Wake

Performer: Dead Can Dance
Producer: John A. Rivers
Distributor: Alternative Dis. Alliance

Notes: Dead Can Dance: Lisa Gerrard, Brendan Perry (vocals, various instruments). Audio Remasterer: John Dent. Photographer: Graham Wood. Those who balk at the cash and time investment of DEAD CAN DANCE 1981-1998, the comprehensive 2001 three-disc box set, might prefer the much more concise two-disc anthology WAKE: THE BEST OF DEAD CAN DANCE. Stripping away the radio sessions, live tracks, and previously unreleased material, this 26-track overview focuses its attention on the duo's late-'80s/early-'90s heyday. During this period, the group's austere form of keyboard-heavy post-punk atmospherics was opening up to include Lisa Gerrard's increasingly ethnographic world-music obsessions, along with Brendan Perry's classical influences. Singles like the oddly danceable "The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove" sit comfortably next to more "serious" tracks like "The Host of Seraphim" and "In the Kingdom of the Blind the One-Eyed Are Kings." Although the non-chronological order might make it difficult for newcomers to trace the line of Dead Can Dance's career, WAKE remains the best starting point for those seeking entry into this unique musical world.

Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard formed Dead Can Dance in the early 1980s in Australia, moving to London before the release of their self-titled debut in '84. Their unique sound bore a dark, gothic feel, but was far more idiosyncratic than that of the goth-rock hordes. Over the years they incorporated Early Music, electronics, Celtic flavors, and various World Music touches, all held together by the pair's trademark vocal blend. Dead Can Dance split up on a high note following their 1996 album SPIRITCHASER, with Perry and Gerrard both going on to solo work, and the latter singing on numerous film soundtracks.

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.25