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Toward the Within is the first live album/DVD by Australian band Dead Can Dance, released on 24 October 1994 by 4AD. It contains 15 songs, of which only four appeared on their previous albums, and two of which were later re-recorded and included on Lisa Gerrard's first solo album, The Mirror Pool. The others previously existed only in live performances and unofficial bootlegs, but were not officially released until Toward the Within. Along with Perry and Gerrard were a number of musicians who had performed with them on other occasions.

Toward the Within was recorded in one take in November 1993 at the Mayfair Theatre in Santa Monica, California and was released by 4AD as an album and a video (VHS and LaserDisc) a year later. It was the last major event to take place in the Mayfair Theatre before it was severely damaged in the Northridge earthquake in January 1994 and had to be closed indefinitely. The video was filmed by producer Mark Magidson, known for his work on the 1992 film Baraka. It contains interviews with Gerrard and Perry, as well as a music video for "Yulunga (Spirit Dance)", composed of clips from Baraka.

While the CD functions as the soundtrack to the video, neither contain the entire show. The CD lacks "Gloridean" as well as the song played over the ending credits of the video, while the video lacks "Persian Love Song" and concert footage of "Yulunga (Spirit Dance)".

In 2001, Toward the Within was re-released on DVD and included in the box set Dead Can Dance (1981-1998). In addition to the original content, the DVD release contained a few extras: a discography; music videos for "Frontier", "The Protagonist" and "The Carnival Is Over"; and a chapter from Baraka titled "Calcutta Foragers/Homeless", which is set to Dead Can Dance's "The Host of Seraphim". In 2004, the DVD was released in a stand-alone package.




Performers:


Brendan Perry (voice, percussion, guitar, tin whistle, yangqin)
Lisa Gerrard (voice, yangqin, percussion)
Lance Hogan (guitar)
Andrew Claxton (keyboard, percussion)
John Bonnar (keyboard, percussion)
Rónán Ó Snodaigh (percussion)
Robert Perry (percussion, flute, low D whistle, guitar)



Tracklist:

1. Opening credits
2. Rakim
3. Song of the sibyl
4. I can see now
5. American dreaming
6. Cantara
7. The wind that shakes the barley
8. I am stretched on your grave
9. Desert song
10. Oman
11. Gloridean
12. Tristan
13. Sanvean
14. Don't fade away
15. The carnival is over
16. The host of Seraphim
17. Yulunga (Spirit Dance)
18. Frontier
19. The protagonist