Toward The Within (Ltd Ed)

You wont regret it. This CD must be a part of your collection, it can be placed in the MASTERPIECES rack of your house... No doubt about that!

Smooth, deep... This CD holds the perfection of rythm, sounds and voices.

If you believe that this CD will go make you go to sleep, You are TOTALLY wrong. Won't make you sleep at anytime, but will make you FADE AWAY...

A Natural High!


Their best work   March 28, 2004
Jon Norris (Oregon, USA)
Toward The Within is the high point of Dead Can Dance's catalog, IMHO. I discovered DCD with the video from which this soundtrack was taken. Discovered is an understatement. It was more like knocked on my backside by a bolt of lightning.

I have not heard anything like this mixture of music before or since. This band would be equally at home in ancient Egypt, on Babylon 5, or in Vahalla. The way they weave Celtic, Germanic, Turkish, Egyptian, African, and who knows what other influences and instruments with synthesizers and electric bass is unique beyond verbal description.

Lisa Girrard's voice is unbelievable. You really have to see the video because they do closeups while she is singing, and it is quite powerful to see her actually producing these sounds. Her voice is like one would imagine a valkyrie - the power of a tsunami with the delicacy of a hummingbird all at the same time. When you hear some female singers, like Kate Bush, Tori Amos, Enya, etc., you see goddess archetypes like Diana or Isis. With Lisa it is more like Kali. This is feminine energy, but it hits you like a freight train in the chest. Which is not to say it is harsh or ragged. Quite the contrary, she exhibits a control over her voice that is remarkable. She weaves soft Celtic lilting notes with deep, powerful tones, modulated by a Turkish or Berber-style vibrato that is amazing. Think German opera blended with belly dancing music and you will be in the ballpark, although that description really misses the true power and beauty of the songs. This is a woman who makes you feel the goddess in your gut as well as your heart, like Ann Wilson, Tina Turner, Janis Joplin, etc., but with a decidedly surreal twist. Lisa often sings in a language she creates herself, which adds to the mystique of their music. In some ways, she reminds me of Nina Hagen, although Hagen went from opera to more average punk rock. The power and control of their voices seems similar to me.

I don't care for the more traditional folksongs, although they are very well done. The quality of the other musicians is superb, and again, watching them in the video gives you an added perspective to the way all the different influences weave together.

If you like world music with a touch of other-worldliness, try out this CD. It is not for the faint of heart or those who like common, run-of-the-mill music of any flavor. This is very different stuff indeed.


Dead Can Dance can do no wrong   March 24, 2004
Clarissa (Ontario, California)
I'm astounded by the haunting beauty of Dead Can Dance. They truly were, and still are, one of the greatest bands around! Although Lisa Gerrard has been successful at her work on solo projects and movie soundtracks since the demise of DCD, I wish they would join forces one last time to create another breathtaking album. Of course I don't yet own their entire catalogue so I'll be patient for that hopeful day to arrive...

I admit to liking the faster world songs with upbeat percussion, which usually feature the vocals of Brendan Perry, over the slower more somber pieces that LG tends to sing but they balance it out so well on 'Toward The Within' - a record filled with live performances taken from their concert in Santa Monica, California - that it flows without notice as every track keeps you captive. Plus they both have such enticing voices that run deep with emotion and, despite how different they are, it wouldn't be the same without one or the other.

The fact that this isn't a studio album but something given straight up and raw makes the experience of listening to this that much more personal. If they messed up they messed up but the musicians played impeccably and in turn made a masterpiece that just might be deemed as the best work they ever did. That will always be an argument never settled, though, as every fan has their own opinion for the darkly lavished 'Within The Realm of a Dying Sun' along with the renaissance fair of 'Aion' were also very good and those two were later released.

Point is, whether you have all these songs or not, this is an album worth having for the sheer unraveling of talent unfolding.

Every track is great with A+ production quality but my absolute favorites include "Rakim", "Desert Song", "Yulunga (Spirit Dance)", "American Dreaming", "Cantara" and "Oman".

{Also check out the VHS version}


Awesome. Just awesome.   October 29, 2003
Persephone (Colonial Heights, Virginia United States)
I don't know if words can truly describe what I heard when I first put "Toward The Within" in my CD player and pressed play. This CD shows the true beauty and eclecticism that music truly is and should be. It shows Middle Eastern and Celtic influences, mainly but the overall feel of it is like you went back to the caveman days because the beat of all the songs, especially in "Oman," is seductive and gets in your blood, making you want to dance all night long. Then you get to some songs like, "I Can See Now," "American Dreaming," and "Don't Fade Away." They are simple songs, just Brendan Perry and a guitar but they are probably the most beautiful songs on the whole album! They are TRUE love songs, simple melodies with the most BEAUTIFUL lyrics probably ever written and Brendan Perry's soothing voice, making them soar. These songs are for when you are laying in the arms of your significant other with candles all around you, just cuddling and relaxing all night. Lisa Gerrard isn't on here as much as Brendan but her presence is still felt on this album. Especially on "The Wind That Shakes The Barley." Overall, a must buy! Soft, eclectic, soothing melodies with exquisite lyrics....who could possibly ask for more?


What a discovery   October 13, 2003
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I had heard about DCD for some time and heard that those with my musical taste might like them. Well, this was the first album of theirs which I purchased and I put it on as kind of background music as I was doing some work at home. Within the first minute, I had stopped what I was doing and just started listening. I have heard a lot of music over my 40+ years, but I cannot recall being grabbed so thoroughly from the first listen. This CD highlights their knack for merging primal beat, folk, medieval, and almost operatic grandeur in a most unique way. Lisa Gerrard's voice is extraordinary, as is the band's wonderful capacity for merging some eclectic instrumentation. I have since purchased many other DCD CD's with mixed results, and find this one to be the best, by far. I have played it as background before some adult classes I teach in, and many students have been drawn to it enough to ask that wonderful question which all of us music lovers like to hear: "Who is this?" If you are curious about this band, this would be the one CD to try first.