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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Loving Look Back, 7 Dec 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: 1981 - 1998 (Audio CD)
With the price tag it has, this isn't the best place for people new to the duo that is/was Dead Can Dance to climb on board, but having said that it isn't aimed at them. More, this is a retrospective rather than a 'best of' collection and as such it is probably essential for fans. As you'd expect from 4AD it is beautifully, and simply, packaged but more importantly the contents of the 3CDs and the DVD have been picked with care. There are many new versions of songs (with explanations for their inclusions), inclusions of songs only available on compilations, promotional videos as well as the live footoage from 'Towards The Within'. The music, from 1981 all the way to 1998 remains some of the most beautiful and haunting sounds that I have had the pleasure of hearing, drawing influences from music in many different continents and times but imbuing it all with the magic that the duo seemded to draw into all their work. Original and haunting. The interviews in the booklet are also pleasant and informative and set against perfect white with some fine photography to add a little background to the proceedings, a sense of peace somehow. My only criticism would be that a couple of pages seem to have been less than perfectly printed, but hardly a distraction even then, and that little is said about the profound influence that Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry had on music well beyond the sphere of Dead Can Dance. The fact that even now you can hear strains from 'Spleen and Ideal' not just in ethereal 4AD type bands, but also in metal, goth and beyond. It simply shows how much their music crossed over boundaries. A true sign of greatness
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14 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
disappointing..., 9 Jan 2002
This review is from: 1981 - 1998 (Audio CD)
Don't misunderstand me, I love DCD however 4AD must really be desperate to sell a box of DCD with such a poor quality overall. First the box is not that well made (very un-practical). Apart for some of the lyrics that have, maybe, never been released before (I haven't checked), I haven't learn anything new about DCD from the texts. As for the pictures, pictures of DCD would have been far more interesting than pictures of Australia. As for the music, CD1 is none the less an official release of a bootleg, and none of the songs were unknown to me, the first 7 songs of CD3 are nonetheless taken from the video and re-mixed without the public and I'd like to point out that the editing is pretty bad. Did they run out of un-released tracks ? Where are the John Peel Sessions ? harder to find these days than a poorly edited "studio" version of songs from "Towards the Within". About the DVD I haven't seen it yet but sincerely hope that it won't be like the video, cut between tracks with talks and explanation that could after a few play be extremely annoying. I would only recommend it as a Collector Item for great fan or would recommend people to buy the regular albums, far more interesting and much better produced.
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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
ATMOSPHERIC PACKAGE, 6 May 2002
This review is from: 1981 - 1998 (Audio CD)
At last a box set from the genius multi-instrumentalists, Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard! An impressive collection of rarities (which does include tracks from the November 19th 1983 John Peel session by the way), eminent tracks, a short biography of their rise to sublimity and most prominently the 'Toward The Within' DVD, which I believe is sadly their only accessable live recording... and an ecstatic experience incidentally, just to witness how they work together to create an atomosphere and a moment. What surprised me when buying this was the unadorned cover, no artwork (except for a few photos in the sleeve) and the box looks as if its been put together from the leftovers of a blue peter DIY model - two bits of card glued together. HOWEVER, this in no way desecrates from the supremity of the inner musical healing!!
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