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Dead Can Dance: Past, Present and Future  »   Cover versions of DCD songs.

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    Just wondering if you guys have favourite cover-versions of Dead Can Dance songs, and what they might be. I bought two DCD tributes a while back, "Summoning Of The Muse" on Projekt and the Greek one, "The Lotus Eaters". Personally I find the former to be far superior, many of the artists following a similar musical path to DCD and clearly fans of the band, taking great care over their contributions. Highlights for me on "Summoning Of The Muse" include Autumn's Grey Solace covering "Musica Eternal", a transcendent and shimmering version sounding somewhere between Slowdive and the Cocteau Twins; Black Tape For A Blue Girl's "Fortune Presents Gifts..." (which also appears on the Greek tribute and is for me a clear highlight there, alongside Arcana's "In The Wake Of Adversity") and Stoa's lovely version of "Cantara".
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      CommentAuthorSilentwake
    • CommentTimeApr 4th 2009
     
    I haven't got any DCD covers but would love to hear some - must visit Ebay again! There are some great bands on the covers albums you mentioned so should be good.
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    The tribute "The Lotus Eaters" is very different in feel from "Summoning Of The Muse". If you like darker forms of metal you'll probably find more to like than I do, to me there's far too much in the way of wild theatrics, lots of up and coming diva's trying to out-sing Lisa, little in the way of subtlety or sensitivity to the songs. A couple of the songs come across as comical, if anything, all gutteral growling guys and chugging guitars. There are several covers that left me completely dumbfounded, wondering to myself: "what the heck are you guys thinking?" Like I say though, Arcana's cover of "In The Wake Of Adversity" is very fine, Black Tape's re-imagining of "Fortune Presents Gifts..." is lovely, and there are a few other songs on there that I like to play once in a while.
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      CommentAuthorSilentwake
    • CommentTimeApr 16th 2009 edited
     
    Really sounds interesting! I don't mind growled vocals - in fact I do them myself in my band, but they have to be in the right place (some bands do it very badly!) I can't quite imagine a DCD song performed like this though.

    Arcana are great - I love their Le Serpent Rouge CD.
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    I think you should give "The Lotus Eaters" a try, see what you think. Of the two compilations it is the most likely to raise eyebrows, I'm not inclined towards metal for the most part, and it is a dominant force on the compilation. My biggest impression was of the songs that were steam-rollered into the ground with great pomp and splendour, and seemed rather pointless. Lots of young ladies bursting at the seams trying to do what Lisa does with ease and grace, and lots of rather macho guys strutting around like bulls in a china shop. But that's just my take on it, and I appreciate that is an inadequate description of it, there are certainly several bands on there that hold DCD in high regard, and there are also musicians from other realms like Greek folk and electronica on there too, making for a very colourful mix.

    On the subject of growled lyrics, I really enjoy a track by the Polish band Riverside, called "Volte-Face". It's the only song I've heard by them but I think it's a really fine example of growling used tastefully, in moderation and to great effect.
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      CommentAuthorSilentwake
    • CommentTimeApr 22nd 2009
     
    Interesting - the song starts with a bit of a New Model Army feel then gets very prog! Nice.
    • CommentAuthorjamesk
    • CommentTimeDec 17th 2009
     
    Since its not been mentioned - Bauhaus do an amazing version of severance! Saw them in manchester a couple of years ago and they played it then. One of my all time favourite gigs and that was one of the highlights!
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      CommentAuthorAelfleda
    • CommentTimeDec 17th 2009
     
    Yeah I like the Bauhaus one too. I like Grido doing Rakim, wrongly titled Oman on the cd. It's the folky track.

    Gotta go now, but I'll come back later with the rest I like!
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      CommentAuthorSilentwake
    • CommentTimeDec 17th 2009
     
    I also saw Bauhaus do Severance live - outstanding!
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      CommentAuthorindusant
    • CommentTimeDec 17th 2009
     
    I am not a big fan of DCD covers as I often find they cannot compare with the originals. However, one I very much like is Ulver's version of 'in the kingdom of the blind the one eyed are kings'.
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    Is anybody familiar with Ride's version of Severence? I've not heard it myself.
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    I agree Indusant that many cover versions don't compare favourably to the originals, but I feel that the best examples of cover versions actually compliment the originals, offering a different perspective and creative reading, and if you happen to be into the band doing the cover, it can be a fine insight into them too.

    My favourite covers of DCD songs are:

    Black Tape For A Blue Girl - Fortune Presents Gifts Not According To The Book;
    Dark Sanctuary - Summoning Of The Muse;
    Autumn's Grey Solace - Musica Eternal;
    Stoa - Cantara;
    Arcana - In The Wake Of Adversity;
    Olga Z - The Carnival Is Over (version 1).

    I appreciate that Arcana and Dark Santuary were steering close to the originals, which perhaps contradicts what I said above, but I think they are very fine performances.
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      CommentAuthorAelfleda
    • CommentTimeDec 19th 2009 edited
     
    OK, I like:

    Arcana: In the Wake of Adversity
    Arcana: The Arcane
    Autumn's Grey Solace: Musica Eternal
    Stoa: Cantara
    Persephone: Spirit
    Delerium: Windfall (re-titled Tectonic Shift)
    Faith and the Muse: Mesmerism
    Black Tape for a Blue Girl: Fortune Presents Gifts...
    Antimatter: Black Sun
    The Gathering: In Power We Entrust...
    Secrets of the Moon & Nostalgia: The Protagonist
    Momentum: Windfall
    Olga Z. : The Carnival is Over (cell phone version=version #1)
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      CommentAuthorindusant
    • CommentTimeDec 19th 2009
     
    I have heard Ride's version of Severance. Its shoegaze, they have added drums, more noise and some not too great singing. Didn't do much for me... the great thing about the original is its simplicity and profundity - its doesn't really need anything more added to it, which is why I'm not a fan of the bauhaus or Ride versions. Of course, I am particularly sensitive to this song as it is easily one of my favourites of all time :).
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      CommentAuthorAelfleda
    • CommentTimeDec 19th 2009
     
    There's lots of covers to be found on Youtube. I just played another cover of the Carnival is Over. It was enjoyable, but more so was the nice slideshow of pictures of DCD, almost all of which I had not seen before.
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    Thanks for that, Indusant, sounds like I'd picture it. I like some of Ride's music, but I appreciate where you are coming from and would probably feel the same way. I have mixed feelings on Bauhaus' cover of Severence, though I think it is way better than most of the tracks on the Lotus Eaters tribute.
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      CommentAuthorAelfleda
    • CommentTimeDec 21st 2009 edited
     
    I remembered he says "Open signs in the shapes of things to come", it bugs me that. And he says "plane" instead of plague! How could he get the words wrong?!

    And of course nothing holds a candle to the originals.

    I watched a beautiful live recording of Brendan singing Severance in 1989 today. Really nice. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJE9Ks3BBMM
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    I, too, was really sceptic to bands doing DCD covers. But when I got the question if I could contribute I felt I at least wanted to try, and I felt that the result was good enough to have released.
    In my opinion I'm more pleased with "The Arcane" than any of the others, as this one differs from the original and still manages to be recognised.
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      CommentAuthorSilentwake
    • CommentTimeJan 18th 2010
     
    Hi Peter - Nice to see you on here! I am a big fan of Le Serpent Rouge, but need to hear the new one!
    • CommentAuthormabon
    • CommentTimeFeb 15th 2010
     
    Hi, Peter - and thanx for your work with Arcana!

    I think talking about DCD covers, I should mention Paradise Lost with Xavier. I know both Greg and Nick are huge DCD fans.
    Also some people I happen to know - a bulgarian band Irfan, they are doing a great cover of Svadba.
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      CommentAuthorSilentwake
    • CommentTimeFeb 19th 2010
     
    I haven't heard that PL cover - what did they do it on?
    • CommentAuthorsalehliam
    • CommentTimeFeb 24th 2010 edited
     
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0SRQMcu1eo
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      CommentAuthorxoconostle
    • CommentTimeFeb 25th 2010
     
    I hate to be a naysayer about music but I've never heard a cover of a DCD song that didn't make me want to go running back to the original. Some songs are improved by others but some are best left in their perfectly accomplished original state. The latter is how I feel about DCD's work.

    There's more to DCD music than just the songwriting itself. So much is inherent to the "soundprint" of the musician's voices and a certain compositional restraint that makes their music theirs. I remember reading an interview with DCD relevant to the release of "In The Realm of a Dying Sun" in which Brendan said that they'd been thinking about the role of silence in their new compositions. That may read like a contradiction in terms in print, but if you listen thoughtfully to their music from that time, you hear exactly what he meant. That sort of subtlety and self-control seems to get lost in cover versions of DCD music, at least to my ear. The covers generally lack that "x factor" that makes DCD's music age so gracefully. I'd love to be proven wrong about this, and perhaps some day I'll hear a cover that will encourage me to happily improve my attitude. To each their own.
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      CommentAuthorSilentwake
    • CommentTimeFeb 25th 2010
     
    I think that although covers generally don't compare to the original version, they can be interesting if they take the song in a different direction. Personally, I liked the Jarboe and Antimatter songs the best on the covers album.
    • CommentAuthorAdrian
    • CommentTimeFeb 25th 2010
     
    I don't paste a link here since I am not sure if the author whish me to do so, but you may try yourself. It is absolutely fabulous to me.


    what is that supposed to mean? :-) that's what it's on youtube for. it is public...
    • CommentAuthorsalehliam
    • CommentTimeFeb 25th 2010
     
    Done Adrian :)
    • CommentAuthorAdrian
    • CommentTimeFeb 25th 2010
     
    Thanks :-) I like the calmness in this version :-)
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      CommentAuthorElros
    • CommentTimeFeb 27th 2010
     
    English soprano Sarah Brightman made a version of "Sanvean" for her 2008 album "Symphony".
    Here is a video of the song at Stephansdom, Vienna: Sarah Brightman "Sanvean" Live in Vienna.
    Brightman's voice doesn't has Lisa's power and extraordinary deepness; but I think that, in a certain way, the songs works for her.

    Greetings from Costa Rica!
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      CommentAuthorxoconostle
    • CommentTimeFeb 27th 2010
     
    Thanks for the link Elros. That was very pretty.
    • CommentAuthorAdrian
    • CommentTimeFeb 28th 2010 edited
     
    Brightman's voice doesn't has Lisa's power and extraordinary deepness; but I think that, in a certain way, the songs works for her.


    Personally, I didn't like her version and you are right that there was something missing.
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      CommentAuthorSaskia
    • CommentTimeFeb 28th 2010
     
    This is a plastic version without soul! I really, really don't like it.
    • CommentAuthorsalehliam
    • CommentTimeMar 1st 2010 edited
     
    I do not understand this interpretation either. She sings as though she didn't hear the music at all, the whole thing is a little bit schizofrenic.

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