Chasing the Spirit Of The Dead

Dead Can Dance combine elements of European folk music -- particularly music from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance -- with ambient pop and worldbeat flourishes. Their songs are of lost beauty, regret and sorrow, inspiration and nobility, and of the everlasting human goal of attaining a meaningful existence. It is some of the most unique music to come out of the 80's and 90's. It is some of the most interesting music I have in my collection. I never thought I would like it, but once in a while it's world fusion and explorations are something that is quite interesting to listen to.

It all started when I was working at the local library. I had this regular patron who came in who loved music like I did. He had a bit more music maturity on me, but he was a big fan of female vocalist. He was a fan of people like Sandy Denny, Kate Bush, Tori Amos, and so many others. He was the same person who introduced me to Kate Bush and as they say the rest is history. What my friend did which was clever was introduce me to music I would never thought I would listen to. The introductions to female vocalist were just the wide range of music he turned me on to. He had friends who also loved great music. They too listen to music that was not even mainstream. People like Michael Hedges, David Lindley, Steeleye Span among others were some music his friends explained to me how important some of these artist were just what I should be hearing and appreciate.

One day my friend met me after work. I saw his car when I was going to the parking lot. I came over to him and he was playing this world type fusion music. I had no idea what to think. It was a bit different of what I had previously exposed to, but the female vocals were present. I did not know what to think, I liked it, but it was not full of what I would call Rock N' Roll. It was different and something if I closed my eyes I would be taken to some far away land that was peaceful and beyond words beautiful. I listened to the music coming out of his car for at least twenty minutes. It put me in a trance and I could not listen to normal music for the rest of the day. It was really hypnotic.

This music from Dead Can Dance was a great sound to me. I needed something beside the Jazz I was listening to at the time. As you read in early blog posts I listened to a lot of different music other then popular music at this time. I fell in love with King Crimson again and I was sick of the MTV overplay and overkill of just about everything. When I was handed a copy of Dead Can Dance I knew that there was something good out of this. I mean twenty minutes of greatness that has you hooked right away takes some great push. What they did was pure magic in more ways and words then I could ever describe.

What Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard made was unique and wonderful. Dead Can Dance's Spiritchaser has a feel like no other and the music they do is very good. I am not sure how to tell you more about this music, but I just suggest that you listen to it and decide for yourself. With another combination and arrangement of multiple influences coming to bear, this music is great at first listen and many listens afterwords. It was also the end of Dead Can Dance's career. It is is a fitting bookend to a great career. The music is new and great and something that I suggest you try out for yourself. Listen and enjoy, it's a great break from hearing guitar, bass, drums and vocals. It is quite unique and something that might just give you an idea why I am drawn to world music. Enjoy!