Dead Can Dance-- Toward the Within (1994)

Review by Nickolas Cook

Dead Can Dance is legendary for being able to pull together divergent world music influences to create music that sounds as large as the world in which they exist.  There is a moody darkness that pervades their collected works that speaks to the human spirit.  Up until 1994, most of their fans had to imagine what these strange sounding musicians might look like.  Other than a few unrevealing sleeve photos, there wasn’t much to go on.  But with the live 1993 show they performed at the Mayfair Theater in Santa Monica being put on VHS and DVD, fans need guess no longer.  But besides, this live album finally giving face to a group of extraordinarily talented musicians, it also gave many fans the first taste of live music from these guys.

And what a taste!

‘Towards the Within’ is easily one of the best live albums ever recorded.  There must have been magic that night.  Every songs was recorded in one perfect take.  Lead vocalists Bredan Perry and Lisa Gerrard have never sounded so ethereal and other wordly as they do on ‘Towards the Within’.

But besides being a great live set, this also plays out as a best of album.

With such classic songs as ‘Rakim’, ‘Yulunga’ and ‘Cantara’, you get the a sense of what this band was capable of at the height of their abilities.

If you only get one Dead Can Dance album (and shame on you if that’s true), make it this excellent live album.

Tracks:

"Rakim"

"Persian Love Song"

"Desert Song"

"Yulunga (Spirit Dance)"

"Piece for Solo Flute"

"The Wind That Shakes the Barley"

"I Am Stretched on Your Grave"

"I Can See Now"

"American Dreaming"

"Cantara"

"Oman"

"The Song of the Sibyl"

"Tristan"

"Sanvean"

"Don't Fade Away"

--Nickolas Cook