Customer Reviews

Serpents Egg

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4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
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I do not own many CDs, and mostly because I never seem to find music I truly enjoy or even appreciate. Dead Can Dance has released many albums, but this one is something so different. "Aion" and "The Serpent's Egg" are the most treasured by me. After that, Dead Can Dance have seemed to drift off to other realms and cultures.

I find that "The Serpent's Egg" has a deep element of fear and sorrow. A serious maturity! Lisa Gerrard and Brendan are at their most developed musically and lyrically.

I am in love with "The Writing on my Father's Hand". I have never heard such a BEAUTIFUL, ELEGANT, POIGNANT piece in my whole life. Lisa, you are very lucky to have such a gorgeous voice and to be able to share it with the whole world. I also love mystical "Orbis De Ignis" with Brendan. Brendan has an artful way of representing his song called "Ullyses". His imagination and yearning to sing of old tales that were told throughout the world is so admirable.

When I listen to Dead Can Dance I hear a sincere desire to open the hidden doors of religions and myths. Dead Can Dance has been searching and searching all over and everywhere! Maybe they have found what they are looking for, because I know I have found a treasure that's sunk beneath tides and waves.

I LOVE this album "The Serpent's Egg"!

Coming two years after their perfect WITHIN THE REALM OF A DYING SUN, Dead Can Dance's 1989 album THE SERPENT'S EGG shows the band continuing to evolve. Here, Dead Can Dance reached an interesting turning point. Lisa Gerrard's vocals begin to show the ethnic influence that would come to the front in 1993's INTO THE LABYRINTH, while the interest in older musical instruments foreshadows the renaissance-themed AION.

This album is especially remarkable because it departs from the use of orchestral musicians and lush atmospherics to give a more personal glimpse of Lisa and Brendan's partnership.

THE SERPENT'S EGG opens with "The Host of Seraphim," which may be their finest song ever. Featuring Lisa's pious wailing over the backing vocals of David Navarro Sust and Brendan Perry's drums, this song is literally heavenly.

As with much of Dead Can Dance's output, individual songs can be noticed as either Brendan's or Lisa's, such as the half-and-half split of WITHIN THE REALM OF A DYING SUN. Here, it's obvious that Brendan has provided "Severance," "In the Kingdom of the Blind...", and "Ulysses." Lisa clearly is the creator of "The Writing on My Father's Hand," "Song of Sophia," and "Mother Tongue."

Nonetheless, for the first time here are several tracks where Lisa and Brendan are equal, such as the aforementioned "The Host of Seraphim," as well as "Orbis de Ignis" and "Chant of the Paladin."

While not Dead Can Dance's best album, which is arguably WITHIN THE REALM OF A DYING SUN, this album should not be the last you purchase if you are a fan of this unique duo.

This album sits right between two 'pillars' of Dead Can Dance's work, in my opinion: "Within the Realm of a Dying Sun" and "Aion". And because of this, it shares some elements with both. The medieval atmospherics of the latter begin to come in strongly here, but there's still a major focus on European classicism present, as well. The sound, also, is right between those two in feel. It's an amazing release, and perhaps one of their darkest-sounding as well, but my suggestion would be to pick up those other two, then come back here for the treat of hearing how it all fits together. But like both of those, there's no duds, and we're clearly heading toward the 'unified' release style that began with "Aion" and really hit its pinnacle with their final album, "Spiritchaser".

This release follows DCD's "Within the Realm of a Dying Sun" and continues the journey into the mystery that is Dead Can Dance. Serpents Egg is arguably their most beautiful, poignant, and haunting release. "The Writing on my Father's hand" is one of Lisa Gerrards best ever! Her vocals tantalize you and make you weep with joy and sorrow. This album also contains some of Brendan Perry's best vocal and lyric offerings since "Spleen and Ideal". A definate must have for any lover of exquisite music.

The Host of the Seraphim is the most beautiful peace of music I have ever heard. When it is playing, time stops. A better way of stating this is that time ceases to exist. I feel like I am floating and the world goes on, carrying me in its wake, calm, peaceful, serene, timeless.

The rest of their music is just as glorious. It is isn't merely listened to as it is experienced.

With Aion, this is my favourite DCD album. "Serpent's Egg" has a stillness that is soothing and disquieting. Profound and allusive, its original compositions have the beautiful understatement that characterizes great art. I recommend this album as a work of exquisite taste that will delight lovers of serious music.

i am a professional dancer and choreographer who was introduced to Dead can Dance through this album. It was used as the score to the grand-prize winning dance at a choreography competition in Japan. It has continued to inspire passionate, powerful, moving dance works. This album is a permanant part of my artistic progression and should be part of of yours.

I bought this SACD reissue (along with the other 8 DCD SACDS recently released) with trepidation, wondering if it would be worth the money. How much better can a cd sound? The music on this cd is great on its own. It's deep, spiritual, complex, well-crafted music that often transcends expectations. To put it simply, the music is heavenly. It manages to be dark and spiritual, yet uplifting at the same time, without ever seeming corny or overwrought. The band exercises its creativity without restraint, but it's never self-indulgent. The voices complement one another. Brendan is deep, masculine, and earthy, whereas Lisa is otherworldly, wordless, and pure sounding.

Regardless of whether or not you like this type of sound, the SACD version of this disc is amazing. It surpassed any hopes or expectations I may have had. Listening to this program is like listening to it for the first time. Every nuance is brought out, clear, crisp, full-bodied, yet there isn't that sense of the sound having been cranked up as you may notice on other "remasters." Some companies who remaster old albums seem to believe that "loud" is better. I've bought remasters before and thought they were worse than the originals as they just sound "blaring." These SACD reissues were left in capable hands as all of them sound astounding.

The band's two earliest releases ("Dead Can Dance" and "The Garden of the Arcane Delights") were maybe my least favorites. They certainly sound better, clearer, more detailed, but the SACD versions tend to underscore the limitations present when they were originally recorded. They tend to be a little more shrill, but that's simply how they have always been in my humble opinion. Don't get me wrong, they're still great cds, but simply not my favorites.

The other 7 sound rich and much warmer, particularly "Within the Realm of a Dying Sun," which to me, always had a cold, stark feeling to it. It sounds amazing. ("Dawn of the Iconoclast" is frightening.) All of this music has been given new life. The live cd in particular, "Toward the Within," literally takes your breath away (The track "Cantara" is thrilling.) If you are a dedicated fan of this band you have to consider getting an SACD player and these discs. You won't regret it. For those who don't know, you cannot hear the SACD program on these discs without an SACD player. If you play them on a regular cd player, you won't hear the high resolution version.

Seems strange that it isn't mentioned in the information for this title but the versions of the Dead Can Dance that came out in 2008, are all remastered by Mobile Fidelity and they sound fantastic (using this one as an example, I don't have the others yet) compared to what was before. I had the original 4ad versions from the late 80s and there really is no comparison. The dynamics, stereo image and detail are like night and day between the two. This version is beautiful, like color compared to black and white.

If you do not have a SACD player there is no reason to get those versions at all. You will not be able to use that layer of the hybrid CD, you will able to only listen to the regular remastered CD version which is what this is.

I first heard the amazing tune "Ullyses" from this disk on the Seattle college music FM station KCMU/KEXP in about 1988, and instantly was fascinated with Dead Can Dance. I rushed out and bought this disk, and entered a whole new world of unparalleled beauty and taste. Middle eastern, british folk, and so many other influences applied with brilliant taste and audacity. As I understand it, Lisa Gerrard's lyrics are in a language of her own creation, designed to be evocative, but owing no particular reference to modern languages, and perhaps evoking a language which predates any modern language. Can you name an artist of such courage who, is also a pop-star? This is a triumph of high art! "The writing on my fathers hand" is exquisite with its delicate string tones and Lisa's evocative singing. Mother Tongue, with its drum tones is delicious. But "Ullyses" is my favorite, with Brendan Perry's rich and full vocal, a classic tale of the triumph of the human spirit in the face of global war. Arise "John Francis Dooley, wipe the sleep from your eyes, and embrace the light"! What else could a sensitive listener ask from a CD, great sound, great art, profound spiritual depth? This is one of the best disks I've encountered in all my 48 years. An associated disk is "This Mortal Coil/It'll end in tears" which features Lisa Gerard on several cuts, also highly recommended.