diverse
Jeff, Young Old-Timer | Lakeland, Florida United States | 03/23/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This CD seems to be a good cross-cut of what Dead Can Dance was capable of doing. It seems to be a bit inconsistent although very nicely done. The group might have focused more on a particular style or theme of their other efforts. I realize this is a "best of" album, and so a few different genres were represented. I discovered the group accidentally just week ago while perusing Celtic CDs, including Patrick Cassidy. I took a step of faith and ordered this CD. I'm not disappointed one bit. I'll enjoy it for a long time to come. Oh, yeah, one thing, when the first track starts off, don't think your CD player is having a problem. The synthesized opening strains are for real. It kinda threw me off at first, but it culminates into a great piece. Sit back, relax, and enjoy it."