The transformation of Dead Can Dance from a gothy post-punk group into an otherworldly, ethereal mix of neo-classical and world music has been quite a journey, all the while driven by the incredibly powerful voices of Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry, the group's primary and only consistent members. John Peel captured the band for his '83/'84 Peel Sessions at the crest of their post-punk era, right before the release of their second masterful album, "Spleen and Ideal", which saw DCD beginning to experiment heavily with eastern sounds. This track from the '83 Peel Session, "Labour of Love", is unreleased and has never appeared on a proper album, (though it is included on a few rare tracks compilations), and features the sole crooning voice of Brendan Perry over a pulsing, emotionally charged epic arrangement. Perry is channeling Scott Walker and perhaps David Sylvian here, though the one thought that comes to mind is: I wish Morrissey sounded this good.
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