Dead Can Dance - A Passage in Time (Comp for albums 2 - 5) poll

Moulding Shapes, no shame to POLL: Bauhaus - In the Flat Field poll

I was going to do Within the Realm of a Dying Sun or The Serpent's Egg and just changed my mind for this compilation instead.

Key stuff, this comp; it was my introduction. "Host" is ultimately unfuckable with, that song has lived in my brain from the moment I first heard it.

never liked how they include nothing from the self-titled album on their compilations

but yeah it's gotta be Host of Seraphim vs Ullyses vs Cantara

I think this was the band I had the hardest heel-turn with - up through Aion I devoured everything they released, but Labyrinth was weak and I was repelled by the Toward the Within video with its crusty drumcircle hippies and the intercut interviews (always a wonderful choice) which revealed them to be kinda smug and not all that bright, if I'm brutally honest. Completely broke a lot of the earlier stuff for me, although I still find the first album pretty compelling.

^ the TTW live CD is great though. I remember not liking the interviews on the dvd but I've managed to skip them since then :-)

I haven't really dug into them past this compilation, but "Host of Seraphim" is a true standout among what's included here

MattK - I has the exact same experience! My interest in them just sort of melted away after "Aion" and never returned, despite revisiting them now and again.

it's pretty funny to think of them of all people being called smug in the context of 80s/90s musicians

Unlike you terrible apostates, my faith remains. (Well for one of them in particular.)

https://theshfl.com/guide/Lisa-Gerrard

I would say Aion and Toward the Within are both high water marks albumwise and then Spiritchaser and Anastasis are fine but Dionysus is pretty weak (and barely even a DCD album really as it's like 90% Brendan Perry).

After Spiritchaser they both have top-tier solo releases, Eye of the Hunter is all-time, as is Immortal Memory and the Silver Tree but a lot of Gerrard's collabs in the last 20 years leave me a little cold

“Smug” is definitely unfair and inaccurate. I can’t put my finger on it, maybe pseudo-profound. Anyway, grating in a way I hadn’t expected, and difficult to skip because it was VHS in those days!

I bought this comp when it came out for the bonus songs, and I wouldn't call either of them essential.

Some of the selection is strange to me. Should've made more room for the first two albums and left off weaker songs from Serpent's and Aion.

At least include the song that gave it's name to the album.

Still, lots of gems here but It's hard not to go with "Host".

Many years ago (early 90s) I was surprised to read that this band, then unknown to me, were the biggest sellers on 4AD — they never got mentioned in the UK music press unlike the Pixies, Cocteau Twins, et al.

I don't know this comp but do know a few albums. It sure is beautiful. 4AD was the correct label for them.

Their early drummer/percussionist, Peter Ulrich wrote a book called 'Drumming with Dead Can Dance & Parallel Adventures' a while back, and if you are interested in their early history, it's a really good read.

I did see DCD around 1997 or so, it was under the stars in Berkeley. Show was incredible with most songs played were unknown to me, It was a spiritual experience. I also remember thinking that this must be how a Greatful Dead show would be.

I can’t put my finger on it, maybe pseudo-profound.

the word you're looking for is probably 'pretentious' which, I mean, it is Dead Can Dance, I expect nothing less

they are easy targets, yeah. I have no problem with pretentious if I feel they’re in on the joke,but I was not at all convinced that they were.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Host might be obvious choice, but I've grown to love some Brendan-sung songs more, so Ullyses (argh!) it shall be.

I haven't listened to Dead Can Dance in forever. I'm just taking in this comp of songs to make my choice. Ended up going for "Enigma of the Absolute" just over "Cantara" and "Ullyses." Totally forgot they did "Saltarello" too.

Voted for the song sampled by FSOL because it's epic and it rules

"Dawn of the Iconoclast" was the one sampled by FSOL, it's not on this comp. I also mistakenly thought "Host" was the sample for many years!

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

tied! one lisa, one brendan

(yeah brendan has vocals on Host but y'know)