Disco de Dead Can Dance: “Memento: The Very Best of Dead Can Dance”

I consider myself extremely fortunate to have seen Dead Can Dance on their 2005 reunion tour, at their October date in New York City at Radio City Music Hall. They have been my #1 all-time favorite band for years, so it was an absolute thrill and easily ranks as the best concert experience of my life. But much like 'Memento', although the content was fantastic, there wasn't much new.

That's NOT a complaint, mind you. I realize that on a reunion tour not every band can come up with new stuff. In a live environment that's entirely understandable. For a 'best of' album though, a few great songs are noticeably missing (I think it'd be impossible to fit a true 'best of' DCD on one disc though), and they have already released a few compilations with much, if not all, of this material on them.

It serves as a great introduction to the band for those who haven't heard their fantastic music before, so if you're one of those people who have never heard them but have always heard OF them, this might be for you. For a long-time fan like myself though, this isn't a must-have or anything, because I already have all of the material on other releases.

Dead Can Dance's music has managed to survive after the group's death. In spite of belonging to a different time and century, it still retains the same spirit it had back when we first heard them. This compilation of the best of their work can only be blamed for the same problem that most compilations have: it does not have enough space to house all the great work they recorded. But it allows newcomers into their music to get a feel for their medieval-meets-ethnic approach, and realize what they've been missing. Past that point, there is no resort but going back and getting their entire catalog. Long live Dead Can Dance!

This is simply another collection of songs from previous works and if you have not heard this wonderful group before, then dive in by all means. Established fans will know that this is just another marketing ploy to squeeze some more buck$ out. Personally, I would recommend the live "Toward the Within" CD as a good overview, if only because the live feel of the sound gives it a greater immediacy.

I just don't see how anybody can write a bad review on this CD. This is the greatest hits of Dead Can Dance. The only people who would even dare write a bad review on DCD are people who have no buisness owning a greatest hits album by this band in the first place. Every song is magic. Every track is great. The production is excellent. The qaulity is perfect. The album is perfect. If you like melodic world music, or dark romantic music, than this is your shure thing. DCD also have a large goth following, but if goth isn't your thing don't let that sway you. This beautiful music and verry enchanting on every level.

These songs are great and I agree with Rene [See Below] but might these songs be remastered, cus they sound Terrific. A good cd for beginners or even the previous comp "A Passage in Time". I got this cd cus it was cheap at the closing of Tower Records. When I opened the cd, I noticed the insert had a couple of pages. BUT NO PHOTOS OF THE BAND :(

I would've at least put a photos going thru their different musical eras or live shots or something. This cd has pretty much every album represented except for Their 1st Album "Dead Can Dance and Ep "Garden of the Arcane Delights", which is a shame because I would've loved to hear them remastered.

-1 star out of 5 for boring artwork!