Customer Reviews

Summoning Of The Muse: A Tribute To Dead Can Dance

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4 star:		(1)
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Let me start out by saying that I have been a fan of DCD since I was in high school, I own all their recordings, and have seen them perform live. This CD is perhaps the greatest tribute that could be given to Lisa and Brendan, and I strongly suggest that anyone who likes Dead Can Dance go out and buy this CD. It's dark, haunting and beautiful, and it's put out by the Projekt label, which is really good at that sort of thing.

Some of the best bands step up to perform songs done by Dead Can Dance on this CD - Faith & the Muse, Black Tape for a Blue Girl, Mirabilis, Arcana, Rajna, Chandeen, Autumn's Grey Solace.... The artists clearly respect DCD and have a sensitive ear for their music. It's not copying, but rather a tribute, and it serves very well in that regard. From Rajna's "Cantara" to BTfaBG's "Fortune Presents Gifts Not According to the Books" to Arcana's "Engima of the Absolute", every single song on here is worth hearing. I have since bought Arcana's CD Le Serpent Rouge and several Rajna CDs, also available from Projekt. Trust me, if your a fan of DCD, you can't go wrong with this CD.

I only hit "skip" twice, and that ain't bad for a full-length CD. Many of the songs don't deviate a lot from the original versions. Several tracks are exclusive to this CD.

Overall, the songs are tribal/folk/ethereal with a "Heavenly Voices" aesthetic. Arcana's cover of "The Arcane" sets the mood perfectly. The person who reviewed this album before me is a member of Rajna ("Cantara"), which is another highlight of the album. Good work, Fabrice.

Autumn's Grey Solace gives "Musica Eternal" the Cocteau Twins treatment, while Faith and The Muse sticks closely to the letter and spirit of "Chant of The Paladin." With Monica Richards' voice, it sounds like music for an ancient wedding *or* sacrificial rite. Athan Maroulis is still one of my favorite male "goth"-identified singers.

Mirabilis brings a gorgeous, solemn vocal harmony to "The Writing on My Father's Hand". It gets harder and harder to tell which one is Dru Allen, and which is Summer Bowman. Chandeen's "In Power We Entrust...I Wish These Songs Had Shorter Titles" has a Loreena McKennitt appeal. Stoa's piano-intensive take on "Cantara" is a fitting closure to the compilation. The low horns on this one stir the blood.

My only gripe with DCD tributes: FOR GOD'S SAKE, WILL SOMEONE PLEASE COVER "XAVIER", ONE OF THE GREATEST SONGS EVER? If no one else does it, I'm gonna do it. Do we really want that hanging over our heads?

I love DCD and have since the mid 80's. Maybe I am missing the point of a tribute album, because this album, while okay, offers nothing new, musically or emotionally. I was hoping that some talented artist world interpret the music and soul of these songs for themselves - and in turn share with us a new perspective and a new experience. But instead all that is here are some simplistic renditions and uninviting covers. What bothered me the most are the pieces where the tribute band did everything they could (vocals and instruments) to sound just like DCD. My first comment would be... `not possible', and the second would be `Why' even if you could??? I can see the enjoyment from the musician's point of view of playing the music the same as DCD did, but not as the one who is listening! The few songs where the artists took the music and made it their own were much more enjoyable for me, but there is just not enough of that here. Mostly the music is just murky shadows of the real thing.

This literally has been some of the most beautiful music I heard in a very long time. Songs like, "In power we entrust the love advocated","Musica Eternal" and "The Writing On My Fathers Hand" even beat the original. Being a hard core Dead Can Dance fan I would say that is amazing!!!

I'm sure Lisa and Brendan would be very proud of this tribute that is only suitable for a band like Dead Can Dance.

As the singer from Rajna, I wanted to tell everyone that this brand new Tribute to DCD " Summoning of the Muse " is a wonderful work that has been done by 11 different artists such as Black Tape for a Blue Girl, Arcana, Dark Sanctuary, Stoa, Chandeen, Faith & the Muse, Rajna ... It is at last a worthy tribute with highlights including :" The arcane, Summoning of the muse, Musica Eternal, Cantara, Ulysses " and so on.
Finally, I will add that the artwork is fabulous , in adequacy with the DCD Tour 2005 design.
The nicest tribute to DCD for years !
If you would have one CD to buy, that will be this one !

Jeanne LEFEBVRE.

Probably the best DCD homage, thus a must for DCD admirers. The CD is very well recorded and quite homogeneous, most of the bands do a great job in replicating DCD's atmosphere, while adding their own touch to the songs. The first songs alone is worth the CD.

As others have noted, this is probably the best Dead Can Dance tribute album made so far. True, many of the covers do not deviate from the original delivery. The sound quality in these is very good, however, which was something that many fans found lacking in DCD's first album. How great it is to hear "In Power We Entrust the Love Advocated" sung clearly and crisply!